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

16th February-2009
IT’S AS YOU WERE AT THE TOP OF THE COLCHESTER LEAGUE!

With two sets of identical results for Gt Horkesley A and H20 Rowhedge B it’s as you were at the top of the Colchester and District Table Tennis League Division One. Leaders Gt Horkesley overcame both Walton A and B 10-0 and 8-2 respectively. Richard Goodhand once again led from the front, unbeaten in both but it was Aimee Sparkes performances that impressed as she beat both Colin Stallwood and Martin Hogg, as did Mike Wright to complete maximums, albeit Walton were without a third player. Michael Andrews like Goodhand is spearheading his teams challenge and he was also undefeated as his team beat Gt Horkesley B 8-2 and Walton C 10-0. Their was a notable performance in the Walton match from Sam Clarke who was drafted in to the ‘B’ team for the first time winning his three as did Mike Shore. H20 Rowhedge C’s title aspirations are fading and it was their ‘A’ team that probably dashed any hope with a 9-1 win. This reversed the result first time round when the ‘A’ team were without both Dave Cole and Kevin Gowlett. This time they both completed maximums and it was only Dave Moss’s win over Kate Wadling, who had two good wins that stopped a rout. The current champions also beat Gt Horkesley B 8-2 making it ten matches without defeat and are now third, fifteen points adrift of Gt Horkesley A whom they beat home and away! St Mary’s A are fourth and they beat sixth placed Rayne A 8-2 as yet again Gary Young won three. Rayne lost by the same score-line to Walton B courtesy of an excellent treble from Dave Binns. Jon Hill won two in both matches for the Braintree team.

There was a welcome return to league play from Colchester President Mick Buckley who showed his veteran skills in winning his three singles in a 10-0 win for H20 Rowhedge D against Tollesbury A. Phil and Mark Smith joined him and Phil was once again unbeaten - for the thirteenth time this season as his side all but clinched promotion with a 9-1 defeat of a two-player Clairmont. Gt Horkesley C are second and they made it ten wins for the season as Lorrie Austin joined Wuidong Liu unbeaten in an 8-2 win at Pegasus B who are bottom. Third placed Walton D are faltering and they were held to a 5-5 draw at H20 Rowhedge E despite another fine triple from Martin Edwards. His team are twenty points back from Horkesley with two games in hand. Lawford A hold on to fourth as John Mills starred in a narrow 6-4 win over Jobserve. The Tiptree team beat Clairmont 7-3 with Roger Warren and Brian Spellor both untroubled as Clairmont hover just three points above the relegation zone having played a game more.

Third Division leaders St Peter’s suffered their fourth defeat since the turn of the season in a 6-4 loss at Tollesbury B. They were without Ian Carter who returned to steady the ship against third placed Pegasus C where he was unbeaten as was Hazel Hume in an 8-2 win. Lawford B maintain the pressure beating a two-man Tollesbury B 8-2 and are nine points back with a game in hand. Tollesbury are themselves just five points off the promotion spots. Rowhedge ‘super-sub’ Colin Powell is still unbeaten in both Divisions’ three and Four and he helped the ‘F’ team to an 8-2 win over Tollesbury B and Lawford C abetted by the rapidly improving junior, Andrew Harvey.

Thomas Lewis was the man-of-the-match in the all Rowhedge clash in Division Four and despite his best efforts for the ‘H’ team leaders H20 Rowhedge G came through 6-4.