The top two in the Braintree Table Tennis League both notched up further convincing wins as they move towards their first meeting of the season on Thursday of next week.

As with the previous week it was Netts A who came off better, scoring their second successive 10-0 win, over Rayne C, while Rayne A dropped a point in beating Liberal A. Scott Dowsett put the dent in Rayne’s record by beating Adam Buxton.

Rayne’s Paul Lucas has won 18 out of 18 while Paul Davison at Netts has 14 out of 14.

Something has to give next week, but the result could depend more on the form of the rest of the team, Buxton and Maria Boulton for Rayne and James Hicks plus either Andy Holmes or Gary Young for Netts. Rayne have a six-point lead but Netts have a match in hand.

The next two teams, Sudbury Nomads and Black Notley B both won 7-3, Nomads over Liberal B and Notley B against Netts B, while Rayne B registered the same scoreline against Notley A.

Sudbury Wanderers have taken over the top spot in division two after a 10-0 win against Netts C. They jumped above Rayne D, who were held to a draw by their own F team despite Dave Moles’ unbeaten evening.

Eliot Hawthorn made his debut for Notley D and helped his team to a 10-0 win over Netts D while Yeldham Whitlocks A beat Notley E 7-3 and Notley C picked up their first win of the season, also 7-3, against Notley F, for whom Graham Chinnery was unbeaten – including two wins at 11-9 in the final game.

Finchingfield A continue to march on in division three with an 8-2 win over Rayne G, where Alastair Brown and Dave Whiting picked up the two for Rayne.

Second-placed Sudbury Strollers crept a point closer with a 9-1 win over Yeldham B, with Peter Abbott and George Berry unbeaten, while Notley G, in third, took all 10 against their own H team.

Ben Southgate and Steve Baines were unbeaten in Notley I’s 7-3 win over Netts E while Chris High’s three wins led Rayne H to a 6-4 win over Netts F.