It was a week in the Clacton & District League where the leaders of all three Divisions tightened their grip on their respective titles, none more so than Walton D in Division Three who were convincing 9-1 winners over Nomads Ocelots.
Fourteen year-old Jared Chelski, clearly a class apart at this level, retained his 100% record for the season whilst Daniel Young, only 12 years old and who’s lost only once in the current campaign, also remained unbeaten. Young also took the opportunity to avenge his only loss of the season, this time making no mistake in reversing an early-season defeat by beating Arthur Wells-Garrett 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-6). Wells-Garrett beat Jane Young to take the Ocelots’ point.
Second-placed Nomads Wildcats won 7-3 against Windsor Ospreys but nevertheless lost ground against their Walton promotion rivals and are now thirteen points adrift. There were three for Doug Green, two for Mike Hillier and one for Peter Martin, with Robbie Strutt winning two for the Ospreys and Jordan Webb one. Strutt’s 3-2 (7-11, 7-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-5) success against Mike Hillier was the most noteworthy result of the match.
Debra Found stayed unbeaten as Windsor Penguins defeated Brotherhood J 8-2. Brotherhood’s Harley Wood showed her marked improvement to beat both Jackie Bunce and Alan Charman, the latter by 11-7 in the fifth.
The Brotherhood J side went down a second time, 7-3 to Windsor Kites, with Chris Simson winning three for the Kites, Carl Hubbard two and Mick Simson one. Georgia Ayton played well for the losers to beat Hubbard in three-straight and get the better of Mick Simson in five (8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7). Wood got the third Brotherhood point.
Chris Simson’s good week continued as he stayed unbeaten for a second time in the Kites’ encounter with Nomads Caracals but it couldn’t stop his side going down 6-4. Chris Jones and Yasmin Ticquet each won two for the Caracals and shared a doubles victory, with Hazel Blanche taking one of her singles. The pivotal match proved to be the first of the evening with Jones edging out Jack Haylett 3-2 (6-11, 13-15, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9).
The Brotherhood G v Nomads Lynx fixture ended as a draw for the second time this season. Paul Metcalf was Brotherhood’s unbeaten star, defeating Dave Harris 11-9 in the fifth and Liam Harris 11-6 in the fifth. Rob Bright and Jo Millar took a point each. For the Lynx, Harris Snr and Harris Jnr won two each and combined to take the doubles.
Windsor Swallows were 8-2 winners against Nomads Leopards, Paul Dale and Sue Chillingworth recording hat-tricks, and together taking the doubles. Roger McNaughton and Norman Jacobs won one each for the Leopards. But it was super-veteran Iris Howlett who found herself embroiled in the three matches which went the distance, losing out 11-8 in the decider to both McNaughton and Jacobs but getting the better of Dave Wright by the even narrower margin of 12-10 in the fifth.
The odds are also shortening on Nomads Panthers taking the Division One title for a fifth successive year.
In the first of their matches, they enjoyed an 8-2 victory over Brotherhood B. James Denyer remained unbeaten, his hat-trick including an impressive 3-2 (5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6) success over the previously unbeaten Andy Warner.
The Panthers followed this with a somewhat more comfortable 10-0 win over Windsor Kestrels. Colin Webber, Gill Locke and Joe Andrews, making a rare Clacton League appearance, stayed undefeated although it was a hard-fought 3-1 (7-11, 13-11, 13-11, 15-13) for Andrews against John Harvey.
Second-placed Windsor Condors, the Panthers’ only possible challengers, had an 8-2 victory over Windsor Hawks. There were trebles for Felipe Rodriguez and Colin Stallwood, Rodriguez enjoying a satisfying 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6) win against his former-Hawks’ team-mate Andy Vincent.
It was good to see Paul Newbould back in table tennis action for Walton A and he marked the occasion with two wins in the match with Windsor Owls. Walton A won 9-1, John Rankin and Kevin James taking hat-tricks, with Mark Salter getting the Owls’ consolation point.
Windsor Eagles were only three points ahead of Walton B before their match but the Eagles showed no mercy to their opponents, Walton B suffering the rare experience of a 10-0 whitewash defeat. Gary Cattermole, Phil Smith and John Pattrick were the Eagles’ triumphant trio, Smith’s 3-2 (7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4) victory over Derek Willis the only match which went the distance.
