This week saw the opening round of the Team Handicap Cup in the Burnham & District Table Tennis League.  The Handicap Cup is played across the whole league using the old style first to 21 scoring system with players giving a handicap based on their playing level.  It’s supposed to provide a level playing field but like any subjective assessment the arguments on who got a generous or harsh handicap continue long into the night after the sport has finished. 

Cold Norton B are the absolute masters of this form of the sport having won a variety of tournaments across Essex last season, and they continued where they left off with a mainly comfortable 5-0 victory over Blackwater C from Division 3.  As an example of the handicap system in play Cold Norton’s Ian Wall (-18) had to start with a deficit of 24 points against Blackwater’s Chris Rolison (+6) but still managed to win 21-16, 21-19 – long games for sure!  The only real trouble for the holders was in match #4 when Jacqui  Treacy (+7) came out all guns ablazing against Dan Anderson (-12) and everything she hit went on to take leg 1 21-15.  Wily Anderson dug in deep and started to wear down the Treacy attack to take the final two legs 15,12 but he certainly knew he had been in a battle.   The biggest upset of the week was Division 2’s Blackwater B destroying one of the league’s top teams Cold Norton A in straight sets.  Poor Cold Norton didn’t even get to register a single leg won on a night to forget for the boys from Latchingdon.  Noah Sage (-1) was the star player for Blackwater with a singles victory over Neil Want (-11), plus two good doubles wins with partners Simon Quelch (-3), and Gary Smith (+1).  But what of the other top division sides – well Woodham C go through on a walkover, and Woodham B had to work hard to overcome the challenge of Cold Norton D.  Terry Hyland (-2) was on great form for the Cold Norton crew and this showed through in his opening match with Daniel Patynski (-12) as he gave away his 10 point lead in the opening 10 points of leg 1 before he got his eye in and started to compete with some ferocious forehand hitting.  Patynski eventually won the first leg 21-16, but then struggled to close the gap in the final 2 legs losing out 11,17 with Hyland a deserved winner.  That levelled up the match score at 1-1 but that was the end of the scoring for Cold Norton despite a couple of tough games for Woodham’s highest scoring player on the night Eamonn Hall (-5) who had to overcome the dogged Roy Gandy (+1), and then faced Hyland fresh from his impressive display earlier in the evening.  Hall eventually caught up the handicap at 20-20 but Hyland hit 2 great winners to take the opening leg.  Hall then got into his stride, restricting the Hyland forehand and hitting his own winners from either side of the table to take the final 2 legs 8,10.

The Woodham Club are looking good for this year’s Cup with all 4 of their teams progressing to the quarter-final stage.  Woodham D did well to come out on top against a generously handicapped St Lawrence trio.  Not surprising there were a lot of long games in this one as the Woodham trio had to play catch up in every match.  For Woodham the only unbeaten player was Peter Harverson (0), an improving player who is likely to have a negative handicap in future years.  He contributed to the opening doubles alongside Mal Henstock (-4) as they defeated Dave Bateman (+9) and Nigel Brand (+12) in 3 long sets – St Lawrence unlucky not to go through having taken leg 1 and getting to match point in leg 2 before losing out.  Harverson also won his singles against Brand but went all the way to 24-22 in the winning leg.  The closest contest of the whole week was betwixt Blackwater E of Division 3, and high flying Maldon B of Division 2.  Blackwater got off to a flyer taking the opening 2 matches, both in 3 sets, but this did not dampen the Maldon spirits as they fought back courtesy of Captain Steve Aspland (-9) with a straight sets triumph over Phil West (+7).  Having watched Aspland play his Captains role to perfection the Blackwater Supremo Kath Little (+9) took to the arena a little anxious but held on as she battled her way to a very tight victory over Kym Eames (+9) to put her team into a 3-1 lead.  Both sets going all the way to 23-21.  Maldon took the next doubles to close the gap before Little went back into battle, this time against Garry Eames (-1) and used her handicap points advantage to good use for a straight sets victory.  Staring down the jaws of defeat the Maldon team rallied and Aspland and Kym Eames took the next 2 matches to set up a winner takes all final doubles encounter.   Deb Ginn (+5) & the unbeaten Little for Blackwater versus Garry and Kym Eames for Maldon.  Each pair took a leg to extend the tension and the evening into a final leg decider.  Off we set and Little and Ginn quickly extended their 3 point handicap to open up the gap and this allowed the pair to relax and hit their shots more freely, going on to record a final and winning set margin of 21-13.  If only they had the strength left to celebrate!!

So on to the quarter-final stage – where we have 4 teams from Woodham, 3 from Blackwater and the lonely Cold Norton B.  With Cold Norton the heavily backed odds-on favourites, surely they have a chink somewhere in their considerable armour?

Pic 1 – Kath Little in dominant form for Blackwater E this week

Pic 2 – Terry Hyland (Cold Norton D) takes on Woodham’s Eamonn Hall in their handicap encounter this week.

Pic 3 – Terry Hyland (Cold Norton D) serves for the match against Dan Patynski (Woodham B)

Wakering recorded their first ever win in Southend League Division 1 this week. In part this was due to visiting Mapledene only being able to muster two player. Nonetheless, maximums from POM Callum Turner and Andy Deadman were the major factors. Charles Yeung and Lin Roff got one win apiece, but Wakering ended up  7 – 2 winners. Closest contest of the night saw Charles narrowly lose to Andy in the fifth set.

Basildon A’s Les Hoey and Arun Joy continued their unbeaten runs when their side went to Canvey A. Both returned maximums, with Les taking the POM prize. However, the home side’s Andy Murray did well to take Les to five sets before capitulating 11 – 6 in the fifth. In a similar manner, Canvey’s Bob Skews was also unfortunate to lose to Les 11 – 8 in the fifth. This was a top of the table clash. With Basildon winning 6 – 3 they are in second place, two points behind Canvey but, importantly, they have a game in hand over the Islanders.

Brand Identity B were another side unable to find a third player. Consequently, their 7 – 2 away defeat to Matchpoint A was no great surprise. Captain Harry Sawford and POM Alex Deacon both got hat tricks, whilst the away team’s Dale Gutteridge and Mick Grout shared their side’s points.

In terms of results it was the tightest week yet in Division 2 with every match finishing 5-4! It also saw two clubs record their first wins of the season and two octagenarians meet in the the clash of promotion rivals Hockley C and Matchpoint B.

