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

8th April 08
PEGASUS COMPLETE REMARKABLE LEAGUE & CUP DOUBLE

In a thrilling Intermediate Cup Final Pegasus belied their Division Three status by beating Division Two’s Anchor Press 5-4 in a match that was all square until the final two points were won! The match see-sawed following every game with Pegasus winning the opening Doubles and Anchor Press’s Roger Warren levelling things up with a tight five set win over Steve Noble. Pete Mills hit back beating Ray George in three straight sets to make it 2-1 to Pegasus but Brian Spellor once again tied the scores following his win over Clive Forster. Pegasus secret was in their doubles performances and again they took the lead courtesy of Steve Noble and Clive Forster’s straight sets win against Roger Warren and Ray George. Warren’s excellent form continued, hammering Pete Mills game 4, 1 and 5 but Steve Noble once more put the Marks Tey team ahead defeating Brian Spellor comfortably. Ray George took the match to a decider with a last gasp five set win over Forster 11-9 in the fifth end. With the scores level it was the final doubles that decided things and at 9-9 in the final set Pete Mills came up trumps with two forehand winners to seal the match 5-4 to Pegasus!

Pegasus B continued their club’s domination of the domestic trophies beating Lawford C by the same score-line to take the Minor Cup, although the match was effectively won at 5-3 thanks largely to them winning five out of the six singles. James Swaby and Kevin Turner were undefeated, well supported by ex-Gt Horkesley player Stan Flint chipping in with one win. Steve Mason and Peter Lewis enjoyed a good doubles win over Swaby and Turner as Lawford took all three doubles but ultimately their singles performance let them down with Lewis and Ken Betts without a win.

Gt Horkesley A triumphed in the Handicap Cup Final Team with a convincing 5-0 win over H20 Rowhedge C. However, look at the scores and you will see that the match was actually much closer than the score-line suggested as the first three games all went the full three set distance, two of them by the narrowest of two-point margins. Jimmy Farrow beat Dave Moss 22-20 in the final end with a two start. John Leith scored an excellent 21-19 final end win over John Andrews again with a two-point advantage whilst Richard Goodhand made it 4-0 beating Kevin Gowlett two straight from scratch. Jimmy Farrow and John Leith sealed the match beating Moss and Gowlett in straight sets.

In the previous semi-final Gt Horkesley A beat their ‘C’ team, again by the maximum 5-0 score-line with Goodhand, Farrow and Lloyd Bennett-Smith all unbeaten.

In the all Rowhedge Handicap Doubles Final the ‘F’ team of Ed Rudge, Tom Jackson and Sam Terry triumphed over their ‘H’ team 6-3. After reeling off three straight wins the ‘F’ team wrapped the match up in effect 5-2 despite a brave effort from Alan Bint, Grant Donaldson and Thomas Lewis.

The Kiltie Cup final has been postponed following the generosity of Rayne after H20 Rowhedge C failed to put out a full side.