Three each for Adam Wilkin and Adam Cuthbert were the basis of Nomads Lions’ 8-2 win against lowly Lawford. Richard Spence and John Colvin took a point apiece for the losers.
Brotherhood H extended their lead at the top of Division Two to 19 points with a 10-0 victory over Nomads Jaguars. But it was a tougher match than the scoreline suggests, Grant Sharpe struggling to beat Jaguars’ reserve Mike Wellum in a decider (11-7, 15-13, 6-11, 10-12, 11-8), Graham Parkes having an equally hard-fought 12-10, 13-15, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6 victory over the same player whilst Parkes and Stewart Murray took the doubles in five (4-11, 11-2, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3) against Wellum and Andrew North.
With Brotherhood I forced to concede their match – and vital points – against Nomads Pumas through late illness call-offs, the battle for the runners-up spot looks increasingly like a two-way shoot-out between Brotherhood’s ‘D’ and ‘F’ teams who are now locked together on 114 points in second place.
The ‘D’ side were without a match this week but Brotherhood F were involved in a testing tussle with Nomads Bobcats, a match which ended all-square. Lawrence Torr was unbeaten for the ‘F’ side, with Barry Allen taking one and the pair sharing a tight 3-2 (11-9, 11-13, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6) doubles success over Jason Lloyd and Ethan Lloyd. But the closest match was the final encounter of the evening, Andy Cawley denying Brotherhood the match-victory with a 3-2 (11-4, 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10) nail-biter win against Lee Allen. It was the Bobcats’ first draw of the season, and also the first time Lee Allen has failed to pick up at least one point in a match.
Nomads Tigers are in fourth place and they retained their outside promotion interest with a 9-1 win over struggling Windsor Magpies. John Marshall and Tony Robinson recorded maximum points whilst Dave Sweetland picked up the Magpies’ win with an unexpected victory over Phil Wolski, 11-8 in the fifth.
Ray Chillingworth and Dan Malinowski were two more hat-trick men as Windsor Buzzards defeated Brotherhood E 8-2. But neither player had an easy path to their trebles, Chillingworth beating Cris Edwards 11-7 in the decider and Malinowski edging past Tony Edmonds 11-8 in the decider. Edwards and Rodney Betts were the points-scorers for Brotherhood.
It was also 8-2 for Windsor Harriers against Walton C, an undefeated Ferdy Rodriguez the Harriers’ best player on the night. John Bonner and John Long won a point each for Walton, Long involved in a classic marathon match against Jenny Higgins which ended 3-2 (11-7, 11-13, 9-11, 17-15, 12-10) in his favour.
* The Junior Combination Tournament takes place on Friday March 3 at Windsor’s St James Hall. The Tournament is open to all of the League’s junior players, together with selected members from the Monday night coaching sessions. The closing date for entry is Monday February 27. For details contact League Secretary Lyn White on 01255 425292.
* The League’s Closed Championships are just two months away and take place at the Coastal Academy Sports Hall on the weekend of April 22-23. To qualify, players must have played at least seven League matches by March 31.
* The Windsor Club’s Quiz Evening, for teams of up to six people, is being held on Saturday March 11 at St James Hall, 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets are £5 per person which includes supper, bring your own drink. More details from Jenny Higgins on 01255 432397 or 07790 240566.
RESULTS
Division 1
Nomads Panthers 10 Windsor Kestrels 0
Brotherhood B 2 Nomads Panthers 8
Windsor Condors 8 Windsor Hawks 2
Lawford 2 Nomads Lions 8
Windsor Owls 1 Walton A 9
Windsor Eagles 10 Walton B 0
Division 2
Nomads Jaguars 0 Brotherhood H 10
Nomads Bobcats 5 Brotherhood F 5
Windsor Magpies 1 Nomads Tigers 9
Brotherhood E 2 Windsor Buzzards 8
Walton C 2 Windsor Harriers 8
Nomads Pumas 10 v Brotherhood I (match conceded)
Division 3
Walton D 9 Nomads Ocelots 1
Brotherhood J 2 Windsor Penguins 8
Nomads Wildcats 7 Windsor Ospreys 3
Nomads Caracals 6 Windsor Kites 4
Brotherhood G 5 Nomads Lynx 5
Windsor Kites 7 Brotherhood J 3
Nomads Leopards 2 Windsor Swallows 8