Table-tennis
5th April
Second placed Rugby A bounced back to the top of Division 1 after overcoming St Georges A 9-1. Jesse Kendrick-Hill and Matthew Outhwaite both won twice and took the doubles. Anshul Satsangi weighed in with 1 and their cause was helped when Georges conceded 3 due to being a player short. Former leaders Colebridge A suffered a surprising 4-6 defeat at the hands of 2 player St Georges B. Matthew Man bagged his three, Mark Jackson 2 and the pair grabbed the doubles with Navinder Matharu taking one for the Birmingham side to add to the games conceded. Another team to benefit from playing an incomplete side was Wellesbourne who were given 3 vital points in their quest to avoid relegation. However, Potters Green took the remaining 7 points through Aaron Riley and Ryan Stockham. Rugby B, struggling to get 10th place and survival, were not so lucky, facing a full strength Potters Green team who won 8-2 (Riley 3, Stockham 3, Taran Dhillon 1 +D). Ryan Lines and Sam Ricks replied. Wellesbourne remain 5 points clear of Rugby and despite being overwhelmed by Rugby A whose Jesse Kendrick-Hill, Matthew Outhwaite and James Ward took all 10 points, bounced back to take 4 against County Council B. Alan Cotton won two and the doubles with Gary Stewart who won once but the match swung WCC’s way as Simon Griew notched 3, Nilton Green 2 and Murray Stevenson a single. St Georges C were 7-3 winners against WCCA with Nigel Metcalf, Paul Smith and Gary Webb each winning braces plus a Smith/ Webb doubles victory. Phil Paine won two in response.
In division 2 leaders Enigmas were stunned by Free Church D’s performance, going down 2-8. Timmy Cooper and Lee Dorning were unbeaten, Scott Delday added two and paired with Cooper for the doubles. Second placed Free Church B limped to a draw away to Phoenix, for whom Paul Calloway starred with 3. Richard Jardim added 2 with Michael Ho (2), Jeff Harris and Luke Spencer, both 1 and a Ho/Spencer doubles win forcing stalemate. St Georges D nailed relegation battlers Free Church C 6-4 despite tremendous table-tennis from Solomon Hayes who won 3 plus the doubles with Anthony Smith. Brian Aston, Kevin Finn and Jimmy Pittaway all won twice. Another struggling side, Eathorpe A, did themselves a power of good taking 4 points off Phoenix. Pete Titmas took 2, Andy Baruch 1 and the pair secured the doubles. Calloway 3, Roy Joiner 2 and Gordon Tucker 1 saw the Coventry team home. The third side striving to avoid demotion, St Georges E, also bagged 4 vital points when going down to their D team. Andy Caine 2, Pete Harris 1, Rob Warnes 1 showed stout resistance to Kevin Finn 3 and Brian Aston 2 and Will Fletcher who nabbed the doubles with Finn. Nomads A are just outside the top half of the table following their 9-1 demolition of Free Church C. Ian Beasley and Tony Thomas both posted hat-tricks and Andy Davies won twice.
Another leading side to come unstuck were Division 3 leaders Snitterfield A who succumbed 3-7 to visitors Free Church G. Sam Weaving recorded an impressive triple, Sam Wiggins won twice and Dudley Turner once, with the doubles going the way of the Sams. Robert Poole won two and Stuart Ayres one in a defeat which makes little impact at the top. Second placed Free Church E were held to a draw by Whitnash B whose Len Coonan won his three. He also partnered Greg Swan to the doubles with Swan winning a match saving single. Chris Blowey 2, Stuart Mills 2 and John Taylor 1 avoided a defeat. Danny Orr was in great form for Rugby D, his three steering his team to an 8-2 success over Nomads C. Jo Outhwaite and Mark Wilson notched two apiece and Outhwaite joined Orr to take the doubles. Rugby followed this up with a 7-3 win over Free Church F ( Orr 3, Outhwaite 2 +D). Lleryn Brocklehurst 2 and Pete Rourke 1 kept Church in contention.
Division 4 leaders Free Church J virtually assured themselves of the title with a 10-0 pasting of 3rd placed Ashorne A. Adam Cofler, Tom Harris and Adam Pulman were in unrelenting mood. Second placed Free Church I cemented their place with a 9-1 drubbing of WCC D. Ben Haigh and Joe Hunt were unbeaten in singles and doubles and Josh Wyatt-Smith won twice. Free Church K overcame newcomers Enigmas B 9-1 who are trying the last third of the campaign and can only field 2 players. Olivia Fletcher and Tom Fletcher were unbeaten and Jack Green won 1 out of 2 played. K were brought back to earth when facing Eathorpe B for whom Paul Deavall won his three. There was an eye-catching two wins from reserve John Ablett and Sophie Cooper also notched two. Rugby E continue to improve and, led by unbeaten Emma Kilpatrick, took 4 points off Ashorne. Millie Bradshaw also had a good win but Ashorne’s experience (Steve Bolton 2, Roger Kelley 2, Chris Bowles 1 +D) saw them home.
The sides vying for the Division A title both won by narrow 3-2 margins. Topspinners relied on singles and the doubles from Bradley Matthews and Russell Smith as Henry Lu posted his customary two for Snitterfield C. Free Church L edged FISCC 3-2 with Keith Knott and Tony Williams taking a single each and the doubles with Mark Jones winning twice for the Farmers. In The Eathorpe derby, D squeezed past C 3-2. Jon Ablett won twice and father John once with Richard Freeman replying and taking the doubles with Dave Hawker.
Division B was another example of the Leaders’ losing malaise and Free Church N went down 2-3 to clubmates FC P. All players won once, Tom Fletcher and James Robertson for N and Daniel Shaw and Lewis Singleton for P with Shaw and Singleton seizing the deciding doubles. Ashorne B are contesting top spot and bettered Free Church M 3-2. Steve Handsley won his two and helped partner Tony Philpott to the doubles. Matt Scott and Charlie Snelson each won once. Free Church R defeated Eathorpe E 3-2 with Sam Bradley winning two and guiding Phil Booth to the doubles. Will Apted and Callum Pickering responded. In turn Free Church P fell 2-3 to Eathorpe E despite a double from Lewis Singleton. James Keay and Pickering won one each and Keay and Apted took the doubles.
Eathorpe H hammered Free Church T 4-1 in Division C through George Miller 2, Harvey Cleary 1 and the doubles. Leyna Stanton avoided the whitewash. Free Church O exacted club revenge when defeating Eathorpe F by the same scoreline. Ashley Knott won twice and won the doubles with James Wilson who won once. Norbu Sunang-Joret avoided Eathorpe’s whitewash. Free Church O also defeated Free Church T 5-0 in a match which was close despite the scoreline. Jeremy Knott and James Wilson determinedly stole the points.
Free Church U fell 2-3 to FC V in Division D with Matthew Hayes winning twice for the victors and partnering son Harry to the doubles. Hugh Doody and Milly Green were U’s winners.
Free Church S won 3-2 against their W team for whom Daniel Strand won his two. Eve Briscoe and Sophie Bethell won a single each and Jenny Singleton joined Briscoe for the doubles.
