Experience overcame enthusiasm in the final of the Clacton League’s 2025 Handicap Knock-Out Cup, with top-flight Nomads Lions defeating Third Division Nomads Bobcats 5-1.

It capped an excellent season for the Lions, whose talented squad also finished the season as runners-up in Division One. But it was a second disappointment for the Bobcats, who’d been pipped at the post for the runners-up spot in Division Three by a single point.

On the night, Paul Hume, Ethan Lloyd and Adam Wilkin proved too proficient and too skilful for the less well-travelled Bobcats’ trio, Matt Sage and Alex Baldock only in their second season of League table tennis and Sam Watling in his first.

The Lions, facing a significant handicap difference in every match, showed all the necessary guile to negate the Bobcats’ points advantage, the match being played throughout as best-of-three sets using the new rule for matches where one player starts at -10.

However, the eventual 5-1 score-line belied a final of quality and competitiveness, the Bobcats playing their part in providing the goodly number of spectators with an entertaining evening’s table tennis and surprising many with their high standard of play, well above their Third Division status.  

The opening doubles, as is often the case, started cautiously, with both teams probing for openings. And the Bobcats took heart, Baldock and Watling (+2), matching their opponents Lloyd and Wilkin (-13) point-for-point from 5-5 to 9-9 in the first set before the Lions took it 11-9.

But the Bobcats bounced back, with three unplayable Baldock smashes late in the second set seeing his side take it 11-8. And they cemented the victory by never being headed in the third set, leading 8-0 before the Lions’ pair retrieved their handicap, and staying in front to take match one 9-11, 11-8, 11-7.

The second match saw the last two winners of the League’s Handicap Singles in opposition, with current champion Paul Hume facing 2024 champion Matt Sage. Hume (-13) proved his success this year was no fluke, displaying a mesmeric consistency of return and leaving pen-holder Sage (+3) with little chance to show his true attacking form. Hume got back to parity at 7-7 and 4-4 in each set, winning 11-7, 11-6.

Two vastly improved players in their respective divisions, Alex Baldock with Adam Wilkin, were involved in a quality match three.

The aggressive Baldock (+2) was determined to use his handicap advantage to the full, finishing the first set with a superb backhand winner to take it 11-3. Wilkin (-13) got off to a flyer in the second set, taking the first seven points without reply and levelling at 4-4, before taking the set 11-8. And, despite a nervous start from both players in the third, Wilkin’s astute play and know-how allowed him to achieve parity at 7-7, and take set and match 3-11, 11-8, 11-7.

Most League players go through their whole table tennis career without ever appearing in a cup final but Sam Watling is one of the very few players to accomplish this in his first-ever League season.

It was natural he should start nervously in match four against the in-form Ethan Lloyd, winner of the 2025 Restricted Singles title at the recent Closed Championships. Lloyd (-13) took the first set with ease 11-4 but Watling (+2) grew into the game and gradually showed more of his true form. But he couldn’t stop Lloyd levelling at 7-7 and, helped by an outrageous edge at 8-8, Lloyd took the match for the Lions 11-4, 11-9 to give his side a 3-1 interval lead.

The doubles after the break was a contest of excellent rallies, Hume and Wilkin (-13) coming back from 8-0 down against Sage and Watling (+3) to take the first set 11-9. But the Bobcats’ pair fought back resolutely and matched the Lions point-for-point in the second set, winning 11-0, their opponents failing to get their handicap back.

However, the third set proved different again, Hume and Wilkin taking nine consecutive points on their way to retrieving their handicap at 5-0, before edging their way to a hard-earned 11-9, 0-11, 11-7 victory.

So it was left to Bobcats’ captain Baldock (+3) to try to tame the irrepressible Hume (-17) in match six. Despite the handicap difference of 20 points being the largest of the evening, the two players put on a show which, as it transpired, was a fitting finale for the final, seeing some classic rallies with Baldock’s attacking forehands being returned from deep by Hume, almost as though it were an exhibition match.

But the imperious Hume was not to be denied and, despite an impressive performance from Baldock, Hume crucially got his handicap back at 4-0 in the final set, to take the match 11-9, 5-11, 11-5 and with it the Cup for the Lions.

Well done Nomads Lions, commiserations Nomads Bobcats, but credit to all six players for a marvellous evening’s table tennis.

Final results (Nomads Bobcats players named first):

Match 1: A Baldock/S Watling (+2) beat E Lloyd/A Wilkin (-13) 9-11, 11-8, 11-7

Match 2: M Sage (+3) lost to P Hume (-13) 7-11, 6-11

Match 3: A Baldock (+2) lost to A Wilkin (-11) 11-3, 8-11, 7-11

Match 4: S Watling (+2) lost to E Lloyd (-13) 4-11, 9-11

Match 5: M Sage/S Watling (+3) lost to P Hume/A Wilkin (-13) 9-11, 11-0, 7-11

Match 6: A Baldock (+3) lost to P Hume (-17) 9-11, 11-5, 5-11

Trophies were also presented to the non-playing members of the respective squads who had contributed to the teams’ successful runs up to the final – Jason Lloyd, Adam Cuthbert and Martyn Green for the Lions, and Jack Riddleston for the Bobcats.

The final was well supported by a loyal band of spectators, and competently umpired by Chris Petrou and Ferdy Rodriguez.   

* And one final footnote. For the first time since 2008, when two Junior teams competed, there were no Veteran players appearing in the final. And whilst there are no records to support it, this is probably the first time ever (or first time for a very long time), when none of the players was either a Junior or Veteran. The oldest player on show was aged 32 and the youngest 23, and the average age of the six players 28 years. With players such as these, the future of table tennis in Clacton looks to be in safe hands.