First team to record a 5-4 win, and also their first of the season, was Hockley D on their visit to Stanford C. Hockley have been picking up points steadily this season but that elusive first win has now come and all down to teenagers Elliot Brackenbury and William Evesham. Brackenbury claimed his second hat trick of the season and this time a perfect one not dropping a set. Evesham provided the back up with a brace but the opposition proved a bit too strong for Graham Gregory.  Peter Moxham and Chris Crooks both claimed a point and Martin Winter two for Stanford. Closest match of the night was Evesham’s 12/10 in the fifth set win against the very experienced Crooks.

Matchpoint C were the other team to pick up their first win of the season when they beat Invicta B. In a match that swung back and forth Matchpoint were 4-3 down but wins for Roger Sherman and Oliver Milchard swung the match in their favour. Sherman and Milchard both won two matches but there was an important single point won by Zach Samuels who came from two sets down to beat Michael Keeble 11/6 in the fifth. Player of the match, however, was Invicta’s Sarah Ball who recorded her first hat trick of the season. Matchpoint stay bottom of the table despite their win.

At the other end of the table third placed Hockley C met second in the table Matchpoint B and a John Lott inspired team saw them race to a 5-2 lead before two late wins for Hockley restored respectability for the home side. Featured match of the night was the clash of octagenarians  Lott and Mike Worship. These two opponents have met many times over the years and games are normally evenly spread but this time it was Lott who emerged victorious in four sets. Lott was ably supported by Alex Bowden who won two but young Max Mayo missed out. Worship picked up two wins and there was a point each for Neal Klyman and Paul Strutt. Matchpoint are now level on points with Stanford B at the top of the table but have played one game more.

In the final game of the week Canvey B moved into second place by just edging out Runnymede 5-4. Terry Giddens was the POTM with a fine hat trick and there was a point each for Des Duffield and Tony Westwell. For Runnymede Andrew Humphris and Steve Wisbey both won two but Tina Hutchinson just missed out going to five sets against Westwell having led 2-0.

Player of the Week – Elliot Brackenbury

Team of the Week – Matchpoint C

The three Danbury teams in division one enjoyed an excellent week as the A team won 9-1 at Writtle, the B team won 10-0 at home to Galleywood A, and the C team posted the same result at home to Chelmsford B.

Division 1

There were three dominant victories for the Danbury teams in division one as Danbury A moved equal on points with leaders Chelmsford A thanks to a 9-1 win at Writtle A.  While it was Penrose’s third treble of the season, McLeod chipped in with a first and Cramphorn would have been pleased with the two victories given his slow start to the season in division two for Danbury E. Danbury C are in third position just a point off the top two following a 10-0 win over Chelmsford B – Danbury’s strength in depth again showing by the reappearance of John Poysden alongside Reece Seddon and Liam Squirrell – a fearsome threesome to face anyone in the county. Having previously slipped from third position to fifth, Danbury B moved up to fourth place with a 10-0 success over Galleywood A – Lowman, Anderson and Wall firing trebles together for the first time this season.

Standings div 1: 1:  Chelmsford A 35 points (from 5 matches), 2: Danbury A 35 points (5 matches), 3: Danbury C 34 points (5 matches).

Division 2

A 6-4 away win by Hatfield Peverel A at Old Chelmsfordians B was enough to move them to the top of division two, Martin Archie and Alastair Piper fired trebles in the same fixture for the first time this season.  Maldon A continue to maintain a challenge at the top following an 8-2 home win over Writtle C. Hamish Innes reminded us that Maldon’s success this season will not only depend on Lloyd Bennett-Smith and Derek Balding, by firing the only treble of the contest.  Gary Ward was once again the toughest nut to crack in the Writtle C lineup – he won two of his three matches. Writtle B were the biggest movers in the division this week despite being held to a 5-5 draw at home by Galleywood B.  Writtle’s Trevor Carter won two matches but was beaten in five by Mark Taylor who won all three of his.  Taylor had taken a 2-0 lead before the Carter fight back to square the match only for Taylor to take the decider 12-10. A second treble of the season for Ian Whiteside and doubles for Ken Sheard and Alan Scammell were enough for Danbury F to see off their clubmates Danbury E 7-3, Neil Want was the only player to see success for the E side – denied a treble by Whiteside in the fifth.

Standings div 2: 1: Hatfield Peverel A 37 points (6 matches), 2: Buttsbury A 36 points (from 5 matches), 3: Maldon A 32 points (5 matches).

Division 3

To date, no team has taken control of division three this season with the top seven teams separated by only five points at the end of week six.  Just one of those seven sides remain undefeated this season – Writtle D – who sit in fifth having played a fixture less than those around them.  Chelmsford D currently sit top of the division despite being held to a 5-5 draw with sixth placed Danbury G. Danbury’s Denis Balic was the only undefeated player though it was no easy night for him as both Adi Kamma and Mike Johnston took him to five games. Buttsbury B occupy second place following trebles from Harry Sawford and Wudong Liu in a 9-1 win at Chelmsford E. Things are not always as they seem in table tennis results and a look at the match detail suggests the scoreline may have been closer had the hosts been able to get their noses over the line in some, if not all, of the four five-game matches they found themselves on the losing end of. There was a fourth treble of the season for Gary Copsey in Galleywood C’s 5-5 home draw with Hatfield Peverel B. Peverel’s Neil Freeman had an unexpectedly quiet night with just one win though he was denied a second by win-machine Copsey who took their deciding game 15-13.  Gareth Davies looked good for Peverel with another two wins but went down 3-1 to Copsey in the evening’s opener. A third 5-5 draw this week in division three to report on is Chelmsford F’s home clash with Danbury J, there were no flawless performances though Danbury’s Terry Hyland took ‘player of the match’ honours for his two wins – it could have been better for Hyland had he not conceded a 2-1 lead against Dion Fernandes. A second treble of the season for Gus Heath boosted Danbury H to a 7-3 win over Writtle E. Heath was untouchable in winning his three matches – failing to drop a game.

Standings div 3: 1:  Chelmsford D 37 points (6 matches), 2: Buttsbury B 36 points (6 matches) 3: Galleywood C 35 points (from 6 matches),

Division 4

A second treble by Roger Patient in as many weeks wasn’t enough to see victory for his Highwood A side who fell to a 6-4 loss at the hands of Old Chelmsfordians D.  Russell Hall and David Newman both won two matches for the hosts but Patient dropped just one game in his encounters with the OCA duo.  David Bishop gave Patient his biggest test of the evening – only succumbing to the Highwood ace in the deciding game. Like Patient, Neil Wood fired a back-to-back hat-trick as Hatfield Peverel C edged out Galleywood D 6-4. Lewis Armstrong won two for Galleywood, his second a 3-2 win over Samuel White which saw a tense 21-19 fourth game go the way of White.  John Manning scored yet another double for Danbury L in their 6-4 away win at Chelmsford G. Chelmsford’s Atharv Gupta won twice for Chelmsford and handed Manning his only loss of the night in the evening’s opener.

