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

9th Feb 2010
LEAGUE LEADERS SUFFER FIRST DEFEAT!

H20 Rowhedge A suffered their first defeat of the season, ironically to their ‘B’ team, 6-4 in the Colchester and District Table Tennis League Division One. The ‘A’ team’s plight was not helped by fielding only two players and with Kevin Gowlett following his maximum, now topping the averages and in superb form his team are unbeaten since the last time the pair met. Andrew Mudie provided good support beating Antony Greenwood in four sets. Michael Andrews won two for the ‘A’ team including an excellent straight sets win over Mudie and the strangest result downing John Andrews 8-11, 11-2, 11-1, 12-10! With St Mary’s A beating Walton B 9-1 and Gt Horkesley A defeating the seasiders ‘A’ team 7-3 the title race is not yet over but with the challengers likely to take points off each other, H20 Rowhedge A remain firm favourites. Rayne beat Gt Horkesley B 6-4, a result that takes Horkesley off the bottom, albeit by just one point having played a game more than Walton C. Both teams are favourites for the drop as Steve Kerns starred for Rayne, not dropping a set on his way his three.

Division Two leaders Lawford A were held to 5-5 draw at fourth placed H20 Rowhedge I. Without Graham Mortimer, Alan Burgess completed a straight forward maximum, all in three sets. Dave Harrison made his first appearance of the season for Rowhedge and was beaten by Mark Nowers and Dave Howe, also on début, as both Lawford players won a brace. Walton D return to the second promotion position after experiencing all three results possible in their last three matches. They made short work of H20 Rowhedge D 8-2 with Martin Edwards unbeaten but despite another triple his team could only draw 5-5 with Pegasus A. This eases the Copford based teams relegation fears as Steve Noble registered a fine 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 win over John Hobson as the pair both won two. Lawford B were the surprise winners over Walton, 7-3 thanks to an impressive treble from youngster Tom Malster including a ‘three straight’ win over the aforementioned Martin Edwards; 11-9, 12-10, 11-8. Pegasus A also drew with Lawford B 5-5, Mark Seymour the man-of-the-match winning his three, downing Noble in five ends. Gt Horkesley C remain third as they beat bottom team St Peters 7-3 with Wuidong Liu and Lorrie Austin unbeaten. With Clairmont losing 7-3 to Pegasus B the pair are now level and along with St Peters fill the relegation positions.

Walton E regain the lead in Division Three and they made short work of Pegasus D 10-0. Following two good wins Pegasus C move up to third, the first a 7-3 success over their ‘D’ team, thanks mainly to Paul Woolnough’s treble and then a 10-0 whitewash of H20 Rowhedge E. H20 Rowhedge F beat St Mary’s B 9-1 with Colin Powell and Nigel Claydon, undefeated.

Gt Horkesley E are still without a win in Division Four and had they fielded a full compliment of players would stood a better chance of beating Lawford D as their two players, Jennie Clark and Rob Mitchell won two apiece in a narrow 6-4 defeat! At the top the University of Essex won their ninth match on the spin, 8-2 at Lawford E and second placed H20 Rowhedge H accounted for St Mary’s C by the same score line. James Downes and Rob Bozier for the University, and Thomas Lewis and Jimmy Li for Rowhedge were undefeated in these matches. Third placed Lawford C slipped up at Pegasus E big time, losing 8-2 with Nick Murray winning his three.