It was a welcome return to fixtures in the Southend & District Table Tennis League this week and we have the early results from the Premier Division to report on.
Rayleigh Mill were busy in the transfer market this summer and it was one of their new signings Liam Squirrell who made an immediate impact with three wins against perennial title challengers Rawreth A. Squirrell led the Millers to a 5-4 win with his wins over Charles Sweeney, Eric Green and Babul McLeod and the win was secured with two good wins from Colin Chatfield over McLeod and Green, the latter coming at the crucial point of the night with the scores at 4-4.
After that initial close affair, a couple of comprehensive wins up next as there was a straightforward win for Rawreth B over Stanford A. A hat-trick of wins for Peter Barrett, Kim Shead and James Elliot securing a 9-0 win for Paul Brown’s side and it was the same scoreline when Hadleigh Forum met Thorpe Bay B, Gurj Bhambra, Keith Willett and Mat Spero ensuring the win for the Bay.
Reigning champions Thorpe Bay A were in a similarly miserly mood as they started their defence with a whitewash of Invicta A. The ever reliable Paul Sayer, Ian Wall and Mark Stones proving too good on the night and one would expect this not to be their only 9-0 of this campaign.
And finally. a good start for Basildon A in the Premier division as they beat Matchpoint A 8-1. Three wins a piece for Garry Hartgrove and Rob Burton and two from Lee Marson ensured the win, however, there was a good consolation win for Stephen Heard over Marson.
Report by Duncan Taylor
In Division 1 both Hockley TTC teams got off to cracking starts in this, the first round of matches for the new season.
An Elliot Brackenbury hat trick inspired Hockley C to a 7 – 2 victory on their visit to Stanford Le Hope B. Two wins each for team mates Tim Pang and Stephanie Haddrell ensured their success. Rob Salvage was the home star’s hero, winning both their two points.
7 – 2 in favour of the away side was also the result when Hockley B turned up at Canvey A. Joe Odegbami took the accolades with an undefeated maximum, but he was well supported by David Colwill and Stuart Adshead who contributed two apiece. Canvey’s Ray Wilson was again their main threat, collecting two successes.
A new look Wakering A kicked off the new season with a 5 – 4 home win over Hadleigh Forum C. However, it was Callum Turner, their main man from last season, who took the Player of the Match award with a hat trick. New signings Barbara Chabior and Martin Shaughnessy each recorded one victory for Wakering. Graham Farmer and Mark Everard won two matches each for the visitors.
Rawreth C’s Adi Kamma took the POM award when his side went to Hadleigh Forum B. Unfortunately, though, it was not enough to ensure his team’s success. Two wins for Tony Jacks and Mick Tappenden, together with one from Jim Stait meant Forum came out 5 – 4 winners. Veteran Colin Clements got Rawreth’s other win.
No player was undefeated in the match between Mapledene and visiting Basildon B. Peter Hilton’s two wins for the visitors was deemed mathematically enough to give him the POM prize. However, Mapledene’s Mike Johnston and Bill Smith also won twice, as did Basildon’s Dale Gutteridge. It took a solitary victory from John Tendler to give the home team a 5 – 4 win.
Report by David Barnes
The winter league kicked off this week and there were differing fortunes in Division2 for Invicta B and Basildon C who were both promoted from Division 3 last season.
Title holders Basildon went down 7-2 at home to Matchpoint C but Invicta, who finished in second place, started with a 9-0 thrashing of Runnymede. This leaves Invicta top after week 1 – not a bad start!
The Invicta trio of Trisha Winter, John Blackman and Keith Baxter lost just five sets all night the only real resistance coming in the last game of the evening. Winter, leading 2-0, was pegged back to two sets all by Barrie Edgar but won the decider 11/6 to confirm the whitewash.
Basildon C, by contrast, found it much harder going against Matchpoint C for whom Richard Sloman and Samuel Morgan were both in fine form winning all their games. Sloman had to work hard for his wins being taken to five sets twice by Andy Roff and Victor Galben but Morgan dropped just one set all night. Oliver Milchard provided the other point beating Galben in five extremely close sets and 16/14 in the decider. Roff and Michael Elmide both got the better of Milchard for Basildon’s points.
Matchpoint B also got off to a winning start beating Canvey B 6-3 and had two hat trick heroes in John Lott and Hannah Harbour. Harbour, in fact, achieved the perfect hat trick not dropping a set all night against the experienced Canvey line up of Kevin Walsingham, Des Duffield and Terry Giddens. Lott only conceded one set so it was a pretty early night with young Lotte Mills finding it just a bit too hard losing all her games.
Final match of the week saw Hockley D take on a re-vamped Wakering B side. An influx of players has seen Wakering now able to field three teams in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 retaining their position in Div 1 despite finishing one but bottom. This set up sees Callum Turner again turning out in Div 2 and he duly won all his games to chalk up a perfect hat trick. Paul England and Andy Deadman chipped in with two wins each, England being extended to five sets by Hockley debutant Howard Collins and losing in four close sets to Paul Ogden. Deadman came within one set of also achieving a hat trick but in the final game of the evening he was edged out in five sets by Paul Strutt who came back from 2-1 down to win the last two sets 11/7, 11/7.
Team of the Week – Invicta B
Player of the Week – Hannah Harbour
Report by Paul Strutt
The first match of the new season in Division 3 saw a young Evolve ‘B’ team make the journey up the A13 to take on Stanford ‘D’ Unfortunately, a straight sets win for Oliver Willson over Karen Kempster was their only success on the night. Thereafter, Stanford got into their stride and took the remaining games in double quick time, without dropping a set.
Evolve ‘A’ were also in action this week, hosting Invicta ‘C’ at the Megacentre. Again, a solitary win, this time for Harley Dowding over Steve Lennox, was their only reward on the night. This particular game was very close as Harley took the first two sets before Steve rallied to level matters. However, Harley held his nerve in the final end to close it out 11-9. Steve won his remaining games, and hat-tricks from Harry Venables and Mike Keeble meant an 8/1 win and a good start to the season for Invicta.
Hat-tricks for Steve Kemp and Che Martin plus a single win for David Coverley saw Canvey ‘C’ get the better of Matchpoint ‘D’. 7/2 the final score. Poppy Sherman and Cooper Hill with a win apiece were the points scorers for the home side.
A battling maximum for ‘young’ Douglas Brown was all in vain as his Hadleigh Forum ‘D’ side slipped to a 6/3 defeat at home to Hockley ‘F’. Two wins each here for George Clark, Robert Garlick and Gary Beck. Mention should be made of Forum skipper Jean Catley who took all her games to a 5th set, but ended up winless on the night.
Report by Dave Woolmer
