English League Cup Competition (ELCC)   Report by   Mitchell Jones

On Saturday, 10th May, two teams proudly represented the Southend Table Tennis League in the English League Cup Competition (ELCC).

Southend 1 – Zone E (St Neots Table Tennis Club, Cambridge)

Mitch Jones and Liam Squirrell travelled to St Neots Table Tennis Club in Cambridge to represent Southend 1 in Zone E. Their first match was against the Bedford League, resulting in a narrow 3-2 defeat. However, they bounced back in the second match with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the highly regarded Wembley and Harrow League—widely considered one of the strongest leagues in the country.

A standout moment came when Liam defeated Sammy Kaye in straight sets, an impressive feat given Kaye’s ranking is 343 places above Liam. Wembley and Harrow went on to beat Bedford 4-1, leading to a countback scenario. Unfortunately, Wembley and Harrow edged ahead by just one game, meaning Southend 1 finished second in the group and narrowly missed qualification for the national finals.

Southend 2 – Zone B (Wensum Table Tennis Club, Norwich) 

Ian Wall, Kieran Skeggs, and Arron Chandler represented Southend 2 in Zone B at the Wensum Table Tennis Club in Norwich. The opening match saw Norwich defeat Peterborough 5-0. Southend 2 then faced Peterborough, securing a 3-2 victory. In their final match against Norwich—last year’s ELCC champions—Southend 2 put up a strong fight but ultimately lost 5-0. As a result, Southend 2 also finished second in their group and did not qualify for the national finals.

Both teams displayed great skill and determination, and the Southend League can be proud of their strong performances against top-level competition.

Mitchell Jones

13 May 2025

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