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

29th Mar 2010
TREBLE DREAMS OVER FOR H20 ROWHEDGE A

In the semi-final of the Colchester & District Table Tennis League Team Handicap competition Dedham A shattered H20 Rowhedge A’s hopes of a clean sweep of trophies in a last game decider. Rowhedge dropped their secret weapon from the quarter final, Alice Rudge in preference for Mike Shore returning from university for only his third game of the season. This may have proven to be a mistake as Shore struggled with his low handicap and Dedham had their own surprise in Steve Gibson. Without a win in Division Four Gibson, with a thirty-four grade won both his singles in two straight sets but it was left to team mates Andy Franklin and Marjorie Culham to take the 5-4 victory beating Men’s Doubles champions Michael Andrews and Antony Greenwood; 20-22, 21-9, 21-14.

In the Handicap Doubles Semi-final the prospect of an all Lawford final failed to materialise. H20 Rowhedge H beat Lawford B 6-3 and will be joined by Lawford C who beat Pegasus A by the same score line.

In the Minor Cup semi-final Lawford C made it two finals just pipping H20 Rowhedge G 5-4 thanks mainly to Ian Sherwood who was unbeaten in all four games he played in as indeed he was in the league!

In Division One of the league Gt Horkesley A completed a late season double over rivals St Mary’s A winning 6-4 at West Bergholt . In a much closer encounter this time, no player remained undefeated as Richard Goodhand and Mike Wright as well as Gary Young and Greg Green all won two apiece. Gt Horkesley completed their season being held to a 5-5 draw by two player Rayne. Steve Kerns showed his true class winning three and Jon Hill recorded an excellent win over Richard Goodhand as the Braintree pair teamed up to win the doubles to share the points. This puts Horkesley second with third placed H20 Rowhedge B four points behind with one match left to play. This followed another 10-0 whitewash for the village team over Walton C. This is the fifth time they have achieved this score and should finish runners-up to their ‘A’ team. Walton’s young rising star James Denyer played up in the top flight for the first time and found the going tough against an inspired Rowhedge B. Their top three players; Kevin Gowlett, Andrew Mudie and a resurgent David Moss are all in the top ten of the averages and had Mudie have been around at the start of the season they would have been challenging for the title.

There are still promotion issues to be decided in Division’s Two and Four and with this being the last week of the season as well as Cup final week there is still much table tennis to be played!