It’s been over a month since the last report but the Central Essex Summer Table Tennis League has been concluded. Matches were delayed due to people being advised not to travel on those days when temperatures broke UK records.
The refreshingly youthful Chelmsford X are the first division Champions and their 5-0 win over second placed Chelmsford A gave them a substantial winning margin of seven points. Harry Buckle and Saul Chivers were both undefeated with Saul Chivers’ 13-11, 3-11, 16-14, 11-4 victory over Wilson Tram catching the eye. Harry Chivers was also an integral part of this team and he was undefeated in his eight singles. Hockley A (Duncan Taylor and Ian Wall) completed their programme with a 5-0 win against OCA A. Ian Wall saw off Paul Lucas 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9 in the game of the night. Lucas was in turn well beaten by ace defender Duncan Taylor on this occasion; 11-7, 11-5, 11-4. Represented by brothers Mark and Matthew Mulley OCA A in turn ran out 5-0 winners against Chelmsford B.
Danbury B are division two Champions and they captured the title in style by beating second placed Galleywood A 5-0. Sanjay Saptarshi and Dan Piggott were both undefeated. Sanjay Saptarshi (12 wins out of 12) held this side together and here he beat Bryn Thomas (11-6, 8-11, 13-11, 11-0) and James Hicks (11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9). Neil Freeman impressed for Ramsden A who beat Danbury E 3-2. He beat both Gus Heath (6-11, 11-7, 8-11, 15-13, 11-8) and John Tendler (9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5) – two very hard fought wins. Danbury D completed their fixtures with a 3-2 win over Cold Norton. Chris Buer led the way with wins over Dick Wyman (11-6, 11-9, 11-9) and Neil Want (11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-5).
Division three has been quite low scoring and Hockley B have taken the title with 18 points from six matches. They finished one point ahead of Chelmsford D who they lost to 2-3 in their last match. Nikita Tkachuk (nine wins out of 10) was unbeaten for Chelmsford and he saw off Dan Patynski (11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10) and Stuart Adshead (11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7). OCA C finished just one point back in third place. They finished the Season strongly by beating Danbury G 4-1. Richard Baxter came through a widely fluctuating five ender against Dave Marsh (6-11, 12-10, 11-3, 5-11, 12-10). Ramsden B ran out narrow 3-2 winners against Chelmsford F. John Gagg won twice for Ramsden B whilst newcomer Aidan Lees pipped John Parodi 13-11, 11-6, 9-11, 5-11, 12-10 in the closest game of the evening.
Blackwater A (Alan Scammell – 88 %, Denis Balic – 75 % and Roger Slade – 50 %) top the division four table with 22 points out of 30. Chelmsford E finished second with 18 points and they beat Danbury H 4-1. Rev Matthews (88 %) showed up well with wins over Alan Dadswell (8-11, 11-6, 11-5. 11-4) and Denis Crapnell (6-11, 14-12, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9). Buttsbury A ran out 5-0 winners against Ramsden C. Caroline Cole had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Kevin Smart (9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10). OCA E completed their Season in style by beating the higher placed Buttsbury A 4-1. David Porter dominated proceedings. OCA D came out on top 3-2 in the inter club battle against OCA E. Farooq Ahmed was undefeated for the E side and he beat Tom Barker (11-1, 10-12, 12-10, 11-7) and Mick Hayes (11-7, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8).
Buttsbury B (21 points) are the division five champions and they finished one point ahead of OCA F. When the two teams met it was OCA F who came out on top 3-2. Jamie Elliott was undefeated for Buttsbury and he retained his 100 % record with a last gasp 10-12, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 12-10 win over Farooq Ahmed. Buttsbury B also beat Danbury K 3-2. Roy Gandy was on target for Danbury with a 11-9, 17-15, 11-8 win over Ben Brown. OCA F finished their Season with a 3-2 win over Chelmsford Leopards. Mick Hayes fought back from 2-0 down to defeat Jishant Shah 4-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8. Chelmsford Leopards also lost 3-2 to Danbury K. Martin Knights defeated Felix Reeve 12-10, 10-12, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 in the closest game of the evening. Galleywood B scored their third win of the Season by beating Blackwater B 4-1. Kath Little was on target for Blackwater B with another really hard fought win. She beat Will Goodchild 12-14, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10.
