The First Division title in the Hastings & District Table Tennis League may have almost been decided after matches on adjacent tables at the Bexhill club on Thursday. Second placed Hollington A slipped up again as they stumbled to a 6-4 win over Bexhill C for whom Graham Gillett recorded a fine maximum, including Paul Barry’s second defeat of the season. Barry and Nathan Darby won 2 each for Hollington.
There were no such slip-ups from Bexhill A on the next table as they brushed aside Bexhill B 10-0 with Rob Warner, Lewis Mayhew and Bob Lowe unbeaten. With 2 matches to play, Bexhill lead by 4 points.
Hollington B and Hollington C fought out a 5-5 draw with Rose Rainton and Jamie Martin (B) and Will Goodstone and Nick Standen (C) all winning 2 games.
No change at the top of Division 2, despite leaders Tackleway C dropping a point in a 6-4 win over Hollington D, who only had 2 players. Hollington’s Shaun Godfrey won his 3 games and shared in a doubles win only for 2 wins each for Danny Rickaby, Andy Brown and Kevin Rowe to clinch the win for Tackleway.
Bexhill E could only match the 6-4 with a win at NALGO A with 2 wins each for Brian Beaney, John Bradbury and Cameron Jones. Paul Hyland also won 2 for NALGO.
Bexhill D lost a point on the leaders from an unusual 2-a-side match with Tackleway F which they won 5-4, with one game void. League rules decree that such a result gains only 2 points for the winners so Bexhill may regret not finding a reserve, which would have ensured a third point. Ryan Warner was unbeaten for Bexhill.
Match of the week in Division 3 saw leaders Saints E scrape home 6-4 at Tigers C. Bryan Tichband was unbeaten for Tigers, while Claire Bridges and Derek Brown both won 2 for Saints. Bridges and Pete Lambert edged the doubles at 13-11 in the 5th to ensure the win.
