Danbury A jumped into second place in division one of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League by beating Danbury C 10-0. Danbury C weren’t at full strength and Danbury A took full advantage. Eric Green, Dave Richardson and Babul McLeod powered their way to a 10-0 win. Danbury A are now well placed to finish second. They have 68 points, three more than third placed OCA A, and it is Danbury A who have a game in hand. Galleywood A produced their best display of the Season to beat Chelmsford C 7-3 – a result that lifts them off the bottom. Peter Radford was unbeaten for Galleywood whilst Gary Brignall also showed up well. He beat Wiktor Delimat (14-16, 13-11, 2-11, 11-7, 11-6) and most impressively Simon Jarvis (11-9, 14-12, 11-5). OCA A beat Writtle A 7-3. The brothers Mulley – Matthew and Mark turned in another power-house display and won all seven games. In the pick of the night’s action Arron Chandler pipped Bertie Makoli 11-4, 12-10, 10-12, 8-11, 12-10. Danbury B ran out 6-4 winners against Chelmsford B. Sam Lowman led the way with a hat-trick whilst Dan Anderson impressed as well. He beat Saul Chivers (11-8, 11-8, 12-10) and Josh Bickles (13-11, 11-9, 11-7). Match of the evening, was arguably the high-octane clash between Charlie Craig and Sam Lowman where Sam prevailed 11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 9-11, 13-11.
Leaders Danbury G scored their eighth win of the Season in division two by beating OCA C 6-4, and Sanjay Saptarshi again led from the front. He won his three singles. His record of 89 % (32 wins out of 36) is outstanding. David Porter won twice for OCA C and this included a fine 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-8 win over David Gatheral. Sanjay Saptarshi showed up well in his third singles powering his way to a 11-3, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3 win over Mick Richardson. Chelmsford D excelled by beating Danbury E 8-2. Harry Chivers (three wins), Victor Chan (three wins) and Sudheep Kamma (two wins) all played well whilst players of the calibre of Danbury’s Tony Forster and Neil Want drew blanks. Harry Chivers was outstanding. He beat Neil Want (9-11, 11-4, 11-4,11-5), Tim Cramphorn (11-8, 13-11, 11-6) and Tony Forster (11-7, 11-6, 11-7). Team-work saw Writtle C prevail 6-4 against Writtle B. John Webber, Dave Carter and John Parodi all won twice. Dave Carter, playing up from division three performed exceptionally well, beating Phil Smith (11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 3-11, 11-9) and Rod Maclennan (10-12, 11-5, 7-11, 13-11, 11-9).
Maldon A, second in division three, were 8-2 winners this week against OCA D. Hamish Innes and Dawn Baldry were both undefeated. Amanda Hogger won a close encounter12-14, 11-3, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7 against Garry Eames for the losers. Danbury K ran out narrow 6-4 winners against Chelmsford E. No player was undefeated and no one went home empty handed. Dave Parker pipped Peter Hance 2-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 12-10 in the closest game of the night. Danbury J (Alan Dadswell, Dennis Crapnell and David Meah) dominated against Danbury H, so much so that they won 10-0. Alan Dadswell was pushed in the last game but he eventually eased home 15-17, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 against Dave Hancox. Elsewhere, Chelmsford F – Nikita Tkachuk (three wins), Andy Swales (two wins) and Luke Richardson (two wins) beat Hatfield Peverel B 8-2.
The eye-catching performance in division four went to 11 year-old Harrison Hill who made the transition from the Junior League to division four look seamless. He won his three singles for Chelmsford G in their 3-7 defeat against Maldon B. Shirley Carroll, Victoria Farrell and Ella Sach all won twice for Maldon B. Writtle E led by a trio of wins from Neil Thompson beat Highwood B 7-3. Thompson posted wins against Russell Downton (11-6, 11-4, 11-3), Roger Patient (11-9, 14-12, 8-11, 11-9) and Dave Cockerill (13-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5). The match between Galleywood C and OCA E finished tied at 5-5. Will Goodchild had to pull out all the stops to get the better of David Newman 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 16-14. Cleon Fernandes was another player from the Chelmsford Junior League to excel this week. He won his three singles as Chelmsford H edged out Highwood A 6-4. He had quite a battle with Keith Fitz-John before sneaking home 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 9-11, 13-11.
OCA F jumped into second place in division five courtesy of their 9-1 win over Maldon C. Stuart Wintle and Bob Francis were both undefeated whilst Mike Morecroft won twice. Morecroft had to work hard for his two successes. He beat Ross Wheeler (4-11, 11-3, 5-11, 12-10, 11-8) and Kym Eames (5-11, 11-4, 11-2, 12-14, 11-8). The other three games in this division were much closer. Hatfield Peverel E beat Danbury N 6-4 in a match where no one player remained undefeated. Hatfield Peverel’s Deb Ginn and Karen Braney and Danbury ‘s Graham Naggs and Jo Hart all won twice. Chelmsford J and Hatfield Peverel D couldn’t be separated. Peter Davenport won his three singles for Chelmsford J and this included a titanic struggle against Kath Little in the first game where he won 11-4, 12-14, 11-7, 10-12, 12-10. It was honours even as well (5-5) in the match between Danbury M and Hatfield Peverel C. Paul Thirkettle was undefeated for Danbury and Martin Knights chipped in with a 11-6, 11-8, 7-11. 7-11, 15-13 win over Andy Whiley.
Chelmsford Pumas (Alesha Ellis-Austin and Ben Chivers) were 5-0 winners against Writtle Rattlesnakes in division 2B of the Chelmsford Junior League. Allesha Ellis Austin gave her team a winning start by beating Luv Goel 7-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-3 in the opening encounter. Buttsbury Badgers beat Chelmsford Jaguars 3-2 although Emilie Guilloux was unbeaten for Buttsbury in her singles. Emilie defeated Oscar Hutt (11-9, 11-3, 11-7) and Harry Hutt (11-9, 5-11, 11-4, 11-8).
Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
This week’s Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League report includes League matches, the first round of the second series of Junior League matches and Cup matches. Thanks are extended to KO Cup Secretary Matthew Brown for his extensive report on the latest round of Cup matches.
In division one Galleywood A did well to draw with Danbury A. However, both Galleywood A and Chelmsford C look to be doomed to relegation. They both trail Danbury B by 15 points and Danbury B have a game in hand. In a match where no one player stayed unbeaten and no one went home empty-handed Eric Green and Dave Richardson both won twice for Danbury as did James Hicks for Galleywood. James Hicks showed up well. He beat Eric Green (6-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7) and then Dave Richardson (12-10, 10-12, 12-10, 13-11) – they don’t come much closer; before missing out (5-11, 11-5, 16-18, 6-11) against Babul McLeod. Galleywood’s new signing James Mullane made his mark with a fine 9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 12-10 win over Babul McLeod. In yet another high-octane encounter Dave Richardson defeated Gary Brignall 10-12, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9.
In division three second placed Maldon A were narrow 6-4 winners against Writtle D. Lloyd Bennett-Smith was undefeated for Maldon and he sealed the win with a 11-5, 11-8, 14-16, 12-14, 11-9 win over Malcolm Henstock. Peter Layzell impressed with his 11-6, 12-10, 11-8 win over Hamish Innes.
The division four match between Highwood B and Chelmsford H finished tied at 5-5. Chelmsford’s Khalid Davis dominated and he beat Martin Goddard (11-8, 16-14, 11-6), Dave Cockeril (11-4, 7-11, 9-11, 14-12, 11-9) and Russell Downton (11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-8).
Buttsbury are well placed in division five, one point behind the leaders Hatfield Peverel D but with a game in hand. Jamie Elliott won his three singles as they beat Danbury N 6-4. Steve Martin edged out Ray Horton 11-8, 7-11, 2-11, 11-7, 11-9 for the losers.
Jamie Elliott was in action again for Buttsbury Bees who beat Chelmsford Leopards 3-2 in division 2A of the Chelmsford Junior League. Elliott defeated Dion Fernandes (11-8, 11-5, 11-6) and Cleon Fernandes (11-13, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6). Jamie Elliott was also undefeated in singles as Buttsbury Bees lost 2-3 to Chelmsford Pumas. This time he beat Ben Chivers (11-5, 11-8, 11-6) and Todd Martin (8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5).
Buttsbury Badgers were 5-0 winners against Writtle Racoons in Junior division 2B. Harry Hutt and Oscar Hutt carried all before them. The match between Chelmsford Antelopes and Chelmsford Jaguars was closer with the Antelopes winning 3-2 despite the fact that Emilie Guilloux was undefeated for Chelmsford Jaguars. Emilie beat Arnav Kumar (11-4, 11-5, 11-4) and Samaksh Sirohi (11-4, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7).