Chelmsford G (Alesha Ellis-Austin – 88 %, Emilie Guiloux – 38 %, Ben Chivers – 100 % and Todd Martin – 100 %) duly claimed the division six title with 27 points out of 35, although they missed out 3-2 to Writtle. They lost three five enders on this occasion. Emilie Guilloux lost out to Paul Aarons over five fluctuating ends (6-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-6, 8-11). Buttsbury C (Lucy Elliott and Callum Walker) finished strongly to beat Chelmsford Lions 5-0 and Danbury L (Ron Tam and Nigel Barrick) ran out 5-0 winners against Chelmsford Tigers. Danbury L who finished with a flourish also beat Chelmsford Lions 4-1. Felix Reeve gave the Lions a great start by beating Ron Tam 13-15, 11-3, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8 in a well contested opening singles. Blackwater C were 4-1 winners over Writtle. Colin Griffiths gave Writtle a winning start on this occasion by getting the better of Dave Benstead 5-11, 11-8, 11-2, 8-11, 11-7.
Steve Kerns Press Officer Central Essex Summer Table Tennis League
On Saturday 3 September, Chelmsford is holding its first official computer ranked 1* junior and cadet tournament. It is at a great venue at Mildmay Sports Hall at Anglia Ruskin University with 8 good tables and large 5m by 10m courts. There is free parking, changing rooms with showers and lockers and we will have some refreshments for the players and parents. Spectators are welcome!
The great thing about computer ranked tournaments is that players earn national ranking points and will be included in the England & Wales national rankings list each month so they can see where they fit in the national context and try to get a higher ranking than their friends. Another great thing about 1* tournaments is that players get to play new people from different places and that can help them develop as players. The Chelmsford 1* aims to be generous – there will be prizes for the best junior, best cadet best female junior, best female cadet, best U13, best U11 as well as some consolation prizes for others that do well. If we get a full entry of 48 players, the total prize fund will be £300. Above all, our tournaments should be fun events for players to compete with friends and make new friends.
The entry form is online and there are lots more details about the tournament on it. It is £20 to enter, and the day will start around 9:30 am and finish in the late afternoon, probably around 4:30pm to 5:30pm – the closing date for entries is Monday 29 August after which the draw will be made – entries after this date are possible but there is a surcharge and no guarantee of entry.
Date: Saturday 3rd September 2022
Times: 9:30am to 5:30pm Venue: Mildmay Hall, Anglia Ruskin University, Alan Cherry Drive, CM1 1QT Closing Date: Monday, 29 August 2022
Players will need to have Table Tennis England ‘Compete’ membership which they will also need to play local league and other competitions. Please ensure it is up to date by visiting TTE Compete Membership
A very strong Hockley A side produced the most eye catching result in the top division of the Central Essex Summer League this week with a 4-1 win over Danbury A. It was Danbury A who drew the first blood with Eric Green beating Duncan Taylor 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9. What a good start. However, it was Hockley who had the ace in the pack – Andy Cunningham – former Kent Men Singles Champion and new to the Southend area. He defeated Keith Adams 4-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 and Eric Green 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10. One suspects he will make quite an impact on local Table Tennis. OCA A were bolstered with the appearance of Paul Lucas against Chelmsford C. Lucas’ 3-0 wins over Victor Chan and Paul Nicol gave them the edge and they won 3-2. OCA A also beat Chelmsford C 4-1 after a fiercely fought match where all four singles were decided in the fifth end. Joshua Bickles excelled to beat Mark Mulley 6-11, 2-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 whilst Paul Lucas had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Saul Chivers (5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6) and Joshua Bickles (11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9). Simon Jarvis won twice to give Chelmsford B the ascendancy against Chelmsford A with wins against James Donald (11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7) and Wilson Tram (11-7, 13-11, 11-5). The table isn’t conclusive at this stage and although Chelmsford C are top with 13 points they have played five matches and all other teams have game(s) in hand.