Standings div 4: 1:  Hutton A 36 points (from 5 matches), 2: Maldon B 35 points (5 matches), 3: Danbury L 31 points (6 matches).

Division 5

Having had to wait 568 days for a win, Hatfield Peverel F secured their second successive victory via a 6-4 scoreline at Anglia Ruskin. There was no hat-trick hero David Benstead in the line-up this week, perhaps still basking in last week’s glory, but Peter Hughes, Barbara Kirby and Alastair Brown all won two apiece to keep the party going for at least another week. Douglas Bawuah won all three of his matches for hosts ARU. Joshua Freeman won both of his matches as leaders Buttsbury E beat the two-person team of OCA E 7-3 at home. OCA E’s ‘Forfeit’ lost all three of their matches for the fourth fixture in row…!  Hutton B are hot on the heels of Buttsbury with the luxury of a game in hand following their 10-0 demolition of Galleywood E.  Lee Vallis, Charlie Gould and Peter Moxham did the damage – Vallis without dropping a game. Maldon C are third in the table following a 7-3 home win over Hatfield Peverel E, James Raymond fired treble number three for the season as Shirley Carroll and Brian Dixon chipped in with wins. Andy Simmons was back in action for Hatfield Peverel D as his treble contributed to his side’s 6-4 home win over Chelmsford H.  Writtle F beat Highwood B 7-3 thanks to a third Michael Anthony hat-trick of the season and two wins apiece for Paul Aarons and Ron Tam.  Tam hit a double for the fourth successive match.

Standings div 5: 1:  Buttsbury E 48 points (from 6 matches), 2: Hutton B 40 points (5 matches). 3: Maldon C 37 points (6 matches),

Chelmsford Junior League division 1A

Two wins apiece for Noah Middleton and Jago Ware were enough for the Hutton Hawks to re-take top spot from the Buttsbury Bees in a 5-0 victory over the Hutton Harriers.  Middleton moves to three victories from six this season while Ware has won four from six.

Standings div 1A: 1: Hutton Hawks 21 points (from 6 matches), 2: Buttsbury Bees 18 points (5 matches), 2: 3: Chelmsford Lions 13 points (5 matches).

Chelmsford Junior League division 1B

There were another two victories for Theo Rugg though his Hutton Hammers lost out 3-2 at home to the Buttsbury Bears.  The contest came down to the all-important doubles matchup with Rugg and Leon Smith getting back on level terms against Zac Berry and Ethan Ferris having found themselves 2-0 down, only for Berry and Ferris to take the decider.

Standings div 1B: 1:  Hutton Hyenas 19 points (6 matches), 2: Chelmsford Leopards 16 points (from 5 matches), 3: Chelmsford Jaguars 13 points (5 matches).

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Jeremy Hill, Press Officer, Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League

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Availability problems have hit Rayne A’s chances of retaining their Braintree Table Tennis League title.

Having agreed a rearranged date to play Liberal B, they unexpectedly found themselves down to one player when one player had work commitments and another was ill.

With Lee McHugh currently in Asia, reserve strength was limited so club secretary Ian Whiteside was pressed into service but no third player could be found in time.

Paul Lucas was unbeaten and Whiteside did his bit by beating James Mullane as well as joining Lucas to win the doubles, but the five points dropped could prove to be costly.

Netts A took advantage to close the gap at the top with a 9-1 win over Rayne B where Victor Chan had a good win over James Hicks to put one on the board for Rayne.

Black Notley A are in third place despite a 9-1 defeat to their own B team, but it is Liberal C who have been the surprise package.

Bottom of the table last season, they currently sit in fourth place, only three points behind Notley A with a match in hand.

They made it two wins out of three with a 6-4 victory over Rayne C where David Razzell was unbeaten.

Sudbury Nomads picked up their first win of the season, 9-1 over Netts B, with Ken Lewis and Aron Jordan unbeaten.

In division two, the top two, Rayne D and Sudbury Wanderers had 10-0 wins over Notley E and Netts D respectively.

Rayne E in third place remain unbeaten and added an 8-2 win over their own F team to their record.

Lewis Armstrong-Kirton’s win over Richard Whiteside was probably the pick of the evening.

Notley F were also 8-2 winners.  An unbeaten Graham Chinnery the only one to get the better of Yeldham A’s Doug Sanders, which he managed at 11-9 in the fifth game.

In a battle of the C teams, Netts beat Notley 6-4. 

Charles Calisin, Clive Forster and Peter Lewis all won twice for Netts and Dave Parker twice for Notley.

Report by Ron Fosker

This week saw the leading two teams in Division One of the Clacton League in opposition, and it was reigning champions Nomads Panthers who came out on top with a 6-4 victory over Windsor Hawks.

James Denyer, making his first appearance of the season, remained unbeaten, with Gracie Edwards winning two and Denes Somodi one. For the Hawks, Gary Young won two and Andy Vincent one, with Young and Felipe Rodriguez taking the doubles 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 against Edwards and Somodi.

In retrospect, the crucial individual match of the encounter was Somodi v Rodriguez, the Panthers’ player edging it 11-8 in the fifth for a crucial winning point.

Elsewhere, Gary Cattermole and Phil Smith took trebles as Windsor Eagles defeated Walton A 8-2. John Hobson recorded an 11-8 in the decider win over Andy Foster and nearly picked up another point, Derek Willis winning their individual match 10-12, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 12-10. Dave Binns took the second Walton point.

Three from Kevin Gowlett, and two each from Russell Hillier and John Cleasby, were enough to give Brotherhood A a 7-3 victory over Brotherhood B. There was one each for the ‘B’ team’s Joe Plummer and Sam Plummer, the pair combining to take a close 11-9 in the fifth doubles against Gowlett and Hillier. 

It was good to see Paul Hewitt back in action but, alas for his Lawford team, Nomads Lions ended as 10-0 winners. Ethan Lloyd, Jason Lloyd and Charlie Fulcher all took trebles, with just two matches going the distance, Ethan Lloyd beating James Tindle 11-6 in the decider and Jason Lloyd beating Richard Spence 11-5 in the decider.

In Division Two, Windsor Buzzards and Brotherhood C both enjoyed 9-1 victories and remain joint-top of the table.

