It’s been a somewhat underwhelming season to date for Phil
Smith in Division One of the Clacton League, but the veteran
League stalwart showed his true form this week with an excellent
hat-trick in Windsor Eagles’ drawn match with Walton A.
Smith remained unbeaten on the night with victories over Colin
Dearman, Derek Willis and David Binns, the closest win his 11-4
in the fifth success against Binns.
John Hobson and John Pattrick each added a point for the Eagles,
Hobson involved in the closest match of the encounter with a 2-
11, 6-11, 22-20, 11-6, 11-9 win over Willis. Binns and Dearman
won two each for Walton and shared a doubles victory.
Windsor Hawks v Brotherhood A also ended all-square, five of the
matches going the distance. Daniel Young’s maximum for the
Hawks included an 11-3 in the decider win over Kevin Gowlett, as
well as an 11-8 in the decider win over Dad Gary. Gowlett and
Young both won two singles for Brotherhood, but Russell Hillier
narrowly failed to record a victory, going down 11-8 in the fifth to
Felipe Rodriguez and 12-10 in the fifth to John Barton.
The Brotherhood A result means that Nomads Panthers, 10-0
winners over Walton B, move back to the top of the table. John
Hatley, James Denyer and Gracie Edwards proved a formidable
combination, with only Hatley’s 11-8 in the decider win over
Gavin Price extended beyond three sets.
And there was another 10-0 result as Walton C’s Mark Gale, Mark
Ratcliffe and Paul Meikle eased past their Windsor Buzzards’
opponents, with only three of the matches extended to a fourth
set.
In Division Two, Brotherhood D’s inexorable march to the title
continued with a 9-1 victory over Windsor Penguins, Simon
Smith-Daye and Joe Plummer taking trebles. Sam Plummer had a
strenuous evening, beating Sharon Gowlett 11-8 in the fifth and
Neil Chegwidden 14-12 in the fifth, but going down 11-9 in the
fifth to Scott Campbell.
Just eleven points cover the teams from third to eighth places in
the table, and Brotherhood B moved to the top of that group after
their 9-1 victory over Windsor Kestrels. Barry Allen and Mark
Salter each took hat-tricks, Graham Bunce defeating John Owen
11-4 in the decider for the Kestrels’ point.
Nomads Jaguars’ top trio defeated an under-strength Nomads
Tigers, the 8-2 score-line a reverse of their early-season result.
Daryl Lott was the Jaguars’ star player although it was tight 18-
20, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 against Dave Miller. Chris Petrou and
Kevin Hogg both won two for the winners, as did Miller for the
losers.
In Division Three, Brotherhood E beat Nomads Bobcats 6-4,
Tricia Salter unbeaten, Tony Edmonds taking two and Rodney
Betts one. Alex Baldock was the Bobcats’ best player, winning two
and sharing an 11-7 in the fifth doubles win with Matt Sage
against Salter and Edmonds, a first doubles defeat of the season
for Brotherhood.
But it was more comfortable for Brotherhood’s nearest
challengers at the top, Windsor Harriers winning 10-0 against
bottom team Nomads Ocelots, none of the matches extended
beyond three sets.
Windsor Magpies and Nomads Leopards enjoyed an excellent
scrap and the match appropriately ended with honours even.
Magpies’ skipper John Plummer recorded a hat-trick for the
second week running, with Bob Jillins and Stu Wilkinson winning a
couple each for the Leopards.
Finally, the all-Brotherhood clash between the ‘F’ and ‘G’ teams
finished 6-4 in favour of the ‘G’ team. Dan Grindrod, Danny Still
and Gary Simpson all won two for the victors, but none of them
could get the better of Tom Bryden who took an impressive
maximum. The crucial individual match turned out to be
Simpson’s 11-9 in the decider win over Ruby Gallagher.
- Entries for the League’s Closed Championships are now open.
The tournament, the League’s premier event of the season, takes
place on 6th and 7th April at the Coastal Academy Sports Hall.
Entry forms have been sent to all players and full details are also
on the League’s website. Entries can be sent on-line to Peter
White or by post to Tony Oswick. The closing date for entry is
15th March.
- The League was sorry to learn recently of the death of Dennis
Barton at the age of 96 years. Dennis, father of the League’s
Treasurer John Barton, was a keen table tennis player in his
younger days and was a regular League player at Thorpe during
the 1950s. After a break from the sport, he resumed his table
tennis career again in the 1980s with the Post Office Club in the
Third and Fourth Divisions. We send our sincere condolences to
John and his family.
RESULTS
Division 1
Windsor Eagles 5 Walton A 5;
Windsor Hawks 5 Brotherhood A 5;
Walton C 10 Windsor Buzzards 0;
Nomads Panthers 10 Walton B 0.
Division 2
Brotherhood B 9 Windsor Kestrels 1;
Nomads Tigers 2 Nomads Jaguars 8;
Brotherhood D 9 Windsor Penguins 1.
Division 3
Windsor Harriers 10 Nomads Ocelots 0;
Brotherhood G 6 Brotherhood F 4;
Windsor Magpies 5 Nomads Leopards 5;
Brotherhood E 6 Nomads Bobcats