Danbury B lead the way in division two and Sanjay Saptarshi (eight wins out of eight) was undefeated as they beat Danbury C 3-2. Galleywood A have moved into second position and they beat Danbury D 4-1. John Holland and James Hicks won all four singles and they both did well to beat Chris Buer. Hicks beat Chris Buer narrowly 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8 whilst Holland triumphed in five ends (11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8). Danbury F ran out 4-1 winners against Cold Norton. Ken Sheard and Tony Forster won all four singles with Forster pipping Tim Cramphorn 11-6, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 13-11.
Division three leaders Danbury G lost 4-1 to Hockley B and Hockley only trail them by one point and they have a game in hand to boot. Dan Patynski gave them a lift with wins against David Marsh (11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2) and David Meah (8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7). Ramsden B edged a close match 3-2 against OCA B, although Michael Richardson won his two singles for the Old Chelmsfordians side. John Gagg beat Luke Richardson in five ends (4-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7). OCA C also came out on top 3-2, edging out Chelmsford E. Richard Baxter had to dig deep to beat Joachim Mapes 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 12-14, 11-8.
Blackwater A made it four wins out of four in division four by beating Buttsbury A 4-1. They have a massive seven point lead over Chelmsford E. Roger Slade led the way with wins over Caroline Cole (11-5, 11-8, 11-7) and Jamie Elliott (3-11, 14-12,11-4, 11-8). OCA D beat Chelmsford E 3-2 in a match where no one player stayed undefeated. OCA D sealed their victory in the all important doubles encounter with Tom Barker and Mick Hayes getting the better of Dave Parker and Charlie Donald 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9. OCA E also won 3-2. Dave Porter dominated against Danbury K, beating Alan Dadswell (11-9, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6) and Denis Crapnell (11-6, 11-7, 11-6).
Buttsbury B suffered their first loss in division five, a 3-2 setback against Galleywood B. No one player remained undefeated and Galleywood’s Nathan Blore and Stephen Peacock beat Lucy Elliott and Keith Cullen 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 in the doubles to seal a Galleywood victory. Danbury J raced into a 2-0 lead against Danbury K but Danbury K hit back. A 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 doubles win for Ken Wilding and David Smith over Graham Naggs and Roy Gandy eventually sealed the 3-2 victory for Danbury J.
Just one result in division six with the leaders Chelmsford G overpowering Buttsbury C 5-0. Emilie Guilloux and Todd Martin carried all before them. With 23 points out of 25 Chelmsford G are in a class of their own in this division.
Steve Kerns Press Officer Central Essex Summer Table Tennis League
The Central Essex Summer Table Tennis League is underway with six mini divisions and as usual it features teams from the Chelmsford League and as well as neighbouring Leagues. Often you find very familiar opponents playing for teams you wouldn’t necessarily associate them with.
There have been a surprisingly high number of 5-0 scorelines in the first division, four to be exact. Chelmsford A (James Donald and Wilson Tram) scored a fine 5-0 win over Chelmsford C. James Donald beat Shirish Basant Rai 13-11, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 in the opening game and they never looked back after this. Chelmsford X were even more dominant against Hockley. Brothers Saul and Harry Chivers not only won 5-0 but they captured all five games 3-0. Chelmsford X repeated the feat against Chelmsford B. Harry Buckle and Harry Chivers were the aggressors this time. No mean feat as the Chelmsford B side included Simon Jarvis. Danbury A also won 5-0 (with the five 3-0 wins) against OCA A. Eric Green and Babul McLeod were the inform players. Danbury A did well to beat Chelmsford A 3-2. Eric Green excelled. He beat James Donald (11-5, 11-9, 3-11, 6-11, 11-7) and Wilson Tram (11-5, 11-9, 11-7). Chelmsford C beat Chelmsford B 3-2. Shirish Basant Rai dominated with excellent wins over Waseem Qureshi (11-7, 12-10, 11-3) and Simon Jarvis (11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7). Perhaps the result of this round occurred at the Melbourne Centre where Chelmsford C beat Danbury A 4-1. Shirish Basant Rai had another match to remember. He beat Eric Green 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 and Babul McLeod 11-9, 11-9, 11-8. In the game of the night Babul McLeod retrieved a 6-10 deficit in the fifth end to beat Paul Nicol 2-11, 13-11, 11-8, 12-14. 17-15. Quite a battle !.
