The Woodham club continued its glory pilgrimage this week as both the A and C teams strengthened their grips on their respective Divisions in the Burnham & District Table Tennis League.  In Div 3 Blackwater D have crept up to within 5 points of leaders St Lawrence A and will be looking to cause an upset over the course of the final two matches – watch this space.

Woodham A hosted a strong Mapledene B side hoping to cause a dent in the Woodham title drive to allow their Mapledene A clubmates to close the gap a little.  Try as they may the Mapledeners couldn’t trouble the scoreboard on an evening with plenty of drama and close games.  Mapledene stalwart John Monk is in fine form and proved the most difficult opponent all evening.  In the opening match Monk took a 2-1 lead over the rarely beaten Chris Penrose but Penrose dug deep to eventually take the last two sets 11-7 – and that set the tone for the evening, a Woodham victory but a battling performance from the Mapledene team.  Penrose found himself 2-1 behind again in his next match against the penhold perfection of Colin Chatfield but again overcame his inner demons to win out 11-8 in the fifth.  Even at 8-0 down Mapledene weren’t dejected and Monk thought he had won the battle of the ages against Harry Chivers – what a battle this one was.  Monk went 2-1 up but Chivers battled back to square up at 2-2 before a momentous roller-coaster of a final leg that saw the lead and momentum swing from player to player.  Monk wearing down his lively opponent with some amazing control and attacking play.  At 9-8 everything pointed to a Monk win but Chivers stayed in the next rally and hit a wonderful winner to draw the wind out of the Monk sails.  Tense and exciting in equal measures.  Chivers served for the match and won out 11-9 – albeit cruelly with a couple of nets and edges that no-one wanted to see given the quality of the battle that preceded the finish.  It happens to us all!  A final score of 10-0 to Woodham that surely seals the title for them now but as oft is the case the score doesn’t tell the full story.  Lee McHugh was the player of the match with a less dramatic hat-trick than his team-mates.   The Woodham B side were playing opposite the A team but couldn’t match their winning ways against a strong Cold Norton B trio.  Things got off to a good start for Woodham B as Sanjay Saptarshi beat Dan Anderson in 4 tight sets breaking his duck against the defensive specialist.  Anderson controlled much of the play but missed vital winners at key times in each of the legs he lost.  And that was it for the Woodham side as the Ice Cold Nortonians rattled up a 9-1 victory with the only other wobble coming in the match between Ian Wall and Woodham’s captain Eamonn Hall.  Hall troubled Wall throughout and had several game points in the first two legs but lost out 12-10, and then 15-13 before taking the third leg to make a proper game of it.  Wall took the 4th leg with some aplomb though as he took out his frustration on the poor ball and smashed his way to victory and then went on without dropping another set all evening.  So a hat-trick for Wall, and a 9-dart hat-trick for star player Eric Green.  In the final division 1 match Cold Norton C pulled away from the relegation zone with an Arron Chandler inspired 8-2 win over bottom-placed Stow Maries A.  Stow’s Gary Brignall had good wins over Tim Cramphorn and Kim Shead for his team’s points.  A hat-trick for Chandler, and a brace each for Shead and Cramphorn.

In Division 2 the dominant Woodham C just missed out on securing the title with 2 games to go.  Second-placed Maldon B had an early tight 6-4 victory over Blackwater A which left Woodham C with a target of 7 points or more for the Title when they travelled to Maldon C later on in the week.  But Maldon C were fresh from the disappointing shock loss to Woodham D and were in no mood to roll over and get tickled by the champions-elect.  In the early skirmishes Maldon’s Colin Barrell took the scalps of Dave Meah and then Graham Briggs in a comeback 5 setter.  Woodham’s Chris ‘slowhand’ Hancox also won both his matches to set up a player of the match finale with Barrell.  In between, Maldon’s top doubles duo of Barrell and Steve Aspland creamed the doubles in a very straightforward straight sets victory against Hancox and Briggs.  So 4-3 to Woodham and they needed the final run of singles for the title.  Briggs defeats Garry Eames in 3 but then Aspland spoils the party with his own 3 set victory over Meah.  Would Woodham’s Hancox be able to bring himself to the party for the final showdown given the disappointment of not being able to secure the title this week?  A gut-busting 11-3 in the first leg to the Woodham Whacker but this was no laughing matter for Mr Barrell who would not roll over for anyone and it was he who took the next 2 tight legs for a slender lead.  With pride at stake and his doe-eyed team-mates aghast Ol’ Slowhand hit the gas and blasted his way back to 2-2.  But this one was set to go the distance and after the combatants swapped match points it was the Woodham warrior that prevailed 12-10 with the last point of the night for the overall 6-4 victory that leaves Woodham C on the precipice with just a point required for glory.  Secure in the runner-up spot Maldon B had Colin Napper and Dawn Baldry to thank for their 6-4 win over Blackwater A.  Napper continued his fine vein of form with another hard-fought hat-trick that took two 5 setters to complete.  Baldry added a brace of wins and the dynamic duo coupled up for the doubles point.  It was a good week for the Stow Club as their 3 teams took the remaining victories over the week.  The Stow B boys coming out 6-4 victors over Cold Norton D with braces for Peter Hance and Nicky Reece-Ford.  Stow C welcomed Maldon D to Smythe Hall but then showed no mercy in a 7-3 mauling with Pete Layzell the outstanding player with 3 singles and the doubles win with Jean Chasmer.  A notable victory for Maldon’s Ella Sach with a 4 set triumph over the lovable Dave Goody that included a marathon 3^rd leg that Sach won 20-18.  That man Tim Pulham was at it again this week as he recorded yet another hat-trick for his Stow D side to help secure a 6-4 win over Blackwater B.  Pulham was wingmanned by Ken Sheard who took a brace of singles and the pair partnered up for the crucial doubles victory. 

