ONLY three matches were played in the North Cornwall Table Tennis League last week with one rearranged Division One match and two first-round Handicap Cup ties.

Budehaven A had beaten Budehaven B 8-2 seven days earlier and they faced off again on Thursday night.

Despite the A team swapping in Dave Salisbury and Helen Murgatroyd for Keith Bradshaw and David Ewen, it made no difference as they thrashed Budehaven B 10-0.

Such was their dominance, they only dropped two ends all night, leaving the B team with plenty of improvement to make ahead of the final five league games of the season, which starts on January 10 at Whitstone Wanderers.

The result left the A team in fourth but are pushing hard on the coat-tails of the top three.

Of the four scheduled Handicap Cup ties, only two went ahead with the ties between Crackington A and Bridgerule A and Bridgerule B and Launceston rescheduled for early in the new year.

Crackington B staved off a potential upset against Division Two leaders Budehaven D to win 5-1. Although the handicap differences were very small, the home team proved too strong as they cruised to victory  with Ross Paynter and Robin Evans winning two from two.

The other match saw Division Three side Budehaven F and G combine to take on Division One high-flyers North Hill A.

The home side could only muster two players meaning North Hill had to win just two of the remaining six points on offer to advance.

Although the visitors had to start from 15-0 down in a race to 21 in most situations, that proved well within their reach as Shirley Luckhurst, Martin Hynes and Bob Thompson proved their class.

Phil Hawken beat Hynes for the home team’s point.

See next week’s Post to find out who was victorious in Sunday’s David Viggers tournament at Budehaven.