Danbury B have made a good start in division two. Sanjay Saptarshi and Eamon Hall raced to a 5-0 win over Danbury D. Well played Eamon Hall. He scored two superb wins against Steve Buer (3-0) and Chris Buer (3-1). Sanjay Saptarshi was also on form against Danbury F. He defeated both Tony Forster (3-1) and Ken Sheard (3-1) as Danbury B won 3-2. The last game of the match went all the way and Forster and Sheard pipped Dan Pigott and Sanjay Saptarshi 11-9, 3-11, 11-9, 3-11, 12-10 in a widely fluctuating doubles. Danbury B made it three wins out of three by beating Danbury C 3-2. Sanjay Saptarshi retained his 100 % record with wins over Sam Phillips and David Gatheral. Galleywood A notched up two wins. John Holland and Mark Glenister defeated Danbury C 3-2 after John Holland had won twice. He beat David Gatheral 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8. With James Hicks replacing Holland they beat Cold Norton 5-0. Mark Glenister scored a five game win over Tim Cramphorn (11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5). Galleywood lost narrowly 3-2 to Ramsden A. Gary Ward was the Ramsden sharp shooter. He saw off Bryn Thomas (11-9, 10-12, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8) and John Holland (5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5). Cold Norton ran out 4-1 winners against Danbury E with Dick Wyman and Neil Want taking all four singles. The match between Danbury C and Danbury F saw no single player remain undefeated. Danbury C won 3-2 courtesy of a 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-8 doubles victory for David Gatheral and Sam Phillips against Tony Forster and Peter Lucraft. Danbury E did well to beat Danbury D 3-2; good going as Chris Buer was unbeaten for Danbury D. John Tendler pipped Steve Buer 11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10 after a real nail-biter.
Division three looks like being closely fought. Of the seven scorecards received six matches were decided 3-2. The exception was the 4-1 win that Chelmsford D recorded against Ramsden B. Nikita Tkachuk beat John Gagg (3-1) and Rob Kemp (3-1). Where do you start when you report on the other games ?. Chelmsford D also beat Danbury G 3-2. Nikita Tkachuk was again to the fore with wins over Dave Marsh (3-1) and Dave Meah (3-0). Nikita and Alex Tkachuk sealed the victory by beating Dave Marsh and Dave Meah 8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7 in a well contested doubles encounter. The match between Chelmsford D and OCA C saw three games decided in the fifth end. Richard Baxter was undefeated for the Old Chelmsfordians team and Richard Upson came through a five end thriller against Adi Kamma (11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 10-12, 16-14). Robert Kemp was undefeated for Ramsden B against Danbury G but it was Danbury who emerged as 3-2 winners. Kemp prevailed against Dave Marsh, just, 12-10, 12-10, 10-12, 11-7. Chelmsford F edged home 3-2 against OCA B. Charlie Donald (two wins) and Harrison Hill (one win) came out on top in the singles. Michael Richardson drew a rare blank losing 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 6-11 to Harrison Hill and 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 10-12 to Charlie Donald. Luke Richardson did well to beat Harrison Hill 11-9. 9-11, 12-10, 11-6. Hockley B led by an undefeated Joerg Poeschus beat Chelmsford F whilst Hockley B beat OCA C. Dan Patynski beat Richard Baxter 7-11, 11-1, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9; Richard’s first loss of the Season.
Blackwater A are off to a flying start in division four. Alan Scammell and Denis Balic beat OCA D 5-0 and OCA E 4-1. Farooq Ahmed was on target for OCA E with a hard-fought 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9 victory against Denis Balic. Buttsbury A did well to beat Chelmsford E 4-1. Kevin Willis was undefeated beating Dave Parker 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7 and Rev Mathews by a last gasp 6-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 margin. Chelmsford E did better against Ramsden C, wining 3-2. This time Rev Matthews won his five ender. He beat Dave Carter 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8. Danbury L won twice, 3-2 on each occasion. Denis Crapnell was undefeated against both OCA D and Buttsbury A. Caroline Cole was on target for Buttsbury A, defeating David Smith 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 13-11. OCA D surged into a 3-0 lead against Ramsden C. Three five enders went their way with Tom Barker giving them a winning start with a 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 3-11, 16-14 victory against Colin Barham. Ramsden C hit back with Dave Carter defeating Tom Barker 11-7, 11-18, 12-10 and they eventually lost 2-3. Ramsden C in turn beat OCA E 3-2. No one player dominated and the Ramsden players – Kevin Smart and Colin Barham and the OCA duo – Farooq Ahmed and Dave Bishop shared the singles.