Windsor Buzzards defeated Windsor Penguins with trebles for Pete Bloomfield and Scott Campbell. Paul Woolnough took the Penguins’ point with a win over Andy Cawley, and took Bloomfield close before going down 11-7 in the fifth. Woolnough and Sharon Gowlett also ran the doubles close but the Buzzards’ pairing of Campbell and Cawley scraped home 11-8 in the fifth.

Brotherhood C also recorded a 9-1 win, this over Brotherhood G. Mark Boyland and Mark Beckham both remained unbeaten, with Paul Metcalf taking two but losing 12-10 in the decider to the ‘G’ team’s Danny Still in the closest contest of the evening.  

In a match where every player picked up a point but no-one stayed unbeaten, Nomads Tigers edged their tie 6-4 against Windsor Kestrels, winning all three matches that went to a decider. Dave Miller and Bob Jillins each won two for the Tigers, Miller losing to Debra Found and Jillins to Graham Bunce. Zein Shafat beat Found but went down to both Bunce and Peter Aumord. The two closest matches both finished 11-9 in the fifth, Miller beating Aumord and Jillins beating Found.

Windsor Harriers were 10-0 winners over Windsor Magpies. Magpies’ skipper John Plummer was his side’s only player to go to a fifth set, although Malcolm Caley had an interesting match against Isabel Barton, eventually going down 11-8, 21-19, 11-3.

A good all-round team performance saw Brotherhood D home 7-3 against Brotherhood E, Mark Salter winning three, Paul Alden two and Tricia Salter one. Kevin Pryor’s two for the losers included a 16-14 in the fifth victory over Alden.

It was a second win for the Brotherhood D team who earlier had beaten Brotherhood G 8-2, with a hat-trick for Mark Salter, and two each for Tricia Salter and reserve Joe Sherwin.

In Division Three, early leaders Brotherhood F had a predictable 10-0 win against Holland Lancasters, Tom Bryden, Joe Sherwin and Lucy Carvell unbeaten. All the matches bar one were settled in three-straight, that exception being Carvell’s close 11-6, 13-11, 10-12, 7-11, 14-12 victory over Dave Wright.

Three for Savindu De Silva, two for Harindu De Silva and a doubles success for the two brothers gave Brotherhood H a 6-4 victory over Walton D. Lynette Sparks with two, and Adrian Sexton and Deborah Pallett with one each, were the Walton point-scorers, Sexton edging out Owen Woollard 11-9 in the fifth in the closest match.

Dominic Joannou stayed undefeated for Nomads Leopards and shared a doubles win with Anne Bonny, but two each for John Smith-Daye, Ian Gwillim and Pam Cousins were enough for Holland Hurricanes to take the tie 6-4.

Finally, Nomads Bobcats proved too good for Holland Mosquitos, Sam Watling, Alex Baldock and Jack Riddleston unbeaten in the 10-0 victory.

* A reminder about the Windsor Club Quiz Evening on Saturday 16th November at the Brotherhood Hall. It’s 7.00 pm for a 7.30 pm start for teams of up to six, £5.00 per person, bring your own drinks and nibbles. For more details or to enter a team, contact Jenny Higgins on 07790 240566.

*  Older League members will be saddened to learn of the death of former player Dave Smith. Dave was a regular in the League during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, playing most of his table tennis for the Brotherhood Club.

He was a good standard Division Two player, although occasional diversions into Division Three led to his only trophy successes, winning the Division Three title with Brotherhood B in 1990/91 and finishing as runners-up with Brotherhood G in 1998/99.

Table tennis was something of a family affair for Dave, with both his dad, Gordon, and brother, Robert, also well-known League players. For a few seasons, including the 1998/99 season, Dave and Gordon played in the same team.

Dave was a lively and competitive player but, off the table, he was the most friendly and sociable person you could wish to meet, always willing to have a chat, and more often than not with a smile on his face.

We send our sincere condolences to Dave’s family, remembering a stalwart League player and a genuinely likeable man.

RESULTS

Division 1

Brotherhood A 7 Brotherhood B 3;

Windsor Eagles 8 Walton A 2;

Nomads Panthers 6 Windsor Hawks 4;

Lawford 0 Nomads Lions 10.

Division 2

Brotherhood D 7 Brotherhood E 3;

Windsor Kestrels 4 Nomads Tigers 6;

Windsor Magpies 0 Windsor Harriers 10;

Brotherhood G 2 Brotherhood D 8;

Windsor Penguins 1 Windsor Buzzards 9;

Brotherhood C 9 Brotherhood G 1.

Division 3

Nomads Bobcats 10 Holland Mosquitos 0;

Brotherhood H 6 Walton D 4;

Holland Hurricanes 6 Nomads Leopards 4;

Brotherhood F 10 Nomads Lancasters 0;

Report by Tony Oswick

With five rounds complete in the Burnham & District Table Tennis League season we have a real battle developing at the top of the Division 1 table.  The top 4 teams are now only separated by 5 points and of course they all have to face each other over the coming weeks.  “Gladiators are you ready?”

Mapledene A just about maintained their 100% win rate record with a very tight 6-4 victory over relegation challengers Woodham B.  Steve Muth was once again the man Mapledene turn to in a crisis, and he delivered his second hat-trick on the bounce that included a drama-filled 5 setter with Woodham’s top dog Sanjay Saptarshi.  Muth went on to win his other 2 singles battles, both in 4 sets against Harry Sawford and Eamonn Hall.  The final match of the night saw Muth claim the team victory parade in his win over Sawford, after Sawford and Saptarshi had cheekily won the doubles to put pressure on the Mapledene crew.  In a rare Burnham outing Peter Barrett won 2 singles to help the cause with some excellent looping and backhand punching.  Saptarshi was the best of the Woodham bunch with 2 wins and Sawford picked up a notable scalp with a 4 set win over George Reeves.  So the unbeaten run continues but at what cost to Mapledene – in recent weeks they have dropped significant points against two of the lower teams and this may come back to haunt them beyond this year’s Halloween celebrations.  Woodham A leapfrogged Mapledene A with a solid 8-2 victory over struggling Woodham C.  A last minute roster crisis saw League Chairman Alan Dadswell make his Div 1 debut for the season and he didn’t disappoint as he contributed to the A team haul with a win over David Penrose.  The rest of the A-Team’s points came from the trusted paddles of Harry Chivers and Daniel Piglet who went unbeaten throughout the duration.   John Poysden’s star continues to shine bright as he led his Fambridge trio to a close awayday 6-4 triumph at Cold Norton B.  Recent hat-trick merchant Sam Lowman was drafted in for this one to boost confidence and increase the points haul for Cold Norton – unfortunately he notched up a negative hat-trick and this only boosted the Fambridge team.  Poysden was in full talisman mode as he went unbeaten in singles all evening, but did lose out in a lengthy doubles 5-setter shift with partner Gary Young that went beyond deuce in the decider.  Young won 2 of his 3 singles and this was matched by Cold Norton’s best player Eric Green who recorded good wins over Bruce Kettle, and Young.  Green and Ian wall were the victorious doubles pairing for Cold Norton.  This tight win sees Fambridge back on top of the table as their odds continue to drop – they certainly have the squad to reclaim their title.

