{"id":2601,"date":"2024-02-04T14:52:38","date_gmt":"2024-02-04T13:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.essextabletennis.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=2601"},"modified":"2024-02-04T19:34:16","modified_gmt":"2024-02-04T18:34:16","slug":"sage-tastes-success-in-first-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.essextabletennis.org.uk\/wordpress\/2024\/02\/04\/sage-tastes-success-in-first-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Sage tastes success in first season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For a fourth year running, a member of the younger generation tasted success in the Clacton and District League’s Handicap Singles Tournament<\/strong>, 24-year-old Matt Sage taking the Gordon Denton Trophy, following in the footsteps of James Denyer, Jason Gale and Russell Hillier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a quality final, Division Three Sage (+1), in his first season of League table tennis, defeated another surprise finalist, Sharon Gowlett (-1) from Division Two side Windsor Penguins, 13-11, 11-7, 11-8, employing a series of attacking shots which edged each set by the narrowest of margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a well-deserved victory for Sage who had impressed throughout with his aggressive play, his only defeat of the day occurring during the Group stage, Sage (-3) surprisingly going down 11-8 in the fifth to his Nomads Bobcats\u2019 team-mate Jack Riddleston (+1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Round One of the Knock-Out stage, Sage\u2019s handicap advantage (+3) and uninhibited play was enough to defeat Daniel Young (-15), one of the top-ranked players, 11-6, 11-4 in a match played over two-sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Sage followed this with another fine win in the quarter-finals, (on +2) defeating the 2019 champion John Barton (-8) in three-straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His semi-final opponent was yet another Division One player, John Hobson, but Sage (+1) displayed a degree of maturity in out-pointing the stylish and vastly-experienced Hobson (-6) 12-14, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharon Gowlett had also experienced a demanding day\u2019s table tennis, like Sage qualifying for the Knock-Out stage by virtue of finishing runner-up in her Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Round One, Gowlett (+2) eliminated defending champion Russell Hillier (-8) 11-0, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-0 before, in the quarter-final, defeating fellow-Division Two player John Gallagher in one of the encounters of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With both players being equally matched, their tie went to the wire, Gowlett (+1) edging past Gallagher (-1) 12-10, 13-11, 12-14, 8-11, 13-11, a match as close as the score-line suggests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Gowlett made it to the final by defeating Gerry Widnell (+2), another player in his first League season and a player who had surprised everyone, not least himself, in reaching the last four, but eventually succumbing to Gowlett (-8) 11-8, 16-14, 11-9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main results<\/strong> – Final : Matt Sage (+1) beat Sharon Gowlett (-1) 13-11, 11-7, 11-8; Semi-finals : Sage (+1) beat John Hobson (-6) 12-14, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9; Gowlett (-8) beat Gerry Widnell (+2) 11-6, 16-14, 11-9; Quarter-finals : Sage (+2) beat John Barton (-8) 11-0, 11-9, 11-0; Gowlett (+1) beat John Gallagher (-1) 12-10, 13-11, 12-14, 8-11, 13-11; Hobson (0) beat Barry Allen (0) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7; Widnell (+1) beat Tom Bryden (-5) 12-10, 6-11, 11-9, 11-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the sixteen qualifiers from the Groups, eight came from the Third Division, including three juniors, Joe Sherwin, Lucy Carvell and Tom Bryden, and four of the up-and-coming younger generation, JJ Barry, Alex Baldock, Jack Riddleston and, of course, Sage who took pride of place with the victor\u2019s crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the Handicap Singles event once again showed its ability to produce surprise winners, Sage becoming the thirty-second different winner in the Tournament\u2019s forty year history.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