Buttsbury B made a winning start in division five. Jamie Elliott and Ben Brown ran out 5-0 winners against Blackwater B and with Lucy Elliott replacing Ben Brown they beat Danbury J 4-1. Galleywood B were 4-1 winners against Danbury K. in a match where Will Goodchild was undefeated. Nathan Blore edged out Steve Martin 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9. In another 4-1 result Chelmsford Leopards beat Danbury J. Cleon Fernandes led the way with an unbeaten outing. It was 4-1 again when OCA F beat Danbury K. Matthew Porter was poised at two games all with Martin Knights but he raced away with the fifth end to win 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2, not a result you might have expected after four evenly contested games. Danbury J (Ken Wilding and Graham Naggs) called the shots against Blackwater B and they ran out 5-0 winners. In a closer game Blackwater B beat OCA F 3-2. Phil West gave Blackwater a winning start by beating Matt Porter 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 8-11. 12-10.
Chelmsford G look to be the team to beat in division six. Ben Chivers and Alesha Ellis-Austin ran out 5-0 winners against Chelmsford Tigers and Todd Martin and Ben Chivers saw off Danbury L, again, 5-0. Todd Martin had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Jo Hart 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-9. Chelmsford G made it three wins out of three by beating Chelmsford Lions 4-1. Pavanaj Srinavasamurthy was on target for the losers with a 5-11, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9 win over Emilie Guilloux. Blackwater C are in second place and Dave Benstead and Jackie Treacy also won 5-0, beating Chelmsford Tigers. Blackwater C won a closer game, 3-2 against Chelmsford Lions. Luv Goel was undefeated for Chelmsford Lions with wins over Chris Rolison (11-7, 11-7, 12-10) and Blaydon Farmer (11-6, 17-15, 11-5). In another close game Blackwater C beat Chelmsford H 3-2 – Dave Benstead winning twice. He had to dig deep to get the better of Peter Davenport 11-7, 7-11, 15-13, 12-10. Chelmsford H impressed against Buttsbury C with Sheng Bing Zhu and Jacqui Smith carrying all before them, winning 5-0, whilst Writtle won all four singles against Buttsbury C but missed out in the doubles. Noah Middleton / Viraan Babbar did well to beat Paul Aarons / Paul Cockrell 11-5, 11-4, 5-11, 11-9. Buttsbury C also missed out 4-1, against Danbury L. Callum Walker came good, with a hard fought 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 win against Jo Hart. Chelmsford H added three points to their tally by beating Writtle 3-2. Sheng Bing Zhu won the tightest game of the night; 12-10, 11-3, 8-11, 10-12, 13-11 against Barry Gould. Writtle in turn beat Chelmsford Tigers 5-0, with Barry Gould and Paul Arrons calling the shots.
Steve Kerns Press Officer Central Essex Summer Table Tennis League
Chelmsford F did well to beat Danbury J in the division three knock out cup final in the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League having finished 17 points behind them in the league competition. In what was a very hard fought final the Chelmsford F team – Nikita Tkachuk, Alex Tkachuk and Luke Richardson prevailed 5-3. Nikita Tkachuk scored a vital 11-4, 7-11, 11-9, 15-17, 11-8 victory against John Robinson and he sealed the win for his side by beating Dave Marsh 11-4, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7. Dave Meah will consider himself unlucky to have been on the losing side as he beat both Luke Richardson (11-4, 18-16, 3-11, 11-1) and Alex Tkachuk (5-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5).
Danbury L secured the league and cup double in division four by beating second placed Writtle E 5-1. It wasn’t plain sailing but the Danbury L side (Mervyn Perriman, Denis Crapnell and Denis Balic) raced into a 4-0 lead before the Writtle duo of Neil Thompson and Dave Moles gave their side a lifeline by beating Mervyn Perriman and Denis Crapnell 11-8, 6-11, 2-11, 11-7, 11-9 in the middle doubles. It wasn’t enough and Maldon’s “Mr. Reliable” Denis Crapnell (who had a 100 % singles success rate in league matches) sealed the Danbury victory by defeating Malcolm Storey 11-6, 11-8, 11-4.
