The big news this week is that we have a new name at the top of the Premier Division table and that is Rawreth B. Two big wins against their nearest rivals in week 7 and 8 of the season puts them now firmly in the title contender category. Whether they can stay there or not will depend on them remaining as consistent as they have been to date but currently they show no signs of letting up. In week 7 they comprehensively beat their A team 8-1 with the two Dan’s, Zeffie and Young taking a hatrick of wins and Keith Adams chipping in with two, just Chris Penrose recording any success for the A side with a 4 set win over Adams.

Fresh from that impressive victory Rawreth B then took on the current champions Thorpe Bay A and they were similarly dispatched by the same Rawreth B players 7-2. As we know Thorpe Bay A hardly ever lose any matches so this was quite the seismic event.  Dan Young was again in great form and took his three singles with Dan Zeffie and Adams taking two apiece losing to Mark Stones and John Poysden respectively. It has been a great start to the season for Paul Brown’s side but as we know we can never write off Thorpe Bay A whose consistency over a full season is always impressive. We will watch with interest as to how the rest of the season unfolds.

To round up the other matches from week 8, Brand Identify recording a huge 9-0 win over Stanford, Hockley A consigned Rawreth A to their second defeat in two weeks with Sanjay Saptarshi the star with his three wins

There were also wins for Basildon A, 5-4 over a two man Invicta A side with Arun Joy taking the player of the match honours and a much needed win for Hadleigh Forum 6-3 over Rayleigh Mill despite a hatrick of wins for the Mill’s Duncan Taylor, two wins each for Martin Turner, Berti Makolli and Dave Bassett in this one.

Report by Duncan Taylor

Having seen their relegation rivals Hadleigh Forum C record their first win of the season in Division 1 last week, Stanford Le Hope B had to find a way to respond. They travelled to Mapledene and recorded an impressive 6 – 3 away win, for only their second victory of the campaign. Stanford’s veteran Adrian Armstrong was unbeaten and deservedly took the player of the match award. Jake Nelson won two, and Rod Savage another. John Tendler was Mapledene’s best player with two wins, while Mike Johnston added one more.
Hadleigh Forum C were overcome 7 – 2 on their trip to Canvey A. Stalwart Ray Wilson was yet again the star for Canvey, taking yet another hat trick. Team mates Peter Cray and Trevor Hayes (playing up from Division 2) both collected two victories, but both were unable to overcome Forum’s Paul Fawell, who took both points for Forum.
The battle between Hockley B and Hockley C for the top of the league spot continues. This week, courtesy of a slightly better result, the B team have extended their lead to three points. 
A most enjoyable match between Hadleigh Forum B and Hockley C was played in a good spirit. William Evesham was deservedly the player of the match award, but there was some fine play and powerful shots from all the Hockley youngsters. Elliot Brackenbury added two victories to Will’s three to give Hockley C a 5 – 4 away win. Captain Dave Woolmer was in fine form for the home side, recording two successes. Team mates Anthon Ranjit-Singh and Mick Tappenden took one win apiece.
Hockley B’s lead over their second placed C team was increased by virtue of their 6 – 3 away win at third placed Rawreth C. Not for the first time, Joe Odegbami was Hockley’s hero, comfortably winning all his three match-ups. Keith Abbott added two more and Stuart Adshead one. Gary McCarthy won two for the home side and Adi Kamma another.

Report by David Barnes

Four matches to report on in Division 2 the week we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night and there were four sparkling victories to celebrate, the winners in each game all now sitting in the top four positions in the league.

Second in the table Canvey B started the week with a bang winning 8-1 at Stanford C. Although the score may suggest otherwise and no game went beyond four sets, there were, nonetheless, some very close games. Set scores of 11/9 12/10 13/11 15/13 16/14 and 19/17 give ample proof of that. Trevor Hayes and Terry Giddens both recorded hat tricks and Des Duffield won the other two but was beaten by Jake Santiago to deny the whitewash. Stanford drop to fifth as a result.

The guys of table toppers Wakering rocketed through their match against Matchpoint C completing a 9-0

 win in double quick time. Seven matches did not go beyond three sets but there was almost a hiccup as Paul England had to fight hard to overcome Ollie Milchard in five sets 11/8 9/11 11/8 8/11 11/8. Callum Turner and Mick Grout made up the winning Wakering team.

