Top seed Josh Hallam was unbeaten as he won the Bedfordshire Cadet Ranking trials at St Neots Table Tennis Club.

The club has recently installed the flooring used at the London Olympics and also one of the tables used at the event.

All of the matches were one game up to 11 points, except for the final match between the two players with the best results.

And 12-year-old Hallam confirmed his seeding with an unblemished record over 13 matches, although he was pushed all the way in the final match against Luke Manning, just nicking it 11-9 in the third.

Luke lost just one other match, 16-18 to Oliver Horswell, who himself lost to third-placed Har-Saivak Singh 15-17. In fifth place, Lewis Bisby nearly upset the applecart by stretching Josh Hallam to the limit, only to succumb 11-13.

The top four now go through to play their first weekend’s matches at Cippenham, Slough, on November 29.

Thanks to Barbara Wright, Simon Collier and Daniel Bullen who helped make the day a great success and to all the competitors for showing a good attitude when they won and lost and for helping, without complaint, in their umpiring duties.

John Alsop (Bedfordshire Junior Secretary)

October 16, 2014