With leaders St Lawrence experiencing a dip in form, Division 3 has opened up somewhat and the Blackwater Club has an unexpected opportunity to take this one to the wire.  The trouble is the 3 Blackwater teams keep taking points off each other and can’t really decide between them which team should mount the challenge.  However this week, for once, there were no Blackwater derbies to muddy the mathematics and it was Blackwater D that emerged as true contenders with a commanding 8-2 victory over Woodham E.  The Blackwater C and E teams seemingly giving up the ghost with 2 defeats just when they least needed them!  For the phoenix-like D side it was the youthful Norman Hayes that did the most damage with an inspiring hat-trick that included a very hard earned 5 set victory over the even more youthful and up-and-coming Peter Harverson.  The rest of the points were collected by Jacquie Treacy and Chris Rolison with 2 singles and the doubles in the credit column with both players losing out to Harverson.  Blackwater C chose the wrong week to play the resurgent Maldon F side who fielded John Leavett and Ross Kirby who have both been in scintillating form of late.  The form book doesn’t lie and both Leavett and Kirby took no prisoners as they swept aside the Blackwater triers for a pair of hat-tricks and with that kind of form of course they won the doubles bonus point too for the overall 7-3 scoreline.  Blackwater E travelled to Maldon E for the Friday Night special but came away with less than what they hoped for.  Maldon E’s Arthur Shadforth has been unplayable of late and he continued this run with another hat-trick on a night when every player won at least one point.  For Blackwater David Sage won 2 and with everyone else swapping a point each the result came down to the doubles which fell to Shadforth and Matthew Copsey for the final 6-4 win of the week for the Maldon Club.

Pic 1 – Action from the amazing final leg of the John Monk v Harry Chivers match this week.

Pic 2 – Lee McHugh in unbeatable form as he takes on Barrie Delf this week.

Pic 3 – Eric Green (Cold Norton B) – 4 matches without dropping a set this week

Pic 4 – Ian Wall (Cold Norton B) managed a straight sets victory over Sanjay Saptarshi (Woodham B) but couldn’t do anything about this net cord Saptarshi Special!

Pic 5 – Stow A’s Gary Brignall with 2 wins for his team this week.

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In this week’s crunch match in Division One of the Clacton League, Nomads Panthers defeated their nearest challengers Brotherhood A 6-4, a win which surely means they will once again be crowned champions.

In a hard-fought match between two class sides, Greg Green and James Denyer won a couple each for the Panthers, although it was a tight 12-10 in the fifth for Denyer against Kevin Gowlett. The pair also shared a doubles win against Gowlett and Gary Young, with Gracie Edwards beating granddad Martin Edwards in three-straight to seal the victory.

For Brotherhood, Gowlett and Young each won two, Young edging past Gracie Edwards 11-8 in the decider and having the satisfaction of inflicting a first defeat of the season on Denyer.

The result extends the gap at the top between the sides to eight points and, with each team having two matches to play, the Panthers need just twelve points for an historic eleventh consecutive title.

Elsewhere, Walton B’s Gavin Price was the undefeated player of the match in the encounter with club-mates Walton A, but it was the ‘A’ team which triumphed 7-3, Colin Dearman, Derek Willis and Dave Binns all winning two. It was a tight affair, with Walton A winning three close matches, both Dearman and Binns beating Paul Newbould 11-7 in the fifth, and Binns and Willis scraping the doubles 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, 14-12 against Price and John Marshall.

