News & Views from the Colchester Table Tennis League
with Press Officer Martyn Green

8th December-2009
ST MARY’S THIRD DESPITE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT RECORD IN CUP!

It’s very tight in Group One of the Colchester and District League Kiltie Cup with one round of matches to go. Despite winning both of their matches so far St Mary’s A, second in Division One find themselves third in their qualifying group! Gt Horkesley A are top with thirteen points following victory over Walton, E 9-0. Rayne with twelve points are in second place despite losing 6-3 to St Mary’s who are a further point behind. However, the top two meet in the final fixture, and with both likely to take points off each other while St Mary’s have the easier fixture against Walton, who are yet to score a point! In a hard fought match St Mary’s Gary Young turned in another superb display beating both Steve Kerns and John Hill in three straight sets to add to his previous similar wins over Richard Goodhand and Mike Wright, meaning he is yet to drop a set in the competition! Both Rowhedge top teams had huge 9-0 wins in Group Two, the ‘A’ team accounting for their ‘C’ team and the ‘B’ team Walton D. Michael Andrews remains undefeated in the cup but despite this his team are second, one point adrift of the ‘B’ team, the pair with one match to play. They both should qualify, it’s just a question of who wins the group to play the runner’s up of Group One, where it’s perm two from three, in any order!

Lawford A and Pegasus D are favourites to progress in the Intermediate Cup Group One courtesy of 9-0 and 8-1 wins. The pair are locked at the top on twelve points. Lawford, despite playing an ineligible player in their first match against H20 Rowhedge E that saw a 7-2 win reversed to a 5-4 defeat are back on track as they vented their frustration on Walton E, 8-1. Mark Salter did win the point for the seasiders with an impressive four set victory, 9-11, 12-10, 14-12, 11-9 over Mark Nowers. Pegasus went one better thanks to their three players, Sandy Isaac, Jon Richie & Dave Haslam winning all their games in three straight sets! In Group Two Walton D won a close match 5-4 against Dedham thanks to mainly to husband and wife Chris and Martin Edwards. Interestingly Chris’s only defeat came in the doubles when partnering her husband! H20 Rowhedge F beat Lawford B 6-3 in Group Four with Nigel Claydon taking two victors as did Matt Webb for the losers. In the same group Gt Horkesley C were too strong for Rowhedge F, Wuidong Liu and Lorrie Austin won all four games they were involved in, with David Sacker winning the solitary point for his team.

The Minor Cup saw St Mary’s C thrash Gt Horkesley E 9-0 thanks to messrs; McPherson, Jarrod and Storey all undefeated in Group One. In the second group Sam Burrows saw his H20 Rowhedge team home to a 6-3 win over club-mates H20 Rowhedge H for whom Thomas Lewis was in good form winning his two. Alice Rudge won the other point with an exceptionally good five set defeat of James Elms-Larkin.