Matchpoint B would have been hopeful of a win against Invicta B who had lost their last four games so, when Trisha Winter came back from two sets down to edge out Roger Sherman in five sets in the opening match, they must have feared the evening would turn into something of a damp squib. However the reverse happened and it sparked a surge of home wins as they completed an 8-1 victory. John Lott recorded a perfect hat trick, Hannah Harbour maintained her 100% record in the league and Sherman won his other two games to condemn Invicta to another defeat.

Hockley D completed a 7-2 win at home to Runnymede to maintain their position in fourth and whilst their trio of Brian Bissenden, Howard Collins and Paul Strutt were generally in command they found the energetic Steve Wisbey revelling in the space available performing like a jumping cracker retrieving shots from the unlikeliest of angles. He led Player of the Match Bissenden 2-1 at one stage before going down in five sets, beat Strutt in four sets and then came back from two sets down against Collins to clinch his second win.

Team of the Week – Canvey B

Player of the Week – John Lott

Report by Paul Strutt

Table-topping Invicta ‘C’ continued their unbeaten run in Division 3 with a 7/2 victory over Canvey ‘C’.  Skipper Mike Keeble led from the front with a straight sets hat-trick, ably assisted by Steve Lennox, who also went unbeaten.  Scott Giddens, in his first season, and Che Martin scored the Islander’s points with wins over David Barlow.

Martin Winter led the way for Stanford ‘D’ when visited Matchpoint ‘D’.  His hat-trick was completed without any fuss and with no sets conceded.  Andrew Jessop and Karen Kempster provided good support with a pair of wins each, although neither could get the better of David McHattie.

Hockley ‘G’ were a player short when they took on Evolve ‘B’, but a double for George Higgins and a single win for Amelia Taylor meant that they shared the points available on the table.  For Evolve, Zac Eighteen was the POTM with an unbeaten performance.

The match between Evolve ‘A’ and Hadleigh Forum ‘D’ was a close affair but, in the end, the greater  experience of Jan Thorpe and Douglas Brown proved decisive.  A hat-trick for Jan and a brace for Douglas won the day for Forum.  All three Evolve players got on the score sheet, a win each for Miles Bygrave and Edward Feeley, and a double for Sasha Syderenko that included a good win over Douglas.

Report by Dave Woolmer

Nomads Ocelots put out their strongest side so far this season in Division Three of the Clacton League and were rewarded with a first success of the current campaign.

The Ocelots were 8-2 winners against Holland Lancasters, Andrew Cousins, making a first appearance of the season, and Mike Wellum, continuing his excellent return to League table tennis, both staying unbeaten. Hazel Blanche picked up a singles win for the Ocelots, as did Dave Wright and Peter Evans for the Lancasters.

Brotherhood H were forced to field a guest against Nomads Leopards but trebles from Dan Grindrod and Danny Still saw them safely home to a comfortable 7-3 victory.

Bob Keefe’s impressive start to his Clacton League career continued with a hat-trick for Holland Vulcans against Windsor Magpies, plus a shared doubles success with James Horsler. Alas, it was the Windsor Magpies who prevailed 6-4, John Plummer, Dave Sweetland and Alan Rutledge all winning twice.

Nomads Lions seemingly can’t do wrong in Division One,  powering to another 10-0 victory, this time over Brotherhood B. Adam Cuthbert, Jason Lloyd and Ethan Lloyd were the winning trio.

There were hat-tricks for Greg Green and Gill Locke as Nomads Panthers defeated Windsor Hawks 8-2. Andy Vincent and Felipe Rodriguez took a point apiece for the Hawks, Vincent giving Green a fright before eventually going down 11-8 in the fifth.

There were two 10-0 results involving teams from the Brotherhood and Windsor clubs, both of which ended in favour of Brotherhood.

Brotherhood A made quick work of a Windsor Eagles’ side who were forced to field a guest player, Kevin Gowlett, Danniel Young and Gary Young staying unbeaten.

The Brotherhood C v Windsor Buzzards match was somewhat more competitive but Brotherhood’s John Cleasby, Martin Edwards and Graham Playle proved too good in the end, with only Edwards’ 11-6 in the decider win against Andy Foster going the distance.

In Division Two, three each for Mark Boyland and John Gallagher, and a couple for Mark Beckham, gave Brotherhood G a 9-1 victory over Windsor Kestrels. Peter Aumord took the Kestrels’ point with a victory over Beckham whilst Jonathan Found came nearest to getting a second, going down 11-7 in the decider to Gallagher.