A Phil Smith treble, and two each for John Hobson and John Pattrick, saw Windsor Eagles home 8-2 against Windsor Buzzards. Smith and Hobson also took the doubles 11-8 in the decider against Andy Cawley and Pete Bloomfield. Cawley and Dave Martin picked up a point each for the losers.

In Division Two, Brotherhood D were 10-0 winners against Walton D, Sam Plummer, Joe Plummer and Simon Smith-Daye the successful trio. The result confirms the Brotherhood side as worthy Divisional champions.

Fourth-placed Brotherhood B and second-placed Lawford enjoyed an excellent scrap before Brotherhood emerged narrow 6-4 victors, despite a maximum from Lawford’s James Tindle. John Owen and Mark Salter each won two for Brotherhood, Salter defeating Ian Sherwood 11-6 in the fifth and Charlie Denholm 12-10 in the fifth.

Neil Chegwidden, Scott Campbell and Sharon Gowlett recorded a 10-0 victory over a below-strength Nomads Tigers. In the two five-setters, Chegwidden beat Colin Webber 11-9 in the decider and Gowlett beat Mike Wellum 11-8 in the decider.

Nomads Jaguars defeated Windsor Kestrels 7-3, Chris Petrou unbeaten. There were two for Kevin Hogg and a welcome couple also for Callum Hogg, who beat Jackie Bunce 11-4 in the fifth and Allen Denyer 11-7 in the fifth. For the Kestrels, Graham Bunce won two and, with wife Jackie, shared a doubles victory over Petrou and Callum Hogg. 

The top two teams in Division Three continue to march in step, Brotherhood E and Windsor Harriers notching up 10-0 victories over Nomads Ocelots and Walton E respectively.

The improving Brotherhood G moved up to third place with a 9-1 win over Nomads Lynx. Dan Grindrod and Gary Simpson took trebles without dropping a set, but scraped the doubles 13-11 in the decider against Ian Gwillim and Gerry Widnell. Gwillim beat Andrey Pavlov 11-6 in the decider for the Lynx point.

Brotherhood F are another much-improved side, demonstrated by their impressive 8-2 success against the seasoned Windsor Magpies. Tom Bryden stayed unbeaten, with Joe Sherwin and Lucy Carvell taking two each. Carvell was involved in two close matches, defeating Malcolm Caley 11-8 in the fifth but losing 11-4 in the fifth to Dave Sweetland. Sweetland took both the Magpies’ points but was denied his hat-trick by Bryden, 14-12 in the fifth.

Finally, no-one stayed unbeaten as Nomads Leopards beat Nomads Bobcats 7-3, Dominic Joannou, Stu Wilkinson and Bob Jillins all winning two. Wilkinson narrowly missed out on a treble, losing 14-12 in the fifth to Matt Sage, Joannou beat Jack Riddleston 11-6 in the fifth but lost in three-straight to Matt Sage, while Jillins beat Sage 11-8 in the fifth but lost 11-5 in the fifth to Alex Baldock. 

* Congratulations to the Clacton League players who won silverware at last week’s Colchester Closed Championships. Daniel Young was the Men’s Singles champion, having beaten James Denyer in the semi-final, while Gracie Edwards won the Ladies Singles, as well as the Ladies and Mixed Doubles. Kevin Gowlett was a winner in the Mens Doubles, with Denyer and Greg Green finishing as runners-up, while Sam and Joe Plummer were losing finalists in the Junior Doubles.

RESULTS

Division 1

Nomads Panthers 6 Brotherhood A 4;

Windsor Eagles 8 Windsor Buzzards 2;

Walton B 3 Walton A 7.

Division 2

Nomads Tigers 0 Windsor Penguins 10;

Brotherhood D 10 Walton D 0;

Brotherhood B 6 Lawford 4;

Nomads Jaguars 7 Windsor Kestrels 3.

Division 3

Brotherhood E 10 Nomads Ocelots 0;

Brotherhood G 9 Nomads Lynx 1;

Windsor Harriers 10 Walton E 0;

Windsor Magpies 2 Brotherhood F 8;

Nomads Ocelots 0 Brotherhood G 10;

Nomads Leopards 7 Nomads Bobcats 3.

