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

16th December 2008
McEWAN RETURN HERALDS RAYNE VICTORY

Andrew McEwan fresh from his exploits at Warwick University where he represented the university in the Premier League, made an impressive return to the Colchester & District Table Tennis League Division One winning his three in Rayne’s 6-4 win over Walton A. Martin Hogg won two for the seaside team losing in three straight sets to McEwan who surprisingly struggled to a five set win over John Rice. Ian Whiteside also won two for Rayne, the result means that just seven points cover five teams from third to seventh place, with Rayne sixth and Walton eighth, four points behind their ‘B’ team!

In the Kiltie Cup H20 Rowhedge B as expected beat Third Division Lawford B 9-0 although Mark Nowers pushed Michael Andrews all the way in the game of the night going down 8-11, 11-13, 15-13, 11-9, 6-11. This assures Rowhedge a semi-final place winning their group without dropping a game! H20 Rowhedge D won yet again, their youth policy paying off as Mark Smith won two and Carl Fenner one in a 7-2 win over St Peters for whom Hazel Hume was their only singles winner. Lawford C accounted for H20 Rowhedge G 6-3 with Steve Marr unbeaten as was Daryl Lott for the losers. In the Minor Cup Gt Horkesley E beat their ‘C’ team thanks mainly to Chris Jones and Denise Thompson both winning two each. Andrew Cousins was Pegasus E’s star player and was joined by Ray Cole from St Mary’s B unbeaten in singles with the exception of doubles where once again Cousins won two but Cole missed out in both his in a 7-2 defeat.

St Peters were beaten again this time in the Handicap competition 6-3 by Pegasus D with Nigel Parmenter and Barry Haler winning their singles and teaming up to win their doubles. Pegasus A stormed passed Walton D 9-0 as once again the lower placed team came through all in two straight sets courtesy of Messrs Noble, Mills and Forster. Dedham A accounted for Lawford A 6-3 thanks mainly to Andy Franklin who once again won two. H20 Rowhedge E just edged past Jobserve 5-4 with the in-form Peter Simmonds winning all four games he was involved in.

In the Essex Inter-League Super-Vets (Over 60’s) Colchester A have suffered two narrow 5-4 defeats. The first to Brentwood where Alan Burgess won his two beating Ray Eldridge in five sets and George Pavitt in four. Roger Warren was on the end of a five set defeat to Dave Carter in a game that would have levelled the match at 4-4 had he won. In the other match Southend were the victors with Burgess once again undefeated. Mick Buckley beat Chris Crookes and just lost out to Southend number one Les Saunders 11-9 in the fifth end but with such close scores Colchester can still finish creditably.