Harry Beezer, Scott Campbell and Millie Easton breezed to success this week to take the Clacton & District League’s Junior Combination Trophy for 2016.

The trio dominated the event and triumphed without losing an individual match, and in the final defeated Woody Fitzpatrick, Kayleigh Stratford and Liam Harris without even conceding a set.

It was a second Junior Combination success for Easton in her short table tennis career but there was only disappointment for Fitzpatrick, a losing finalist for the second year running.

In the semi-finals, the Beezer trio defeated the combination of Tom Wilkin, Maci Harvey and Harley Faulkner 3-0, whilst Fitzpatrick’s team beat Morgan Harvey, Ethan Lloyd and Georgia Ayton 3-1, the latter contest producing the two closest matches of the evening.

In an entertaining attacking encounter, Lloyd (-5) edged out Kayleigh Stratford (+1) 3-2 (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6) to provide the sole success for Morgan Harvey’s team, whilst Liam Harris (-1) had an encouraging 3-2 (11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 11-2) win over Georgia Ayton (+1).

The 12 competitors, who included two non-League juniors from the Monday-night coaching sessions, provided an evening of impressive table tennis, played in a top sporting spirit that was a credit to both their parents and their table tennis coaches.

Final results: Scott Campbell (-5) beat Kayleigh Stratford (+1) 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-8); Harry Beezer/Millie Easton (0) beat Woody Fitzpatrick/Liam Harris (0) 3-0 (13-11, 11-6, 11-9); Millie Easton (0) beat Liam Harris (0) 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-8).

The Consolation Doubles, played on a round-robin basis, saw victory for Ethan Lloyd and Maci Harvey (+1) who won their two matches, including a showdown third match 3-1 (12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8) against runners-up Morgan Harvey and Harley Faulkner (-1).

* In Round Four of the Handicap Knock-Out Cup, the only all-Division One clash saw Windsor Condors defeat Brotherhood C. The Condors took an early 3-0 lead, two of the wins coming in matches that went to five. But Brotherhood hit back with Fred Gallone (+1) beating Elliott Attrill (-5) in five, and Gallone and Alan Burgess (+1) defeating Colin Stallwood and Annabelle Rodriguez (-3) with surprising ease in three-straight. But that was the extent of the Brotherhood success, the Condors running out 5-2 winners, Attrill (+1) administering the coup de grace with a 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-3) win over Burgess (-5).

It was somewhat more comfortable for another top-flight Windsor side, the Eagles recording a 5-0 victory over the plucky Windsor Ospreys but showing little mercy on their Division Three opponents with only one of the five matches extended to a fourth set.

There was defeat also for only other Third Division side remaining in the competition, the Ocelots going down 5-3 to the Jaguars in an all-Nomads clash. Kevin Hume, the only player to take both his singles, led the way for the Jaguars, also sharing a crucial 3-2 (12-10, 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9) doubles victory with Andrew North (-1) over Mike Wellum and Tom Collins (+1) in match five.

In the semi-finals, Windsor Condors will play the winners of the all-Division One quarter-final clash between Nomads Lions v Walton B which will be played on 18th March, whilst Nomads Jaguars will host Windsor Eagles.

The Cup Final will be played at the Brotherhood Hall on Tuesday April 26.

* In Division One of the League, the Windsor Kestrels v Brotherhood C match ended all-square, a first draw of the season for both teams. Kevin Gowlett took a comfortable treble for Brotherhood whilst Graham Bunce and John Harvey notched up two each for the Kestrels. The crucial match, and the only one which went the distance, was the doubles, Gowlett and Pryor edging it 13-11, 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7 against Bunce and Harvey.

Division Two leaders Windsor Owls avenged an early-season defeat by Windsor Buzzards to record an emphatic 8-2 victory. Mark Salter and Frank Burbidge took hat-tricks, Salter needing five sets to defeat Pete Bloomfield as did Burbidge against Angela Barratt.