Buttsbury Bulldogs ran out 4-1 winners against Chelmsford Eagles in Junior division 2C. Tommy Hudd led the way with two wins. He beat Francesca Hart (11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 16-14) and Freya Hart (9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 14-12). Chelmsford Cougars also made a successful start. They beat Buttsbury Beavers 3-2. Felix Reeve was their match-winner. He beat Joseph Hutt (11-8, 11-3, 11-7) and Lucy Elliott (11-5, 11-6, 11-9).
Matthew Brown reports on the KO Cup competitions as follows –
The round of 16 in the Handicap Cup was played in January. As always in the Handicap Cup, we seem to either have very closely fought matches or runaway victories.
The Chelmsford H team of Joachin Mapes, Harry Chivers and Saul Chivers were involved in a very tight contest with the more experienced trio of OC’s B’s Connor Payne, Charles Yeung and Richard Baxter. The match see-sawed with never more than a match between the two sides. Richard Baxter opened proceedings for OC’s with a 17-21, 23-21, 21-9 win over Saul Chivers. Joachin Mapes levelled with a 17-21, 21-12, 21-9 win over Charles Yeung. Connor Payne then restored OC’s lead with a 21-23, 21-17, 21-19 win over Harry Chivers but Chelmsford fought back with two straight set wins for Saul and Harry. It was 21-15, 28-26 for Saul over Charles and 21-13, 21-8 for Harry over Richard. OC’s levelled with a 15-21, 13-21 win for Connor over Joachin. Chelmsford took the lead again with a 20-22, 24-22, 21-13 win for Harry over Charles, only for OC’s to level with a 11-21, 4-21 win for Connor over Saul. This left Joachin to play Richard to decide the tie. In two very close sets, Joachin prevailed 23-21, 23-21 to send Chelmsford into the quarterfinals.
Meeting Chelmsford H will be Danbury G or Chelmsford J. In what was another very closely fought contest, Danbury G prevailed by the skin of their teeth as they came back from 2-4 to just about win 5-4 and that included surviving six match points in game eight where Luca Bailey recovered in both sets two and three to squeeze past Peter Davenport, 18-21, 24-22, 22-20. Six of the matches went to deciding sets (a testament to the handicapping?) and every player won at least one game in a match of styles and grit. Jacqui Smith played brilliantly all evening beating Eamonn Hall, and taking Luca Bailey and Sanjay Saptarshi to three sets. The final game was between the unbeaten Paul Bullock and the winless Eamonn Hall, and yes it went to three long sets before Eamonn saw his team through to the next round winning 21-15, 14-21, 21-16.
The tie between OC’s C and Chelmsford E was a little more one-sided with the Chelmsford E side of Adi Kamma, Dave Parker and Chris Young running into a 4-0 lead before OC’s got started. This said, three of those four games were settled in the deciding set, with OC’s Mick Hayes losing out 21-11, 15-21, 27-29 to Chris Young in the opener, Mick Richardson being similarly thwarted 23-21, 20-22, 16-21 by Dave Parker in game two, and Mick Hayes again being on the wrong end of a deuce in the third scoreline, going down 14-21, 21-16, 22-24 to Dave Parker in game four. David Porter and Mick Richardson restored some pride to the score line with straight set wins before Dave Parker finished OC’s off in yet another deciding set, getting the better of David Porter 18-21, 21-13, 21-15.
Chelmsford E’s quarter-final opponents will be Danbury M after they defeated Writtle C 5-4. The Danbury side started well with victories for Ken Wilding and Martin Knights (who got the better of Gary Ward 19-21, 21-10, 25-23) before Writtle levelled with wins for John Webber and John Gagg. Danbury took the lead again with a deciding set win for Ken Wilding over John Webber before Writtle looked to take the initiative with two straight set wins for Gary Ward and John Webber. However, Danbury were not to be thwarted and Paul Thirkettle and Ken Wilding won the last two games in straight sets to prevail 5-4.
The other remaining Writtle team, Writtle D, also came unstuck, losing 2-5 to Buttsbury B. Despite two wins for Malcolm Henstock, the Buttsbury team of Jamie Elliott, Ray Horton and Oscar Hutt were able to run away with the victory.
Buttsbury B’s quarter-final opponents are Danbury N, who completely overpowered the Highwood A team of Melanie Bonnett, Keith Pallett and Keith Fitz-John who commented “Danbury won hands down!”. The Danbury side of Ron Tam, Steve Martin and Graham Naggs were just too strong for their handicaps. Closest match on the night was Keith Fitz-John’s three set loss to Steve Martin (21-19, 10-21, 18-21).
Highwood were on the wrong end of another one-sided match when their B team lost 5-2 to Maldon C. Despite two wins for Highwood’s Roger Patient, the Maldon C team of Ella Sach, Kym Eames and Andrea Alleyne were always in control, leading 2-0 and 3-1, before easing to the 5-2 win in the closest game of the night when Maldon’s Kym Eames prevailed 18-21, 5-21, 19-21 against Highwood’s Roger Patient.
The last match in this round was an all Danbury affair. Their J team hosted the B team and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the match went all the way to a deciding set in game nine. The B team opened proceedings with Eric Green defeating David Meah, only for the J team to hit back and take the next three games with Dave Marsh, John Robinson and David Meah each winning one. The B team did not give up and levelled with a three set win for Eric Green (19-21, 21-13, 21-19) over John Robinson and a straight-sets win for Sam Lowman over Dave Marsh. John Robinson then put the J team in front again with a three sets win over Neil Want (19-21, 21-13, 21-16) before Sam Lowman levelled the tie. So it came down to Dave Marsh against Eric Green, with Dave taking the first set 25-23, Eric fighting back to win the second 21-15, only for Dave to turn the tie in Danbury J’s favour to win 21-12. Their reward is a quarter-final match against Maldon C.
In the quarterfinals this past week Chelmsford H played Danbury G. While Danbury got off to a good start with a three sets win for Sanjay Saptarshi against Saul Chivers (21-18, 13-21, 24-22), it was the Chelmsford team that then took the initiative, with Nyree March, Harry Chivers and Saul Chivers taking the next three games. Danbury gave themselves hope when Gordon Gatheral got the better of Saul Chivers but Chelmsford bounced back taking the next two games and becoming the first team to make the semi-finals.
The remaining quarterfinals are scheduled for the week commencing 7 March.
In the Open Cup a preliminary round match between Chelmsford D and Highwood A was played in January. The Chelmsford team of Sudheep Kamma, Vinny Kamma and Keith Martin powered to a 5-1 win, with only Highwood’s Melanie Bonnett win over Vinny Kamma preventing a whitewash for the Chelmsford team. Their reward, a quarterfinal against their B team.
Two quarterfinal matches have been played, with first Danbury A beating Chelmsford F 5-0 (the winners of the Chelmsford B v D match will meet them in the semi-final). Danbury’s Babul McLeod, Eric Green and Dave Richardson were far too strong for Chelmsford’s Alex and Nikita Tkachuk and Luke Richardson, and didn’t drop a set in any of the five games.
Danbury B have also played their quarterfinal match against OC’s B and in another one-sided affair ran out 7-0 winners. The Danbury team of Sam Lowman, Dan Anderson and Dan Piggott, over-powered the division two side of Trevor Carter, Charles Yeung and Connor Payne. Danbury’s semi-final opponents will be either Chelmsford or Writtle A.
One of the two Division 3 Down quarterfinals has been played with Danbury J getting the better of Chelmsford E, 7-2. The Danbury side of Peter Hance, John Robinson and Sam Phillips, eased to victory against Chelmsford’s Rev Matthews, Adi Kamma and Vasile Barbulet. Rev Matthews scored a good four sets win over John Robinson and the doubles pairing of Rev and Adi had a last gasp 14-12 fifth set win over Peter and John. Danbury will face Chelmsford H in the semi-finals.
All other quarterfinal matches in the Open Cup and the Divisions 2, 3 and 4 Down Knockout Cups are due to be played in the week commencing 7 March.
Steve Kerns Press & Publicity Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
Daniel Young, 17, was crowned the 2022 Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Mens Singles Champion at Old Chelmsfordians Association on Tuesday evening in front of a large and appreciative crowd which included 10 players from the League’s Bat & Chat Session. In what was definitely a great evening for the younger players Harry Buckle, also aged 17, was Mens Singles runner-up.
The opening game featured top seed Duncan Taylor and Daniel Young. Taylor’s cast iron defensive game is often one that Juniors struggle against. This isn’t the case with Daniel Young. Despite falling 0-5 down in the first game he won the next seven points and the first game 11-8. Duncan hit back winning the second game 11-7. Duncan looked to attack more but it was the patient Daniel who eventually ran out the winner 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7.
