The Robert Excell Photography-sponsored South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League

Batmen, who face a real threat this term, showed their title challengers they are not going to relinquish the title easily, with a thumping 10-0 win over Brixham Trawlers. Dennis Gibbs with Mike & Ian Dummett brushed aside the challenge from the Newly promoted Brixham side. In a much closer affair, Newton Bishops came from 3-4 down against Battlers to win 6-4, the turning point of the match being Gerald Norton’s defeat of Keith Hawkins, deuce in the 5th set.

In Division 2 there was a strong start from Taverners who swept aside Dawlish Diamonds 10-0, with Tony Morley in his first ever match in the league gaining a maximum along with Geoff Read & Alan Tyrrell. Wins also for Tykes who beat Brixham Pirates 7-3 thanks to a Kevin Ayling maximum, and Marldon, whose Graham Holmes won all 3 in a close contest at Brixham against the Swallows, Marldon winning the last doubles in 5 sets to take the match 6-4. Oliver Slocombe deserves a mention for pushing both Holmes and Breyley to very close finishes in the deciding set.

Marldon Badgers got off to a good start in the 3rd Division with a whitewash over Brixham Swifts. Hasbeens, always strong contenders in this division, defeated Dawlish Drifters 8-2 whose only resistance came from Don McConnell’s 2 singles wins.  Torbay Academy 3 also recorded a comfortable 8-2 win over Brixham Rebels, the rebels’ only points coming from Marilyn Parton who had 5th set 11-9 wins over Klara Cincalova & Elsa Perry. Jordan Hastie recorded a fine maximum for the Academy side.

Results

Division 1

Brixham Trawlers 0 (Maynard 0, Beavington 0, Williamson 0)  Batmen 10 (D Gibbs 3, I Dummett 3, M Dummett 3 Dbls)

Newton Bishops 6 (Adams 2, R Jessup 2, Norton 1, Dbls)  Battlers 4 (Thompson 2, Nicholson 1, Hawkins 1)

Division 2

Dawlish Diamonds 0 (Frain 0, Stratton 0, Tudball 0) Taverners 10 (Read 3, Morley 3, Tyrrell 3, Dbls)      

Tykes 7 (Ayling 3, Garner 2, P.Darch 1, Dbls) Brixham Pirates 3 (H.Johns 1, Haggerty 1, Jones 1)

Brixham Swallows 4 (A Millman 2, Slocombe 1, Meah 1)  Marldon 6 (Holmes 3,Oatley 1, Breyley 1 Dbls)

Division 3

Dawlish Drifters 2 (McConnell 2, Curl 0, Kevern 0)  Hasbeens 8 (Fitzgerald 3, Alexander 2, Wickens 2 Dbls)

Marldon Badgers 10 (M Hern 3, Green 3, Smith 3 Dbls)  Brixham Swifts (Durrant 0, Mercer 0, Daniels 0)

Torbay Academy (3) 8 (Hastie 3, Cincalova 2 Perry 2 Dbls)  Brixham Rebels 2 (Parton 2, K Salt