JAGUARS WIN BY A WHISKER
Nomads Jaguars may be languishing at the bottom of Division One but they are a team of fighters as they showed this week in Round Three of the Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s Handicap Knock-Out Cup.
Facing fellow-Division One side Walton C, the Jaguars’ trio of Terry Kirby, Brian Parish and Tony Beezer lost the first three matches of the evening and, by the interval, were 4-1 down.
Fighting a rear-guard action, they took the last four matches to record an unlikely 5-4 win, Parish and Kirby (+1) clinching the final doubles by defeating David Hall and Paul Meikle (-3) in an 11-4,
4-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9 nail-biter.
Brian Parish, who took two singles and one doubles, was the Jaguars’ outstanding player on the night.
There was another ding-dong battle at St James’ Hall where Division Two pace-setters Walton D, after leading 3-1, found themselves 4-3 down to Division One side Windsor Eagles
But Walton recovered to take matches eight and nine, another close-run affair settled when Colin Dearman and George Kalli (+1) beat Fred Button and Phil Smith (-3) 12-10 in the decider in the last doubles.
Windsor Roosters and Brotherhood D – Round Two conquerors of Windsor Condors – were two more two teams involved in a titanic, see-saw tussle.
The Roosters eventually edged it 5-4, James Denyer winning two singles and sharing a doubles for the winners, as did Shaun Beckham for the losers.
Stewart Murray was unbeaten for Division One Brotherhood B who had to fight all the way before overcoming Division Three’s Brotherhood J 5-2, Martin Edwards (-10) just edging out Tom Burton (+2) 12-10, 11-13, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10 in match seven.
It was a tough 5-2 win for Division Two Nomads Lynx against Division Three side Brotherhood L, the Lynx coming back from
2-0 down to take the next five matches, Mike Vilka (-1) securing it with a 16-14 in the decider win over Jordan Blanche-Price (+1).
The third of the Division Three sides, Windsor Penguins, also went out of the competition, the Penguins losing 5-0 to First Division leaders Brotherhood A.
Finally, two all-Second Division ties proved unexpectedly one-sided, Windsor Hawks beating Brotherhood F 5-1 and Nomads Lions defeating Windsor Harriers by the same score.
* In Division One of the League, no-one stayed unbeaten as Windsor Falcons defeated Windsor Kestrels 6-4, Felipe Rodriguez and Mark Salter winning two each for the Falcons, Frank Burbidge and Chris Petrou taking a pair apiece for the Kestrels.
In an all-Windsor Division Two clash, the Owls beat the Magpies
6-4, five of the matches going close in five, the tightest being Adam Jackson’s 12-10 in the fifth win over Ron Dacey.
Dave Martin was undefeated for the Magpies, whilst Jackson and Gary Stallwood won two singles each and shared a crucial doubles success for the Owls, 11-9 in the fifth, against Martin and Graham Bunce.
In Division Three Nomads Tigers lost for the first time this season, humbled 7-3 by the ever-improving Nomads Cougars.
The Tigers’ tormentor-in-chief was Sam Hume who took the honours with an impressive treble which included a 10-12, 11-5,
11-6, 6-11, 11-6 victory over a previously-unbeaten Doug Green.
* The Windsor Club is organising a Barn Dance on Saturday 25th February at St Osyth Village Hall. For details and tickets ring Jenny Higgins on 01255 432397 or Viv Rodriguez on 01255 221259.
RESULTS
HANDICAP KNOCK-OUT CUP
Round 3
Windsor Roosters 5 Brotherhood D 4;
Nomads Lions 5 Windsor Harriers 1;
Walton C 4 Nomads Jaguars 5;
Windsor Hawks 5 Brotherhood F 1;
Windsor Eagles 4 Walton D 5;
Brotherhood A 5 Windsor Penguins 0;
Brotherhood L 2 Nomads Lynx 5;
Brotherhood B 5 Brotherhood J 2.
LEAGUE
Division 1
Windsor Falcons 6 Windsor Kestrels 4.
Division 2
Windsor Owls 6 Windsor Magpies 4.
Division 3
Nomads Cougars 7 Nomads Tigers 3.
For the full tables click here
Tony Oswick