After tucking two more 10-0 wins under their belt, Netts A not only opened up a sizeable lead at the top of the Braintree Table Tennis League division one table, they also kept themselves in the hunt to set a record.
If they keep up their current rate of scoring they will become the first team since 1993-94 to concede less than one point per match.
They have so far dropped only nine points in 12 matches, a ratio that would see them concede just 15 in 20 at the end of the season, an average of 0.75 a match.
The Bocking team of Terry Dowsett, Ian Hayden and Peter Hayden have come closest to that with 17 in 20 matches 31 years ago.
Netts’ latest 10-0 victories came over their own B team and Black Notley B.
In the first match, Szczepan Ziobro did well to stretch both Paul Davison and Andy Holmes to five games – he was 2-1 up in both cases – while Notley’s Luke Burridge came closest to a result, falling to Holmes only at 13-11, 7-11, 8-11, 12-10, 13-11.
Rayne A continue to trail in Netts’ wake and fell further behind after dropping four points to Rayne C and two more to Netts B.
They could raise only two players for the first match, including Oliver Hicks, who stepped up from the B team and took his three singles.
Sudbury Nomads remain third after a 10-0 win over Notley A with Rayne B fourth following a 7-3 win over their own C team.
Brandon Crouchman and Zach Harrington won all seven between them in Liberal A’s 7-3 win over Liberal C. It was Harrington’s first unbeaten evening of the season.
Louise Hartshorn was unbeaten as division two leaders Sudbury Wanderers overcame Notley C 7-3 while second-placed Rayne E beat Notley E 6-4.
Rayne D’s 7-3 win over Notley F included a maximum return for Dave Moles, while Paul Nicol’s record was similarly untouched in Notley D’s win by the same score against Rayne F.
Top v bottom in division three was an almost predictable 9-1 win for Finchingfield A over Notley H. What was not so predictable was Mike Smith’s excellent win over Ray Bradford.
The next two teams faced each other and Sudbury Strollers put a little more daylight between themselves and Notley G by beating them 6-4.
Chad Rose won his three singles for the first time this season in Finchingfield B’s 6-4 win Over Notley I
Fourth-placed Yeldham Whitlocks B had an 8-2 win over Netts E (three wins for Steve Willis) while Rayne G, in fifth, were 7-3 better off against Rayne H (three for Dave Whiting)
Report by Ron Fosker