The ‘G’ side are now one point ahead of club-mates Brotherhood F, 8-2 victors this week over Nomads Jaguars. Neil Chegwidden and Mark Salter both stayed unbeaten, Chegwidden needing the full five sets to beat Andy Hart 11-5 in the fifth and Chris Petrou 11-6 in the fifth. Brotherhood’s Tricia Salter enjoyed a good win over Bob Jillins.

Brotherhood D, playing with a reserve, won three of the four matches which went the distance to edge past Nomads Tigers 6-4. Kevin Pryor’s hat-trick for the winners included a nail-biting 12-10 in the decider victory over Matt Sage. Brotherhood skipper Fred Gallone picked up a couple, defeating Tom Wilkin 11-4 in the decider but losing by the same score to Sage. Sage won two for the Tigers, Wilkin and Alex Baldock one each.

Finally, Joe Sherwin continued his good form for Brotherhood J, taking an impressive hat-trick in his side’s 6-4 success over Windsor Harriers. There was one each for Lucy Carvell and Ruby Gallagher, Carvell’s 11-9 in the fifth win against Isabel Barton ultimately proving the match-winner.

* The League’s first Tournament of the season, the Drawn Doubles, takes place on Saturday 22nd November at Windsor’s St James’ Hall venue. Players should be in attendance by 9.30 am when the draw will take place.

* For details of the Windsor Club’s Quiz Evening being held on Saturday 29th November at the Brotherhood Hall, contact Jenny Higgins (Tel : 07790 240566). 

RESULTS

Division 1

Brotherhood C 10 Windsor Buzzards 0;

Nomads Panthers 8 Windsor Hawks 2;

Nomads Lions 10 Brotherhood B 0;

Windsor Eagles 0 Brotherhood A 10;

Division 2

Brotherhood D 6 Nomads Tigers 4;

Brotherhood J 6 Windsor Harriers 4;

Nomads Jaguars 2 Brotherhood F 8;

Windsor Kestrels 1 Brotherhood G 9.

Division 3

Holland Lancasters 2 Nomads Ocelots 8;

Brotherhood H 7 Nomads Leopards 3;

Windsor Magpies 6 Holland Vulcans 4.

Report by Tony Oswick

The second division in the Braintree Table Tennis League is turning into an unpredictable melange where everyone, it seems, is capable of beating everyone else – apart from the team at the top.

The teams from second to tenth are separated by just nine points, while the gap between first and second has risen to 17 points.

Results from week four show just how tight everything has become.  Four of the five matches were decided at 6-4 while the fifth was a draw.

Even leaders Rayne C got involved in the mix, needing a win in the final set to gain a 6-4 victory over Black Notley C.

They were grateful to Steve Buer’s three singles to see them through.

Notley C stay in second place, equal with the club’s D team, who also lost 6-4, in their case to Sudbury Strollers, where John Colvin was once again unbeaten and newcomer Tracy Fernandes won twice.

Netts D are one point behind after their win against Rayne E, for whom Richard Whiteside was unbeaten, although he was stretched to five games by Jimmy Calisin.

Bottom club Finchingfield A are still feeling the absence of the injured Peter Clark, but they stretched Rayne D to 6-4 and would have snatched a draw but for Peter Rickwood and Dave Allinson’s win in the doubles at 11-9 in the fifth.

Netts C and Yeldham Whitlocks A are floating just above them after their draw.  Roy Hooper’s defeat by Charles Calisin was only his second of the season.

In division one leaders Netts A had no mercy on Liberal B where they took all ten, including a first maximum of the season for Joe Meleschko.

Teams from Rayne and Sudbury squared up to each other twice.  Rayne A beat Sudbury Wanderers 9-1 while Sudbury Nomads beat Rayne B 8-2

Karl Baldwin was unbeaten for Nomads and was the only one to beat Adi Kamma.

The other match in the division featured a return to Notley for Netts B, who played there as Notley A last season.  This season they just failed to beat the current Notley A.  Luke Burridge’s three singles ensured a 6-4 win for the home side.

Leaders Finchingfield B chalked up another win in division three, this time 7-3 over Notley E, who had won their previous two matches.

In the clash between two previously unbeaten players, it was Lucien Nolan-Bradford who came out on top against the vastly experienced Dave Parker, whose unconventional style would fox many other 17-year-olds.

