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

25th September-2007
H20 ROWHEDGE TEAMS DOMINATE DIVISION ONE

The top three spots in Division One of the Colchester & District Table Tennis League all belong to Rowhedge teams. Reigning champions H20 Rowhedge A are the pace setters, the only remaining team with a one hundred percent record which they extended with a 7-3 win at Walton B. Kevin Gowlett and Greg Green both scored maximums, recording fine wins over Ian Vine to maintain their personal unbeaten start to the season. Rowhedge’s youthful B team and veteran C team are joint second with the ‘B’ team held 5-5 at Rayne. Steve Kerns was the star turn winning all three of his singles for Rayne with Rowhedge’s Michael Andrews unlucky to lose out on all three of his games in the maximum five sets. John Andrews made a great start to his season conversely winning all his games over the full distance including the prize scalp of Peter Burrows as his ‘C’ team won 8-2 at home to Walton A. St Mary’s A like the three Rowhedge teams are unbeaten and they came through a monumental battle with their B team 7-3. No player recorded three wins, debutant Neil Freeman came the closest for the ‘A’ team just missing out to Barry Burns 12-10 in the fifth end, standing in for Gary Young.

Gt Horkesley B are the early leaders of Division Two following two narrow 6-4 wins over their ‘C’ team and St Mary’s C. They may well struggle to maintain their position however, with Zhe Shen returning to China and Graham Mortimer out with eye problems. St Mary’s share second with H20 Rowhedge D as the West Bergholt team beat Anchor Press 7-3, Martin Edwards winning three. Fred Button was another to score a maximum as his Rowhedge team went down 7-3 at Walton C but recovered to beat Gt Horkesley C 7-3 as Jon Ward marked his first match in the Division with a controlled unbeaten display. H20 Rowhedge E join Walton with one win out of one as they trounced Tollesbury A 9-1, Peter Kirkland and Peter Giles winning all their games.

In Division Three Pegasus A head the way with two straight wins, 6-4 against St Mary’s D and whitewashing H20 Rowhedge F 10-0. Peter Mills and Steve Noble both took 5 wins from six only the wily Mick Bowles stopped them. His St Mary’s team fared better at home to Gt Horkesley D although without him, John Sorrell stepped into the breach joined by the redoubtable Marlene Smith in winning three each. Clairmont, Pegasus B and C all lurk close behind with one win apiece from one game.

St Mary’s E head Division Four the position, gifted to them by CRGS B who failed to turn up. Gt Horkesley E have a game in hand and are just three points behind after their ladies thrashed H20 Rowhedge G 9-1, Jess Page the sole winner for Rowhedge. CRGS A got off to a winning start at Lawford D courtesy of Alex Hadcock & Lewis Wong’s maximums and Mark Smith marked his first appearance in the Colchester League with a terrific treble in a 5-5 draw against Gt Horkesley F. Another junior in top form was Daryl Lott who won his three in another drawn match at Lawford D in what promises to e a very close division!