Rayne C’s unlikely record as the only unbeaten team throughout the three divisions of the Braintree Table Tennis League has finally tumbled after they were beaten twice in four days.

Despite sitting in a relatively modest fourth place in division one, Rayne had won five and drawn one of their first six matches before the reckoning came upon them.

First Sudbury Nomads beat them 7-3 and then their own A team twisted the knife with an 8-2 victory.

Against Nomads, Rayne won three of the first four sets but went no further. Steve Pennell won twice but Aron Jordan was the man in form for Nomads. He came back from two games down to beat Pennell and won his other two sets.

Rayne A had Lee McHugh in their side for only the second time this season and he and Paul Lucas were both undefeated in the second encounter.

It was not all good news for Rayne A, however, as they lost earlier 7-3 to Liberal A, who gave a debut to leading Essex junior Harry Chivers, currently boasting a 93.75 average in the Chelmsford first division.

He won his three singles, including a stunning 11-1 in the deciding game against McHugh.

Netts A took advantage of Rayne A’s slip-up to establish a three-point lead at the top after a 9-1 win over Rayne B, a match that saw a return to the league of Antonio Beckles, who remained unbeaten.

In the other match in the division, Black Notley’s A and B teams shared the points in a match where no one won all three or lost all three and six sets went to five games.

In a rearranged match in division three, Netts D stretched their lead at the top with a 9-1 win over Notley I. Jimmy Calisin and son Charles were both unbeaten.

There were convincing wins in the two restricted up semi-finals which will lead to a Rayne F v Sudbury Wanderers final in April.

Wanderers had an 8-1 victory over Netts C, where they were held up only by Kierlan Richards’ win over Peter Abbott, while Rayne F also came home 8-1 better off from Finchingfield. A good win for Ray Bradford over Alex Morgan was their only compensation.