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At the conclusion of two days of competitive table tennis action in the West Midlands last weekend, Essex pipped Middlesex to win the premier divison of the table tennis county championship.  The team of Adam Alibhai (Woodford Wells TTC), Melisha Anthony (Tollgate TTC), Charles Donald (BATTS Harlow TTC), Harrison Hill (Chelmsford TTC), Evie Knaapen (Matchpoint TTC – formerly Hullbridge TTC) and Aarav Parihar (Woodford Wells TTC) posted an identical record of 6 wins and a draw from seven team fixtures played as the defending champions and favourites Middlesex – but earned the title by virtue of holding a superior record when individual matches won were reviewed.

Essex started the weekend well with a 7-3 win over a strong Surrey side on Saturday before beating Lancashire 9-1 and Derbyshire 8-2 later on the same day.  Sunday would decide the destination of the title and 7-3 wins over both Sussex and Warwickshire boosted Essex’s chances of reaching the top spot.  The penultimate match of the weekend against Middlesex was key to the overall outcome and thanks to Melisha Anthony and Adam Alibhai’s two wins apiece and a win from Evie Knaapen, Essex earned a crucial 5-5 draw.  Essex knew they had to post a better scoreline than Middlesex in the final round of fixtures to secure glory and this was achieved with a 9-1 win over Cheshire. 

The six players greatly assisted by coach Kieran Skeggs and manager Martyn Green became the first team from Essex to win the cadets (under 15) version of the county championships since its inception in the 2001-2002 season, and just the third time an Essex team has won a county championships at junior level (under 19) – the last time being the 1974-1975 season.  England number five rated cadet Adam Alibhai had a perfect weekend with 14 wins from his 14 individual matches – this included a 3-1 victory over Middlesex’s England number one rated cadet Max Radivan. 

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Chelmsford C and Hatfield Peverel A remain separated by just four points in division two as they posted identical 8-2 victories in week 24, while Buttsbury A closed the gap on division three leaders Galleywood B to five points courtesy of the same scoreline.

Division 1

No change at the top of division one as both leaders OCA A and Chelmsford A were held to away draws.  Paul Lucas fired a hat-trick of wins as the Old Chelmsfordians were well tested by Chelmsford B on Monday night.  Lucas beat Kim Shead and Wiktor Delimat by 3-1 scorelines but had to recover from 2-1 down to beat Omar Wasi.  Shead had earlier come back from 2-1 down to beat Mark Mulley.  Ian Wall’s treble helped ensure fourth-placed Danbury B shared the spoils with unbeaten second-placed Chelmsford A.  Wall beat Nikita Tkachuk and Kaung Htet Paing in straight games but had to rally from 2-1 down to get the better of Gary Young.  Young beat Dan Anderson in a fifth game decider having earlier teamed up with Tkachuk to recover from 2-0 down in the doubles encounter with Wall and Anderson.  Chris Penrose secured three wins as third placed Danbury A won 6-4 on the road at Writtle A, while Sanjay Saptarshi fired a hat-trick as Danbury C edged Galleywood A 6-4.   

Standings div 1: 1: Old Chelmsfordians A 123 points (from 16 matches), 2: Chelmsford A 110 points (16 matches), 3: Danbury A 98 points (17 matches).

Division 2

Chelmsford C’s lead at the top of division two remains four points as both themselves and their closest rivals Hatfield Peverel A posted identical 8-2 results.  Julie Johnson scored a hat-trick in Hatfield Peverel A’s home win over OCA B.  Johnson beat Michael Hayes in three games, David Porter in four and Mick Richardson in five, while teammate Martin Archie was denied a treble of his own as Richardson recovered from 2-0 down to take their match.  Victor Chan and Waseem Qureshi were both undefeated in Chelmsford C’s away win at Danbury E.  Qureshi fought back from 2-0 down to beat Tim Cramphorn while Cramphorn got a measure of revenge in the double match where he and Neil Want came back from the same scoreline to beat Chan and Mark Allaway 3-2. Fourth-placed Danbury D beat third placed Maldon A 6-4 thanks to another Sanjay Saptarshi treble – the two teams are now tied on 86 points though Maldon have a game in hand.  Chelmsford D beat the two-person team of Writtle B by a 7-3 scoreline with Omar Wasi winning both of his matches.