With runaway leaders Maldon A on a warm weather training week in Majorca it was time for the potential challengers to stand up and be counted.  Boy did they deliver!  All 3 of the most likely contenders posted comprehensive 8-2 home victories to at least put a draught into the sails of Maldon A.   Stow Maries A showed no mercy to stablemates Stow Maries B as both Ryan Pitt and Peter Chastin won all their singles.  Third wheel Ken Sheard chipped in with 2 wins, just losing out to the very tricky Peter Hance.  Hance and Dave Marsh surprisingly pipped the doubles for some extra consolation on a night of woe.   Mapledene C displayed the strength of their squad by fielding a trio rarely seen in the Burnham league – but welcome they are.  Well maybe Cold Norton D would disagree with that as they fell to an 8-2 defeat which stunts their recent progression.  For Cold Norton Neil Want was able to muster a couple of wins, but lost out to the Mapledene star player Dave Woolmer in a close 5-setter.  Woolmer posted his first hat-trick of the season, and was ably supported by Tony Ayliffe and Dennis Squirrell who each won their other 2 singles.  Surprisingly Woolmer was not selected for the doubles match but this didn’t turn out to be as costly as is oft the case as Ayliffe and Squirrell finished the task in another 5 setter.  Woodham D are the growing threat in Division 2 and despite giving away approximately 120 years of experience they were able to overcome the wisdom and guile of the Stow Maries C trio.  The final score was 8-2 to Woodham D but the scorecard shows the match to be a lot tighter, especially for the lovable Dave Goody who played the maximum 15 legs of singles matchplay only to come away empty-handed.  Goody sorted this travesty out in  the doubles as he and partner Jean Chasmer, destroyed the Woodham pairing in 3 very quick and straight sets – some small consolation for the Stow stalwart.  For Woodham both Scott Perry and Peter Harverson were on hat-trick podium duty, and not far behind was Jeremy Griffin with a brace of wins, just losing out in 5 to Pete Layzell despite going 2-0 up early doors.  The next league fixture will see Maldon A and Mapledene C lock horns – could be more of a spectacle than the actual Maldon fireworks display!   Last week we boosted the relative merits of Maldon B’s Colin Barrell and Garry Eames and right on cue the editor’s curse strikes as both players had disappointing results in their loss to the awkward Blackwater A trio.   It was a good teamwork evening for the Blackwater squad as they all contributed to the 6-4 win.  Denis Balic and Roger Slade both won twice including notable wins over Barrell.  Captain Alan Scammell took a point against Eames and joined up with Balic for a straight sets doubles win over the usually proficient Maldon B doubles duo.  So where did all the Maldon points come from – well he’s back ladies and gentleman – Steve Aspland back in the groove and posting only his second hat-trick of the season, perhaps he’s now fired up and ready to go!

There is no questioning the favourites for the Division 3 crown and if you need any extra proof then this week’s 10-0 whitewash victory for Maldon C will do the trick.  They have now played 4 matches, won them all, and only dropped 4 individual matches along the way.  Come on Division 3 someone stand up to these imposters!  This week’s unfortunate opponents were a highly talented Blackwater C trio that included the mercurial Colin Barham.  But no mercy was given as the Maldon C crew of Marty Englander, Brian Riedling and Chris Ravenhill had to jostle like shivering penguins as they all perched happily on the hat-trick podium together – with Ravenhill just taking the player of the match crown on a statistical countback.  Barham did his best to burst the Maldon bubble including taking Riedling to a fifth set having won the marathon fourth set 19-17 – but alas no cigar this time.  Maldon D kept up the semblance of a chase with a close 6-4 victory over Blackwater D but they will need bigger scorelines to trouble their C team.  The reliable James Raymond was again the most consistent player with a hat-trick of singles including a fifth set barnstorming comeback against Peter Davenport.  Raymond’s sidekick Arthur Shadforth added 2 further points with victories over Ron Tam and David Sage but he couldn’t outsmart the wily Davenport.  Not surprisingly Raymond and Shadforth paired up for a straightforward doubles victory that ensured the overall team win.  In the final match of the week Blackwater E adopted the Dusty Bin scoring method with a 3-2-1 set of singles wins for a hard earned 6-4 winning margin over Maldon E.  Blackwater’s Deb Ginn was the hat-trick star that included a deciding set triumph over Maldon’s top player John Leavett.  Leavett won his remaining singles and then combined with Kym Eames for a comfortable doubles bonus.  Blackwater matriarch Kath Little won out in the toughest match of the night as she eventually dispatched Eames 15-13 in a fifth set full of drama.  Little and Keith Thompson also beat Maldon’s Patrick Coyne but needed quite a few deuce legs to go their way. 

Pic 1 – Steve Muth in dominant form this week for the unbeaten Mapledene A

Pic 2 – George Reeves v Harry Sawford this week.

Pic 3 – Woodham D’s Peter Harverson racking up another hat-trick this week

Pic 4 – The lovable but unlucky Dave Goody from Stow C

Pic 5 – The Star team of Division 3 – Maldon C ( Brian Riedling, Marty Englander, and Chris Ravenhill)

Report by Eamonn Hall

Southend League Division 1

A welcome return to full strength for Wakering this week. Unfortunately, their visitors, Hadleigh Forum B, were just too strong for them, coming out 4 – 5 winners. The home side’s returning Callum Turner showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with at this level, winning the POM prize with a maximum. Hadleigh’s Paul Fawell and Dave Woolmer each won two and Jim Stait one. Paul England scored Wakering’s other success.

Despite Canvey A only being able to muster two players for their visit to Brand Identity B, they managed to come away with an impressive 6 – 3 win. Maximums from Ray Wilson and POM Andy Murray did the damage. This result has also hoisted their team to top of the table.

Another team pressing for the top spot are Rawreth Megazone C. Their visit to Hadleigh Forum C resulted in a 7 – 2 success. Paul Brown scored a POM maximum and Garry Hartgrove was unbeaten too. Veteran Trevor Ward got their other win. For the home side Mark Everard and Graham Farmer won one each.

