The two youngest League teams were in opposition in Division Three of the Clacton & District League and it was Brotherhood F who emerged 6-4 victors over club-mates Brotherhood E.

In a keenly fought contest, no-one stayed unbeaten. Joe Sherwin and Tom Bryden picked up a couple each for the winners, the pair also sharing a doubles win, with JJ Barry getting the crucial sixth point with a 3-0 (14-12, 17-15, 11-8) success over Lucy Carvell. Andrey Pavlov and Yulian Yaramenko won two each for the ‘E’ side.

Leaders Windsor Penguins conceded their first point of the season in their 9-1 victory over Windsor Magpies. Neil Chegwidden and Kayley Rodriguez took trebles, although Rodriguez had to battle hard before beating Alan Rutledge 3-2 (5-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8). John Plummer took the Magpies’ point, an excellent win in four over Annabelle Stallwood.

There were hat-tricks for Joe Plummer and John Harvey as Windsor Merlins defeated Walton E 7-3, Plummer having an exciting game against Paul Woolnough before edging it 3-2 (11-5, 10-12, 11-1, 8-11, 12-10). His Merlins team-mate, Ruby Gallagher, will feel unlucky not to have got on the scoresheet, going down 13-11 in the fifth to Adrian Sexton.

Three for Doug Green weren’t enough to prevent Nomads Bobcats losing 7-3 to Nomads Ocelots. Hazel Blanche, Christophe Wilmotte and Arthur Wells-Garrett all won two for the Ocelots, although both Blanche and Wilmotte needed a fifth set to defeat Norman Jacobs.

But Nomads Leopards were too strong for Nomads Lynx, winning 10-0 with Stu, Dom and Bob – Wilkinson, Joannou and Jillins – all unbeaten.

In Division One there were hat-tricks for James Denyer and Gill Locke as Nomads Panthers defeated Windsor Eagles 9-1. Both Locke and reserve John Hatley beat John Pattrick 11-4 in the fifth, the same score coincidentally by which Denyer and Locke won the doubles against Mel Rampton and Phil Smith. Rampton picked up the Eagles’ consolation point.

Every player took at least one point as Brotherhood A edged out Walton B 6-4. For Brotherhood, Kevin Gowlett took three, Alan Burgess two and Grant Sharpe one, whilst Gavin Price, John Marshall and Graham Buxton each recorded a singles win for the losers. The closest match of the evening was the doubles, Price and Buxton coming back from 6-0 down in the fifth to defeat Gowlett and Burgess 11-8 in the decider.

It was also 6-4 in the all-Walton clash where the ‘A’ team beat the ‘C’ team. In a match where, once again, every player took at least one point, Kevin James took his maximum with Derek Willis winning two and Colin Dearman one. Mark Gale, Jason Gale and Mark Ratcliffe took one each for Walton C, Jason Gale denying Willis his treble in the closest match of the encounter, winning 13-11 in the fifth.

In Division Two Dave Martin and Ray Chillingworth picked up trebles in Windsor Buzzards’ 9-1 victory over Windsor Kestrels. Pete Bloomfield won two and shared a close 3-2 (11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 10-12, 11-8) doubles victory with Chillingworth over Graham Bunce and Peter Aumord. Aumord took the Kestrels’ sole point but nearly won a second, just losing out 11-9 in the decider to Chillingworth.

Brotherhood B defeated Brotherhood C 7-3 in a match closer than the scoreline suggests. Mark Salter was unbeaten for the winners, with Paul Alden winning two and Tricia Salter one. For the losers, there was one each for Paul Metcalf, Mark Beckham and John Gallagher, Metcalf edging past Tricia Salter 11-5 in the fifth and taking Mark Salter close before losing 11-6 in the fifth. Beckham inflicted an unexpected defeat on Paul Alden but lost to Tricia Salter 11-9 in the decider.  

Every player also picked up at least a point in the drawn match between Windsor Harriers and Brotherhood D but it was Martin Scarfe who took the individual honours, winning his three singles in three-straight. James Smith-Daye, making a welcome return to Clacton League table tennis after a seven-year absence, and Tony Edmonds picked up a point each for Brotherhood.

Isabel Barton and Jenny Higgins won one each for the Harriers and shared a doubles win in what turned out to be the closest match of the evening, beating Scarfe and Edmonds 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6).

RESULTS

Division 1
Walton A 6 Walton C 4
Brotherhood A 6 Walton B 4
Nomads Panthers 9 Windsor Eagles 1

Division 2
Windsor Harriers 5 Brotherhood D 5
Windsor Buzzards 9 Windsor Kestrels 1
Brotherhood B 7 Brotherhood C 3

Division 3
Windsor Magpies 1 Windsor Penguins 9
Nomads Leopards 10 Nomads Lynx 0
Brotherhood E 4 Brotherhood F 6
Walton E 3 Windsor Merlins 7
Nomads Bobcats 3 Nomads Ocelots 7