Table tennis round-up: Div 1 leaders pull away

Wednesday 30 October 2024

Leaders in the top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues have some distance between themselves and the chasing pack for the first time this season.

Whistlers B have begun to stretch out their advantage in Division 1 after hitting the summit last week.

While action in the other divisions has also seen some change.

Division 1

Whistlers B secured an emphatic 9-1 win over the side at the foot of the table, Ravenscroft Panthers A. Lawrence Stacey and Dawn Morgan were unbeaten, each getting the better of Barnaby Groves, Nye Matthew and reserve Ben Foote. There was also a welcome season debut for young Oskar Cleal as he defeated both Matthew and Foote in straight sets. He also teamed with Stacey in a hard fought 5 set doubles win over Groves and Matthew. It was Groves that prevented the whitewash in the end, thanks to a close straight sets win over fellow junior Cleal, with every set being won 11-9.

Previous leaders Lions C slipped a further point back and are 2 adrift, after being held to a 5-5 draw by 6th placed side, Lions E. The E side have now drawn 3 of their 5 matches and have only been beaten on 1 occasion. This is largely thanks to the form of Ben Foss, who remains to be the sole player in the Division yet to lose a singles match. He did have one of his tougher evenings on this occasion, as he was extended in every match. His first match was the closest as it saw Dan Collenette extend the match to a decisive 5th end. Foss kept composed and sealed it 11-6, before dispatching Ryan Bichard in 4 sets. He concluded with a 4 sets win over Connor Powell, having dropped the opener. Matthew Stubbington has provided good support to Foss and he had another solid evening which helped to achieve this result. He beat Powell in straight sets before earning an excellent 4 sets win over Collenette. Each of the C side picked up wins over Charlotte Casey, whilst Bichard saw off Stubbington in straight sets. The key doubles match saw Bichard and Collenette come through against Foss and Casey in straight sets.

Whistlers A moved up into fourth following a strong 7-3 win over a Lions D side missing Paul Hainsworth. Joshua Stacey, fresh off winning the Senior Group tournament just 2 nights prior, continued his strong form with an unbeaten evening. He defeated Jez Powell, Craig Dunning and reserve Ellis Tomlin without dropping a set. Matthew Casey added straight sets wins over Dunning and Tomlin, whilst Joseph Bourgaize defeated Dunning in 4 sets. The doubles was won by Casey and Bourgaize over Powell and Dunning in straight sets. For the Lions side, Powell beat Casey in 4 sets and Bourgaize in 5 sets, whilst Tomlin picked up a super straight sets win over Bourgaize.

Lions A are finally off the mark after they secured the scalp of third placed side Lions B. Joshua Butler was the main man as he put in an evening of excellent performances. He defeated Phil Ogier, Jamie Ferbrache and Steve Ozanne for the loss of just a single end to Ozanne. Liam Robilliard was also in good form during 4 set wins over Ferbrache and Ozanne, whilst the duo combined well in the doubles to overturn a 2-0 deficit on the way to beating Ogier and Ozanne. For the beaten Lions side, Ogier beat Robilliard in 4 sets, whilst wins were obtained by all members against reserve Cameron Powell.

Division 2

It is all change at the top after Whistlers D sprang a surprise on league leaders Whistlers C this week. The 6-4 win sees the Whistlers C side down to third, with Lions F into second, despite them having had a point deducted earlier in the season for being a player short.

The result for the D side was largely due to Kay Chivers, who was unbeaten and it also saw them come back from 3-1 down in the process. She had to do it the hard way in her first match as she trailed Paula Le Ber 2-1, before storming back to win in 5. He other wins came against Kennedy Chepkor in 4 sets and Tim Le Page in straight sets. She also combined with Keith Opie to win the crucial doubles rubber against Chepkor and Le Page in 4 sets. Opie contributed with an important straight sets win over Le Page, whilst Henri Whitehorne secured the points with a vital 4 set win over Le Ber in the penultimate match of the night. Chepkor was the best performer for the beaten side as he edged Opie in 5 sets and beat Whitehorne in straight sets. Le Ber also edged Opie in 5 sets, whilst Le Page beat Whitehorne in straight sets.

Lions F are the form side of the Division. Since being deducted a point during their 5-5 draw with Lions I, they have won 6 in a row. This week they beat Lions H 8-2. Caden Brouard is joint top of the averages, having lost just one singles match and he was unbeaten in singles action here too. He beat Mark Fenwick in 4 sets, Cameron Powell in 4 sets and Ian Le Page in straight sets. James Crocker beat Powell and Le Page in straight sets, whilst Joe Ingrouille added a crucial 4 set win over Le Page to seal the win. Fenwick did best for the defeated side due to a 5 set win over Ingrouille and an impressive straight sets win over Crocker. Powell did well to defeat Ingrouille in 4 sets, whilst he also combined with Le Page strongly in a 5 set doubles win over Crocker and Ingrouille.

Division 3

Ravenscroft Panthers D continue to head the table with dominant displays, Whistlers F the 6th time a 10-0 whitewash has been obtained by the leaders and the second time they have been brushed, following an identical result in the 2nd week of the season. Micah Cohen, Shaun Mosley and Steve Martin showed no mercy against Keira Eldridge and reserves Jan Priest and Matthew Hale, although Eldridge gave a good effort against Martin and only lost in 5 sets. The doubles was won by Mosley and Martin against Eldridge and Priest in 4 sets.

Division 4

Lions K and Lions M remain locked at the top, with just games difference ratio separating them.

The K side has a superior ratio by a few matches and this was helped further as they picked up a 10-0 whitewash via a rare walkover against Bribar A.

The Lions M side were not far behind though as they ran out 9-1 winners over Whistlers I. Rachael Sharp and Karen Brouard were unbeaten against Shaun Evans, Steph Evans and Connor Osbourne, whilst Katy Collenette beat Osbourne and Steph. Shaun prevented the whitewash in the final match of the night when he beat Collenette in 4 sets. Brouard and Collenette beat Steph and Osbourne in straight sets in the doubles.