Southend League Division 2

Stanford C finally broke their duck in Division 2 pulling off a first win of the season by beating Rawreth Megazone 6-3. The win also lifted them off the bottom of the table and they now sit above Runnymede and Matchpoint C. Vaughan Chambers, Peter Moxham and Martin Winter all won two games but none could get the better of Rawreth’s Richard Kidd who only conceded one set all night.

Also keeping themselves away from bottom place were Runnymede who got their second win of the season. They had to work hard however to edge out Invicta B 5-4. Tony Millward was the man who made the difference winning all his games without really being threatened, and he got the right support from Steve Wisbey who got a brace and won the decisive final match of the evening beating Mike Keeble in straight sets. Keeble, Steve Lennox and John Blackman all got the better of Heather Stiles and Lennox got the other point beating Wisbey.

At the other end of the table Stanford B marched on with a 9-0 thrashing of Matchpoint C. It was a straightforward win for the league leaders the only real opposition coming from young Ollie Milchard  who led Mark Downey two sets to nil before losing the last three 11/4 11/8 11/3. Rob Salvage and Russell Bright made up the winning team, Salvage recording the perfect hat trick.

Matchpoint B sit five points behind the leaders after beating Hockley D 7-2. John Lott and Alex Bowden both picked up hat tricks with Lotte Mills adding a single point. She conceded matches to Ben Cook and Elliot Brackenbury and Hockley remain winless after five games but stay in seventh place.

Team of the Week – Stanford C

Player of the Week – Robert Salvage

David Benstead fired a  hat-trick, his first since January 2023, as Hatfield Peverel F earned their first league win in 568 days.

Division 1

Josh Bickles won all three of his matches but ‘Chiversless’ Chelmsford A failed to win for the first time this season in division one as they were held to a 5-5 draw with Galleywood A.  The treble was Bickles’ third of the season while doubles from James Hicks and Peter Barrett halted Galleywood’s two-match losing run.  Danbury A consigned Chelmsford B to their fourth successive defeat of the season in a 9-1 away win which saw trebles from Eric Green and Bruce Kettle.  Danbury’s record moved to three wins from four matches this season though Waseem Qureshi prevented the 10-0 scoreline with a 3-1 win over Dave Richardson.   Trevor Lloyd, the only ever-present Danbury C player this season, fired a hat-trick as the C’s beat Danbury B 9-1.  Liam Squirrell also hit a treble, his second in two appearances, dropping just one game in the process.  Reece Seddon was involved in two match of the night contenders, the first a 3-2 victory over Sam Lowman: 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, with the second an equally as tight 9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 14-12, 11-9 against Dan Anderson.

Standings div 1: 1:  Chelmsford A 35 points (from 5 matches), 2: Danbury A 26 points (4 matches), 3: Writtle A 25 points (4 matches).

Division 2

The big match in division two this week was the meeting between second-placed Hatfield Peverel A and Chelmsford C who sat just one place behind them.  It was the team from Chelmsford who left with a 6-4 victory as Simon Jarvis produced his fourth treble in four matches this season though he had to recover from a 2-0 deficit in the evening’s opener against Julie Johnson.  Johnson went on to beat Dusan Doszkoty and Adi Kamma following Kamma’s 3-2 win over Gareth Davies. Peverel were once again without Alastair Piper who had won seven of his first nine singles matches this season. Buttsbury A extended their lead at the top with an 8-2 win at Old Chelmsfordians B, Rob Burton followed last week’s fine double with a treble and he was well backed up by two wins each for David Gatheral and Evie Knaapen. Mick Richardson was back to being the pick of OCA’s players with another two wins though he could only muster 10 points against the in-form Burton. Gary Ward was back in action for the first time since week two and he picked up where he left off with another hat-trick as Writtle C beat Writtle B 6-4. Dave Moles made his first appearance of the season for the B side and earned two wins – his second victory went to a deciding game and prevented John Webber from a treble of his own.  Fourth placed Maldon A look like they will be a handful for anyone this season, especially if they can field the tandem of Lloyd Bennett-Smith and Derek Balding who both won three each in a 6-4 away win at Danbury E.  Danbury’s Neil Want pushed both Bennett-Smith and Balding to fifth game deciders having earlier beaten Hamish Innes. Bennett-Smith also had five-gamers with Tim Cramphorn and Dick Wyman. There was another treble for Sanjay Saptarshi in Danbury D’s 7-3 win over Danbury F though Peter Chastin joined the ‘Saptarshi party’ with three wins of his own.

Standings div 2: 1:  Buttsbury A 36 points (from 5 matches), 2: Hatfield Peverel A 31 points (5 matches), 3: Chelmsford C 30 points (5 matches).

Division 3

Division three’s marquee matchup this week was the clash between leaders Chelmsford E and second-placed Writtle D which resulted in a change at the top as a Matthew Brown treble helped secure a 7-3 home win for Writtle. Brown dropped just one game as he took his record this season to 14 singles victories from 15 matches, teammate Malcolm Henstock played in three five-gamers but was denied his first treble of the season by Rev Matthews.  After two lean weeks by his standards, Mike Johnston was back in form as he registered a third hat-trick of the season in Chelmsford D’s 7-3 victory at Danbury J.  Johnson was well supported with two wins by Dusan Doszkoty as the Chelmsford D side moved up to second in the table. After hitting the headlines last week, Neil Freeman was in action again though he could ‘only’ muster two wins as his Hatfield Peverel B side drew 5-5 with Danbury H.  Freeman was all set for more headlines until Danbury’s Scott Perry eked out a win over five games.  With a fourth successive double this season it won’t be long until Perry fires a hat-trick. There was no Gary Copsey for Galleywood C this week but Bryn Thomas and Colin Blore were able to pick up the baton with three wins apiece in an 8-2 away victory against Chelmsford F.  Chelmsford remain bottom of the division while Galleywood move up to fourth with the experts wondering what kind of damage a Copsey/Thomas/Blore partnership might do when selected. A two week hiatus seems to have done OCA C’s Tom Barker the world of good as he bagged three victories in the 5-5 draw at Writtle E.  Writtle’s Malcolm Storey and OCA’s Luke Richardson had a right old ‘ding-dong’ which ended 3-1 to Richardson: 12-10, 13-11, 9-11, 14-12.  Danbury G continued their rollercoaster ride of a season to date with a 6-4 win at Buttsbury B, a result which meant the hosts tasted defeat for the first time this season. There were three wins for the third time in four matches this season for Harry Sawford though he had to dig deep when finding himself two down to Denis Crapnell.  Crapnell won two matches himself as did teammate Denis Balic. Regardless of the results, both teams are well placed to mount a title challenge – just five points from the top.