Notley’s H team climbed to third with a 9-1 win over Netts E, with father and son Wayne and Harry Wilson both undefeated.

The club’s G team also notched up a win, 6-4 over Sudbury Drifters.  New signing Ricky Moriconi picked up his first maximum.

The other match in the division, Yeldham Whitlocks B against Netts F, ended in a draw.  No one won three or lost three but 14-year-old Tom Verrier can be pleased with a good win over the reliable Steve Willis.

The second division in the Braintree Table Tennis League is turning into an unpredictable melange where everyone, it seems, is capable of beating everyone else – apart from the team at the top.

The teams from second to tenth are separated by just nine points, while the gap between first and second has risen to 17 points.

Results from week four show just how tight everything has become.  Four of the five matches were decided at 6-4 while the fifth was a draw.

Even leaders Rayne C got involved in the mix, needing a win in the final set to gain a 6-4 victory over Black Notley C.

They were grateful to Steve Buer’s three singles to see them through.

Notley C stay in second place, equal with the club’s D team, who also lost 6-4, in their case to Sudbury Strollers, where John Colvin was once again unbeaten and newcomer Tracy Fernandes won twice.

Netts D are one point behind after their win against Rayne E, for whom Richard Whiteside was unbeaten, although he was stretched to five games by Jimmy Calisin.

Bottom club Finchingfield A are still feeling the absence of the injured Peter Clark, but they stretched Rayne D to 6-4 and would have snatched a draw but for Peter Rickwood and Dave Allinson’s win in the doubles at 11-9 in the fifth.

Netts C and Yeldham Whitlocks A are floating just above them after their draw.  Roy Hooper’s defeat by Charles Calisin was only his second of the season.

In division one leaders Netts A had no mercy on Liberal B where they took all ten, including a first maximum of the season for Joe Meleschko.

Teams from Rayne and Sudbury squared up to each other twice.  Rayne A beat Sudbury Wanderers 9-1 while Sudbury Nomads beat Rayne B 8-2

Karl Baldwin was unbeaten for Nomads and was the only one to beat Adi Kamma.

The other match in the division featured a return to Notley for Netts B, who played there as Notley A last season.  This season they just failed to beat the current Notley A.  Luke Burridge’s three singles ensured a 6-4 win for the home side.

Leaders Finchingfield B chalked up another win in division three, this time 7-3 over Notley E, who had won their previous two matches.

In the clash between two previously unbeaten players, it was Lucien Nolan-Bradford who came out on top against the vastly experienced Dave Parker, whose unconventional style would fox many other 17-year-olds.

Notley’s H team climbed to third with a 9-1 win over Netts E, with father and son Wayne and Harry Wilson both undefeated.

The club’s G team also notched up a win, 6-4 over Sudbury Drifters.  New signing Ricky Moriconi picked up his first maximum.

The other match in the division, Yeldham Whitlocks B against Netts F, ended in a draw.  No one won three or lost three but 14-year-old Tom Verrier can be pleased with a good win over the reliable Steve Willis.

Report by Ron Fosker

If there was an award in the Clacton League for the most improved player in recent years, then John Gallagher of Brotherhood G would certainly be one of the leading candidates.

Having progressed from a run-of-the-mill Third Division player only a few seasons ago, the Brotherhood G captain is now one of the most consistent and reliable players in Division Two, as evidenced by a stand-out performance this week in his side’s 8-2 success over Windsor Penguins. Gallagher remained unbeaten on the night, in the process inflicting a first defeat of the season on Kelvin Olano-Harper.

There were a couple each for his team-mates Mark Boyland and Mark Beckham, Beckham involved in the closest match of the contest, edging past Paul Woolnough 17-15 in the fifth. Olano-Haprper’s two points for the Penguins included a victory in five over Boyland.

The Brotherhood G victory puts them level at the top alongside Brotherhood F, 6-4 winners this week over Brotherhood D. Neil Chegwidden and Mark Salter took a couple each, and Paul Alden one, but the ‘D’ team’s Adi Kamma, making his League debut, stayed undefeated.  

Lawford got on the winning trail at the fourth attempt, doing it in style 9-1 against Nomads Jaguars, with only four matches extended to a fourth set. Charlie Denholm and John Colvin took trebles for Lawford, Andy Hart’s win over Richard Spence the sole Jaguars’ success.

