In Division One of the Eastern Valley Table Tennis League YMCA Preachers were hoping to maintain their push for the title in their latest match against Cwmbran Aztecs. However, their challenge stuttered when they went down 19-14 to the Aztecs for whom Tony Collins was making a welcome return after missing 6 matches with illness. Whilst the returning Collins was always going to give the Aztecs a boost, it was his team mate Mark Edmunds who picked up the player of the match performance with his 3 wins over the higher ranked players of the Preachers. For the Preachers David Lloyd won 2 matches including a very good win over Collins.
With the Preachers losing on the other table Bristol Nomads took the opportunity to close the gap on the leaders when they beat their other rivals for the title, Cwmbran Blues, by 23-13. The Nomads' Mike Bishop narrowly picked up the player of the match award with 2 wins, including a good win over Mark Farrow, just piping his colleague Chris Price who also had 2 wins. For the Blues David D Lloyd was the only player to defeat Bishop and Mark Farrow had a good win over Chris Price.
The other match in Div. One saw a basement battle between Blaenavon Aces and Cwmbran Colts which the Aces won 23-13. The player of the match was the Aces Piotr Sniezek with his 3 wins and backed up by Jonathan Allen and Bethany Brewer with 2 wins each. However, the result of the match was secured by the Colts' Matthew Pearce over the higher ranked Jonathan Allen in 5 sets.
The outcome of the Division One title will probably be decided next week when the 2 main challengers the Nomads and Preachers go head to head. The Nomads (3 matches to play) are 11 points behind the Preachers (2 matches to play) with their a game in hand being against the bottom side the Colts. Therefore, the Preachers will probably need to beat their rivals to have any chance of winning the title.
In Division Two all the places appear to have been decided with 2 matches to go. Cwmbran Panthers maintained the lead at the top over their rivals by beating Cwmbran Devils 25-9. Player of the match once again was the Panthers' Mike Blatchford and he was well supported by Yuri Cherkasenko with his 3 wins and Howard Gaut with 2 wins. For the Devils the only player to win a match was Glenda Prytherch who had a very good win against the higher ranked Gaut.
Cwmbran Dynamos look like having to settle for runners up place despite a convincing win over Cwmbran Eccentrics by 25-5. The Dynamos' Alex Jones took the player of the match award with his 3 wins, the same as Lincoln Alford, making a last minute guest appearance. For the Eccentrics Richard Lownsbrough picked up 4 of his teams points.
The last match in Division Two Cwmbran Fellows and Blaenavon Bulldogs were fighting for the minor places in the division. It was the Fellows who maintained their league position above the Bulldogs with a 19-11 win. The Fellows' Wayne Ford picked up the player of the match with his 3 wins and Matthew Cullingford had 2 wins including a good win against the higher ranked Callum Hunt. For the Bulldogs Lincoln Alford scored 2 wins with his only defeat coming against Ford, although by then he had already played 5 matches in the night, having to double up for another team.