The second game gave the Finals Night audience their first view of Harry Buckle who played Lee McHugh. Harry started nervously but soon settled down. Despite serving into the net at 9-9 he won the first game 12-10. In the second game it was all Harry and he powered home 11-2. The third game was much better for Lee and he won comfortably 11-5. Harry started the fourth end really well and surged into a 5-0 lead, and although Lee fought back to 7-3 and 9-9 Harry sealed victory 12-10. Game, set and match to Harry 12-10, 11-2, 5-11, 12-10.
The Mens Doubles Final featured two new pairings and it was the Danbury pairing of Trevor Lloyd and Bruce Kettle who emerged as winners 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 . After a hesitant first end they dominated and with Trevor Lloyd’s renowned forehand and Bruce Kettle’s pacy backhand calling the shots they looked to be the more likely winners, which they were.
The three down Singles Final was held over from the weekend and it featured Galleywood team-mates John Holland and Mark Glenister. Mark started the more brightly and he edged the first two games 11-8, 12-10. Was an upset on the cards ?. No, John hit back and forcing his opponent to have to scramble against his superbly executed drop shots he pulled through to win 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6. The last point perhaps captured the nature of this victory. John’s perfectly executed “drop-shot” left Mark floundering.
The Under 19 Singles Final featured the same two players who would later contest the Mens Singles Final. It was attack, attack, attack and more third ball attack as Harry Buckle turned in a superb display to beat Daniel Young 11-9, 11-6, 11-4.
The Veterans Singles Final featured the 2020 Champion – Gary Young and Keith Adams, surely one of the most improved players in the County in the last five years. Keith’s topspin forehand is devastating on it’s day and he looks to get in at every opportunity. Gary was never far behind and came very close to winning the third end but it was Keith who prevailed 11-9, 11-7, 16-14 to add the Veterans Singles Crown to the Over 50 Singles title he won at the Tournament weekend.
And so to the main event, the Mens SIngles Final. This time Daniel Young came out all guns blazing and won the first end 11-3. Harry Buckle fought back and won the second end 11-7. Game on. However, it was Daniel who prevailed and after winning the third game 11-7 he surged clear to win the fourth game 11-4. Not the youngest ever Mens Singles winner but it’s still a magnificent achievement for a Junior to become Mens Singles Champion.
Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
Chelmsford A, the outstanding team in the first division of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League, were held to a 5-5 draw by OCA A. OCA’s Matthew Mulley was the star of this match, no question, and he powered his way to three singles wins beating James Liddiard (11-7 11-9, 11-9), Kim Shead (11-6, 11-7, 11-7) and Gary Young (12-14, 11-6, 11-3, 11-8). He has a 100 % singles record (12/12 wins). Kim Shead played his part by beating Mark Mulley (9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9) having previously lost to Rob Burton (9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 5-11). The low scoring nature of this division can be illustrated by the fact that Danbury C are now in second place with 62 points out of 120. They did well to beat Danbury B 6-4. Trevor Lloyd was again their star performer and he stormed to a hat-trick of wins. He defeated Dan Anderson (11-5, 11-6, 11-8), Cameron Gray (11-6, 11-3, 11-9) and Chris Buer (11-6, 11-4, 11-3). Very impressive. Writtle A have slipped back. Lee McHugh was unbeaten against Chelmsford B but Saul Chivers, Harry Buckle and Charlie Craig all won twice as Chelmsford won 7-3. McHugh had to pull out all the stops against Charlie Craig before he won 13-11, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9.
Division two produced three tightly fought matches this week. John Webber and Gary Ward were both undefeated as Writtle C beat OCA B 6-4. Writtle C now have 72 points, the same as Hatfield Peverel A in second place. Webber fought back from 2-0 down to beat Charles Yeung 8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-6 in the opening game of the evening. Danbury E also won 6-4, against Danbury F. Neil Want led the way with three wins. He beat Gordon Gatheral (11-4, 11-7, 11-5), Ken Sheard (11-5. 11-8, 11-5) and Alan Scammell (11-4, 11-9, 11-5). Pretty dominant. The match between OCA C and Writtle B finished tied at 5-5. No one player stayed unbeaten and Mick Richardson and Dave Porter (OCA) and Matthew Brown (Writtle) all bagged two wins. Matthew Brown gave Writtle a winning start by beating Mick Richardson (11-13, 11-7, 10-12, 14-12, 11-8) and he carried on the good work by defeating Dave Porter (11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8) but he became a victim of Mick Hayes in his third singles (9-11, 7-11, 6-11). An excellent win for Mick Hayes. The exceptional result in this division was the very strong performance that Hatfield Peverel A turned in to beat Chelmsford D 8-2. Martin Archie led the way with three wins and he received excellent support from Neil Freeman and Gareth Davies who both won twice. Martin Archie defeated Victor Chan, the best of the Chelmsford players – 12-10, 6-11, 11-1, 14-12. A rather unusual looking scoreline.
Galleywood B (101 points out of a possible 130) are almost as dominant in division three as Chelmsford A are in division one. This week they beat Danbury J 8-2. John Holland and Gary Copsey were both undefeated whilst Dave Meah beat Mark Glenister (11-8, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8) for the losers. Chelmsford E also won 8-2 against Hatfield Peverel B. Rev Matthews and Joachin Mapes both won their three singles. Michael Lucey missed out by the narrowest possible margin twice. He lost 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 10-12 to Joachin Mapes and equally closely (8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11) to Rev Matthews. Andy Swales dominated affairs as Chelmsford F beat OCA D 7-3. Swales completed his hat-trick by beating Amanda Hogger (11-5, 11-13, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5).
In division four Danbury L made it 10 wins out of 12 by defeating Galleywood C 7-3. Denis Crapnell (24 wins out of 24) retained his 100 % record and he beat Colin Blore (two wins for the Galleywood side) 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6. Blore also had a fought win against Denis Balic and he battled back from 2-0 down to triumph 7-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-9. OCA E ran out 9-1 winners against Maldon B in a match where Farooq Ahmed and David Bishop gave nothing away. Writtle E beat Chelmsford G 6-4. Chelmsford were handicapped by being a player short but Neil Thompson beat both Dusan Doszkoty (18-20, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7) and Vasile Barbulet (11-8, 11-5, 11-9) to ensure Writtle emerged as winners.
In division five Buttsbury surged to a superb 9-1 win over the higher placed Hatfield Peverel C team. Jamie Elliott (three wins), Gary Carr (three wins) and Ben Brown (two wins) called the shots. Richard Drozd prevented Hatfield Peverel C from being whitewashed with his 9-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-7, 16-14 success against Ben Brown. Hatfield Peverel C did better against Hatfield Peverel E and won 6-4. Mick Carter led the way with a hat-trick and he sealed the victory for his side by beating Gary Simmons 12-10, 11-5, 11-7 in the last game of the evening. Roger Slade was unbeaten for Hatfield Peverel D who beat Danbury M 7-3 whilst Maldon C combined well to get the better of Chelmsford J 6-4. Paul Bullock was unbeaten for Chelmsford J and this included a widely fluctuating 11-6, 6-11, 11-3, 5-11, 11-7 win over Rob Sach.
Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
The battle for second place in division one of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League couldn’t be closer. A mere nine points separates second placed Danbury C and seventh placed Danbury B who have two games in hand on some of their rivals. The big shock this week was the 10-0 roasting that Danbury A dished out to Chelmsford C. Eric Green, Dave Richardson and Babul McLeod were all on top form and Chelmsford C just couldn’t find a foothold however hard they tried. Eric Green gave Danbury A the perfect start by beating the hard-hitting Simon Jarvis 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-3. Danbury C fared no better against the all-conquering Chelmsford A. Daniel Young, Gary Young and Kim Shead powered home 10-0 and with 87 points they lead the way by a huge 31 points. Kim Shead impressed this time. He beat Wiktor Delimat (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7), Simon Jarvis (12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4) and new signing Adam Cuthbert (10-12, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7). Three excellent wins. Danbury C also dented Writtle A’s hopes of finishing second by beating them 8-2. Trevor Lloyd and Sanjay Saptashi were both undefeated. Ryan Pitt was on target for the losers and he defeated David Gatheral 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9. OCA A with the “brothers Mulley” in tandem are a force to be reckoned with. Mathew and Mark captured all six singles plus the doubles as they beat Chelmsford B 7-3. The doubles went to “the wire” with Matthew and Mark sneaking home 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 against Josh Bickles and Harry Buckle.