Standings div 3: 1: Writtle D 32 points (5 matches), 2: Chelmsford D 32 points (5 matches), 3: Chelmsford E 31 points (from 5 matches),

Division 4

Hutton A remain top despite failing to see victory for the first time this season as they were held to 5-5 draw by Buttsbury C in a match which saw Oscar Hutt fire a hat-trick. There was a first treble of the season for Dave Oxley-Goody in Danbury K’s 7-3 win at Chelmsford G. Atharv Gupta gave Oxley-Goody the biggest test of the evening in an encounter which went the distance, Richard Allen and Dave Powell won two apiece for Danbury while Chelmsford’s Mark Nolan also saw two victories. Neil Wood’s three wins in his first appearance of the season boosted Hatfield Peverel C to a 6-4 away win at Danbury M. Danbury’s David Smith fought back from 2-0 against Bob Hillis but lost in five to Wood. A treble for Roger Patient wasn’t enough for his Highwood A team as they lost 6-4 at home to a Buttsbury D side who are now unbeaten in four matches and sit in third position. Danbury L slipped from fourth position to sixth following a 6-4 home defeat against Galleywood D.  Lewis Armstrong and Nick Rounce won two games each for Galleywood as teammate Ron Salton played in the evening’s longest matches – winning 3-2 against Ken Wilding before losing by the same scoreline in his clash with John Manning.

Standings div 4: 1:  Hutton A 36 points (from 5 matches), 2: Maldon B 30 points (4 matches), 3: Buttsbury D 29 points (5 matches).

Division 5

Division five is shaping up to be one of the more interesting divisions in the C&DTTL with the three teams at the top all holding unbeaten records.  Buttsbury E lead the way with five wins from five followed by Hutton B with four wins from four and Writtle F holding an unbeaten record of three wins and a draw. Buttsbury E cruised to a 10-0 victory at Hatfield Peverel E, more trebles for Joshua Freeman and Torsten Greenan and a first for Lyndon Bubb.  OCA E fielded two players for the third time this season but unlike previous weeks they fell to a 6-4 defeat at the hands of Hutton B. ‘Steady’ Stuart Wintle won two of his matches for the fourth successive time this season, while Suzanne Shaw also won twice.  The closest match of the night was Wintle’s 3-2 win over Lee Vallis. There was a first hat-trick of the season for Richard Drozd in Hatfield Peverels D’s 8-2 win over ARU.  Teammates Andy Whiley and Barbara Kirkby won two apiece, both falling to ARU’s Douglas Bawuah.  And lastly, the good news story of the week – 568 days had passed since Hatfield Peverel F’s last win but that all ended on Wednesday night in the Galleywood Scout Hut as David Benstead, Alastair Brown and Peter Hughes all contributed to a famous Peverel success. A doubles win for Peverel’s Brown and Benstead in the seventh contest of the night put the visitors ahead in the fixture for the very first time, with that result followed by teammate Hughes holding his nerve to see off a Tomas Ratinas recovery from 2-0 down.  Doug Blaber then beat Brown and when Galleywood’s Steve Peacock looked like he would prevent a Hatfield win when going 2-1 up, an inspired Benstead with the whole of Hatfield Peverel behind him dug deep to take a 3-2 win. 

Standings div 5: 1:  Buttsbury E 41 points (from 5 matches), 2: Hutton B 30 points (4 matches). 3: Writtle F 26 points (4 matches),

Chelmsford Junior League division 1A

The Buttsbury Bees took top spot in division 1A from opponents Hutton Hawks with a 4-1 away victory in a match which saw Joshua Freeman win both of his matches 3-0.  The Chelmsford Lions moved into third place with a 5-0 win at Hutton Harriers, Ben Robinson and Amir Chetitah winning twice apiece.  William Guilloux was the lone representative for the Chelmsford Tigers in a 3-2 loss at the Buttsbury Bats though Guilloux won both of his matches. 

Standings div 1A: 1: Buttsbury Bees 18 points (5 matches), 2: Hutton Hawks 16 points (from 5 matches), 3: Chelmsford Lions 13 points (5 matches).

Chelmsford Junior League division 1B

The Chelmsford Leopards remain top of junior division 1B following a 3-2 win over Chelmsford Jaguars however it may have been a different story had the Jaguars been able to field two players. Sean Kwan performed admirably as he took on both Leopards single-handedly and beat both Sai Suresh and Atharv Srivastava with a 3-2 scoreline. The Hutton Hyenas took advantage of the first and second placed teams going into week five playing each other by moving into second place with a 4-1 win over the Hutton Hammers.  Theo Rugg won twice for the Hyenas with both victories by a 3-0 scoreline, while teammate Henry Willingdale earned his first victory in the CJL.

Standings div 1B: 1:  Chelmsford Leopards 16 points (from 5 matches), 2: Hutton Hyenas 14 points (5 matches), 3: Chelmsford Jaguars 13 points (4 matches)

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Jeremy Hill, Press Officer, Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League

___________________________

After just a few early rounds of the Burnham & District Table Tennis League season we now have 3 clear favourites for the divisional titles.   All 3 leading teams are the only 100% win rate teams left in their respective divisions, and all have come out of the blocks like a ping pong bat wielding Usain Bolt. 

Cold Norton A remain at the top of Division 1 but fell foul to the paddles of new favourites Mapledene A this week.  Mapledene A had Steve Muth and new signing Jordan Allen to thank for their close, but important, 6-4 victory over their championship rivals.  Muth won all 3 of his singles, all in tight 4 and 5 setters, and Allen had debut victories over Charles Sweeny and Neil Want but lost out to the rejuvenated Steve Maltby in a tense 5 setter having been 2 sets up.  Muth and Allen then combined for the key doubles point to secure the overall win.  Maltby was the best of the Cold Norton trio with an extra win over Babul McLeod, again coming from behind to win out 12-10 in the decider.  That leaves Mapledene A the only unbeaten team in the top division and now the bookies favourite for the crown.  Fambridge kept up their challenge with a comprehensive 9-1 triumph over 2-player Mapledene B.  Hat-tricks for stalwarts Mark Stones and John Poysden, with the sole Mapledene point coming from Colin Chatfield’s inspired 5 set turnover of Bruce Kettle.  Champions Woodham A edged past this year’s surprise package of Cold Norton C.  Woodham’s Chris Penrose was back to his best with an impeccable hat-trick, and he combined with his Captain Dan Piglet for a straight sets doubles point.  4 matches, 12 legs, job done!  Just as well as the Hot Norton pair of Arron Chandler and Kim Shead were in the finest of fettles as both players skirted past Woodham’s Piglet and Tony Bonnici in quick fashion for their team’s points haul in the 6-4 overall loss.  Hot Norton C seem destined to completely avoid another flirtation with the relegation zonoids this season thanks largely to the inclusion of Sam Lowman and the recent excellent form of Mr Chandler.