A weakened Windsor Kestrels went down 7-3 to Windsor Harriers, Barry Allen taking his three for the Harriers and Ferdy Rodriguez two. For the Kestrels, there were a couple for Graham Bunce and one for Peter Aumord.

In Division Three, pre-season title favourites Brotherhood H had to battle hard before overcoming Holland Vulcans 8-2, Dan Grindrod and Gary Simpson both taking hat-tricks. Grindrod edged past Bob Keefe 11-9 in decider, whilst Simpson beat both Keefe and Derek Foxley by the same 11-5 in the fifth score. Danny Still took a couple for Brotherhood but was narrowly beaten 11-9 in the decider by Keefe. 

Nomads Leopards and Holland Hurricanes are both eyeing a top-two finish and, when they met this week, the match ended all-square. Gary Stallwood took his maximum for the Hurricanes whilst there were two apiece for Doug Green and Dominic Joannouu of the Leopards. Green and Joannou beat Stallwood and Ian Gwillim in a crucial doubles.

A hat-trick for Peter Evans and two for Dave Wright, plus a shared doubles win, saw Holland Lancasters home 6-4 in a hard-fought match against Windsor Falcons. Matt Thomas’ couple for the Falcons included a 6-11, 12-10, 11-13, 12-10, 11-7 win over Wright.   

Jack Hillier notched up a fine hat-trick in Brotherhood E’s 6-4 success against Walton E. The two teams shared the four matches which went the distance, Walton’s Maggie Earle involved in all four. She edged past both Tony Edmonds and Joe Hillier 11-9 in the fifth, lost 11-7 in the fifth to Jack Hillier and then, with Adrian Sexton in the doubles, went down 12-10 in the fifth against the two Hilliers. Sexton also won a couple for Walton.

Nomads Ocelots were again forced to field a guest player and once again, despite a Mike Wellum treble, ended up in defeat, this time 6-4 at the hands of Windsor Magpies. Wellum’s closest victory was against Dave Sweetland, 11-4 in the decider.

For the first time in many seasons, the battle at the top of Division One looks like developing into a three-horse race between Nomads Panthers, Nomads Lions and Brotherhood A.

Kevin James, in his first appearance as a Nomads Panthers’ player, stayed unbeaten to help his side to a 10-0 victory over Windsor Buzzards. Denes Somodi and Greg Green also stayed unbeaten, Somodi’s 11-5 in the decider victory over Andy Foster the only match extended to a fifth set.

It was also 10-0 for Brotherhood A against Walton A, Gary Young, Gracie Edwards and Kevin Gowlett the winning threesome. Edwards had a close 11-7, 7-11, 14-16, 11-7, 11-4 battle with Mark Gale, but the doubles was the closest match, Edwards and Gowlett beating Gale and Mark Ratcliffe 11-6, 10-12, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6.

Despite dropping their first point of the season, Nomads Lions will feel content with their 9-1 victory over Windsor Hawks. Both Adam Cuthbert and Charlie Fulcher, making a first appearance this season, took trebles, but their shared doubles victory was too close for comfort, 17-15 in the fifth against Felipe Rodriguez and Andy Vincent. Adam Wilkin picked up two wins for the Lions but went down to Andy Vincent, Wilkin earning praise  from his opponent for his sportsmanship after calling an edge against himself at a crucial point of the match when neither his opponent nor the umpire had seen it.

Windsor Eagles defeated a Brotherhood B side fielding two reserves 9-1 but the score-line fails to tell the whole story, with the Eagles winning all five matches which went to a final set. Gary Cattermole and Gavin Price with trebles, and John Pattrick with two, were the Eagles’ points-scorers. Simon Smith-Daye took Brotherhood’s sole success in the first match of the evening against Pattrick.

Finally, three for Graham Playle, two for John Cleasby and one for Dave Miller saw Brotherhood C home 7-3 against Walton B. Pete Burrows got two points for Walton and Paul Newbould, with an 11-6 in the fifth win over Miller, their third. 

* The closing date for the League’s first Tournament of the season, the Drawn Doubles, is Friday 7th November. The Tournament takes place on Saturday 22nd November at Windsor’s St James’ Hall venue.

* The Windsor Club’s Quiz Evening is being held on Saturday 29th November at the Brotherhood Hall. For more information or to enter a team, contact Jenny Higgins (Tel : 07790 240566). Once again, see the League’s website for full details.