OCA C impressed in division two and the upturn in form of League Chairman Dave Porter has been particularly impressive. OCA C’s 6-4 win over second placed Writtle C owed a lot to Porter’s excellent hat-trick of wins. He beat John Parodi (11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 7-11, 11-9), John Webber (11-9, 11-9, 11-6) and John Gagg (11-9, 11-2, 11-6). Leaders Danbury G won again, 7-3 against Danbury E. Their top player – Sanjay Saptarshi (88 %) again led by example and he powered home to three wins. He beat Tim Cramphorn (11-6, 11-6, 11-7), Neil Want (11-2, 11-2, 11-6) and Dick Wyman (11-3, 11-3, 11-4). “First division” written all over that performance. Team-work saw Hatfield Peverel A beat Danbury F 7-3. Gareth Davies, Neil Freeman and Martin Archie all won twice in a match where the last six games were all decided in the fifth end. Sam Phillips won twice for the losers and this included a fine 4-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8 win over Martin Archie. The match between Danbury E and Writtle B finished tied at 5-5. Paul Sturton was unbeaten for Writtle A. Dick Wyman did well to beat Trevor Collin 9-11, 11-1, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5.
Danbury K had the misfortune to have to play against the two outstanding sides in division three in successive weeks. They lost 9-1 to second placed Maldon A and 8-2 to the leaders Galleywood B. Peter Hance was on target against Maldon A with a fine 11-6, 3-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8 win over Lloyd Bennett-Smith but Hamish Innes and Dawn Baldry were both undefeated. Mark Glenister and John Holland were both undefeated for Galleywood with Peter Hance beating Bryn Thomas narrowly 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 12-10 for their sole singles success. Maldon A also beat Danbury J 7-3. Hamish Innes, Dawn Baldry and Brian Riedling all bagged two wins whilst Dave Marsh won twice for Danbury J. Dave Meah showed up well with a fine 13-11, 11-5, 11-7 win over Hamish Innes. In another match where no single player stayed undefeated Writtle D beat OCA D 6-4. Dave Carter secured the Writtle victory with a superb 12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 5-11, 11-6 win over Richard Baxter. Baxter had also been involved a in hard fought five-setter with Bob Garson. This time he won 11-8, 13-15, 11-7, 2-11, 12-10. The match between Chelmsford E and Chelmsford F also finished 6-4, with the Chelmsford E team edging it. Rev Matthews won his three singles and he sealed the victory for his side by beating Andy Swales 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 in the last game of the night. The match went to form when Danbury H played Hatfield Peverel B. Dave Hancox won his three singles as Danbury H won 7-3. Richard Allen gave Danbury H a winning start by beating Paul Mulley – the best of the Hatfield Peverel players 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10.
Danbury L scored their ninth win of the season to move 19 points clear in division four. Denis Balic and Denis Crapnell were both undefeated in their 8-2 win over Maldon B. Denis Crapnell (21 wins out of 21) retained his 100 % singles record. Writtle E are third and they beat Chelmsford H 9-1. Malcolm Storey and Dave Moles both won their three singles whilst Harrison Hill was on target for Chelmsford H. He beat Neil Thompson 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 13-11. Highwood A did well to beat Galleywood C 6-4; their second win of the season. Keith Fitz-John excelled. He beat Will Goodchild (11-9, 11-4, 8-11, 13-11), Nathan Blore (8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 15-13) and Ron Salton (5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5). An excellent evening’s work. OCA E led by the reliable Farooq Ahmed beat Chelmsford G 7-3. David Newman provided the support with two wins. Chelmsford G in turn beat Chelmsford H 8-2. Dusan Doszkoty led the way with a hat-trick and he sealed this by beating Cleon Fernandes 12-10, 12-10, 5-11, 5-11, 12-10 in nail-biting last game of the evening. Galleywood C scored their third win of the campaign by beating Highwood B 6-4. Will Godchild led the way with three wins.
OCA F top the table in division five with 64 points, just one point ahead of Hatfield Peverel E. OCA F beat Chelmsford J 7-3; Stuart Wintle’s hat-trick giving them the edge. Chelmsford’s John Wickins beat Bob Francis 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 7-11, 11-9 in the closest game of the night. Hatfield Peverel E also won 7-3, beating Hatfield Peverel D. Gary Simmons won his three singles whilst Deb Ginn and Bob Hillis both won twice. Simmons was also undefeated as Hatfield Peverel E beat Maldon C 8-2. Five games were decided in the fifth end and Hatfield Peverel E won four of them. Bob Hillis also won his three singles on this occasion beating Kym Eames (11-5, 11-3, 11-3), Ross Wheeler (11-5, 12-10, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7) and Brian Dixon (11-9, 11-3, 11-6). Danbury M came out on top 6-4 against Maldon C. Ron Tam led the way with three wins. His third win could have gone either way before he got the better of Ella Sach 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9.
Steve Kerns Press Officer / Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
In one of the more “open” Championships in recent years seedings didn’t count for much in the mens singles at the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Closed Championships which were played at St John Payne School over the weekend. Three seeded players failed to win their groups. Trevor Lloyd missed out against Josh Bickles, whilst Eric Green lost against Harry Buckle and James Liddiard lost to Dan Pigott. The shocks continued into the knock out stages.
Top seed Duncan Taylor, who not only played on Friday night in the Veterans events but travelled to St. Neots in Cambridegshire to play for Essex Veterans first team on the Saturday would have had a justifiable excuse if he had lost. It didn’t effect his performance and he beat Babul McLeod (11-9, 11-9, 11-5), and Matthew Mulley (1-11, 12-10, 13-11, 11-5) to make it to Finals Night. Matthew Mulley had previously beaten Gary Young (6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-1).
Duncan Taylor will play Daniel Young in the semi-final. Daniel Young beat Martin Archie (11-2, 11-3, 11-7), Bruce Kettle (11-5, 11-6, 11-4) and Mark Mulley (11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9). Mark Mulley had made his mark (no pun intended) by beating Charlie Craig (11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5). Charlie had earlier scored one of the wins of the day (make that the weekend) by ousting James Liddiard (8-11, 10-12, 16-14, 11-9, 11-9).
In the bottom half of the draw the up-and-coming attacking players ran riot. Harry Buckle stole the show. Josh Bickles beat Rob Shrimtpon (8-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-2, 11-4) before losing very narrowly to Harry Buckle (11-7, 13-15, 9-11, 10-12). Harry Buckle had previously defeated Ken Sheard (11-8, 11-8, 14-12) and Daniel Piggott (11-6, 11-5, 11-6) and with everything to play for Harry Buckle beat Josh Bickles to make it through to Finals Night on Tuesday 15 February 2022 at Old Chelmsfordians Association.
Harry will play Lee McHugh who had already won the Under 40s Singles on the Saturday. Lee defeated Neil Freeman (11-4, 11-8, 11-4), Steve Martin (11-4, 11-4, 11-3) and Sam Lowman (9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9) who he had previously beaten in the Under 40s singles final. Sam Lowman had excelled and he scored a gem of a win by beating the second seed – Keith Adams 11-5, 14-12, 11-7.
The ladies singles has been played to a conclusion and the favourite Dawn Baldry has won the title. She beat Nyree Marsh 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 in the final. Nyree beat the second seed Frances Hutt in the penultimate round 11-7, 12-10, 12-10 whilst Dawn fought her way past Jacqueline Smith 11-7, 11-5, 11-6.
The mens doubles will be played on finals night. It didn’t go to plan. Daniel Young/ James Liddiard fought their way past Charlie Craig / Harry Buckle 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 and then in a really nail-biting encounter top seeds Gary Young / Keith Adams 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 3-11, 12-10. They booked their place in the final by beating brothers -Mark and Matthew Mulley 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-4. They will play the third seeds – Trevor Lloyd and Bruce Kettle. Lloyd and Kettle needed five ends to get the better of Dan Anderson / Sam Lowman (5-11, 5-11,11-3, 11-3, 11-5) in their quarter-final and if that wasn’t hard enough they prevailed 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-13, 11-9 after a thrilling semi-final battle against Duncan Taylor / Lee McHugh.
The ladies doubles saw Frances Hutt / Ella Sach capture the title at their first attempt. They came out on top 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 12-10 against Shirley Carroll / Dawn Baldry after a really hard-fought encounter. Trailing 10-6 in the decider they must have thought their chance had slipped away but they didn’t give up and they eventually went on to win a thrilling decider12-10.
The mixed doubles competition has also been completed. Top seeds Harry Buckle / Dawn Baldry are the champions and they beat Lee McHugh / Nyree Marsh 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 in the final. Lee and Nyree had upset the seedings by getting the better of second seeds Paul Sturton / Frances Hutt 11-5, 12-14, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6 a round earlier. Dawn / Harry had been extended to four ends in their semi-final by Adhuna Das / Gary Young (6-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6).
