It was a good week for new young signings in the Braintree Table Tennis League. Thirteen-year-old Elliot Game led the way with a pair of wins for Black Notley I.
He beat Mel Cooch and new recruit James Gronland and only lost out at 11-8 in the fifth game to the experienced Declan Baines in his side’s 6-4 win over Notley F.
Jonny Evans, one year his senior, also only lost once, to the even more experienced Peter Hardy in Notley H’s 6-4 defeat by a two-person Netts F.
Scott Whiteside, 19, racked up two wins in Rayne I’s 6-4 defeat by Rayne H. Ian Rubens was the only one to get the better of him.
Elsewhere in division three, Steve Willis, dropping down this year from the second division, was unbeaten as Rayne G beat Netts E 6-4.
In division two, Liberal C have maximum points after two matches following their second 10-0 win, this time over Rayne E. Jon Fieldsend, Garry Fryatt and Dave Hardy were on duty.
Notley’s C and D teams are the only others in the division to win their first two matches. The D team followed their win over Netts D with a 7-3 win over Notley E. Sean and Adam Clift were both unbeaten. The C team had a second 7-3 win, this time over Felsted RBL B.
Rayne D followed up their opening week defeat by Notley C with a 7-3 win over a two-man Netts D, most notable for the wins by another returning player, Clive Forster, over Richard Whiteside and Kelly Yuenyongpknan. Nick Hasler was the only one to beat him.
Felsted A also had a new signing on view. Jarek Pietraszu suggested he will be a useful addition to their ranks by winning twice in the draw with Nomads and stretching Ken Lewis, unbeaten last year, to four games.
In division one, champions Liberal A emulated their C team by scoring a second successive 10-0 win, this time over Notley B.
Netts’ A and B teams have both won two out of two. The A team beat Notley A 7-3 with Andy Holmes unbeaten while the B team overcame Liberal B 8-2 thanks for three games from Gary Cattermole.
The club’s C team notched up their first win, 7-3 over Rayne B with James Mullane unbeaten.
Rayne A recovered from their unexpected opening defeat to Liberal B by taking all ten against Rayne C.