Cramlington Cobras travelled to Matfen with only two players this week in Division 2 and were promptly undone as the Senators’ line-up of Alex Holliday, Robert Neil Forsyth and Stephen Oxley won 10-0 against Mike Dunn and Joe Swinburn. The score appears representative of a gulf in class between the two teams as the visitors were unable to even pick up a single game across all 7 matches played. This win boosts the Senators’ challenge for the title as they currently lie in second place with 73 points but 2 games in hand over league leaders Brandon Anacondas on 87 points.
Conversely, the Anacondas didn’t do themselves any favours in this regard as they drew 5-5 with Cramlington Trojans. The home team’s Adam Hardiman and Blair Carmichael each won 2 matches and combined to win the draw-sealing doubles. Brandon’s Tony Taylor and Paul Dale both won 1 match each but anti-loop player Stephen Pattinson shows his continued improvement as he won his hat-trick and took Player of the Match.
Third-placed Ouston B encountered a similar stumbling block as they dropped 5 key points to Cramlington Swifts. Peter Wilkinson and Ron Scott both won 2 matches, and although Lynsey Storey wasn’t able to pick up any wins she combined with Wilkinson to win the doubles. Ouston’s Tom Fowle and Jeff McKenna both beat Storey but Kevin Richardson took Player of the Match as he beat all of the Swifts’ players.
The last match of the week was an interesting one when Mount D travelled to Tyneside to face a B team line-up of John Donnelly, Don Catley and James Robertson. All three Mount players, John Rowell, Michael Bradley and Bill Edwards, won a single match – but against different opponents. Donnelly, Catley and Robertson each won two matches, Robertson and Donnelly also pairing up to take the doubles.
In Division 3, Matfen Tribunes put themselves atop the table as David Swan, Nigel Tree and Keith Hodges beat Saints’ Steven Dawson, Ray Joynson and Ken Greatbatch 8-2. Swan took his hat-trick and Player of the Match, Hodges also winning 3 whilst Tree chipped in with a single win against Greatbatch.
Philip Smith continues his rich vein of form by winning his three matches against interclub rivals Cramlington Spartans this week, but it was the Corinthians’ Richard Williamson who took Player of the Match by losing fewer points. Teammate Alan Hedley lost two matches but took a win from Paul Long, rendering her void of wins. Sam Nair and Adrian Barnes made up the 2 wins for the Spartans as the Corinthians took the fixture 8-2 overall.
Tynemouth Golf Club’s resident PGA Professional has returned to table tennis after a decades-long hiatus, and already finds himself winning matches in Division 3. Jeff McKenna, alongside Daniel McManus and Joe Hastings, drew 5-5 with Brandon Bravehearts – McKenna and McManus both winning two matches, Hastings winning one. Brandon’s Patrick Nicholson took Player of the Match however as he won all three of his games, supported with a single win by Edward Nicholson. John Parkin as the home team’s third player was unable to win any matches.
