Sudbury Wanderers have emerged as serious challengers for the division two title in the Braintree Table Tennis League.

An 8-2 victory over Netts C has brought them within six points of leaders Netts B, who lost 6-4 to Black Notley D.

Wanderers have a match in hand whereas at the halfway point in the season after nine matches, Netts were 10 points ahead.

Kierlan Richards took the two singles for Netts C, both at 11-9 in the fifth game but lost out to Richard Kemp at 12-10 in the fifth.

Netts B were without Jon Hill but Szczepan Ziobro, Joe Meleschko and Mike Baldwin is probably the next best combination they could field. They all came the same to Sean Clift, who beat all three in four games while Adam Clift had wins over Meleschko and Baldwin and Richard Upson chimed in with a win over Baldwin.

Third-placed Rayne D, for whom Richard Whiteside was unbeaten, may have hoped for more than a 6-4 win over their own E team whereas Notley C should be happier with an 8-2 win over their own F team after being held to a draw in the first half of the season. Rev Matthews was unbeaten.

Adam Pitt’s three singles and the doubles for Rayne F were not enough to avoid a 6-4 defeat by Notley E.

There were convincing wins for the top two in division one, Rayne A beating Sudbury Nomads 9-1 while Netts A took all ten from Liberal C. A good win for Karl Baldwin over Adam Buxton was Nomads’ one consolation.

Rayne C, in third place, increased the distance between themselves and Liberal B by beating them 6-4. Harry Chivers was unbeaten for Liberal.

Notley A and Rayne B are also one place apart, in eighth and ninth places, and also faced each other, Rayne increasing their chances of climbing above their opponents with a 7-3 win. Notley’s three wins all came from the bat of Neil Freeman.

Scott Dowsett increased his current run to 15 wins out of 15 in Liberal A’s 6-4 defeat of Notley B.