RESULTS

Division 1

Windsor Hawks 1 Nomads Lions 9;

Windsor Buzzards 0 Nomads Panthers 10;

Brotherhood A 10 Walton A 0;

Brotherhood B 1 Windsor Eagles 9;

Walton B 3 Brotherhood C 7.

Division 2

Windsor Harriers 7 Windsor Kestrels 3;

Brotherhood G 8 Windsor Penguins 2;

Lawford 9 Nomads Jaguars 1;

Brotherhood F 6 Brotherhood D 4.

Division 3

Windsor Falcons 4 Holland Lancasters 6;

Nomads Ocelots 4 Windsor Magpies 6;

Walton C 4 Brotherhood E 6;

Holland Vulcans 2 Brotherhood H 8;

Nomads Leopards 5 Holland Hurricanes 5.

Report by Tony Oswick

Hockley A team’s  usual players weren’t available this week but rather than be a problem for captain Dan Patinsky it gave him a chance to call up two of the fastest improving juniors in the league. William Evesham and Elliott Brackenbury were playing Division 3 two seasons ago and having already risen to Division 1 this year it was great to see how they would fair in the Premier Division and they didn’t disappoint. William started slowly by losing his first match to Andrew Murray but then the two Hockley players didn’t look back, winning their other 5 matches between them and helping Hockley to a comfortable 8-1 win over Invicta A. Surely they will be regular Premier Division players next season.

Another 8-1 result came in the form of a Rawreth B victory over Basildon A. A great win for Arun Joy over Gary Young for Basildon’s consolation win in a match where the individual scores show it to have been a much tighter affair than the overall scoreline suggests. Three wins a piece in this one from Dan Zeffie and Arron Chandler.

The final game to report on this week is a 6-3 win for Brand Identity over Matchpoint A. Hat-tricks for Dave Jacob and Steve Muth but the fact that Brand Identity had only two players has helped Matchpoint out with three useful points.

Report by Duncan Taylor

With last week’s leaders in Division 1 Hockley C, not having a fixture this week, club mates Hockley B took the opportunity to leapfrog them to the top position, thanks to an emphatic 9 – 0 roasting of the home side at Basildon B. Joe Odegbami was again Hockley’s player of the match. However, his unbeaten performance was matched by team mates David Colwill and Stuart Adshead. Basildon’s Dale Gutteridge and Chudi Ukpaka both came close against Stuart, but the Hockley man prevailed in the fifth set both times.
Hadleigh Forum B’s veteran Tony Jacks had a night to remember against visitors Stanford Le Hope B, going the whole match without losing a single set. Such a feat deservedly gives him the POM award. Tony was assisted by Mick Tappenden who got two wins and Dave Woolmer with one, giving the home side a 6 – 3 victory. Adrian Armstrong won two for Stanford and Dave Hancox one more.
Hosts Mapledene were too strong for Hadleigh Forum C. There were maximums for both Mick Johnston and Dawn Baldry, whilst colleague John Tendler added two in a comprehensive 8 – 1 victory. Rising star Todd Barker had a notable success for Forum in overcoming John in a close contest.
Third placed Rawreth C kept in touch of the Hockley teams with a hard-fought 6 – 3 home win over Wakering A. The victory was a collective effort with all three of the home side’s team of Adi Kamma, James Grimston and Colin Clements winning twice. Barbara Chabior was again Wakering’s best player, taking two wins, whilst her team mate Martin Shaughnessy overcame James in a thrilling five-setter for the other Wakering success.

Report by David Barnes

Four games and four home wins this week in Division2 and some pretty convincing wins at that. Stanford C started the week beating Runnymede 6-3 then Wakering hammered Hockley E 8-1, Canvey B beat Matchpoint C 8-1 and Hockley D rounded the week off whitewashing Invicta B 9-0.

Stanford’s win could have matched those other results if it wasn’t for Tony Millward who recorded the perfect hat trick for Runnymede, but unfortunately his teammates Heather Stiles and Steve McQuillan were easily outgunned by the home team of Mike Trendell, Chris Crooks and Peter Moxham. Nine matches and not one went beyond three sets!

