Table-tennis Report
8th March 2013
Lillington Free Church’s Junior team won the regional National Junior League at Wellingborough at the weekend. Leading going in to Day 4 the trio of Timmy Cooper, Solomon Hayes and Lee Dorning were in dominant mood defeating each of Market Harborough (runners-up), Bedford, Draycott (Long Eaton) and Sycamore (Nottingham) 5-1 and drawing with 4th placed team Knighton Park (Leicester) to win the League by an emphatic 12 points. Number 3, Lee Dorning, topped the averages with 90%.
On the same day Leamington Cadets A clinched the Heart of England Cadet League title on Day 4 in Warwick. Without their two top players in Cooper and Dorning, the A side recruited Free Church’s Andrew McIlvaney to join his club-mates Sam Weaving and Adam Cofler. The trio defeated Colebridge B 8-2 with Adam Cofler including a tremendous victory over Todd Marshall in his maximum. They then trounced Evesham 10-0 to clinch the crown.
Spa’s B team, again represented by Free Church youngsters, ended with two wins. Kit Turner and Joe Hunt won their 3 singles and the doubles as they eclipsed Rugby B 7-3 and then overcame Coventry with Hunt, Turner and Adam Pulman taking all 10 points.
Cooper and Dorning also competed in a 2 player team tournament organised by regional ETTA coach Helen Lower at Wood Green,Wednesbury for her area’s top players. The duo won their initial group, defeated Coventry’s George Allison and Sam Coombes in the semi-final before getting the better of Colebridge’s Dago Balogun and Sam Henderson to clinch the winners’ medals.
In Division 1, League leaders Rugby A suffered a surprising defeat against second placed Colebridge A, for whom Ian Ferguson posted a stunning hat-trick. Aman Ubhi added two and Kate Hughes 1 with Ferguson and Ubhi taking the doubles. Adrian Pilgrim (2) and Jesse Kendrick-Hill (1) scored for Rugby. In turn, Colebridge were unexpectedly beaten by St. Georges C with Miles Chan recording an impressive treble. Mick Allsopp (2) and Paul Smith (1) edged them home 6-4. Rugby B had a welcome draw with Potters Green. Ryan Lines won twice and took the doubles with Danny Ricks who, like brother Sam, won a single. Taran Dhillon (2), Ryan Stockham (2) and Aaron Riley (1) notched the Coventry team’s points. County Council A narrowly defeated Colebridge B 6-4 despite a maximum from Mike Rinnhofer. Clive Irwin, Pat McCabe and Phil Paine all took braces.
Other result: Rugby B 4 (Danny Ricks 1 +3 conceded) St. Georges B 6 (Mark Jackson 3, Matthew Man 3 +D)
Another shock in Division 2 where leaders Enigmas fell 4-6 to Phoenix. Paul Calloway’s treble plus the doubles with Richard Jardim who won twice, brought about the upset.
In Division 3 promotion for Free Church E is looking increasingly unlikely. Beaten by their H team last week they had to settle for a draw with their G side, for whom Sam Weaving took a maximum. Dudley Turner (1) and Sam Wiggins (1) were the other points scorers with E replying through Chris Blowey (2), Kim Wong (2) with the pair also taking the doubles. Leaders Snitterfield are having no jitters and trounced Nomads C 9-1 with Tim Fell and Robert Poole unbeaten and Stuart Ayres winning twice. Struggling Free Church F had one of their best results when falling narrowly 4-6 to Nomads B. Ian Stevens was in imperious form for the wanderers taking his 3 and the doubles with Steve Poole, who won twice, but Lleryn Gardner and Pete Rourke with two apiece made for a competitive match. Whitnash B had an emphatic 9-1 success over WCC C, all but ending Council’s promotion aspirations. Len Coonan and Greg Swan took triples and the doubles and Wilf Chan won twice. Free Church H also eclipsed WCC , this time 8-2 with Harry Purewal and Kit Turner taking trebles and Andrew McIlvaney winning two. Rugby D drew with Whitnash B. Danny Orr(2), Mark Wilson (2) and Jo Outhwaite (1) ensured defeat was not a possibility but Len Coonan’s maximum, a single from Greg Swan and a thrilling 3-2 doubles win for the pair made for parity.
Other result: Flavels 3 (Mick Bennett 3) Rugby D 7 (7 games conceded).
Eathorpe B are vying for 3rd spot in Division 4 and powered to an 8-2 victory over WCC D thanks to Paul Deavall and Michael Rossington winning their 3 singles and Sophie Cooper chipping in with 1 and the doubles with Rossington. Second placed Free Church I were held to a draw by Ashorne A. Church’s Tom Meldrum made a welcome return from long-term injury winning twice and losing deuce in the 5th to Steve Bolton. Josh Wyatt-Smith and Joe Hunt added 2 and 1 respectively with Bolton winning two, Chris Bowles emulating him and taking the doubles with Roger Kelley.
Eathorpe D thrashed their C team 5-0 in Division A with father and son, John and Jon Ablett taking the points. FISCC edged Snitterfield C 3-2. Mark Kingham and Brian Marston took a single each and the doubles with Henry Lu maintaining his unbeaten record for the villagers.
Ashorne B defeated Free Church R 3-2 in Division B. Steve Handsley was their mainstay winning twice and taking the doubles with Tony Philpott. Phil Booth and Jill Weaving replied. Free Church M also won 3-2 against their P side. Lewis Singleton won 2 for P but m bounced back with singles from Ben King and Matthew Scott, with Charlie Snelson joining King for the doubles.
