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

23rd Feb 2010
BOZIER LOSES UNBEATEN RECORD AS UNIVERSITY SLIP UP

Colchester & District Table Tennis League Division Four leaders University of Essex suffered their second successive defeat to the Lawford club, 8-2 as their promotion push continues to falter. It was Lawford D’s turn this week as Peter Sear completed a fine maximum including the University’s captain Rob Bozier’s first defeat, ending a run of twenty-nine straight wins, 11-13, 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 11-13. Second placed H20 Rowhedge G also slipped up, suffering only their second defeat of the season, 6-4 against third placed Lawford C. Lawford’s defeat of the top two teams in their last two fixtures has taken them to within six points of the lead and it was Ian Sherwood this week who scored a maximum which included an excellent five set win over Mark Burrows as well as son, Mark three straight. This leaves Rowhedge favourites to go up as they are three points off the lead with two games in hand, but it’s perm two from three in an exiting run in as the top two still have to meet! H20 Rowhedge H are fourth as they beat Pegasus E 6-4 despite Kevin Turner’s best efforts as he won all three for the Copford team, inflicting Jimin Li’s first defeat in fifteen games! St Mary’s C had two good wins, both 7-3 against the ‘E’ teams of Gt Horkesley and Lawford. Paul Weston was unbeaten in both matches without dropping a set!

Walton E stretch their lead in Division Three beating H20 Rowhedge E 8-2 and drawing with Tollesbury B, 5-5. James Denyer was another to loose their unbeaten record this week, to Tollesbuy’s Rob King 11-9, 10-12, 11-4, 9-11, 7-11, following twenty-one straight wins. Tollesbury A should bounce back to Division Two, recording their seventh successive win, against their ‘B’ team, Paul Freeman and Roger Clark both undefeated. Pegasus C recorded two good results, beating Dedham 6-4 and a draw with St Mary’s B, 5-5. No Pegasus player won three, a testament to their strength in depth! Mick Isom was unbeaten for the West Bergholt team, the highlight was a fine five set win over Dave Haslam. St Mary’s were well beaten, 8-2 at Pegasus D a match which featured John Sorrell’s first blank in thirty-five matches the last one of which he pulled out due to injury which may mean the end to his competitive career!

Lawford A and Walton D are firm favourites to go up to the top echelon and both duly completed wins again. Clairmont put up stiff resistance, in the form of Paul Tracey in a 6-4 defeat to Lawford. He was unstoppable winning all three and the doubles a feat emulated by Martin Edwards for Walton in a 9-1 drubbing of Pegasus B. Lawford B have risen three places to joint third as they whitewashed bottom club St Peters 10-0. It’s good to see the youngsters doing well as Tom Malster, Jon Mills and Matt Webb continue their rise, all unbeaten. H20 Rowhedge D jump over Gt Horkesley C after their 7-3 win thanks to a Peter Kirkland treble.

Ken Lewis scored a major upset in Division One, downing Colchester Men’s champion Greg Green in three well constructed sets. Surprisingly this was his only win as Sue Welham recorded her first maximum of the season in a 7-3 win for St Mary’s A over Gt Horkesley B. The previous week Ken’s son Mark did much the same beating Gt Horkesley A’s Aimee Sparks 19-17 in the fifth end as his team still lost 6-4! Fred Dove returned to the Colchester League winning two as Walton A lost 7-3 to H20 Rowhedge A with Michael Andrews inflicting his only defeat, completing a captain’s performance as Steve Joslin won just one, also well beaten by Neil Crook