Buttsbury also made it a league and cup double by beating Chelmsford H 7-2 in the division five knock out cup final. Frances Hutt, Jamie Elliott and Oscar Hutt raced into a 5-0 lead. Frances Hutt had been poised at 2-2 against Peter Davenport but she made no mistake in the decider winning 14-12, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4. Oscar Hutt played his part with a 4-11, 11-8, 1-16, 11-9 success against Paul Bullock whilst Jamie Elliott had done well to beat Jacqui Smith 11-2, 11-3, 11-7.
At the recent Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League AGM the Chelmsford League Committee have said “good bye” to Arthur Clark who has retired as Junior Match Secretary and Tournament Organiser after many years of service. The fact that Arthur was made a Life Member of the League in 1993 tells you just how long he has been involved. He is also a three time recipient of the League’s Rosebery / Pope & Smith Award – in 1988, 2002 and 2012. Lee McHugh replaces Arthur as Junior Match Secretary with David Gatheral taking over as Tournament Organiser. Matthew Brown, a recipient of the Rosebery / Pope & Smith award in 2011 has retired as League Treasurer and Competitions Secretary. Discussions are ongoing to fill these positions.
Belated congratulations are extended to John Holland who won the Over 80s Mixed Singles title at the VETTS National Championships at Aldersley, Wolverhampton in May. John recovered from 10-7 down in the fifth end to pip Ray Dixon (Staffs) 11-7. 10-12, 11-5, 9-11, 13-11 in a thrilling final. Former Chelmsford Mens Singles Champions Lorestas Trumpauskas (Chelmsford Champion in 1999, 2000 and 2001) and Neil Charles (Chelmsford Champion in 2008, 2010 and 2011) contested the Over 50s Mens Singles Final with Lorestas coming out on top 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5. Rather annoyingly neither of them look much different from when they played in the Chelmsford League.
Anyone who has lost two decent bats with Butterfly Roundel Rubbers is requested to contact Kath Little (mobile no. 07762 312838). Kath reports that the bats “were placed in someone else’s bag probably by mistake, perhaps a couple of months ago, and probably at Danbury TTC, West Maldon TTC or at a tournament”. Kath has been given the task of reuniting them with their rightful owner.
Steve Kerns Press Officer Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League
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
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
on behalf of Kieran Skeggs, Junior Match Secretary.
21 June 2021
Dear Junior League Match Secretary/League Secretary/Coaching Officer.
ESSEX JUNIOR ASSESSMENT TRIALS 2021/22
Table Tennis England have issued dates for matches to be played for County Junior and Cadet fixtures for the 2021/2022 season. The Essex Junior Premier Team are scheduled to play their first matches on the weekend of 11/12 December 2021 while the Essex second team are due to play on 3 October and 20 November 2021. The Essex Cadet Team is due to play on 23 January 2022 and 26 February 2022. Dates could be changed as the June 21 lifting of lockdown restrictions has been delayed.
Essex County will host the Junior Assessment Trials on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September at BATTS, Harlow. The address of the BATTS Club is the Norman Booth Centre, Elderfield, Mulberry Green, Old Harlow, CM17 0EY. Trials will commence on Saturday 18 September at 0930am with the U19 Boys event. NOTE THAT THIS EVENT IS AN U19 EVENT INSTEAD OF A NORMAL U18 EVENT. All other events: U15, U13, U11 Boys and all Girls events (U19, U15, U13 and U11) will be held on Sunday as we normally require ten tables for these events. Depending on entries, the U11 events may have to be merged into the U13 events as has happened in recent years.
The purpose of the event is to provide information upon which the Essex Junior Ranking Lists for the season will be based. These trials will also enable the County Junior Committee to select the teams to represent Essex in County Championship and other matches during the coming season and assess the future potential of other players. If you wish to be considered but are unable to play on the appropriate trials day please let me know with a brief explanation.
As stated above, the Boys U19 event will be played on the Saturday 18 September, and it is hoped that all other events will be played on Sunday 19th September. This may depend on the number of entrants for each event, particularly the Girls events. As a rough guide I anticipate that the Boys U13 and Girls U19 events will start at 0900 Sunday with the Boys U15 about 1300. As in previous years I will endeavour to organise the U11 entrants to all play one another during the course of the U13 events. For the Girls remaining events I will have to juggle the event times depending upon how many Girls enter each event.
