Gt Horkesley C won their final two games by convincing margins to secure the Colchester & District Table Tennis League Division Two title. The team, consisting of Wudong Liu, Lloyd Bennett-Smith and Lorrie Austin had not led the Division at any point up until last week, sealed the title with a 7-3 win over H20 Rowhedge D despite Alan Burgess’s best efforts. He beat all three Horkesley players, exacting revenge on Wudong Liu for his defeat in the first half of the season. They celebrated in style with a 10-0 whitewash of Clairmont who were without the prolific Paul Tracey, it must be said. Walton D join them in promotion and in the words of a somewhat pessimistic Gt Horkesley C captain Bennett-Smith “A thumping win… our team looks forward to receiving many such thumping’s next year!!” Their success is a true team effort as Austin missed all but one of the first half of the season’s games, Steve Holland, Phil Wolski and Mike Emerson all doing their bit when ‘playing up’. At the bottom Walton E avoided the ‘wooden spoon’ but not the drop, just edging out Tollesbury A by a point, who finish bottom.
Pegasus B join Division Three champions St Peters in Division Two next season as they won the requisite four points against their ‘C’ team in a 7-3 victory. Tony Eversden and Paul Woolnough won three apiece with David Haslam and Mike Sant being the other team members during their successful campaign.
In the Intermediate Cup Gt Horkesley C have their eyes fixed on a ‘Double’ as they accounted for Walton B 5-0 with their usual personnel to join Pegasus A in the final. They must start as favourites but maybe not if Toby Turner continues his fine form, that has helped the University win the regional cup competition and finish as runner’s up in the league that means they compete in next season’s National University League. Pegasus D accounted for their ‘E’ team 6-3 to reach the Minor Cup Final where they will meet H20 Rowhedge H who beat their ‘I’ team 9-0.
There was a bizarre finish in the semi-final of the Handicap Cup between University of Essex and H20 Rowhedge G which, when poised at 4-4 was conceded by the University as they had overrun their finishing time of 10:00pm having won the first end of the deciding doubles! H20 Rowhedge Captain Darryl Lott had won both his singles and it was a shame match had to end in such circumstances! In another close semi-final Pegasus D edged out Dedham A 5-4 with neither side ever leading by more than one game. The Handicap Doubles semi-final between Gt Horkesley D and Pegasus E was just as close with the Pegasus team again coming out on top 5-4. Barry Steggles, Paul Weston and Vic Little were the triumphant Pegasus players. H20 Rowhedge F had a more comfortable passage beating their ‘E’ team 5-1 thanks to Colin Powell, Nigel Claydon and David Sacker.
Both Handicap finals are to be played on Wednesday 30th March at the Tollgate Table Tennis Club, Holmwood House School starting at 7:30pm. The Knockout Cup Finals are the following night at the Rowhedge Table Tennis Club, Rectory Road starting at 8:00pm. Spectators are welcome at both venues.
Division One
| P | W | D | L | A | F | |
| H2O Rowhedge A | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 125 |
| Tollgate A | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 45 | 115 |
| H2O Rowhedge B | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 112 |
| Gt Horkesley A | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 55 | 105 |
| Tollgate B | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 58 | 102 |
| H2O Rowhedge C | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 106 | 54 |
| Walton B | 15 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 101 | 49 |
| Lawford A | 15 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 123 | 27 |
| Walton C | 16 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 139 | 21 |
| Walton A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Division Two
| P | W | D | L | A | F | |
| Gt Horkesley C | 18 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 138 |
| Walton D | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 53 | 127 |
| Pegasus A | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 78 | 102 |
| Lawford B | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 79 | 91 |
| Clairmont A | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 93 | 87 |
| Gt Horkesley B | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 84 | 86 |
| H2O Rowhedge D | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 102 | 77 |
| H2O Rowhedge E | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 104 | 76 |
| Walton E | 18 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 127 | 53 |
| Tollesbury A | 18 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 127 | 52 |
Division Three
| P | W | D | L | A | F | |
| St Peters A | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 56 | 124 |
| Pegasus B | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 71 | 109 |
| H2O Rowhedge F | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 75 | 105 |
| Gt Horkesley D | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 81 | 99 |
| Lawford C | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 77 | 93 |
| Tollesbury B | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 92 | 88 |
| Pegasus C | 17 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 94 | 76 |
| University of Essex | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 108 | 72 |
| H2O Rowhedge G | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 116 | 64 |
| Dedham A | 18 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 120 | 60 |
Division Four
| P | W | D | L | A | F | |||
| Pegasus D | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 55 | 125 | ||
| H2O Rowhedge H | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 123 | ||
| Pegasus E | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 63 | 117 | ||
| Gt Horkesley E | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 75 | 105 | ||
| Lawford D | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 97 | 83 | ||
| Lawford E | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 100 | 80 | ||
| CRGS A | 18 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 106 | 74 | ||
| Dedham B | 17 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 102 | 68 | ||
| H2O Rowhedge I | 18 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 125 | 55 | ||
| Gt Horkesley F | 17 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 120 | 50 | ||
By Martyn Green