After a series of roundabout results, Rayne E have emerged at the head of division three in the Braintree Table Tennis League.

Rayne E lost their first match of the season to Netts C, who then lost to Black Notley G, and in the most recent set of results, Rayne E beat Notley G to open up a lead of three points.

Netts C were without both Clive Forster and Tony Smith for the visit to Notley G but reserve Jimmy Calisin did not let them down, winning twice as did Peter Lewis. But two wins each for Matt Brooks and Jim Davy plus one from Jill Canning gave Notley a narrow victory.

It was an up-and-down evening for Brooks, a defeat at 11-9 in the fifth game by Calisin and then a win by the same score against Lewis.

In their next fixture it was Notley G’s turn to taste defeat for the first time. Ted Sims won three and Alex Morgan two as Rayne E beat them 6-3.

Rayne E had earlier beaten their own F team 8-1 with Martin Brunker and Morgan undefeated.

Netts D meanwhile had proved something of a surprise package and were level with their C team in third place after their 5-4 win over Notley I in their third match, but the C team put them in their place in the next match with a 6-3 victory.

Calisin was unbeaten in the win over Notley I and won two more against the C team, but Peter Lewis’s three singles saw the C team home.

Rayne F recovered from their defeat by their E team to sink Notley H 6-3. With Steve Buer and Peter Taylor in their team the result was hardly a surprise although Paul Downes scored an excellent victory over Taylor.

Notley H had earlier beaten Rayne G 7-2 with three wins each from Graham Chinnery and Peter Game.

Rayne G went on to record their first win of the season the following week against Notley I. As with the other three results that week it finished 6-3.  Brian Dixon, Roger Hasler and Ernst Midl all racked up two wins.