Four players from the Southend league team teamed up this month to represent Essex Vets in Division1b of the Table Tennis County Championships played at Batts Table Tennis Club in Harlow. Captained by Rayleigh’s Duncan Taylor the other Southend based team members were Matt Spero and Wanda Sydorenko (both Rawreth), and Andy Cunningham (Hockley). This was a debut for Andy who became the first Hockley player to represent the county at this level.

The team sit joint top of the division after the first round of matches with wins over Norfolk (9-1), Middlesex (7-3) and Kent (7-3). Each match was made up of seven singles and three doubles with former professional player Sydorenko unbeaten in both, Spero unbeaten in singles and Cunningham and Taylor only losing one game each. The Southend players were joined in the Essex team by Clive Carthy from the London based Table Tennis club Fusion. Andy, Duncan and Clive each played in two of the three matches but Matt and Wanda played in all four .

Essex will be hoping to get promoted to the Premier division of the County Championships as they play the second and third round of matches in January and March.

Pictured left to right – Duncan Taylor, Wanda Sydorenko, Matt Spero and Clive Carthy. Unfortunately Andy Cunningham was not there for the photos.

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