The veterans (O40s) singles final will be played on Finals Night. Holder and top seed Gary Young booked his place in the final by beating Eric Green (11-3, 11-9, 11-4) and Trevor Lloyd (11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3) and he will face Keith Adams in the final. Keith saw off Kim Shead (11-9, 11-6, 11-9) and in his semi-final he fought back strongly from 2-0 down to get the better of second seed – Duncan Taylor – in one of the best matches of the weekend (4-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8). After a slow start this match became positively gripping and the last few rallies were for the connoisseur !.
Duncan Taylor took immediate revenge for his Veterans Singles defeat by bouncing back to win the veterans doubles. Paired with Babul McLeod they secured a fine 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 win over the veterans singles finalists – Gary Young / Keith Adams. The fourth seeds Mark Allaway / Kim Shead were beaten by Rod Maclennan / Neil Freeman 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 5-11.
Keith Adams, the favourite made no mistake in the over 50s singles. He powered his way past Sanjay Saptarshi (11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8), Babul McLeod (11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-3) and in the final he made no mistake against Bruce Kettle (11-8, 11-0, 11-4). Bruce Kettle excelled on this occasion by getting the better of Trevor Lloyd (11-7, 10-12, 13-11, 16-14).
Trevor Lloyd came through a strong field to capture the over 60s singles. He disposed of Graham Naggs (3-0), Ian Whiteside (3-0), Trevor Collin (3-0) and he beat Bruce Kettle 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 7-11,11-7 in a fluctuating final. Trevor Collin had excelled, taking out Babul McLeod 3-0 whilst Babul had ended the hopes of John Holland 3-2.
The over 70s singles is another new event and John Holland completed the full set of titles, having previously won the over 40s singles, over 50s singles and over 60s singles. He beat Ian Whiteside 3-0 after three closely contested games in the final.
The Handicap Singles is very difficult to predict. A player can seemingly be going well for a few rounds but can perish very quickly if a handicap is just too far out of reach. Arguably the top -rated player in the event – Daniel Young (playing off a handicap of 89) looked good as he powered his way past Phil West (20), Ella Sach (29), Davina Brazier (23) and most impressively Andrea Alleyne (47). He met his match against Roger Slade (40) in the semi-final who won 18-21, 21-12, 21-17. Slade had also seen off Rev Matthews (60), Sudheep Kamma (63), Mervyn Perriman (67) and Denis Crapnell (58). Nyree Marsh (30) dominated the bottom half of the draw beating Vineeth Kamma (60), Josh Bickles (88), Saul Chivers (73) and in the semi-final Dan Anderson (76) 21-15, 19-21, 21-18. Dan Anderson had also impressed with wins over Harry Buckle (87), Robert Shrimpton (77), Lee McHugh (90) (a close one this: 21-14, 16-21, 22-20) and Deb Ginn (23) before he lost to Nyree. In the final Nyree made no mistake by beating Roger 21-5, 21-17.
If the Handicap Singles is difficult to predict it is nigh on impossible to select a winner in the Handicap Doubles. Not only do the handicaps come into play but certain styles are more compatible than others. Dawn Baldry and Cleon Fernandes (with a combined handicap of 44) eventually emerged as winners beating Roger Slade / Lee McHugh (combined handicap of 65) quite convincingly 21-9, 21-9 in the final.
Top seed Lee McHugh (who had an excellent weekend) won the first of the new events – the Under 40s Singles. He beat Aaron Chandler (11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8) and Sam Phillips (14-12, 11-4, 11-5) to book his final appearance and he defeated Sam Lowman – the second seed, in a free-flowing final (11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 11-3). Lowman had to work hard to get the better of Rob Shrimpton (7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8) and Dan Anderson (11-9, 11-6, 14-12).
The under 19 singles will be played on finals night and it replaces the defunct under 21 singles. Dan Young and Harry Buckle who both played so well in the mens singles will contest the final. Dan Young beat Saul Chivers 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7 in his semi-final whilst Harry Buckle turned it on to defeat Charlie Craig 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 at the same stage. Saul Chivers ended the aspirations of Josh Bickles 2-11, 11-9,11-4, 11-7.
The under 19 doubles was played on a round robin basis and Harry Buckle and Charlie Craig came out on top.
Ben Chivers is the 2002 Under 15 singles champion. He claimed the title by beating Alesha Ellis-Austin 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-4 in the final. Felix Reeve and Oliver Martin were the losing semi-finalists.
The division two singles is traditionally one of the more open events. The top seed has often failed to live up to expectations. Not this year. The favourite – Chris Buer came out on top. He beat Ken Sheard, Richard Baxter and Sanjay Saptarshi 13-11, 17-19, 11-7, 12-10 in a very well contested final. Richard Baxter made his mark in no uncertain terms beating Hamish Innes and Saul Chivers. Sanjay Saptarshi’s run to the final saw him see off Eamon Hall, John Holland and Daniel Piggott.
The division three singles final will be between John Holland and Mark Glenister and it will be played on Finals Night. John Holland used all of his experience to beat Nikita Tkachuk 11-7, 12-10, 11-9 and he will play Mark Glenister who scored a superb 11-9, 12-14, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7 semi-final win over Hamish Innes, a game which lasted close to 45 minutes. Glenister had earlier done well to end the hopes of Sam Phillips (11-3, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9) and Dusan Doszkoty (11-2, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9).
Denis Crapnell was crowned the division four singles champion. He beat Mervyn Perriman (who had lost to Adi Kamma in his group) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 and Harry Chivers (12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 11-7) and in the final he powered home 11-4, 11-4, 11-1 against Dusan Doszkoty. Dusan had booked his final place by beating Adi Kamma (11-4, 11-6, 11-8) and Farooq Ahmed (11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8).
Bob Hillis is the division five singles champion. He came through closely fought games against Davina Brazier (12-10, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8), Deb Ginn (6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7) and in the final he beat Jacqueline Smith (11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9). Jacqueline had beaten Jamie Elliott (8-11, 11-9, 13-11, 12-10) at the semi-final stage. A pleasing feature of this year’s event was just how many of the successful players in the divisional tournaments take part in the League’s Bat&Chat sessions. John Holland, Denis Crapnell, Bob Hillis and Jacqueline Smith all fall into this category.
There appears to be “no stopping” Chelmsford A in division one of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League. With James Liddiard (18 wins out of 18) and Gary Young both staying undefeated they beat Chelmsford B 8-2. With a massive 77 points out of a possible 100 they lead second placed Writtle A by a huge 26 points. Writtle A also won 8-2, defeating bottom placed side Galleywood A 8-2. Lee McHugh and Duncan Taylor carried all before them. Ryan Pitt came up trumps against Gary Brignall, winning 5-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9. Danbury C, have moved into fourth place. Trevor Lloyd led the way as they beat Chelmsford B 6-4. With 86 % Lloyd has been an excellent signing. There were some very close games with Shirish Basant Rai getting the better of Ian Whiteside 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 18-20, 17-15 after the longest encounter of the week. OCA A scored their third win on the trot and it isn’t totally inconceivable that they could challenge for the runners-up spot. They beat Danbury C 6-4 after Trevor Lloyd had again won his three singles. Lloyd defeated Mark Mulley 11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 12-10 after a widely fluctuating opening encounter.
Writtle C have climbed into second place in division two. Gary Ward can’t put a foot (and in his case a powerful back hand topspin) wrong this Season and he again won his three singles as Writtle C beat Chelmsford D 7-3. Harry Chivers won twice for Chelmsford and this included a 9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 12-10 victory over John Webber. Chelmsford D were also on the wrong end of a 6-4 defeat against Danbury F. Colin Napper stole the show with three hard fought wins. He beat Vineeth Kamma (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8), Sudheep Kamma (13-11, 11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 11-3) and Harry Chivers (11-2, 11-13, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7). Danbury G edged home 6-4 against Hatfield Peverel A. Sanjay Saptarshi sealed the win for his side after an epic 11-7, 5-11, 6-11, 12-10, 12-10 win over Martin Archie in the last game of the night. OCA B won three five enders to beat Danbury F 7-3. Gareth Joice and Trevor Carter were both undefeated. Trevor Carter had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Ken Sheard 11-13, 3-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 whilst Gareth Joice was equally stretched as he saw off Colin Napper 11-5, 5-11, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10.
