The Hastings & District Table Tennis League resumed hostilities after the Christmas break with some critical action involving teams at the foot of Division 1. Tigers A, still smarting from defeat at the hands of bottom side Tackleway C before Christmas, gained their first win of the season when they beat Saints B 8-2. Tony Catt was unbeaten for Tigers, with Dave Mitchell and Sheila King winning two each. John Wond picked up both wins for Saints who were missing Ron Davenport.

Tackleway C moved off the foot of the table with two excellent points from the

5-5 draw at Hollington Academy C which was the match of the week in the top

division. No player dominated the match with Scott Bills and Nick Standen

(Academy) and Andy Brown (Tackleway) all winning twice.  Four sets went to five

games and all were won by Tackleway, with Kevin Rowe’s defeat of Standen 11-9,

7-11, 8-11, 11-8, 17-15 the closest.

Tackleway A showed no mercy to Tackleway B in their 10-0 whitewash in which

Roger Pingram, Mike Funnell and Roy Funnell gained maximums. Adrian Goodrum

came closest to causing an upset, losing 1-3 to Mike Funnell in a match of four deuce

games.

This defeat leaves Tackleway B bottom of the table, level on points with Tackleway

C but with a marginally inferior sets difference. Tigers win has given them a seven

point buffer over the two Tackleways.

At the top of the table, there is no change with the top three all recording comfortable

wins. Most impressive of these was the 10-0 win for Saints A (Ritchie Venner, Dave

Butler and James Winchester) over the useful Bexhill C side. It is not often that

Graham Gillett records a ‘bagel’ but this was one such occasion.

Hollington Academy A beat Bexhill B 9-1 with maximums for Paul Barry and Basher

Obeyed and two wins for Andy Furnival. Bexhill had two D team players involved

and Brian Beaney excelled himself with the win over Furnival.

Bexhill A (Rob Warner, Lewis Mayhew and Bob Lowe) beat Hollington Academy B

10-0 to retain their slender lead at the top.