Standings div 2: 1: Chelmsford C 107 points (from 16 matches), 2: Hatfield Peverel A 103 points (from 16 matches), 3: Danbury D 86 points (16 matches)

Division 3

With division three leaders Galleywood B not in action second-placed Buttsbury A were given the opportunity to take a chunk out of their thirteen point gap and they duly obliged with an 8-2 home win over Writtle E on Friday night.  Caroline Cole and Evie Knaapen were both undefeated – Knaapen did not drop a game in her three wins while Cole took five games to beat both Dave Moles and Malcolm Storey.   Third-placed OCA C fell to a 7-3 loss at Danbury H thanks to an Ian Whiteside hat-trick as well as two wins from Alan Scammell, while fifth-placed Writtle D got the better of fourth-placed Hatfield Peverel B through three wins by Bob Garson and a double by Pete Layzell.  A Bob Garson treble boosted fifth-placed Writtle D to a 6-4 home win over Hatfield Peverel B – Garson dropped just one game on the night while teammate Malcolm Henstock’s two losses were both over five games.   Two more 6-4 scorelines as Danbury K beat clubmates Danbury J in a match which saw a treble from Dave Powell while Chelmsford F edged Chelmsford E – Felix Reeve and Sami Osman winning twice for the F side while Alesha Ellis-Austin won twice for the E side. 

Standings div 3: 1: Galleywood B 112 points (from 15 matches), 2: Buttsbury A 107 points (15 matches), 3: OCA C 80 points (from 15 matches).

Division 4

#3 Maldon B v #5 Highwood A

Unbeaten leaders Galleywood C edged closer to the division four title with a comprehensive 9-1 win over ninth-placed Hatfield Peverel E.  Will Goodchild and Colin Blore were the unbeaten players with James Brooks the only point scorer for Hatfield.  Second placed Chelmsford G kept their hopes alive with a 9-1 win at Hatfield Peverel C – Cleon Fernandes and Dion Fernandes both earned trebles for the visitors.  Farooq Ahmed was undefeated as OCA D won 7-3 at Buttsbury B.  Ahmed dropped just one game in his three wins while both of teammate David Bishop’s two wins were earned over five games. 

Standings div 4: 1: Galleywood C 124 points (from 15 matches), 2: Chelmsford G 96 matches (from 14 matches), 3: Maldon B 78 points (from 12 matches)

Division 5

Division five leaders Danbury M extended their lead with a 7-3 win at Galleywood D.  Steve Martin was Danbury’s hat-trick hero while Galleywood’s Nick Rounce got the better of both Graham Naggs and David Smith.   Kelvin Edeh treble helped Anglia Ruskin gain a 6-4 win over second placed Chelmsford J.  Edeh also teamed with Douglas Bawuah in a 3-2 doubles win over Mark Nolan and Elliot Hawthorne – Bawuah had earlier seen five-game action in his come-from-behind win against David Parker.  Buttsbury C moved into third place with a 10-0 home win against sixth placed Writtle F.  Oscar Hutt, Torsten Greenan and Richard Pond did the damage for the hosts – Pond’s three wins were all achieved via a deciding game.  Shirley Carroll won all three of her matches as Maldon C won 7-3 at OCA E.  Carroll beat Stuart Wintle in three games, Mike Morecroft in four and held off a Suzanne Shaw fightback from 2-0 down to win in five. 

Standings div 5: 1: Danbury M 109 points (from 15 matches), 2: Chelmsford J 89 points (15 matches), 3: Buttsbury C 78 points (from 15 matches).

Chelmsford Junior League division 2A

The Buttsbury Bears moved into top spot in division 2A with a 5-0 win at Chelmsford Cougars thanks to two wins apiece for Lewis Woods and Joseph Hutt.   Chelmsford Eagles earned their first win of the season with a 3-2 victory at Danbury Dragons – Joshua Freeeman’s wins over both Oliver Martin and Peter Harverson went the distance. 

Standings CJL 2A: 1: Buttsbury Bears 11 points (from 3 matches), 2: Hutton Hawks 10 points (3 matches)

Chelmsford Junior League division 2B

Joseph Hutt and Lewis Woods won twice each as the Buttsbury Bulldogs beat the Chelmsford Tigers 5-0 – opponents William Guilloux and Ryan Peiris took a 2-0 lead in the doubles only for the Bulldogs duo to storm back for the win.  Hutton Hyenas beat the one person team of the Chelmsford Leopards 4-1.

Standings CJL 2B: 1: Buttsbury Bulldogs 11 points (from 3 matches), 2: Hutton Harriers 10 points (3 matches)

Chelmsford Junior League division 2C

Chelmsford Jaguars moved to the top of division 2C  with a 5-0 win over the Chelmsford Rhinos – Sean Kwan and Atharv Srivastava with the wins for the Jaguars, while Archie Giles and Spencer Giles were undefeated in the Hutton Hammerheads’ 5-0 win at the Hutton Hornets.