Wakering fielded  their top strike force of Callum Turner and Mike Grout against Hockley E and they were duly rewarded as both players weighed in with perfect hat tricks. Stewart Mills found it slightly harder going but got the better of Amar Al-Soufi and John George both in four sets before succumbing in a five set battle with Richard Kidd 11/4 in the decider having led 2-1 at one stage.

Canvey B’s big win came courtesy of the experienced trio of Kevin Walsingham, Tony Westwell and Trevor Hayes with Hayes recording a perfect hat trick. Matchpoint, however, did not go down without a fight and came close to increasing their solitary point. Richard Sloman got their consolation beating Westwell in straight sets and Samuel Morgan came close twice to adding to that losing in five sets to Walsingham and Westwell.

Hockley D’s win has lifted them up four places into fourth place and gives them a third successive victory. It wasn’t as straight forward as it sounded though as six games went to four sets after the first match of the night had gone to five, Paul Ogden beating Andrew St. John 11/7 in the decider. St.John also came close to extending his match against Brian Bissenden to five sets, having lost the first two he won the third 13/11 but was just edged out 16/14 in the fourth. Paul Strutt was the other Hockley player recording a hat trick and the Invicta players can feel slightly aggrieved as Hockley had more than their fair share of nets and edges on the night.

Player of the Week – Tony Millward

Team of the Week – Hockley D

Report by Paul Strutt

Invicta C maintained their unbeaten run in Division 3 with a crushing 9-0 win over Evolve B.  However, the youngsters were up against it from the start as they were only a two-man team.  The League leader’s victory was completed in double quick time with the loss of only one set.

There was a similar scoreline when Canvey C welcomed Wakering C to their offshore haven.  The Canvey trio of Ray Baker, Chong Shing Lam and player of the match, Steve Kemp, proved to be too strong for their visitors, who have introduced several new players to the League this season. 

Hockley F have climbed to second place in the table following a comprehensive 8/1 win over Matchpoint D.  Maximums here for Gary Beck and Robert Garlick, but Cooper Hill prevented the whitewash with a straight sets win over Ivan Arabadzhiev.

Stanford D were another team that were a player short when they travelled to Hockley to take on their young G team.  Kris Chankov got the home team off to a good start with a narrow, 13/11 in the 5^th, win over Karen Kempster. This proved, however, to be their only win on the table, as Karen and Andrew Jessop won the remaining games for Stanford to earn their team a 5-4 win.     

Brotherhood F are the early leaders in Division Two of the Clacton League after notching up a third consecutive win, this week defeating Brotherhood J 8-2. Paul Alden and Neil Chegwidden, making his first appearance of the season, each recorded trebles for the ‘F’ team.

There was a point apiece for Ruby Gallagher and Tom Bryden for the losers, Bryden coming close to getting a second but going down 13-11 in the decider to Chegwidden.

Brotherhood G have also made an excellent start to their campaign with yet another 7-3 victory, this time over Nomads Jaguars. John Gallagher was the unbeaten player of the match, with Mark Boyland and Mark Beckham each winning two. Nomads’ Chris Petrou and Andy Hart, who inflicted a rare defeat on Boyland, both took a point, whilst Bob Jillins went close before going down 11-9 in the fifth to Gallagher.

A maximum from Barry Allen was central to Windsor Harriers’ 7-3 success over Nomads Tigers, Allen also sharing an 11-5 in the fifth doubles win with Ferdy Rodriguez against Matt Sage and Jack Riddleston. Sage with two and Alex Baldock with one were the Tigers’ points-scorers.

Lawford’s winless start continued, going down 6-4 to Brotherhood D, although they will feel frustrated by losing all four matches which went the distance. Kevin Pryor remained undefeated for Brotherhood, with Fred Gallone taking two and Lily Liu one, an 11-9 in the fifth win over Ian Sherwood 11-9 in the closest match of the evening. Charlie Denholm picked up a couple for Lawford and James Tindle one.

Windsor Penguins recorded a 6-4 victory against Windsor Kestrels thanks to trebles from Kelvin Olano-Harpper and Paul Woolnough. There was a point each for Jonathan Found, Debra Found and Allen Denyer of the Kestrels, Debra Found beating Paul Stanton 11-7 in the fifth and Denyer defeating the same player 11-5 in the fifth.

Holland Hurricanes are the early leaders in Division Three, following an 8-2 success over club-mates Holland Vulcans.

Gary Stallwood with three, and John Smith-Daye and Gerry Widnell with two each were the Hurricanes’ points-scorers. Derek Foxley won the two points for the Vulcans.

