The battle to avoid relegation from the top division of the Burnham & District Table Tennis League really hotted up in April culminating in a final match of the season do-or-die escape to victory-esque thriller for Woodham B.
Woodham B have been propping up Division 1 all season and have looked firm favourites to yoyo back down to Division 2 following their experimental year mixing it with the big boys. They started off the month with a 7-3 loss to runners-up Cold Norton B and came away having played very well but thinking the 3 points might not be enough as they were still 5 points adrift of second bottom Stow Maries A and 12 points behind the next team Maldon A. With all 3 teams in action across the final 3 matches of the season mathematically any of the 3 teams could still be relegated and the fat non-binary person still hadn’t sung their song! So to the action – first up the ‘Live at the Smythe’ special as the bottom two teams met at Smythe Hall for a relegation six pointer. Some of the table tennis on the night was of a tip top standard as Stow’s Gary Brignall and Woodham’s Sanjay Saptarshi battled for supremacy. Brignall was on fire like you had never seen before – rumoured to have had not 3 but 4 Weetabix* that morning (*other breakfast cereals are available). He dispatched the other Woodham players Trevor Collin and Eamonn Hall and saved Saptarshi for last. Then overall match score was evenly poised at 3-3 after the first round of singles and the Stow pairing of Brignall and Ryan Pitt looked to have the better of Saptarshi & Hall in the early knockings of the key doubles match. The order of play was key in this one and the match eventually went to 2-2 only for Hall & Saptarshi to finally get their noses in front and then finished off in style for the oh-so-important doubles bonus point. In the final run-in Collin overcame Pete Layzell for a 5-3 lead to Woodham and then the sparks flew as Brignall and Saptarshi took to the Octagon for an all-out table tennis smashfest of the absolute highest order. No initial nerves or cautiousness – just straight into it from the start. The heat coming from the Brignall camp was evident as he blasted his way to an opening set 11-2 but then felt some of that backdraft as Saptarshi fought back for an 11-3 second set. Brignall took a cagey 3rd set and then steamed ahead in the 4th and had at least 3 match points before finally succumbing 14-16 as Saptarshi somehow recovered from the precipice of defeat. That effort and disappointment knocked the stuffing out of Brignall and a buoyed Saptarshi rattled off the final set for an overall commanding 6-3 lead for the Woodham boys. Standing ovations around for both of these fighters! Pitt overcame the dogged Hall for the final point of the match for an overall 6-4 victory to Woodham B.
The previous result probably saved Maldon A any final match concerns as they took on Mapledene A at the Maldon Arena. Mapledene A arrived with a slightly weaker than normal side but still had plenty in their locker to dispatch Maldon. For Mapledene both John Monk and David Jacob won all their singles without much trouble, and Maldon’s only singles victory came courtesy of the returning lefty Jon Stokes who outlasted Keith Willet in a hard fought 5 setter. However Maldon pair Steve Whiteley and Stokes were far too good for their opponents as they eased their way to a straight sets victory in the doubles giving them 2 points on the night and surely enough to ensure they were now safe.
So going into the final match of whole league season Woodham B found themselves 3 points adrift from Stow Maries A and 8 points adrift from Maldon A, and up against tough opponents Mapledene B who themselves could finish in 4th place. With a large crowd in attendance the final match got underway and Woodham captain Eamonn Hall kicked things off with an opening victory against an in-form Anthon Ranjit-Singh, and this was swiftly followed up when Woodham talisman Sanjay Saptarshi overcame the unique style of Colin Chatfield in a match that saw some tremendous rallies. Mapledene fought back as the fearsome Keith Willett took a lively 5 setter against Dan Patynski, and Chatfield made amends for his earlier loss with a victory over Hall. Patynski endured another 5 setter against the hard-hitting Ranjit-Singh but just pipped it at the death and then Willett smashed his way through the Saptarshi defence to level the match up at 3-3. All very nail-biting for the Woodham crowd assembled behind the barriers. Mapledene’s dynamic doubles duo of Chatfield and Willett were a class above the Woodham pair and won out comfortably to take a 4-3 lead going into the final stretch of matches. Chatfield completed his excellent nights play with a tricky 5 set victory over Patynski and Willett triumphed in 4 sets against Hall to secure Mapledene’s victory on the night and 4th place in the league overall. So for Woodham B it all came down to the final game of the final match of the season. By all accounts traffic had come to a standstill in both South Woodham and Stow Maries as the residents waited with baited breath for the outcome of this most anticipated encounter. In the Blue corner Saptarshi – weighing in at 12 Stone 4lbs, ranked #24, and his opponent from the Mapledene Academy in the red corner Anthon Ranjit-Singh – weighing in at 14 stone 6lbs, ranked #92 but with a far bigger reach! Round 1 and Ranjit-Singh was off to a flier but Saptarshi came back and edged the opening round 11-9. Ranjit-Singh fought back and took a comfortable 2nd leg 11-7. The third leg was cagey and at 8-8 could have gone either way. Advantage Ranjit-Singh at 9-8 but then a couple of errors allowed Saptarshi back in and he took the 3rd for a 2-1 lead. With lots of fluids and biscuits being taken on board and the corners working hard on tactical changes the 4th set started of a bit cagey but Saptarshi edged ahead with some trademark smashes at the end of some wonderful exchanges between these two warriors. As we entered the business end of the leg Saptarshi pulled away and as he won out 11-6 the crowds erupted with a mixed sense of relief and joy. So 6-4 to Mapledene B on the night, and a thoroughly deserved victory. Mapledene B secure 4th place in the league and Woodham B leapfrog Stow Maries A by a single point to come off the bottom of the table for the very first time all season and get to do it all again next season!
The rumour that Stow Maries Village has cancelled all Coronation events following this relegation saga can neither be confirmed nor denied.
Pic 1 – The final League table
Pic 2 – Mapledene’s Captain Anton Ranjit-Singh in action
Pic 3 – Gary Brignall versus Sanjay Saptarshi in the showstopper
Pic 4 – Mapledene B’s Colin Chatfield and Keith Willett
Pic 5 – Woodham B, The Great Escape Artists – Hall, Saptarshi and Patynski
