LEICESTERSHIRE TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION
While the top two positions in Division Four of the Leicester League look settled, the race for third spot is still very interesting, even more so after the two teams clashed in their most recent match, and drew.
The first match between Knighton Park 8th and Blaby and Whetstone was a shared affair and this time it was an excellent maximum by Chris Parmar-Saville that spearheaded Park’s challenge, with Jim Burdett and Patrick Cox both winning one. For B & W Richard Davies and Phill Hinson both played well, winning two each and combining to win the all-important doubles
Top team, Nomads 4th, also had a tough match in gaining a share of the spoils and it was the customary maximum from Steve Andrews that was the main reason for the draw from his team’s point of view. Trevor Hawkins and Chris Weston chipped in with one each. For Abbots Shreya Mehta won two with one apiece from Shroak Mehta and Bulesh Rahtod which meant that all six players won at least one.
Close matches were the order of the day as Regent Sports moved closer to the leaders, although still six points adrift, with a 6-4 win over Abbots Road 5th. Two each for Tim Cawston and John Dewbury of Regent and the same for Abbots’ Tosh Singh and Raju Rahul. The crucial singles came from Regent’s Rob Price.
Steve Andrews is still top of the individual averages with 93% Stu Jones (Regent) next on 86%. Third and fourth are Patrick Cox (Knighton Park) and Phill Hinson (B & W).
It is similar at the top of Division Three with another Nomads team, this time the first, just one point behind Leicester Electricity 3rd and the two of them way in front of anyone else.
Nomads had to dig deep against Abbots Road 3rd to win 6-4 with Saheer Mohammed gritting out a fine maximum backed by two from Cliff Smith, with the crucial doubles giving them all four points. For Abbots Jay Kotecha won two.
Meanwhile the Sparks must be favourites to take the title having had 5-5 and 7-3 results against their nearest rivals and they are now beating successive opponents 10-0 in building up an impressive sets average.
Regent Sports suffered a grievous loss with the passing of their stalwart in Division Six when Ken Garratt collapsed while playing in a league match and later died in hospital. The team is now down to three players, Trevor Millward, Norman Maclean and Mick Smith, who are determined to finish their fixtures as a tribute to Ken.
John Bowness
Publicity Officer (March 10, 2014)