It’s been an indifferent start to the season for Brotherhood B in Division Two of the Clacton League, but they recorded their most impressive result to date with a hard-fought 6-4 win over last year’s runners-up, Walton D.

Mark Salter (pictured above, photo by Roger Hance), the current Division Two Singles champion, led the way for Brotherhood, notching up his first maximum of the season with wins over Clive Allenby, Paul Woolnough and a comfortable-looking 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-7) success against Andy Foster, only the second defeat of the season for Foster.

Paul Alden and Barry Allen added a point apiece, Allen getting a crucial 11-9 in the fifth win over Paul Woolnough, while Alden nearly picked up a second win, pipped 11-9 in the fifth by Foster. For Walton, there were two each for Foster and Clive Allenby.

Elsewhere, three for Denes Somodi could not prevent Lawford taking the honours 6-4 against Nomads Tigers. James Tindle, Richard Spence and Charlie Denholm all won two each for the winners.

It was 6-4 also for Windsor Penguins against Nomads Jaguars. Scott Campbell enjoyed an 11-9 in the fifth success against Chris Petrou on his way to taking a maximum for the Penguins, while Sharon Gowlett’s couple included an 11-5 in the fifth win against Kevin Hogg in the final match of the evening. For the third match running, Petrou picked up two for the Jaguars.

It was a good week for Ferdy Rodriguez in Division Three, the Windsor Harriers’ captain remaining unbeaten in his side’s two matches.

The Harriers were 6-4 winners against Brotherhood G, Rodriguez going the full distance before beating Danny Still 11-8 in the fifth and Dan Grindrod 11-4 in the fifth. Isabel Barton won a couple, although it was a tight 12-10 in the decider against Still.

And the Harriers followed this with an 8-2 success against Windsor Magpies, Rodriguez together with Isabel Barton winning the doubles 11-4 in the decider against John Plummer and Dave Sweetland in the only match which went the distance.

But the Magpies had better fortune against Nomads Ocelots, Plummer, Sweetland and Alan Rutledge all undefeated in the 10-0 victory, with all the individual encounters settled in three-straight.

Brotherhood E were also 10-0 victors, this over Nomads Lynx. Tricia Salter, Rodney Betts and Tony Edmonds were all unbeaten, although Edmonds only just got the better of Ian Gwillim 11-9 in the fifth. Brotherhood’s win means they are just a single point behind current leaders Windsor Harriers, with the two teams due to meet next week.

There were trebles for Dominic Joannou and Bob Jillins in Nomads Leopards’ 8-2 win over Brotherhood F, although Jillins was pushed hard by Ruby Gallagher, eventually winning 11-6 in the fifth. But the closest match was the doubles, Joannou and Jillins scraping past Gallagher and Tom Bryden 14-12 in the fifth. JJ Barry and Gallagher picked up a point each for Brotherhood.

It was also 8-2 for the Leopards against Nomads Bobcats, Stuart Wilkinson winning his three, with Joannou and Chris Wilmotte each taking two. Matt Sage picked up two excellent wins for the Bobcats, including an 11-3 in the fifth victory over Joannou. Alex Baldock nearly got on the score-sheet, narrowly losing 11-7 in the decider to Wilmotte, as did Jack Riddleston against Wilkinson, going down by the tightest of margins, 16-14 in the decider.

But the Bobcats’ improvement earned them the plaudits as they shared the spoils with the experienced Walton E team. Sage recorded an excellent debut League hat-trick which included an 11-4 in the fifth victory over Maggie Earle and an even closer 11-9 in the fifth success against Lynette Sparks. Riddleston and Baldock added a point apiece. For Walton, there were two each for Earle and Sparks, the pair also sharing a five-set win against Baldock and Sage in the doubles.

In Division One Nomads Lions moved up the table after recording two important victories.

They defeated Windsor Hawks 8-2, Sam Hume, in his first appearance of the season, staying unbeaten, and Adam Wilkin and Ethan Lloyd contributing a couple each. In the big clash of the evening, Hume edged past Daniel Young 3-2 (11-6, 7-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9).

And the Lions team followed this with a 6-4 victory against Windsor Eagles, Charlie Fulcher taking a treble. Adam Cuthbert took a couple, but lost his season’s 100% record, going down 11-8 in the decider to Gary Cattermole. Cattermole took two points for the Eagles.

Brotherhood A put out two strong reserves against Walton B and it was enough to give them a 6-4 win, Russell Hillier and reserve Kevin Pryor each winning two, with second reserve Simon Smith-Daye getting past Graham Buxton 14-12 in the fifth. Gavin Price remained undefeated for the losers, his maximum including a 14-12 in the decider win against Smith-Daye.

But reigning champions Nomads Panthers still lead the way, this week easing past Windsor Buzzards 10-0, John Hatley, Gill Locke and Gracie Edwards all unbeaten. Only the final match of the evening went the distance, Hatley given a stern test by Andy Cawley before coming through 11-8 in the decider.

* The Division Two fixture between Windsor Kestrels and Brotherhood C had to be abandoned early in the match because of an illness to the Kestrels’ Peter Aumord which needed an ambulance attendance. After a few days in hospital, Peter has since returned home and all in the League wish him well for a full recovery. The match will be replayed at a later date.

This also affected the Division One encounter between Windsor Hawks and Walton C, as the Hawks’ skipper, John Barton, was called away, without completing his first match, to administer first aid while waiting for the ambulance. The remaining players played out the match to its completion, leaving the final score at 4-3 to the Hawks. Pending confirmation by the Management Committee, this is the score which the two teams have agreed should stand.

* Congratulations go to Gracie Edwards who has been selected as one of the ten coaches in the first cohort of Table Tennis England’s national SHEcoaches initiative which aims to identify and produce the next generation of female talent and performance coaches.

Gracie, who’s studying to become a teacher with a focus on PE, is Clacton’s leading woman player, as well as being an integral part of the League’s coaching team. The cohort will go through an induction session in mid-December, with the scheme getting under way in January.

RESULTS
Division 1
Nomads Panthers 10 Windsor Buzzards 0
Nomads Lions 8 Windsor Hawks 2
Walton B 4 Brotherhood A 6
Windsor Eagles 4 Nomads Lions 6
Windsor Hawks 4 Walton C 3
Division 2
Nomads Tigers 4 Lawford 6
Brotherhood B 6 Walton D 4
Nomads Jaguars 4 Windsor Penguins 6
Division 3
Nomads Leopards 8 Brotherhood F 2
Nomads Bobcats 5 Walton E 5
Windsor Magpies 2 Windsor Harriers 8
Nomads Bobcats 2 Nomads Leopards 8
Windsor Magpies 10 Nomads Ocelots 0
Brotherhood G 4 Windsor Harriers 6
Brotherhood E 10 Nomads Lynx 0