Only three clubs will be represented in the quarter finals of the Braintree Table Tennis League handicap cup.
Four teams from Black Notley, two from Netts and two from Finchingfield made their way through the set of second round matches.
Rayne, Sudbury and Yeldham Whitlocks all missed out.
Notley’s A, B, D and H teams all got through, the H team knocking out the club’s F team.
Notley H are rooted at the wrong end of division three so a handicap cup game was a pleasant interlude for them.
It was especially so for Mike Smith, whose league form has not quite cranked into gear this season.
He won his three sets comfortably in the 6-2 victory.
While Notley H took advantage of their handicaps, the A team had to come from behind in their match against Rayne H, who received starts of between 12 and 14 (up to 21).
Chris Parr, starting 0-14 down on both occasions, won both the singles he played in the 5-3 victory.
New signing Roger Hance was to the fore with three singles in the B team’s 5-2 win over Rayne G, while Richard Upson won two out of two in the D team’s 5-3 win over Sudbury Strollers.
Notley’s G team were unable to make it five teams through when they came up against the (mostly) young talent at Netts F’s disposal.
JJ Calisin won both his sets in the 5-2 victory.
Netts D are the club’s other team through to the last eight and they featured in the closest match of the round, edging through 5-4 against Rayne F after coming back from 4-3 down.
Jack Dearsley was unbeaten.
Finchingfield’s two teams had the most convincing passage to the quarter final, coming through both matches without a blemish.
The A team of Chad Rose, Lucien Nolan-Bradford and Ray Bradford came past Yeldham A 9-0 while the B team declared at 5-0 against Notley C.