Leaders Galleywood B showed their strength in division three. They left John Holland out yet they still beat Hatfield Peverel B 9-1. Mark Glenister and Bryn Thomas both bagged three wins. Phil Shippen was on target for the losers with a 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9 win over Gary Copsey. OCA D did well to beat Danbury J 6-4. Richard Baxter was the architect of this win with three successes. John Robinson pipped Ian Butler 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-1, 17-15. A very hard fought fifth end. Danbury J were in turn on the right side of a 6-4 result against Writtle D. Dave Marsh won his three singles and this included a last gasp 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10 victory against Bob Garson. Writtle D put this result firmly behind them and ran out comprehensive 9-1 winners against Chelmsford F. Malcolm Henstock and Peter Layzell both scored hat-tricks. Henstock was tied at 2-2 against Luke Richardson but he surged home in the fifth end to win 5-11, 11-7, 12-10, 10-12, 11-4. OCA D beat Danbury K 7-3 courtesy of a good team performance. Richard Baxter, Richard Upson and Connor Payne all won twice. Peter Hance impressed for the losers with a 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 14-12 victory against Richard Baxter. Chelmsford E also won 7-3. The improving Rev Mathews led the way with a hat-trick and he secured his third win by getting the better of Richard Allen 11-4, 7-11, 11-4, 15-13. Dave Powell fought back strongly from 2-0 down to get the better of Joachim Mapes 7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-1
Danbury L lead the way in division four. Denis Balic and Denis Crapnell were both undefeated in their 7-3 win over OCA E. Denis Balic saw off Farooq Ahmed 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9. Quite a battle. Maldon B (fielding an all-lady line up) emerged as 6-4 winners against Highwood A. Fittingly it was another lady who dominated the action. Melanie Bonnett won her three singles and this included a fine 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 win over Andrea Alleyne. Maldon B added another eight points to their total by beating Highwood B. Bryan Speller and Andrea Alleyne were both undefeated this time.
Division five leaders Hatfield Peverel C ran out 9-1 winners against Danbury N. Mick Carter and Andy Simmonds were both undefeated. Hatfield Peverel C won the two five setters. Mick Carter beat Graham Naggs 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8 and Andy Whiley beat Steve Martin 11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-8. OCA F emerged as narrow 6-4 winners against Danbury M. Stuart Wintle was their match-winner and he beat Paul Thirkettle – the best of the Danbury players – 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5. Another all-lady team, this time – Hatfield Peverel D beat Buttsbury 7-3. Davina Brazier took centre stage with three singles wins. She beat Frances Hutt (11-7, 13-11, 3-11, 11-9), Ray Horton (9-11, 11-3, 12-10, 4-11, 11-8) and Oscar Hutt (11-5, 11-7, 11-7).
Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
It has been announced of the death of Peter Grimstead a stalwart of Essex table tennis. He can be seen below in his playing days on the far right with Colin Hughes, left, and Les Eadie in the middle.
Along with Bernard Chatterley he started Grove T.T.C. in Chadwell Heath which played a central part in the Dagenham League for many years as a place to play finals, Rep matches as well as bread and butter league games most nights of the week.
Grove attracted the likes of Chester Barnes, Stuart Gibbs, Les Eadie, Kevin Caldon, Elaine Foulds and, sadly, the late departed Joe Andrews and many more of that standard.
He acted as Chairman and Secretary for the Dagenham League and with Peter Cranmer they worked on Rep. matches, Inter -League and social events.
In 1980 and 1981 he was involved with two Wilmott Cup finals along with the help of his good friend Wally Read when Dagenham beat Leicester in two consecutive finals to win the cup with firstly, Ian Horsham, Des Charlery and Dave Newman, and then with Ian, Dave and Kevin Caldon.
Peter Cranmer recalls how in 1990 Dagenham reached the Final again and asked him ‘Who’s playing in the final?’ I said ‘Well, I would like it to be Des Charlery , Grant Solder and Steve Dorking but Steve is playing in a tournament in Bulgaria the week before and won’t get back till Saturday morning around 9.00am at Heathrow’. ‘I’ll pick him up’ says Peter ‘and bring him up to St.Neots’ and that’s what he did. They beat Chesterfield, Bradley Billington and all, to make it a third victory in 10 years.
Peter also tells the story of how, after one Dagenham Championship, he can remember unloading 14 tables from one of his vans into a lockup of his at 1am in the morning when the police arrived and asked what was going on. Quick as a flash Pete said ‘unloading tables – give us a hand!’
Back in the late 50’s, early 60’s Peter ran his own bike shop – Grimsteads – in Canning Town later selling scooters even to the likes of Stuart Gibbs and Chester Barnes.
Outside table tennis he was a West Ham United fanatic. His office had pictures all over the wall of W.H.U. players amongst table tennis players and his other sports love speedway. In later years his walking stick was painted in West Ham colours. He will be missed by friends and family, a proper character.
The funeral is on Friday 4th February at Forest Park Crematorium, Hainault, IG6 3HP at 11.00am.
A new venue, two new events to contend with; and the same number of entries as last time (105). The Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Annual Championships are back after a year’s absence, at St. John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford, CM1 4BS (Patching Hall Lane entrance) over the weekend of Friday 28 January 2022 to Sunday 30 January 2022. Action is scheduled to finish at 18.00 hours on the Sunday evening. A big change this year is that the blue riband event – the Mens Singles will take place on the Sunday. Finals Night will take place on Tuesday 15 February 2022 at the Old Chelmsfordians Association, Lawford Lane. Refreshments – bacon rolls and sausage rolls will be available on the Saturday and Sunday mornings. Players will receive E-Mails relating to their starting times. Admission is free and it is hoped that former players pop in to watch.
Ace defender Duncan Taylor – the 2018 Champion, is the man to beat in the Mens Singles. He will face stiff opposition from second seed Keith Adams (in his first venture into the Chelmsford tournament), Trevor Lloyd, Mark Mulley, Gary Young, James Liddiard, Lee McHugh and Daniel Young. The other seeded players are Matthew Mulley, Bruce Kettle, Babul McLeod, Sam Lowman, Eric Green and Ian Whiteside. Expect a strong challenge from the up-and-coming Chelmsford Table Tennis Club Junior contingent – Harry Buckle, Charlie Craig, Josh Bickles and Saul Chivers. Group two stands out. Second seed Keith Adams takes on Wiktor Delimat and Charlie Craig. Group seven is equally competitive. Lee McHugh comes face to face with Dan Anderson and Saul Chivers.
It is difficult to see beyond Dawn Baldry in the Ladies Singles. Frances Hutt is seeded second, but Dawn will be very difficult to beat. Nyree Marsh, runner up in 2019 will also be out to make her mark.
Gary Young / Keith Adams are the top seeds in the Mens Doubles and they are due to meet Duncan Taylor / Lee McHugh in the Final. Other pairs who you can’t discount are brothers Mark Mulley /Matthew Mulley , Bruce Kettle / Trevor Lloyd, Daniel Young / James Liddiard, Dan Anderson / Sam Lowman and Babul McLeod / Eric Green.
Gary Young – the holder, is favourite for the Veterans Singles and he is scheduled to face Duncan Taylor in the Final on Finals Night. Keith Adams and Trevor Lloyd are seeded third and fourth. Young and Adams have paired together and they are expected to annexe the Veterans Doubles where they are scheduled to play Duncan Taylor and Babul McLeod in the Final.
The Over 70s Singles is a new event this year. The evergreen Ian Whiteside is the top seed and John Holland is seeded second. John will be bidding to become the first player in the League’s history to win the Over 70s Singles as well as the events he has won in the past – Over 60s, Over 50s and Veterans Singles.
As befits the demographics of the League, the Over 50s Singles is very strong this year. Keith Adams is seeded no. one with Trevor Lloyd seeded no. two. Bruce Kettle, Babul McLeod, Eric Green, Ian Whiteside and Martin Archie make up the seeded berths.
Trevor Lloyd will be looking to retain his Over 60s title and he is seeded to play Bruce Kettle in the Final. If all goes to plan Lloyd will play Babul McLeod in the penultimate round and Kettle will play Eric Green.
New pairing Harry Buckle and Dawn Baldry are top seeds in the Mixed Doubles and their Finals night opponents are projected to be Frances Hutt and Paul Sturton. Frances and Paul are expected to face Lee McHugh / Nyree Marsh in their Semi-Final whilst Harry and Dawn are scheduled to meet Jacqueline Smith and Robert Shrimpton.
Shirley Carroll / Dawn Baldry are strong favourites to capture the Ladies Doubles and they are seeded to play Ella Sach / Frances Hutt in the Final.
The Divisional events have been moved to the Saturday and the division two event looks particularly strong. Chris Buer is the top seed and in a very evenly matched field John Holland is seeded second. The quality of the other seeds speaks for itself – David Gatheral, Saul Chivers, Hamish Innes, Daniel Piggott, Sanjay Saptarshi and Neil Freeman. Neil Freeman’s group really is a tough one. He will face Richard Baxter and Sam Phillips.