Standings CJL 2C: 1: Chelmsford Jaguars 15 points (from 3 matches), 2: Chelmsford Panthers 15 points (3 matches)

Chelmsford Junior League division 2D

Buttsbury Bats moved to the top of division 2D with a 4-1 win and in doing so handed the Chelmsford Pumas their first loss of the season – Zac Berry won both of his games while teammate Ethan Ferris took the deciding game 11-9 in his clash with Hari Gumbeer.  Amelie Lucas and Georgiana Major both won twice as the Chelmsford Lions beat the Buttsbury Bees 5-0 – Major won the deciding game against Rayhan Sudheer by a nail biting 13-11.  

Standings CJL 2D: 1: Buttsbury Bats 12 points (from 3 matches), 2: Hutton Hares 10 points (3 matches)

Brotherhood D are within a whisker of claiming the Division Two
title in the Clacton League.
This week they faced second-placed Lawford and, after a classic
encounter, ended 6-4 winners. No-one stayed unbeaten, Sam
Plummer, Joe Plummer and Kevin Pryor each winning two for
Brotherhood, as did James Tindle for the losers.
Four matches went the distance, Brotherhood’s Pryor beating
Tindle 11-4 in the fifth, with Lawford’s Tindle and Charlie
Denholm beating Pryor and Sam Plummer 11-7 in the fifth in the
doubles. But the final two matches of the evening were even
closer, both ending 12-10 in the fifth.
In match nine, Joe Plummer kept his composure under pressure
against Denholm, losing the first two sets and having to save
match points before eventually winning 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6,
12-10.
And match ten produced a fitting finale to the evening, Tindle’s
outstanding attacking and Sam Plummer’s equally exceptional
defending producing some stand-out rallies, Tindle finally getting
home 11-2, 11-9, 8-11, 3-11, 12-10.
So Brotherhood D now need just five points from their remaining
two matches to guarantee themselves the title, with Lawford the
odds-on favourites to take the runners-up spot.
Elsewhere, only two points separate Windsor Penguins and
Brotherhood B in the middle of the table and they enjoyed a good
scrap, the match ending with honours even.
Scott Campbell won three for the Penguins, beating Mark Salter
11-6 in the fifth in the closest match of the evening. Neil
Chegwidden won two, as did Salter for Brotherhood. Crucially,
Salter and Barry Allen won the doubles for Brotherhood, who’ve
now only lost three doubles of the thirteen they’ve played all

season, as compared to the Penguins who’ve won a paltry three
doubles.
In their second match of the week, the Penguins did have a rare
doubles win in their 8-2 success against Windsor Kestrels,
Campbell and Chegwidden taking trebles. The two tightest
matches ended 11-6 in the decider, Chegwidden beating Graham
Bunce and Sharon Gowlett beating Jackie Bunce.
The Kestrels are looking isolated at the bottom of the table but,
facing a Nomads Tigers’ side fielding two reserves, they were able
to celebrate a 6-4 win, Graham Bunce and Debra Found each
winning two. Allen Denyer beat Alex Baldock 11-7 in the fifth but
went down 11-5 in the fifth to Matt Sage. Denes Somodi took his
customary hat-trick for the Tigers.
Brotherhood C v Nomads Jaguars ended all-square, a first drawn
match of the season for both teams. Mark Boyland stayed
unbeaten for Brotherhood. Kevin Hogg and Daryl Lott won two
each for the Jaguars, although it was 11-7 in the fifth for Hogg
against John Gallagher and an even narrower 12-10 in the fifth
for Lott against Paul Metcalf.
But Brotherhood C were unable to find any joy against Walton D,
going down 6-4 for a second time this season. Andy Foster and
Clive Allenby each took two but Brotherhood’s Boyland was again
the unbeaten player of the match, edging out Foster 15-13 in the
decider in the only match which went the distance.
Both the top sides in Division Three recorded convincing
victories, and the title battle between Brotherhood E and Windsor
Harriers looks like going down to the final week of the season
when the teams are due to meet.
Tony Edmonds was unbeaten, and Duncan Dunne and Tricia
Salter each won two, in Brotherhood E’s 8-2 win against
Brotherhood F. Joe Sherwin and Ruby Gallagher took a point
apiece for the losers, Gallagher enjoying an unexpected 11-9 in
the decider win over Dunne and but losing 11-3 in the fifth to
Salter.
Skipper Ferdy Rodriguez led the way for Windsor Harriers in their
9-1 win over lowly Nomads Lynx, the losers’ only success a tight
11-7 in the fifth win for Ian Gwillim over Jenny Higgins.
Nomads Leopards maintained their third place in the table with a
7-3 win over Walton E, Stu Wilkinson and Bob Jillins unbeaten.

