The Lynx have done it at last! The only team without a win in the Clacton & District League broke their duck with a welcome 7-3 victory in Division Three over Nomads Cougars.
Liam Harris celebrated his forthcoming 11th birthday with, hopefully, the first of many League hat-tricks, whilst Cameron Cini with two wins and Barbara Rogers with one gave valuable support. Harris and Cini also shared a five-set doubles success against Zoe Strange and Sue Lee.
Strange won two for the Cougars, with Lee defeating Rogers 3-2 (7-11, 11-6, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4) for her team’s third point.
The presence of Graham Healey and Paul Metcalf in Brotherhood G’s side enabled them to avenge an early-season 8-2 defeat by Windsor Kites – by beating them 8-2. Both Healey and Metcalf stayed unbeaten whilst there were a couple from Rob Bright. Both the Kites’ points came from matches that went to five, Chris Simson beating Bright and, with Jack Haylett, defeating Bright and Jo Millar in the doubles.
Meanwhile, at the top there’s no stopping Nomads Pumas. The leaders took their total points tally to an impressive 120 with a whitewash win over Windsor Swallows. There were trebles for Eric Lemke, John Bowers and Lionel Goddard. Goddard’s 3-2 (8-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5) win over Iris Howlett was the only match extended to a fifth set.
John Long replaced Rivhu Khan for Walton D’s match against Windsor Penguins and did all he was asked by staying undefeated. But two each from Windsor’s Alan Charman and Ron Dacey, and a 3-2 (11-13, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9) win for Jackie Bunce over Toni Hayhow-Khan, gave the Penguins a 6-4 victory.
It was a match of topsy-turvy individual results as Windsor Ospreys won 7-3 against a Nomads Wildcats’ side forced to use a guest player. Maci Harvey beat Jordan Webb 11-3 in the fifth but Webb bounced back to unexpectedly beat Debra Found 11-6 in the fifth. However, Found then recorded an impressive victory in four over Andrew Cawley whilst Cawley enjoyed a narrow 11-8 in the decider win against talented Woody Fitzpatrick.
In Division One the all-Windsor clash between the Hawks and the Condors saw the two teams draw for a second time this season. Colin Stallwood of the Condors won a predictable three whilst there were a pair apiece for the Hawks’ Felipe Rodriguez and Andy Vincent. Annabelle Rodriguez beat Hawks’ captain John Barton in five (11-13, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6) in the tightest match of the evening.
Windsor Eagles were 7-3 victors over Brotherhood B. Phil Smith, helped by a tight 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 13-11, 11-8) victory over Gracie Edwards, stayed unbeaten, as did Mark Smith. Sue Welham made a welcome return to table tennis action but narrowly failed to take a point, Brotherhood’s David North taking their individual match 11-9 in the fifth.
Meanwhile, prospective champions Nomads Panthers were comfortable 10-0 winners over bottom team Brotherhood D, Gill Locke taking her three in three-straight. Colin Webber and John Hatley also took trebles.
Division Two pace-setters Windsor Owls were given a tough workout by Brotherhood H, winning three of the four matches that went the distance to scrape through 6-4. Mark Salter took a hat-trick for the Owls but it was the closest of close-run things against Graham Parkes, winning 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 12-10, 7-11, 15-13). In the two other five-set successes, Frank Burbidge defeated Grant Sharpe 11-6 in the decider, and Tricia Salter beat John Wrigley by the same score. Parkes was Brotherhood’s best player on the night, notching up an impressive 3-2 (11-8, 4-11, 11-8, 2-11, 12-10) win against Burbidge.
Nomads Tigers are two points behind the Owls after their 7-3 result against Nomads Bobcats. Roger Hance won three, Daryl Lott two and John Bonner one, although Bonner’s win was a 3-2 (11-4, 5-11, 8-11, 12-10, 12-10) success against Harry Beezer. Tony Beezer with two and reserve Jason Lloyd with one were the Bobcats’ points scorers.
Windsor Buzzards suffered their third successive 9-1 defeat, this time at the hands of Brotherhood H. Barry Allen and Sandie Isaac were unbeaten for the winners whilst Pete Bloomfield took the losers’ consolation point by defeating Lee Allen.
Windsor Harriers drew with Brotherhood I, a repeat of their early-season score. Maurice Hardy and Jonathan Found won a couple each for Brotherhood, with Found involved in the closest match of the contest when he edged past Isabel Barton 3-2 (6-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 12-10).
Both Brotherhood E and Windsor Magpies included a reserve in their respective line-ups in a vital bottom-of-the-table clash. But it was Brotherhood who came out on top, their 7-3 success edging them further away from the relegation places and leaving the Magpies rooted to the bottom. Rodney Betts was Brotherhood’s undefeated hero whilst reserve Graham Healey played well to take two, including an 11-5 in the decider win over Malcolm Caley. John Plummer won a couple for the Magpies whilst Caley enjoyed a surprise 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-9) success over Tony Edmonds.
RESULTS
Division 1
Nomads Panthers 10 Brotherhood D 0
Windsor Hawks 5 Windsor Condors 5
Brotherhood B 3 Windsor Eagles 7
Division 2
Brotherhood F 9 Windsor Buzzards 1
Nomads Bobcats 3 Nomads Tigers 7
Brotherhood H 4 Windsor Owls 6
Windsor Magpies 3 Brotherhood E 7
Windsor Harriers 5 Brotherhood I 5
Division 3
Nomads Lynx 7 Nomads Cougars 3
Windsor Penguins 6 Walton D 4
Windsor Ospreys 7 Nomads Wildcats 3
Brotherhood G 8 Windsor Kites 2
Nomads Pumas 10 Windsor Swallows 0