John Holland goes again in the division three singles and he is seeded to play Hamish Innes in the Final. Again, the other seeded players are all equally capable – Sam Phillips, Dawn Baldry, Richard Baxter, Mervyn Perriman and Gary Copsey.
Mervyn Perriman is the top seed in the division four singles. The hugely promising Harry Chivers is seeded second with Denis Crapnell and David Moles making up the seeds.
David Smith is the man to beat in the division five singles with Jamie Elliot due to face him in the Final. The other seeds are Jacqueline Smith and Robert Hillis.
The Under 40s Singles is another new event this year and Junior players are not eligible. Lee McHugh is the top seed with Sam Lowman seeded second. Daniel Anderson and Robert Shrimpton are seeded third and fourth. Lowman has drawn a short straw. He faces Wiktor Delimat and Sam Phillips in his group. Lee McHugh’s group is another strong one. He goes head-to-head with Shirish Basant Rai and Richard Storey.
The Junior Singles has become the Under 19 Singles this year following a Table Tennis England directive to take into account the fact that very little play took place last year. Daniel Young, the holder will be very hard to beat but the likes of Harry Buckle, Charlie Craig, Josh Bickles and Saul Chivers will all be out to make their mark. The Final will take place on Finals Night and it replaces the Final of the now defunct Under 21 Singles.
Another player who has made great progress -Sudheep Kamma is the favourite to win the Under 15s Singles and the other seeds are Alesha Ellis-Austin and Lotte Mills.
The Junior Doubles is being played as a “Round Robbin” event. Harry Buckle / Charlie Craig are top seeds but all of the four other pairings are worthy of mention : Nyree Marsh / Daniel Young, Vineeth Kamma / Sudheep Kamma, Saul Chivers / Harry Chivers and Nikita Tkachuk / Josh Bickles.
In the League first division – leaders Chelmsford A produced yet another impressive performance to beat Danbury A 8-2. Gary Young won his three singles to ensure Danbury remained in charge in a match where the last three singles encounters produced some stirring battles. Babul McLeod defeated Daniel Young 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 14-12 and Dave Richardson got the better of Kim Shead 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9. There was no let-up in the last game and Gary Young was hard pressed to get the better of Bruce Kettle 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8. Danbury B are third and Sam Lowman won his three singles in his side’s 6-4 win over Chelmsford C. Lowman beat Simon Jarvis, the best of the Chelmsford players 16-18, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8. Galleywood A made a great start against OCA A. Gary Brignall defeated Terry Dowsett 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 and James Hicks beat Peter Hayden 15-13, 5-11, 13-11, 4-11, 11-8. Get in there. However, OCA A reasserted themselves and with Matt Mulley (six wins out of six) winning his three singles OCA A won 8-2. If OCA A field the likes of Mark Mulley, Matt Mulley, Peter Hayden and Terry Dowsett regularly expect them to surge up the table.
Danbury G lead the way in division two after drawing 5-5 with OCA B. Gareth Joice was the star of the show here and he produced a superb performance to beat all three Danbury players. He beat Eamon Hall in his opening game (13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5) and then most impressively Sanjay Saptarshi (15-13, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9) and finally David Gatheral (4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8) for an excellent hat-trick of wins. Writtle C did well to beat Danbury D 7-3. Gary Ward (23 wins out of 24) is flying this Season and he produced yet another top draw performance. Wins over Gus Heath (11-5, 11-9, 11-8), Chris Buer (11-6, 11-7, 11-9) and Steve Buer (11-9, 11-4, 11-6) tell their own story. Writtle B also did well to beat the higher placed OCA B 7-3. Trevor Collin took centre stage this time. He downed the challenges of Trevor Carter (11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-6), Richard Baxter (13-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8) and Kevin Worthington (11-8, 11-7, 11-8). Well played again. Writtle B were also involved in a 5-5 draw with Hatfield Peverel A. No one player stayed undefeated and Writtle’s Trevor Collin and Rod Maclennan and Hatfield Peverel’s Martin Archie and Gareth Davies all won twice. Rod Maclennan’s fine win over Martin Archie (11-9, 11-7, 11-5) stood out on this occasion. In another match where no single player stayed undefeated Danbury E beat OCA C 6-4. OCA’s Mick Richardson and David Porter and Danbury’s Dick Wyman and Tony Forster all bagged two wins. Tony Forster had given Danbury a winning start by getting the better of Mick Richardson 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8.
Galleywood B are back on track to win division three. They powered their way past Chelmsford E 9-1. Gary Copsey and John Holland were both undefeated. Maldon A are second, and they beat Hatfield Peverel B 7-3. Hamish Innes won his three singles at a canter. Danbury H did well to beat the higher placed Chelmsford F 6-4 . Dave Powell led the way with three wins whilst Dave Hancox beat Luke Richardson 12-14, 3-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9 in the closest game of the night.
Danbury L have moved into pole position in division four but they won’t gain too much satisfaction from their 9-1 win over Chelmsford G who only had one player. Vasile Barbulet certainly made his mark with his fine 11-9, 11-1, 11-6 win over Mervyn Perriman. Teamwork won the day as OCA E beat Highwood A 6-4. Farooq Ahmed, David Newman and Russ Hall came out on top although Melanie Bonnett remained undefeated. She beat David Newman 3-11, 16-14, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10 and in an even closer finish she saw off Farooq Ahmed 5-11, 13-11, 11-8, 5-11, 18-16. That’s getting your money’s worth. Neil Thompson was undefeated as Writtle E beat Galleywood C 7-3. Thompson completed his trio of wins with a 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 5-11, 11-7 victory over Colin Blore.
OCA F climbed into second place in division five with their superb 9-1 win over Hatfield Peverel E. David Bishop, Bob Francis and Stuart Wintle won all nine singles. Curiously the doubles went astray and Gary Simmonds and Deb Ginn came out on top 10-12, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6 against David Bishop and Bob Francis. Danbury M also won 9-1. Paul Thirkettle, Ken Wilding and David Smith beat Chelmsford J. Paul Thirkettle fought back strongly from 2-1 down to get the better of Paul Bullock 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-3, 11-2. Danbury N complete this week’s results with their 7-3 win over Hatfield Peverel A. Graham Naggs led the way with three wins whilst Steve Martin came out on top in the night’s closest game with a 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 6-11, 14-12 win against Kath Little.
Steve Kerns / Press Officer / Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
The young Chelmsford B side – 6-4 losers to Galleywood A the week before, redeemed themselves in division one of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League by beating Danbury A 6-4. Saul Chivers, Harry Buckle and Charlie Craig all won twice although they all missed out against an inform Bruce Kettle. In a high class match the Chelmsford side acquitted themselves superbly. Charlie Craig defeated Dave Richardson 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 and Saul Chivers sealed the win for his team with a 11-9, 3-11, 11-7, 5-11, 13-11 victory over Richardson. Chelmsford B enter the Christmas break in second place. Danbury A fared better against Danbury B and won 7-3. Dave Richardson led the way and his trio of wins included a fine 8-11, 11-9, 11-13, 11-5, 12-10 victory over Sam Lowman and a 11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9 success against Dan Anderson.
The points were shared in division two, where Danbury D drew 5-5 with Danbury E. Chris Buer was unbeaten and he sealed the draw for his side with a 7-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-13, 11-8 victory against Neil Want. Steve Buer won an even closer encounter. He beat Dick Wyman 11-8, 18-20, 13-11, 4-11, 11-8. Quite a battle.
The division three match between Danbury K and Writtle D also finished tied at 5-5. Writtle D led 5-3 but Danbury K finished the stronger. Alan Dadswell beat Colin Barham 11-4, 11-1, 12-10 and Nick Reece-Ford completed his hat-trick by beating Dave Carter 13-11, 11-3, 11-6 to earn Danbury K a share of the points.
Maldon B did well to beat the higher placed Writtle E 6-4 in division four. Shirley Carrol excelled. She beat Neil Thompson (7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8), Ian Hockley (11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10) and Malcolm Storey (6-11, 17-15, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9).
Division five leaders Buttsbury missed out 7-3 against OCA F. Frances Hutt was undefeated but Harry Hutt and Oscar Hutt were unable to add to the title. David Bishop, Stuart Wintle and Suzanne Shaw all won twice for the old Chelmsfordians team.
The Chelmsford Junior Leagues aren’t quite finished yet and the teams have up to 14 January 2022 to complete their fixtures. Division 1A is finalised and Buttsbury Bees, the Champions beat Chelmsford Pumas 5-0. Jacob Lawrence (86 %) and Jamie Elliott (92 %) were both undefeated. Chelmsford Tigers emerged as 3-2 winners against Buttsbury Bats. Singles were shared and Aarav Mehta and Soumil Jain (Tigers) and George Hagland and George Standish (Bats) all won once.