Players (girls and boys in separate age lists) should be nominated for the following age categories:
U19 – players must be 18 years of age or under on 31 December 2021.
U15 – players must be 14 years of age or under on 31 December 2021.
U13 – players must be 12 years of age or under on 31 December 2021.
U11 – players must be 10 years of age or under on 31 December 2021.
Players may be nominated to play in more than one age category. Fees payable are £5.50 per player per age category entered. U11/U13 will be considered a single Entry. Please send Entry Forms to me no later than Monday 9 August 2021 together with a cheque(s) in respect of the total fee made out to ECTTA. Alternately payment may be made electronically to the Essex Account No. 70350346 , Sort Code 20-72-89. Please use the word *Trials” and the surname of the first player on the form as payment reference.
Please inform your nominees that normal table tennis clothing must be worn at the Trials, i.e., no white shirts or shorts, no tracksuit trousers when playing matches, no headwear (other than on religious grounds), and all footwear to have rubber soles. All to note that as this is a Closed event the time out provisions DO NOT APPLY. Some Covid restrictions may still apply.
Refreshments, both hot and cold, may be purchased in the BATTS Canteen.
Please note that I require for each player nominated their Christian and surnames, address and postcode, date of birth, telephone number and affiliated main league or ETTA affiliation in the format of the attached Entry Form. Also, parents E-mail address in the E-mail column should I need to contact them during the season to advise players/parents of other events that may take place (but see below).
Also, Player or Player Member Licence number (i.e., last season’s Licence number or the previous year’s or as a new player this season’s new Licence number). Note that, assuming that there are no Table Tennis England changes from those of last season, a Player Member licence is required to play in local Leagues, One Star Tournaments carrying National Ranking points and National Cadet and Junior Tournaments and a Player licence is required to play in Junior British League and 2 Star and above Tournaments. Payment for these Licences must be made to Table Tennis England before players are permitted to play in any of these competitions.
Please let me know if you require a map showing the location of the BATTS Norman Booth Centre which I can enclose in due course with event times confirmation information.
If you think there is somebody that I have missed out from the circulation list on this page to Leagues, Coaches or you know that they have changed their E-mail address or your League contact has changed please either let me know so that I can forward a copy to them or forward them a copy yourself. I will send a copy of the Entry Form to every Parent/Junior that I have E-mail addresses for as a reminder in due course. I would prefer Entry Forms to be forwarded to me on block from clubs or leagues but I know this will not always be the case.
Note that under the latest Data Protection Regulations I cannot list the E-mail addresses of those players/parents that I send circular E-mails to. I will assume that I can still send E-mails to you on Essex County Table Tennis matters unless I receive an E-mail from you stating that you, or any parent of a player, do not wish to receive communications from me in the future.
A training session was held at Hullbridge TTC under the direction of Head Coach Stuart Gibbs, assisted by Howard Grant, Josh Dye and Richard Jackman. All the players got plenty of table time with specialist multi-ball coaching from Josh and practice against the extreme defensive play of Richard. Some of the current County players were in attendance and they and all players worked hard throughout the day. Thank you to everyone who took part – you were all credit to your Clubs.
On the 30th November 24 juniors with 4 coaches and 3 sparing partners attended the coaching session lead by Essex Stalwart John Mansfield . The session was without Stuart Gibbs and both National junior league and national cadet league taking place it was thought we would have to cancel the session . But with some hard work from the counties clubs and coaches the session continued .
The players spend 5 hours working on footwork and speed as well as looking at some serve and return options. Players were able to make use of multi-ball training and had the chance to benefit from practice with the adults who kindly gave up their time. The session finished with a competitive team event.
Aside from the coaches (John ,Jason, Graham and Josh) and sparring partners, sincere thanks should go to Batts for hosting as usual and to Neil B , Mel Jones and Paul Jeffery for their assistance on they day.
There was a great atmosphere around the session no doubt to John’s amazing sense of humour and I hope that we can keep this great momentum up .
The other sessions will be by invitation only so keep working hard and I will be looking forward to seeing you at the next session .