Hat-tricks from Dominic Joannou and Doug Green guaranteed Nomads Leopards a win against Brotherhood E, the final score 8-2. Nomads’ Anne Bonny beat Joe Hillier 11-5 in the fifth in the only match which went the distance.

Windsor Falcons edged past Walton C 6-4, Gary Barnes recording a debut League maximum, with Matt Thomas contributing two and Nikki Hayes one. For Walton, Maggie Earle took two and Deborah Pallett one, whilst the Adrian Sexton must have set some sort of record by losing all his three singles matches by an identical 11-8 in the fifth score-line.  

A two-player Nomads Ocelots will feel pleased to have held the talented Brotherhood H side to an unexpected draw. Mike Wellum’s three for the Ocelots included the tightest of 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 13-11, 13-11 victories over Gary Simpson, whilst Hazel Blanche enjoyed a surprise win over Owen Woollard and then, with Wellum, took the doubles against Simpson and Dan Grindrod.

Holland Lancasters took full advantage of playing a Windsor Magpies’ team fielding a guest, winning 7-3. Peter Evans remained unbeaten and shared a doubles success with Dave Wright over Dave Sweetland and John Plummer. Sweetland’s two for the Magpies included a 9-11, 7-11, 14-12, 13-11, 11-7 victory over Wright.

Nomads Lions have set out like a rocket in Division One, this week recording their third whitewash win in as many weeks.

Adam Cuthbert, Ethan Lloyd and Adam Wilkin all remained unbeaten in the 10-0 victory over Windsor Eagles, but Wilkin had two nip-and-tuck encounters, beating Phil Smith 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9 and John Pattrick 12-14, 11-9, 12-10, 11-13, 11-9.

It was also 10-0, but somewhat more comfortable, for Brotherhood A against club-mates Brotherhood C, with only one match extended to a fourth set. Kevin Gowlett, Daniel Young and Gary Young were the winning trio.

Greg Green took his maximum in Nomads Panthers’ 8-2 victory over Walton B. John Hatley and Gill Locke each won two, as did Peter Burrows for Walton.

In an all-Windsor clash, the Hawks beat the Buzzards 8-2. There were hat-tricks here for Andy Vincent and Scott Campbell of the Hawks while, for the Buzzards, there was a point each for Andy Foster, an 11-8 in the fifth victor over John Barton, and Dave Martin.

It was also 8-2 for Brotherhood B against Walton B, the in-form Russell Hillier remaining unbeaten. Joe Plummer and Simon Smith-Daye each won two, the youthful Plummer defeating super-veteran Derek Willis 11-8 in the fifth in a match where the age gap between the two players was a mere sixty-six years.

* The League’s first Tournament of the season takes place on Saturday 22nd November at Windsor’s St James’ Hall venue with the Drawn Doubles Tournament, the first time this has been held since 1993. It will be played on a handicap basis, with a higher-grade player paired with a lower-grade player in a random draw. Full details have been sent to all players and these can also be found on the League’s website. Entry will be limited to 32 players, with a closing date for entry of Friday 7th November.

* The Windsor Quiz Evening is being held on Saturday 29th November at the Brotherhood Hall, 7.00 pm for a 7.30 pm start. The Quiz is for teams of up to six players, £5 per player, bring your own drink and nibbles. For more details or to enter a team, contact Jenny Higgins (Tel : 07790 240566). 

RESULTS

Division 1

Brotherhood C 0 Brotherhood A 10;

Windsor Hawks 8 Windsor Buzzards 2;

Walton A 2 Brotherhood B 8;

Nomads Panthers 8 Walton B 2;

Nomads Lions 10 Windsor Eagles 0.

Division 2

Windsor Kestrels 4 Windsor Penguins 6;

Brotherhood J 2 Brotherhood F 8;

Windsor Harriers 7 Nomads Tigers 3;

Brotherhood D 6 Lawford 4;

Nomads Jaguars 3 Brotherhood G 7.

Division 3

Brotherhood E 2 Nomads Leopards 8;

Windsor Falcons 6 Walton C 4;

Holland Lancasters 7 Windsor Magpies 3;

Holland Hurricanes 8 Holland Vulcans 2;

Brotherhood H 5 Nomads Ocelots 5.

Report by Tony Oswick

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 5^th 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 5^th 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