Division 2 leaders Maldon A came up against their toughest challenge of the season so far when they faced Woodham D this week, but took it all in their stride and posted a 7-3 winning margin with Lloyd Bennett-Smith the slayer in charge with a perfect unbeaten evening.  Bennett-Smith was ably wing-manned by Colin Napper who won 2 singles and the pair partnered up for the extra doubles bonus.  For Woodham, their young star Peter Harverson did the most damage with a straight sets victory over the very tricky Brian Riedling, and then a revengeful 4 set triumph over the very choppy Napper – an excellent scalp for the emerging Woodham player.  This victory leaves Maldon 4 for 4, and sitting very comfortable, if not that pretty, at the top of leader board.  It will be very difficult to hinder this runaway train.  Despite a sticky start to the season the Maldon B trio are now beginning to fire on all cylinders and the impressive form of Garry Eames is now helping to convert draws and close wins into healthy margin victories that sees Maldon B roaring into the runner-up spot just behind their Galacticos clad A side.  This week Maldon B secured an 8-2 victory over Blackwater B with Colin Barrell recording his first positive hat-trick of the season – fresh on the heels of his negative hat-trick the previous week – someone has been chomping on their Weetabix this week (other cereals are available)!  Barrell’s team-mates Steve Aspland and Garry Eames both added 2 wins to boost the tally and of course Aspland and Barrell nicked the doubles as they always do.  Big shout out to Blackwater’s Gary Smith who took his best scalp of the season in his 4 sets conquest over Aspland.  The tricky Blackwater A side recorded their first win of the season with a 6-4 margin over Stow Maries A.  In a team dominated by defenders and pimpled paddles the contrast of Neil Freeman’s loopy attacking play can often confuddle Blackwater’s opponents.  This week was a prime example as Freeman unleashed his assets to great avail with a stunning first hat-trick of the season.  Denis Balic more than played his part in the victory with 2 singles wins including a very high ranking points victory over Richard Storey.  For Stow Maries it was Peter Chastin who kept the score in check with victories over Balic and Alan Scammell, plus the doubles win when partnering Storey.

Division 3 is mirroring the division above with its own Maldon-off at the top of the table as the Maldon C and D teams battle for supremacy.  Maldon D remain top courtesy of having played an extra game whilst Maldon C retain their 100% win rate and look certain to make the running.   Maldon D posted a comfortable 8-2 winning margin over Blackwater F with Arthur Shadforth back to his hat-trick ways.  Ross Wheeler and Matthew Copsey both added a brace of points with Blackwater’s David McHattie beating Wheeler and Oscar Wyman inflicting Copsey’s only loss of the evening.  Maldon C went one better with a 9-1 scoreline over Blackwater E.  Impressive and hard-fought hat-tricks for both Ella Sach and Shirley Carroll with Blackwater’s sole point coming courtesy of Keith Thompson’s victory over Chris Ravenhill.  In the final match of the week Woodham E opened their winning account for the season with a 6-4 victory over Blackwater D.  All of Woodham’s points came from the returning Allan Steel and the sartorial elegance of Chris Crooks.  Steel looks a class above the rest of the field in this division and has been quickly installed as the favourite for the Roy Davis MVP Trophy.  This week he was largely untroubled in his singles hat-trick that included a straight sets victory over the current holder of the Roy Davis Trophy Peter Davenport.  Crooks was unable to repeat this feat and lost out to Davenport in 5 sets but won his other matches and combined with the Man of Steel for the crucial doubles point.  With Steel and Crooks in their ranks you would expect Woodham to trouble some of the top sides over the course of the campaign.

Pic 1 – Arron Chandler (Cold Norton C) versus Chris Penrose (Woodham A) this week

Pic 2 – John Poysden with another hat-trick for Fambridge this week.

Pic 3 – Lloyd Bennet-Smith leading the charge for his Maldon A side

Pic 4 – Shirley Carroll (Maldon C) in her victory over Keith Thompson (Blackwater E)

Pic 4 – Woodham’s very own Superman – Allan Steel in action this week

Report by Eamonn Hall

It is a measure of how evenly balanced division two of the Braintree Table Tennis League is that the top eight teams are covered by just nine points.

Week three results were a good illustration: three draws and a 7-3, with Rayne D’s 9-1 win over Netts D the only outlier.

While last week’s leaders Sudbury Wanderers were without a match, that win took Rayne D to the top of the table but Rayne E, who were level on points, slipped back after being held to a draw by Yeldham Whitlocks A.

Matthew Brown took his expected three singles for Rayne E but two each from Roy Hooper and Doug Sanders, plus the doubles, enabled Yeldham to share the points.

Netts C and Black Notley’s E and F teams are two points behind after Netts drew with Rayne F and E beat F in the Notley battle.

Kierlan Richards was unbeaten for Netts C and Jamie Brooks for Notley E.

The other draw was between Notley’s D and C teams, where Rev Matthews was unbeaten and Gordon Fairchild made a welcome return to action.

In division one, last year’s top two, Rayne A and Netts A, both won 9-1.

Rayne beat Notley B, where Steve Noble had an excellent win over Adam Buxton, while Netts beat Liberal B, Robin Armstrong’s win over Andy Holmes the one that got away.

Scott Dowsett won his three singles in Liberal A’s draw at Rayne C while Chris Parr was unbeaten in Notley A’s 7-3 win over Netts B where Jamie Brooks, playing up from division two, had a good win over Joe Meleschko, avenging his defeat at 12-10 in the fifth at the end of last season.

Finchingfield A continued their impressive run at the top of division three, although their 10-0 win over a two-person Netts F was not as straightforward as it looks.

JJ Calisin pushed John Barrett to five games as did he and James Howard against Barrett and Peter Clark in the doubles.

Finchingfield’s B team notched up their first win of the season, 8-2 over Netts E, with John Dennison and Stewart Grant unbeaten.

Yeldham B made it two wins out of two with a 6-4 victory over Rayne G where Steve Willis’s three singles and a doubles held them together, while Jacqueline Smith was unbeaten in Notley G’s 7-3 win over Rayne H.

Report by Ron Fosker