Lynette Sparks, Adrian Sexton and Deborah Pallett all picked up a
point for the losers, both Sparks and Pallett taking Wilkinson to a
fifth set before going down 11-7 and 11-4 in the decider
respectively.
It was also 7-3 for Windsor Magpies against Nomads Bobcats.
Dave Sweetland, John Plummer and Alan Rutledge all won two
but none of them could get the better of an undefeated Matt
Sage.
It’s also a two-horse race at the top of Division One between
Nomads Panthers and Brotherhood A, with the two teams due to
meet in a crunch match next week.
This week, reigning champions and favourites Nomads Panthers
were 10-0 winners against Walton A, John Hatley, Greg Green
and Gill Locke the successful trio. Two matches finished 11-4 in
the fifth, Hatley beating Derek Willis and, in the doubles, Hatley
and Green edging out Colin Dearman and Dave Binns.
Hat-tricks for Gary Young and Kevin Gowlett were the bedrock of
the 8-2 victory for Brotherhood A over Windsor Eagles, a win
which keeps their side in title contention. Russell Hillier chipped in
with one and, with Gowlett, shared an 11-8 in the fifth doubles
success against Mel Rampton and Phil Smith. Rampton and Smith
each took one for the Eagles, Rampton’s point a narrow 11-9 in
the fifth victory against Hillier.
Windsor Hawks, who are aiming to repeat their best-ever third
position achieved eight years ago, added valuable points to their
tally with a 9-1 success against Windsor Buzzards. Daniel Young
and Felipe Rodriguez stayed unbeaten. The only blemish on the
Hawks’ evening was a notable win for Ray Chillingworth over John
Barton. Alas for the Buzzards, it now confirms they will finish the
season bottom of the table.
Nomads Lions are the other team battling for third place and they
also enjoyed a 9-1 victory, this over Walton C. Adam Wilkin,
Jason Lloyd and Adam Cuthbert all took hat-tricks although Wilkin
had tough battles before beating Mark Gale 13-11 in the fifth and
Walton reserve Paul Woolnough 11-7 in the fifth. Gale and Paul
Meikle took the Walton point with an 11-9 in the decider doubles
win against Wilkin and Cuthbert.

• In the semi-finals of the Knock-Out Cup, the two Division One
  teams have been drawn against lower Division opposition.
  Windsor Hawks will face Nomads Bobcats, whilst Walton C will be

away to Windsor Penguins. The matches are to be played in week
beginning 11th March, with the final taking place on Tuesday 2nd
April.

• Friday 15th March is the closing date for entries for the
  League’s Closed Championships. Entry forms have been sent to
  all players and full details are on the League’s website. Entries
  should be sent on-line to Peter White or by post to Tony Oswick.
  RESULTS
  Division 1
  Brotherhood A 8 Windsor Eagles 2;
  Walton A 0 Nomads Panthers 10;
  Windsor Buzzards 1 Windsor Hawks 9;
  Nomads Lions 9 Walton C 1.
  Division 2
  Walton D 6 Brotherhood C 4;
  Windsor Penguins 5 Brotherhood B 5;
  Windsor Kestrels 6 Nomads Tigers 4;
  Windsor Kestrels 2 Windsor Penguins 8;
  Brotherhood C 5 Nomads Jaguars 5;
  Lawford 4 Brotherhood D 6.
  Division 3
  Nomads Bobcats 3 Windsor Magpies 7;
  Brotherhood F 2 Brotherhood E 8;
  Nomads Lynx 1 Windsor Harriers 9;
  Walton E 3 Nomads Leopards 7.

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On the 9^th October last year a young man called Mitchell Jones made his debut for Stanford A in Division 1 of the Southend and District Table Tennis League. Not much was known about him in the local area but he soon made his mark winning all his games and not dropping a set in the process. A good start which soon turned into something special as, 10 games later, he was still unbeaten and still not dropped a set!

Whilst obviously a class above his Division 1 counterparts could he continue this form into the Southend Championships where he would be up against Southend’s top Premier league players? The answer was a resounding yes as he proceeded into the semi – finals and final which were held at Plumberow Primary Academy, the home of Hockley TTC, last week. Needless to say he dismissed his semi -final opponent Liam Squirrell in straight sets and then repeated the feat against Duncan Taylor in the final. A remarkable performance from the young man who added an extra title to his name by teaming up with Jo Hills from Canvey TTC to win the mixed doubles.

