A girls night out

Anna Sowerby and Jessica Waugh first started playing table tennis in 2011 at their Schools (St Marys RC, Newcastle and Bothal Middle School) through after school sessions supported by the Premier League 4 Sport programme. In subsequent years they have represented Newcastle United at table tennis in regional and national competitions as a team. In last week's fixtures in the Northumbria Table Tennis League they met in the Division 4 match between  Cramlington Lions and Cramlington Knights. Playing for the Knights Sowerby won her 3 singles matches plus the doubles with Andrew Cockerill giving the Knights 7-3 victory.  For the Lions Waugh won 2 out of 3 of here matches losing only against Sowerby. With so few ladies playing in the league it is good to see the emergence of two young ladies with with good prospects for the future in the sport. 

Staying on the theme the Division 1 match between Cramlington Cobras and Riding Mill B also featured ladies with Shirley Gelder (Riding Mill) and Lynsey Storey (Cobras). In the first game of the night Gelder beat Storey and in later matches beat Alistair Johnson and lost to Mark Christie. Storey went on to beat Eddie Coxon and lose against Maurice Cheek. Cheek proved to be the strongest player on the night beating Johnson and Christie in a tight 5 ender, to finish the match 7-3 in the Mill’s favour.

The seventh annual Cramlington 2 Star Junior Table Tennis Tournament takes place at the Sporting Club Cramlington on Saturday 1 November 2014. Organised by Cramlington Table Tennis Club and sponsored by aalco, the UKs leading metal stockholder, the event regularly attracts entries from the North East area and Yorkshire. 

If you have not seen junior table tennis before this is a good opportunity to see some future stars. Spectators are welcome anytime during the day, no charge.