Cold Norton B continue to stretch their lead in the top division of the Burnham & District Table Tennis Winter League season. As they have the most reliable squad is it too early for the local bookmakers to be paying out already?
The week started very well for League leaders Cold Norton B as they bested their own A team 7-3 with only the A team’s Duncan Taylor providing any resistance to the B team juggernaut. Taylor was able to register his first treble of the Burnham season but that was all the point scoring the A team could muster as the B team trio of Eric Green, Dave Richardson and Ian Wall combined for the remaining 7 points. Nearest rivals Fambridge and Mapledene A then went head to head and 2-man Fambridge came away unbeaten but having to squander 3 points for lack of staff. A comfortable hat-trick for John Poysden, and a less than comfortable treble for Bruce Kettle who saw off George Reeves in 4 sets but needed 5 sets and then some to eventually overcome the mighty challenge of Glenn Johnson – the deciding set was very tight at 10-10, so imagine the intensity at 20-20! Kettle finally let off some steam and came through this marathon of a match 23-21, by far the longest game in recent Burnham history to secure the 7-3 winning margin. A result that could possibly end Mapledene’s aspirations for the championship this season. Further down the table there was a welcome win for Woodham B, largely courtesy of their star player Sanjay Saptarshi with an untroubled nine-dart treble. The rest of the matches were unorthodox to say the least. Stow’s Matthew Brown won two 5-setters coming from behind in both. Firstly against Eamonn Hall, and then from the brinkest of brinks against Peter Harverson where he found himself 0-10 behind in the deciding leg – yes you read that right 0-10 down – and one by one he pulled back the points, rattling off an amazing 12 points on the bounce for the most amazing win ever witnessed in living Burnham history. Stow’s Ken Sheard also took 2 wins against Harverson and Hall using his anti-spin rubbers to great effect – he took a 2-0 lead in both matches, allowed both opponents to then catch him up before dispatching them in the 5th ends. Hall and Harverson took minor consolation from wins over Stow’s third player Peter Chastin. It was a welcome and profitable return to league play for Cold Norton C’s Arron Chandler as his unbeaten evening kept his team in the running and finally forced a draw with the very in-form Mapledene B. For Mapledene the tricky Colin Chatfield and the masterful Keith Willett won the rest of their matches including pairing up for the important doubles point.
The top two sides in Division 2 both won this week creating an even bigger gulf between themselves and the chasing peloton. Leaders Mapledene C stretched their lead with an uncomfortable 9-1 win over the plucky Maldon C team. Six of the matches went to a deciding set in this one and Mapledene showed true grit to win five of them – the sort of form that will get you over the line! Maldon’s Chris Ravenhill was involved in four of those 5-setters as he played out the maximum 20 sets across the evening. He squandered the lead against Andy Seaman to lose out 6-11 in the final leg, came from behind with a mighty 16-14 5th leg victory against Tony Ayliffe, and then in his final singles match he took a 2 set lead but was pegged back by the wily Dennis Squirrell to lose out 11-7 at the death. Rumours of night cramps and night terrors at the Ravenhill residence cannot be verified at this time. Despite Ravenhill’s resistance there were quality hat-tricks for both Seaman and Squirrell. Maldon A were only able to field a 2 player team and that may have cost them vital points in the championship race. The Maldon pair of Colin Napper and Dawn Baldry were still able to secure a 6-4 win over Cold Norton D, with Baldry dropping the single point in a 5 set roller-coaster against Terry Hyland. In the Blackwater derby the A team asserted their dominance with a comprehensive 8-2 triumph that saw Denis Balic record the only treble of the evening. Balic’s team-mates, Alan Scammell and Noah Sage, both hit a brace of wins with Scammell losing out in 5 sets to Louis Gunn, and Sage unable to master the perfect popping pimples supplied by Merv Perriman. Stow B’s Peter Hance broke the winning streak of Maldon B’s talisman Steve Aspland as he racked up a hat-trick for his team in their 6-4 victory this week. Hance had most difficulty against the rangey Garry Eames where he needed all 5 sets to finally get over the line. Stow’s Nicky Reece-Ford chipped in with 2 wins, and of course just like clockwork Aspland and trusted bedfellow Colin Barrell took the doubles win.
Blackwater C are as dominant as you can get in Division 3 and this week displayed no mercy as they destroyed the dreams and hopes of the St Lawrence trio. A final scoreline of 10-0 that was largely straightforward for the champions-elect with the exception of the opening match between old sparring partners Blackwater’s Colin Barham and St Lawrence’s Mick Robinson. Barham looked to be cruising through St Lawrence, until Robinson hoisted his sails and caught a following wind that saw him square up their match at 2-2. The final leg was close throughout but one of Robinson’s sails must have ripped near the end as Barham took the last few points to secure the 11-9 win and set his team on course for the whitewash victory. So trebles all round for the Blackwater C threesome of Barham, Tina Hutchinson and Neil Thompson. Blackwater D are the nearest of the chasing pack and can just about see Blackwater C on the horizon. This week the D team put in an impressive display against their own F team and came away with a respectable 8-2 win. For the F team Jason Bush had good wins over David Gardner and Roger Tiffin but the star of the evening was the D team’s Jacqui Treacy with an excellent treble aswell as combining with Gardner for the doubles bonus. Nothing could separate the E teams from Blackwater and Maldon this week despite a mighty effort by Maldon’s John Leavett as he won all his singles and the doubles to provide the cornerstone for his team’s points haul. For Blackwater Phil ‘Wild’ West and Andy Simmonds both won their remaining two singles, and Kath Little chipped in with the final point to secure the draw.
The Burnham League would also like to acknowledge the passing of Maldon TTC legend Tom Elder this week. Tom was a constant presence in our league for many decades and the winner of many of our Championship trophies. A tough competitor, never shy to share an opinion, and a great encourager of new talent. He will be sorely missed.
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Eamonn Hall, Press Officer
Burnham & District Table Tennis League
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Pic 1 – Stow Maries’ Matthew Brown – The Escape Artist.
Pic 2 – Duncan Taylor – back in winning mode this week.
Pic 3 – Sanjay Saptarshi in treble form against Ken Sheard
Pic 4 – Blackwater E’s talisman John Leavett
Pic 5 – Nigel Brand v Neil Thompson this week
Pic 6 – Tom Elder RIP
