The Braintree Table Tennis League season swung into action with a series of very predictable results in the team knockout cup and some slightly closer but still largely anticipated scores in the restricted knockout cup.

In six team knockout cup matches, the losing teams mustered a total of three sets between them.

Rayne A beat Black Notley C 5-0 while Notley B declared at 7-0 against their own D team and Liberal C conceded to Sudbury Nomads.

The only teams to drop a set were Liberal B, Netts A and Rayne B, who beat Rayne D, Netts B and Notley E respectively 8-1.

Liberal B’s win over Rayne D featured a good win for Dave Moles over Mike Johnston, Jon Hill overcame Fred Evans for Netts B and Peter Hance gave second best to Peter Pond in Rayne B’s win.

Other encounters of note included a spirited fight by Netts B’s Szczepan Ziobro against the experienced Andy Holmes, who just edged it at 11-7 in the fifth game.

The closest match of the week came in the restricted cup where Rayne G recovered from 4-3 down to beat Notley I 5-4. Brian How just held on to beat Jill Canning 11-9 in the fifth in the final singles and then he and Alastair Brown took the deciding doubles.

Just about the only upset was third division Notley G’s 7-2 win over second division Rayne E. Strong performances from Graham Chinnery and Mel Cooch were no surprise but Peter Game can be particularly pleased with a win over Dave Allinson.

Tim Schafer held up Netts D’s progress against Rayne H but his two singles and a doubles were not enough to prevent a 6-3 defeat.

Second division Netts C beat third division Notley H 7-2 but Ben Southgate, in his first season in the league, illustrated his potential with a win over Jack Dearsley.

Sudbury Wanderers predictably scored a 9-0 win over Netts E but two of the league’s new sides, Sudbury Strollers and Great Yeldham, were given a tough baptism, losing by the same score to Notley F and Rayne F respectively.

Strollers’ Geoff Barrett came closest to causing an upset when he stretched Jamie Brooks to 11-8 in the fifth game.