With hat tricks from Peter Abell, Beaumont Nomads A closed the gap on leaders Ormesby A at the top of Division 1 of the Cleveland & District Summer Table Tennis League when they defeated the Ormesby B team by 8 -2.  Abell's hat trick was convincing, winning straight games except against Eve Witterick when the Ormesby girl won the third game 11-9.   Abell was supported by Steven Baines and Peter Sermon both of whom won 2 sets.  The closest set of the match was when Sermon beat Witterick at 11-6 in the decider.  Witterick won one for Ormesby with victory over Stephen Baines by 11-6 in the fourth game.   Ormesby's second singles was won by William Lim who beat Sermon 11-7 in the fourth.  

Ormesby A remain at the top of the Division with a 6-4 victory against Westbourne A with two wins each from Michael Young and Karl Shaw.  Star of the match was Westbourne's Jimmy Scope who scored a hat trick including 11-8 in the deciding victory against Karl Shaw.  Another close match was when Michael Young defeated Keith Robertson 11-9 in the decider.   Phil Webster was unlucky to lose his third singles to David Noutch by 14-12 in the fifth game.   Keith Robertson's single win for Westbourne A was at the expense of Noutch in straight games.

Nunthorpe A lost ground in the Championship race when they could only defeat Northfield by 6 sets to 4.  The star of the match for Northfield was Tom Webster who scored a hat trick which included beating Dave Williams and Nick Corking by 3 games to 1.  Mike Fenby, Dave Williams and Corking all won two each for Nunthorpe.

These matches leave Ormesby well ahead at the top of the Division with 104 points from 14 matches.  The only team with any chance of catching Ormesby now are Nomads, who have 81 points from 13.

Match reports  by Alan Ransome  OBE