Brotherhood F were up against a weakened Brotherhood H but were still good value for their 9-1 win. Sandie Isaac and Lee Allen stayed unbeaten, although it was a tight 3-2 (15-13, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9) for Isaac against ‘H’ side reserve Graham Healey. Graham Parkes picked up the losers’ consolation point with an 11-8 in the decider win over Barry Allen.

It was a bad week for Brotherhood E who lost twice and picked up just two points in their battle to stave off relegation.

In their first match, they went down 8-2 to Brotherhood I, their only points coming from a Tony Edmonds win over Mark Beckham, and a doubles success for Edmonds and Rodney Betts against Beckham and Tom Wilkin. But the evening was marred by a serious injury to Edmonds in the final match of the evening which forced him to concede after two sets.

This meant Brotherhood E went into their second match with a reserve and it was little surprise they went down 10-0 to Nomads Bobcats. Tony Robinson, Doug Green and Tony Beezer all stayed unbeaten, the closest two matches seeing Robinson beat Duncan Dunne 11-7 in the fifth and Beezer beating Betts 11-5 in the fifth.

If it was bad week for Brotherhood E, it was a good week for Jason Lloyd who took a brace of hat-tricks in Nomads Leopards’ two Division Three matches.

The Leopards were 8-2 victors against Nomads Cougars, Lloyd’s treble including a fine win over Mike Hillier. Hillier won the Cougars’ two points, whilst Norman Jacobs and Ethan Lloyd each won two for the Leopards.

But despite Lloyd’s unbeaten heroics in their encounter with Nomads Wildcats, the Leopards went down 6-4. Brian Friday and Andrew Cawley won a couple each for the winners and both took Lloyd close, both losing 11-5 in the decider. But the pivotal result of the night turned out to be Hazel Blanche’s 3-2 (11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 10-12, 11-8) win over her former-Leopards team-mate Norman Jacobs.

In an all-Windsor encounter, the Kites won 6-4 against a Penguins’ team forced to field a reserve. Chris Simson took both his legitimate matches for the Kites whilst Jack Haylett picked up a crucial, nail-biting 12-10 in the decider win over Jackie Bunce. Harry Barlow won two and Bunce one for the Penguins, the pair also sharing an 11-4 in the fifth doubles success against Simson and Haylett.

For the record, the win for the Kites takes their season’s tally to 59 points, their best-ever total in their six seasons in the League. And, proving that perseverance pays, in each of those six seasons they have improved year-on-year, taking just seven points in 2010-11 but improving to 15 (in 2011-12), 20 (in 2012-13), 52 (in 2013-14) and 55 last season. Well done to the Kites!

* The League’s 2016 Closed Championships will be held over the weekend of April 16 and 17 at the Coastal Academy Sports Hall. Full details have been sent to all registered League players and are also on the League’s website. The qualification for entry is six League matches. Entry can be made on-line to Peter White or by post to Tony Oswick, with a closing date of Saturday March 26.

* The League’s Quiz Evening is this Saturday (March 12) at the Brotherhood Hall starting at 7.30pm. The cost is £2.50 per person for teams of up to six. Bring your own drink and nibbles. To enter a team or for more details phone Viv Rodriguez on 01255 830951.

* A final reminder to Club and Team Secretaries that matches between teams from the same club must be brought forward and played by Friday April 8. The relevant matches are listed in the League Handbook.

RESULTS
Knock-Out Cup Round 4
Windsor Eagles 5 Windsor Ospreys 0
Nomads Jaguars 5 Nomads Ocelots 3
Brotherhood C 2 Windsor Condors 5

League
Division 1
Windsor Kestrels 5 Brotherhood C 5

Division 2
Brotherhood H 1 Brotherhood F 9
Windsor Owls 8 Windsor Buzzards 2
Brotherhood E 2 Brotherhood I 8
Nomads Bobcats 10 Brotherhood E 0

Division 3
Nomads Wildcats 6 Nomads Leopards 4
Windsor Kites 6 Windsor Penguins 4
Nomads Cougars 2 Nomads Leopards 8