The Nomads and Brotherhood Clubs are dominating the Clacton and
District League’s Handicap Cup competition this season, with two
teams from each Club reaching the semi-finals.
The all-Division Two quarter-final between Nomads Tigers and
Brotherhood F proved a nail-biter, the scores see-sawing
throughout the evening. Brotherhood won four of the five matches
which went the distance but it was the Tigers who, from 4-3 down,
took the final two matches of the evening to emerge narrow 5-4
victors.
In a fine team effort, Tom Wilkin, Matt Sage and Alex Baldock each
won one singles for the Tigers, with skipper Wilkin combining with
his team-mates to take two of the three doubles played.
Cup-holders Nomads Lions booked their place in the semi-finals by
avenging a defeat in the Group stage by Brotherhood J, edging past
their Second Division opponents 5-3. The match-score stood all 3-3
but Paul Hume and Ethan Lloyd pulled out the stops to take a
singles win apiece to seal the deal for the Lions. Hume, who
remained unbeaten on the night, was involved in the closest match
of the contest, (on-6) beating the Brotherhood number one Joe
Sherwin (+2) 11-7 in the decider.
In the only all-Division One tie, Brotherhood A ended the Windsor
Club’s involvement in the competition this year with a 5-1 victory
over the Hawks. The first two matches proved pivotal,
Brotherhood’s Kevin Gowlett and Gary Young (-6) taking the
opening doubles 11-6 in the fifth against Scott Campbell and John
Barton (+2), and Daniel Young (-1) beating Andy Vincent (+2), also
11-6 in the fifth. Two singles wins for Gowlett, who remained
unbeaten, and one for Gary Young secured the victory.
Division Two Brotherhood D are the fourth side in the semi-finals.
They used their handicap advantages to good effect against club-
mates Brotherhood C from Division One to win 5-0, Russell Stone,
Kevin Pryor and Lily Liu the wining trio. Only one match went the
distance, Liu (+1) defeating John Cleasby (-6) 11-5 in the fifth.
So the semi-finals will see two teams from each of the Brotherhood
and Nomads clubs, with each Club being represented by a First
Division and Second Division team. Nomads Lions, the Cup-holders,
will be aiming to become the first team in forty years to win the Cup
in successive seasons, a feat last achieved by Great Holland A in
1985 and 1986. Meanwhile, Nomads Tigers, who played last season
as Nomads Bobcats, will be hoping to go one better than last year
when they finished as beaten finalists.
There still remains the prospect of an all-Division One final between
the League’s top teams; or there could be an all-Second Division
final for the first time since 2005; or it could be an all-Nomads or
all-Brotherhood final. All will depend on the draw which will be
made within the next few days.
- Brotherhood A’s good week continued in Division One of the
League when the same Cup-winning trio of Young, Young and
Gowlett inflicted a comprehensive 10-0 defeat on Walton A to move
back to the top of the table. All the matches, except the doubles,
were settled in three-straight, Gowlett and Gary Young defeating
Mark Gale and Paul Meikle 11-7 in the decider.
Windsor Eagles took all four matches which went the distance to
defeat Nomads Panthers 9-1. Gary Cattermole and John Pattrick
both took hat-tricks, although it was 12-10 in the fifth for Pattrick
against John Hatley and an even tighter 14-12 in the fifth for the
same player against Kevin James. Hatley’s victory over Gavin Price
in the opening match of the evening was the Panthers’ sole success.
The Panthers, playing with a reserve, suffered a second defeat, this
at the hands of Windsor Hawks, Felipe Rodriguez, Andy Vincent and
Scott Campbell each winning two in their 6-4 victory. For the
Panthers, Denes Somodi won two and shared a 13-11 in the fifth
doubles win with Gill Locke over Rodriguez and Campbell. Locke
enjoyed a win over Rodriguez, but went down 11-4 in the decider to
Campbell and 11-9 in the decider to Vincent.
Although Nomads Panthers remain a highly-talented and much-
respected outfit, these results may well signal the end of an era for
a team which has ruled over Clacton League table tennis in recent
seasons. The Panthers’ record of winning the First Division title for a
record twelve years in succession from 2012-13 to 2024-25 is a
proud one, and one which may stand for many years to come.
For the record, this week was the first time since the 2010-11
season, a season in which the Panthers finished mid-table, that a
Panthers’ side has lost 9-1, and also the first time since then that
they’ve lost two consecutive League matches.
Just one match in Division Two saw Windsor Penguins defeat
Windsor Harriers 7-3 for a second time this season. Barry Allen took
all three of the Harriers’ points, his treble including an 11-3 in the
decider win over Paul Woolnough and an 11-7 in the decider win
over Kelvin Olano-Harper. However, two each for Olano-Harper,
Woolnough and the improving Paul Stanton, plus an 11-8 in the fifth
doubles win for Olano-Harper and Stanton over Allen and Isabel
Barton, gave the Penguins a well-deserved victory.
Every player picked up at least a point as Brotherhood E edged past
Walton C 6-4 in Division Three. Jack Hillier’s treble for
Brotherhood included a 12-10 in the decider win over Lynette
Sparks, while Tony Edmonds and Joe Hillier each won one, Hillier
beating Adrian Sexton 11-9 in the decider. However, the doubles
ultimately proved crucial, Joe Hillier and Rodney Betts getting past
Sparks and Sexton 13-11, 15-17, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10. For Walton,
Sparks won two, and Sexton and Pallett one each. The two sides
are now level in fourth place on 65 points.
Holland Lancasters and Windsor Falcons are also two closely-
matched teams, separated by just two points in the League, and so
it was somewhat appropriate that their match finished all-square.
Peter Evans recorded a hat-trick for the Lancasters and shared an
11-4 in the fifth doubles win with Dave Wright over Gary Barnes
and Nikki Hayes. Dave Wright picked up the fifth Lancasters’ point.
For the Falcons, there were two each for Barnes and Hayes, Hayes
enjoying a fine 11-6 in the fifth victory over Wright, while there was
a win on League debut for Windsor’s Josh Court.
But it was far easier for the Lancasters against a Nomads Ocelots’
team once again having to play with a guest, Evans, Wright and
Tony Aresti taking it 10-0 for the Holland side.
- The closing date for this year’s Closed Championships is fast
approaching. All entries must be in by Friday 20th March. The
Championships, once again sponsored by Gary Cattermole and The
Survey Initiative, take place on 11th and 12th April at the Lift
School (formerly Clacton Coastal Academy) Sports Hall. - The League’s Quiz Evening takes place next Saturday (21st
March) at the Brotherhood Hall, starting at 7.30 pm. The cost, for
teams of up to six people, is £5.00 per person. For more
information, or to enter a team, telephone Ferdy Rodriguez on
07565 767266 or 01255 830951, or e-mail Ferdy on
fernando.rodriguez@sky.com
RESULTS
Handicap Cup : Round Two
Brotherhood A 5 Windsor Hawks 1;
Brotherhood D 5 Brotherhood C 0;
Nomads Lions 5 Brotherhood J 3;
Nomads Tigers 5 Brotherhood F 4.
League
Division One
Walton A 0 Brotherhood A 10;
Windsor Eagles 9 Nomads Panthers 1;
Windsor Hawks 6 Nomads Panthers 4.
Division Two
Windsor Penguins 7 Windsor Harriers 3.
Division Three
Brotherhood E 6 Walton C 4;
Holland Lancasters 5 Windsor Falcons 5;
Nomads Ocelots 0 Holland Lancasters 10.
Report by Tony Oswick
