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

7th October-2007
ROWHEDGE YOUTH POLICY PAYS DIVIDENDS

H20 Rowhedge’s junior coaching ethic looks a sound investment with no fewer than five of their rising stars playing regularly in the top division of the Colchester & District Table Tennis League. Four of them were in action last week all hitting the headlines with exceptional performances. Michael Andrews led the way bouncing back with a superb maximum against his mentors of H20 Rowhedge C and he was well supported by seventeen-year-old Holly Stubbings and sixteen-year old Mike Shore as Colchester junior coach Alan Burgess was beaten by all three in a 6-4 win for the ‘B’ team. This maintains their unbeaten record as they are now third with the ‘C’ team fourth. Greg Green was the fourth youngster to impress as his third maximum of the season maintained H20 Rowhedge’s one hundred percent record despite only fielding two players against Dedham A. Green won all his games in five sets including a fine win over Suffolk’s Aimee Sparkes who inflicted Kevin Gowlett’s first defeat in twelve games. Their 6-4 triumph enabled St Mary’s A to close the gap between first and second as they stretched their unbeaten run to four with a 7-3 win over draw specialists Gt Horkesley A. Gary Young took his personal tally to nine out of nine for the West Bergholt club including a revenge win over Richard Goodhand who beat him in the quarter-finals of last season’s Men’s Singles. Ipswich veteran John Leith marked his Colchester debut with a surprise win over Sue Welham.

Division Two favourites Walton C moved to the top where they will take some stopping, this week they beat Tollesbury A 7-3, Matthew Watson and John Rice both winning their three. Second placed H20 Rowhedge D suffered an 8-2 defeat at the hands of their ‘E’ team with Peter Kirkland and Peter Giles maintaining their one hundred percent records as did their team who are fourth with games in hand. Sandwiched between the two are St Mary’s C who went down 7-3 at Lawford A with Ipswich youngster Sian Cook marking an impressive debut for Lawford with three wins as did her colleague John Seabrook. Dave Jones was St Peter’s star player as he won two denying Steve Holland a maximum in a tight five setter that helped his side to a 5-5 draw with Gt Horkesley A. Phil Wolski won his first three of this campaign to seal the draw.

St Mary’s D moved to the top of Division Three with two good wins, 7-3 against Lawford B and 9-1 win over Dedham B with veteran John Sorrell unbeaten in both. Dedham however, were more successful at H20 Rowhedge F where they drew 5-5 thanks mainly to Dale Everett’s treble. Ed Rudge and Tom Jackson both picked up two and won the vital doubles. They didn’t against Gt Horkesley F where they went down 8-2, Peter Armes on song winning his three. Fourth placed Clairmont closed the gap on Pegasus B to five points with a game in hand courtesy of a 6-4 win against them. James Tindle was the form player wining his three.

The lower Divisions are dominated by St Mary’s with their ‘E’ team climbing above CRGS A following a big 9-1 win against Gt Horkesley F. Super vets Ivan Jarred and Peter Digby rolled back the years, both completing maximums. Pegasus D are third despite losing 8-2 at Lawford C who are fourth with CRGS B fifth. The school side beat Gt Horkesley F 9-1 with Peter Li and Ronald Tong both unbeaten.