After nine wins and a draw in their 10 matches, Rayne E have tasted their first defeat in division two of the Braintree Table Tennis League.

It came at the hands of their own D team, who they have recently replaced in second spot in the table, and it leaves only two teams, Netts A in division one and Finchingfield A in division three, still unbeaten.

Matthew Brown contributed his usual three singles but his team-mates were unable to follow suit. Adi Kamma, Dave Moles and Paul Wellington all won twice to give the D team a 6-4 win.

The E team’s other win came in the doubles, where Brown was joined by Dave Allinson, some compensation for the latter after losing his own remarkable record of winning one singles in every other match he has played in.

Rayne E hold on to second place but they fell further behind leaders Sudbury Wanderers, who beat Rayne’s F team 8-2. Ian Shrubsole and Natalie Dodd were unbeaten.

Emotions were of a different order at the other end of the table where Netts D picked up their first win.

Jack Dearsley made his first appearance of the season and put in an excellent performance to win his three singles, and the doubles with Jimmy Calisin, to lead his side to a 7-3 victory over Black Notley F.

The top two had comfortable victories in division three. Finchingfield A beat their own B team 8-2, while Sudbury Strollers beat Rayne G 9-1.

The Finchingfield derby featured the first clash between Ray Bradford and son Lucien and it was the 16-year-old who triumphed 11-4, 11-6, 11-8.

Youth was also to the fore in Netts F’s 7-3 win over Notley H where Tom Verrier, 13, and JJ Calisin, 16, took all seven sets between them, a notable achievement particularly as Notley H’s Nigel Parmenter began the evening with 17 wins out of 21.

Netts’ E team also won 7-3, in their case against Rayne H, to lift themselves up a place in the table. Ray Carter turned out for only the second time this season and his three singles, plus three from Steve Willis, helped Yeldham Whitlocks B to a 7-3 win over Notley I.