* It was a good week for Mark Gale and Walton C in Division One <\/strong>of the League<\/strong>, the Walton team recording their first win of the season against Walton A, and repeating the 8-2 score-line the following day against Windsor Buzzards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gale and Mark Ratcliffe took trebles in the first match, and Paul Meikle a couple, with Gale again unbeaten against the Buzzards, Ratcliffe and Meikle taking a pair apiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walton B were 6-4 winners against Windsor Hawks, Peter Burrows undefeated and Gavin Price taking two. Felipe Rodriguez won two for the Hawks and, with John Barton in the doubles, shared an 11-8 in the decider win against Burrows and John Marshall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaders Nomads Panthers were 9-1 victors against Windsor Eagles, a repeat of their early season score. James Denyer and Gracie Edwards stayed undefeated, with Mel Rampton beating Gill Locke 11-6 in the fifth for the Eagles\u2019 consolation point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But second-placed Brotherhood A are still hanging on to the Panthers\u2019 coat-tails, this week beating Nomads Lions 7-3, Kevin Gowlett and Gary Young taking maximum points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Division Two<\/strong>, Brotherhood D\u2019s relentless push towards the title continued with another success, Sam Plummer and Joe Plummer unbeaten in their 9-1 win over Nomads Jaguars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Tigers defeated Brotherhood B 6-4, Denes Somodi winning three and Dave Miller two. The doubles proved unbearably close, Mark Salter and Barry Allen edging home 12-10, 5-11, 11-9, 3-11, 21-19 against Somodi and Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Penguins beat Walton D 7-3 for a second time this season. Neil Chegwidden was unbeaten while Scott Campbell was denied his hat-trick by Andy Foster who won their individual encounter 11-9 in the fifth.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Tindle was Lawford\u2019s unbeaten hero in his team\u2019s 6-4 win against Brotherhood C, but the score could so easily have been 9-1, Brotherhood winning three of the last four matches deuce in the fifth, the closest Paul Metcalf\u2019s 15-13 in the decider victory over Ian Sherwood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in a match that\u2019s spanned ten weeks, Windsor Kestrels and Brotherhood C resumed their encounter which had been prematurely ended in November by the illness to Peter Aumord, the final score ending 9-1 to Brotherhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Division Three<\/strong>, leaders Brotherhood E stayed on top after beating Windsor Magpies 7-3, Fred Gallone and Duncan Dunne taking maximum points, whilst their nearest challengers, Windsor Harriers, were pushed all the way before defeating Nomads Bobcats 10-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruby Gallagher won her three as Brotherhood F defeated Nomads Lynx 8-2, with Lucy Carvell taking a couple but losing out 11-9 in the fifth to Dave Wright. Wright took the two Lynx points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood G recorded two wins to lift them to fourth place in the table. Firstly, in a  match where no player stayed unbeaten, they defeated Nomads Leopards 7-3, Danny Still, Dan Grindrod and Gary Simpson all winning two. And they followed this with a 7-3 success against Nomads Ocelots, this time the Grindrod, Still and Simpson trio all winning three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the unfortunate Ocelots suffered another 10-0 defeat, Walton E\u2019s Maggie Earle, Adrian Sexton and Deborah Pallett all taking trebles, a debut League hat-trick for Pallett.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* There will be at least one Division Three side in the semi-finals of the Knock-Out Cup<\/strong>, with Nomads Bobcats and Brotherhood E drawn to play each other in the quarter-finals. The third Division Three side, Brotherhood F, will play top-flight Walton C. The full draw is Brotherhood F v Walton C; Nomads Bobcats v Brotherhood E; Nomads Panthers v Windsor Penguins; Brotherhood D v Windsor Hawks. The matches are to be played during w\/c 19th February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Division 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Lions 3 Brotherhood A 7;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walton C 8 Walton A 2;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Buzzards 2 Walton C 8;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Hawks 4 Walton B 6;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Eagles 1 Nomads Panthers 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Division 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood D 9 Nomads Jaguars 1;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood B 4 Nomads Tigers 6;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Kestrels 1 Brotherhood C 9;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walton D 3 Windsor Penguins 7;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawford 6 Brotherhood C 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Division 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood G 10 Nomads Ocelots 0;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Harriers 10 Nomads Bobcats 0;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood G 7 Nomads Leopards 3;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood E 7 Windsor Magpies 3;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Ocelots 0 Walton E 10;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Lynx 2 Brotherhood F 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n