Buttsbury Badgers lead the way in division 1B but this week they lost 3-2 to second placed Writtle Rattlesnakes. Harry Hutt (79 %) was undefeated for the Badgers despatching Archie Pummell (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8) and Mimi Pummell (13-11, 11-7, 11-6). Buttsbury Badgers did better against Buttsbury Beavers and won 5-0. Harry Hutt and Joseph Hutt carried all before them. Chelmsford Jaguars did well to beat Chelmsford Beavers 3-2. Lotte Mills won twice, beating Joseph Hutt (11-5, 11-7, 11-5) and Oscar Hutt (13-11, 11-2, 11-7).
In division 1C – the Champions Chelmsford Antelopes scored their ninth win of the Season beating Buttsbury Bulldogs 5-0. Samaksh Sirohi (100 %) and Arnav Kumar (93 %) were both undefeated. Writtle Racoons won twice. Luv Goel picked up two wins in their 4-1 victory over Chelmsford Eagles. Atharv Gupta was on target for Chelmsford Eagles, beating Kush Goel (11-9, 11-7, 12-14, 11-4). Writtle Racoons also beat Chelmsford Falcons 4-1. Luv Goel again won twice, beating Kehsaw Barrie (11-3, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7) and Kologn Barrie (11-4, 11-3, 11-7).
The 2021/ 2 Chelmsford League Championships will be held over the weekend of Friday 28 to Sunday 30 January 2022 at St. John Payne’s Catholic School, Chelmsford, CM1 4BS. The closing date for entries is 02 January 2022 and the entry form can be found on the League’s Website.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all players
Steve Kerns / Press Officer / Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
There were two outstanding performances in division one of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League this week. They came from players with contrasting levels of experience. Keith Adams, a regular in the Essex Veterans teams won his three singles as Danbury C lost 4-6 to runaway leaders Chelmsford A. Adams powered his way past Gary Young (11-6, 11-6, 11-8), Daniel Young (11-7, 11-5, 12-10) and Kim Shead (11-2, 11-3, 10-12, 11-4). Sam Phillips added a notable win as well. He defeated Gary Young (11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9). Bottom team Galleywood A secured their first win of the Season, 6-4, against Chelmsford B. Six games were decided in the fifth end and these were shared 3-3. 17 year-old Saul Chivers took centre stage on his first division debut. He beat Gary Brignall (11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-8), Steve Kerns (9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8) and James Hicks (8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6). Well played !. James Hicks had given the Galleywood side an excellent start by beating Josh Bickles (11-8, 12-14, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10). Galleywood A also drew 5-5 with Danbury C. This time Sam Phillips scored a superb 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 win over Peter Radford in his first singles but he was well beaten 3-0 by both Gary Brignall and James Hicks. Peter Radford redeemed himself with a fine 11-9, 14-12, 11-8 victory against Trevor Lloyd. Chelmsford C did well to beat the higher placed Writtle A 6-4. Duncan Taylor (93 % / 14 wins out of 15) was unbeaten for Writtle whilst Robert Shrimpton and Simon Jarvis both won twice for Chelmsford C.
Danbury G are the new leaders in division two. They take over from Chelmsford D who they beat 7-3. Sanjay Saptarshi (88 %) gave his side a superb start with a 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8 win over Saul Chivers, who had played so well in the first division earlier in the week. Chelmsford D were on the back-foot and David Gatheral and Sanjay Saptarshi both recorded “maximums”. Gatheral defeated Vineeth Kamma (11-9, 11-8, 11-5), Saul Chivers (11-8, 11-5, 11-9) and Sudheep Kamma after a very hard fought encounter (11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 14-16, 11-8). An undefeated Eamon Hall took centre stage as Danbury G beat Danbury F 7-3 after no fewer than seven games had gone to a decider. Gordon Gatheral won twice for the losers and this included a very tight and against the form book win over his son – David (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8). OCA C jumped above OCA B after beating them 7-3. David Porter (with his first maximum of the Season) and Mick Richardson were both undefeated. Porter completed an excellent trio of wins with a 13-11, 6-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-9 victory over Trevor Carter having also defeated Gareth Joice (12-10, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9) and Charles Yeung (11-5, 11-8 13-11). Writtle C powered to a 9-1 win over Danbury F. Gary Ward (95 %) who has been outstanding this Season again won his three singles whilst John Webber banked three wins and John Parodi won twice. Ken Sheard was the sole Danbury F winner on this occasion.
Galleywood B have reclaimed pole position in division three. Maldon A were without their three leading players against Chelmsford E and well beaten 9-1. Rev Matthews (three wins), Adi Kamma (three wins) and Dave Parker (two wins) ran amok. When Adi Kamma beat Brian Riedling 11-7, 10-12, 14-12, 8-11, 14-12 in the third game Maldon might well have had some inkling that it wasn’t going to be their night. Galleywood B meanwhile beat Danbury H 9-1. Mark Glenister and John Holland were both unbeaten whilst Colin Blore chipped in with two wins. Maldon A returned to winning ways by beating Danbury H 8-2. Hamish Innes won his three singles and this included a 11-6, 11-9, 11-1 win over Dave Powell, the best of the Danbury players. Dawn Baldry rounded off a strong Maldon performance by beating Dave Hancox 5-11, 11-7, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8. Hatfield Peverel B scored their second win of the Season – a 6-4 success against OCA D. Paul Mulley and Roger Slade both picked up three singles wins. Paul Mulley beat Connor Payne (11-8, 7-11, 11-4, 12-14, 11-8) in the closest game of the evening. Danbury J also won 6-4. Dave Marsh led them to a victory against Chelmsford F. Marsh was on top form, powering his way past Andy Swales (11-9, 11-1, 11-5), Alex Tkachuk (11-3, 11-7, 11-5) and Luke Richards (11-5, 11-7, 11-8).
Leaders Chelmsford H made it eight wins out of eight in division four. The records of Harry Chivers (100 %) and Joachin Mapes (92 %) speak for themselves and they were both undefeated in their 7-3 win over Galleywood C. Annabel Sweeney was desperately unlucky not to register a win, losing 10-12, 7-11, 13-11, 11-9, 10-12 to Ron Salton and 5-11, 8-11, 13-11, 9-11, 10-12 to Will Goodchild. Danbury L are Chelmsford H’s only credible challengers and they overpowered Highwood B 10-0. Mervyn Perriman, Denis Balic and Denis Crapnel gave nothing away. Danbury L were equally dominant against Highwood A and they again won 10-0. Mervyn Perriman had to work hard against Melanie Bonnett but he came through in five ends (11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6). OCA E scored their fourth win of the Season, beating Highwood B 8-2. Farooq Ahmed won his three singles for Old Chelmsfordians and he completed his hat-trick with a 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7 win over Roger Patient who had won twice for Highwood.
Danbury N scored their first win of the season in division five with an excellent 8-2 victory against Maldon C. Ron Tam and Steve Martin were both undefeated. Further up the table Hatfield Peverel E also won 8-2. Bob Hillis and Deb Ginn both stayed unbeaten. Deb Ginn beat John Wickins 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 to secure her “full-house”. Hatfield Peverel C jumped above Hatfield Peverel D into second place, by beating them 7-3. Richard Drozd and Andy Simmonds both bagged hat-tricks. In a closely fought division Buttsbury and Hatfield Peverel C both have 50 points, followed by Hatfield Peverel D on 49 points and Hatfield Peverel E on 47 points. Everything to play for.
There was a first win for Chelmsford Tigers and a first defeat for the Champions Buttsbury Bees in division 1A of the Junior League. Cleon Fernandes was the “catalyst” on this occasion. He marked his debut for this team with two wins. He toppled Jacob Lawrence (9-11, 16-14, 12-10, 11-6) and Ben Brown (9-11, 11-13, 11-4, 12-10, 11-6). Two very hard fought wins. Buttsbury Bees returned to winning ways against Buttsbury Bats. Their leading player – Jacob Lawrence won twice as they ran out 3-2 winners. Lawrence beat George Standish (11-9, 11-8, 11-3) and George Hagland (11-4, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7). Chelmsford Panthers ran out 4-1 winners against Buttsbury Bats. Richard Carter won twice, although he had to pull out all the stops to get the better of George Hagland (11-9,7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9). Second placed Chelmsford Leopards concluded their programme by beating Chelmsford Panthers 4-1. Cleon and Dion Fernandes took all four singles but they missed out in the doubles against Felix Reeve and Arnav Kumar (11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 6-11).
Steve Kerns / Press Officer / Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
Father and son Gordon and David Gatherall in league action, Danbury G v Danbury F. (left)
Sanjay Saptarshi (Danbury G) against Saul Chivers (Chelmsford D)