Finals night didn’t turn out to be the best night for men’s runner up Taylor as he lost to his doubles partner Kevin Read in the Over 40’s singles and, together, they were beaten in the doubles by Liam Squirrell of Matchpoint and Reece Seddon of Irons. Seddon had lost to Taylor in the semi – final of the men’s singles.

There were new names on the cup in the Ladies Doubles as Hannah Harbour of Hockley and Debbie O’neil of Matchpoint teamed up to beat Caroline Cole of Rawreth Megazone and Lucy Elliot of Matchpoint.

In the under 21’s final Lucy’s brother James beat Alex Bowden both also from the Matchpoint club.

Finally, in the only final which went to five sets, Lin Roff of Mapledene beat Jo Hills to win the Ladies Singles coming back from two sets down.

Apart from the matches played on finals night there were a number of other finals played over the preceding weekend. These are detailed below.

O50s John Poysden                 bt       Sanjay Saptarshi     11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5

O60s John Poysden                 bt       Keith Willett             8-11, 14-12, 11-9, 11-3

O70s Ian Sangster                  bt       Bill Smith                11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7

080s Douglass Brown              bt       Ken Field                 11-3, 11-6, 11-3

O40s Doubles. Colin Chatfield & Babul McLeod bt  Kevin Read & Duncan Taylor 4-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-7

Over 40s Plate    Richard Kidd            bt       Anthon Ranjit-Singh 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5

Over 50s Plate    Richard Riebold        bt       Peter Moxham 5-11, 11-6, 13-11, 12-10

Over 60s Plate    Trevor Hayes            bt       Steve Kemp 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4

Over 70s Plate    Paul Strutt               bt       Steve Walter 13-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-3

Vets Doubles Plate  Debbie Oneill & Caroline Cole bt Jenne Seibolt & Randy Santiago  11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-5

Premier Restricted  Kieran Skeggs       bt    Sanjay Saptarshi 11-8, 11-8, 11-5

Div 1 Restricted      Barrie Delf             bt    Jo Hills 11-9. 8-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7

Div 2 Restricted      Jamie Elliott           bt    Arun Joy 4-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8

Div 3 Restricted      Alex Bowden          bt    Trevor Hayes 11-9, 11-6, 11-13, 11-8

There were defeats for three Brotherhood Clubs, as well as
favourites Nomads Panthers, in this week’s quarter-final matches
in the Clacton League’s Knock-Out Cup.
Current Division Two pace-setters Brotherhood D finally met their
match, suffering their first reverse in any competition this season
5-0 at the hands of the top-flight, on-song ,Windsor Hawks’ trio of
Daniel Young, Felipe Rodriguez and Ian Fielder.
Division One side Walton C were 5-2 winners over Brotherhood F,
Mark Gale, Paul Meikle and reserve Mo Hardy proving a touch too
experienced for their younger Division Three opponents.
In an all-Third Division encounter, Nomads Bobcats’ Matt Sage,
Alex Baldock and Jack Riddleston beat Brotherhood E 5-1,
Brotherhood’s only success Tricia Salter and Rodney Betts’ (-5)
14-12 in the fifth doubles win over Baldock and Riddleston (+1).
In the fourth quarter-final, James Denyer was absent from the
Nomads Panthers’ line-up, but it was still something of a surprise
that Windsor Penguins finished 5-1 victors, Neil Chegwidden,
Annabelle Stallwood and Kayley Rodriguez the winning trio.
The Cup semi-finals take place during week beginning 11th
March. Details of the draw will be circulated by the end of
February.

• Just one result from the League saw Walton E edge out Nomads
  Lynx 6-4 in Division Three. No-one stayed unbeaten in an
  unpredictable, topsy-turvy match in which the Lynx had at one
  time led 3-0.
  Maggie Earle and Adrian Sexton both won two for Walton, with
  Deborah Pallett picking up a good win over Dave Wright. Ian
  Gwillim’s two for the Lynx included an 11-8 in the decider win
  over Maggie Earle.
• Entry forms for the League’s Closed Championships on 6th and
  7th April should be returned to either Peter White or Tony Oswick
  by 15th March. Full details have been sent to all players.
  RESULTS
  Knock-Out Cup : Round Two
  Nomads Panthers 1 Windsor Penguins 5;
  Brotherhood F 2 Walton C 5;
  Brotherhood D 0 Windsor Hawks 5;
  Nomads Bobcats 5 Brotherhood E 1.
  League : Division Three
  Nomads Lynx 4 Walton E 6.

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