Such has been the dominance of Netts A at the top of the Braintree Table Tennis League this season that even preventing them winning 10-0 counts as some sort of success.
After four consecutive such wins, they were brought down to earth with a bump – well, maybe a slight shudder – when Rayne B restricted them to 8-2.
It was a match with significance on a personal level as well: a victory for Oliver Hicks over his dad James. That was close, and then not so close: 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-3. Apart from the bragging rights in the Hicks household, it was a notable win in itself as Hicks senior had previously lost only three out of 31 – and had won the first battle with his son 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 in October.
Steve Pennell was responsible for Rayne B’s other point with a straight-games win over Andy Holmes.
It is largely academic, but Rayne A for once bettered the leaders by beating Liberal B 9-1, Ashley Skeggs gaining Liberal’s point with a win over Maria Boulton despite losing the first game 11-1.
Sudbury Nomads also moved a point closer to the top by beating Netts B 9-1.
Jon Hill grabbed Netts B’s point with a win at 11-9 in the fifth against Aron Jordan, but of more interest was the fact that Richard Fifield, all-conquering in division three, remained all-conquering on his division one debut.
At the other end of the table, Liberal C registered their fourth win, 7-3 over Rayne C, but still remain behind their opponents, who have yet to post a victory.
In the Black Notley club battle, it was the B team who came out on top, 8-2 against the A team. Luke Burridge was unbeaten.
There were no wobbles at the top of division two where Sudbury Wanderers had a straightforward 10-0 demolition of Netts D but below them Rayne D pulled two points closer to second place with an 8-2 win over Notley E while Rayne E were held to 6-4 by Rayne F.
For Rayne D, Dave Moles and Paul Wellington were undefeated while for Notley E, Matt Brooks had the rare distinction of bettering son Jamie by registering his side’s only win at Dave Marsh’s expense.
Notley C lost a bit of ground with a 6-4 defeat by Netts C, despite three singles from Rev Matthews, while Doug Sanders was unbeaten in Yeldham Whitlocks’ 6-4 win over Notley F. He beat Graham Chinnery, who had earlier got the better of Roy Hooper.
In division three, leaders Finchingfield A matched their counterparts in the higher divisions with another thumping win, 9-1 over Notley I. Tony Brown pinched the one for Notley with a win over Ray Bradford.
Second-placed Sudbury Strollers were much harder pushed by the juniors of Netts F and needed all the guile of Richard Kemp, in the second division for the past few seasons, to settle a 6-4 win.
The next two teams both lost. James Dickson remained unbeaten for the first time to lead Yeldham B to a 6-4 win over third-placed Notley G while Finchingfield B succumbed by the same score to Rayne G.
Two of the division’s leading players, Ted Sims and Stewart Grant, were both playing for the first time in more than two months in the latter match, Sims creeping home in the battle between the two 3-2 (9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-9).
Netts E pulled further away from the foot of the table with a 6-4 win over Notley H, with David Montgomery unbeaten.
