Robert Excell Photography-Sponsored South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League

Torbay Academy I’s defeat of Newton Abbot Batmen and their 16^th straight victory of the season sees them at the top of the table, but the dangerous Brixham Sharks have 2 games left to play and require 15 points to overhaul the Academy side. Battlers fought well to earn 3 points in their bid to avoid the drop at Halwell. Brixham Trawlers are still clinging on to First Division survival, thanks to a remarkable 8-2 victory over stablemates the Gulls.    Trawlers reversed a 7-3 defeat earlier in the season to earn themselves a valuable 8 points, thanks to another fine maximum from captain Alan Maynard, and are now level on points with the Battlers, but above them by virtue of winning more games.  Battlers do have one game to play but it won’t be easy picking up points against prospective champions Brixham Sharks.

The finale to the 2^nd Division couldn’t have been more exciting, with the top two playing each other in the final match.  Taverners, top for most of the season, and unbeaten, had an 8-point lead going into the match so only required 2 sets to take the title, however the young, hard-hitting Torbay Academy II side had no intention of giving in to the experienced Taverners side, and went 6-0 up.  Alan Tyrrell from the Taverners then spoilt the party by taking a set for the Taverners, but that is all they got as the Academy’s Dan Bartlett & Simon Furgol won the remaining sets to take a 9-1 win and take the title into a play off match to decide the champions.  Dawlish Diamonds’ 9-1 defeat by Brixham Swallows sends them down to the 3^rd Division, while fellow strugglers Torre 21 Up, although losing 6-4 to Tykes, picked up 4 valuable points in their bid for survival.

The third Division title has been decided.  A fine 9-1 win for Marldon Badgers over Brixham Dolphins assured the Badgers team, Mike Hern, Simon Hern, Frazer Warwick & Rob Smith, of the title, with the Badgers still having one game left to play. Hasbeens needed 5 points in their final match against Brixham Rebels to overtake Torbay Academy III and claim runners-up spot.  The Rebels however beat Hasbeens 6-4, which meant that Torbay Academy III finished level on points with Hasbeens, with the Academy side finishing 2^nd thanks to winning more matches.

Torbay Table Tennis Academy first team won through to their second final.  Already in the Dyment Doubles final, they brushed aside a battling Bishops Academy side 5-2 to reach the Challenge Cup Final.

Results

Div 1

Torbay Academy 7 (K Piwowar 3, Cincala 2, Brewer 1, Dbls)  Batmen 3 (D Gibbs 2, M Dummett 1, I Dummett 0)

Brixham Trawlers 8 (Maynard 3, Beavington 2, Williamson 2, Dbls)  Brixham Gulls 2 (A Millman 1, Smith 1, Mercer 0)

Battlers 3 (Hawkins 1, Nicholson 1, Thompson 1)  Halwell 7 (Atkinson 3, Sugden 1, Wadling 2, Dbls)

Div 2

Torbay Academy II  9 (Furgol 3, Barnett 3, Perkins 2, Dbls)  Taverners 1 (Tyrrell 1, Harrop 0, Morley 0)

Dawlish Diamonds 1 (Stratton 1, Beesley 0, Freeman 0)  Brixham Swallows 9 (Carthy 3, Meah 3, Slocombe 2, Dbls)

Torre 21 Up  4 (Lush 2, Excell 1, Riley 0, Dbls)  Tykes 6 (Garner 3, Metcalfe 2, P Darch 1)

Div 3

Brixham Rebels 3 ( K Salt 2, Munns 1, Parton 0)  Marldon Badgers 7 (M Hern 2, Smith 2, Warwick 2, Dbls)

Brixham Panthers 3 (Deakin 3, A Brown 0, I Brown 0)  Torbay Academy III  7 (Hastie 2, Cincalova 2, Perry 2, Dbls)

Torbay Academy III  5 (Hastie 3, Cincalova 1, Perry 0, Dbls)  Hasbeens 5 (Fitzgerald 2, Wickens 2, Alexander 1)

Marldon Badgers 9 (S Hern 3, R Smith 3, M Hern 2, Dbls)  Brixham Dolphins 1 (Gilpin 1, N Shipley 0, S Shipley 0)

Brixham Rebels 6 (R Johns 3, Munns 1, Atkinson 1, Dbls)  Hasbeens 4 (Fitzgerald 2, Smallshaw 1, Alexander 1)

Dawlish Drifters 6 (McConnell 2, Copley 1, Kevern 0, Awarded 3)  Brixham Panthers 4 (A Brown 2, I Brown 1, Dbls)

Dawlish Dynamos 8 (Charlesworth 3, Tudball 3, Beck 1, Dbls)  Dawlish Drifters 2 (Rabbage 1, Copley 1, Kevern 0)

Challenge Cup Semi Final

Bishops Academicals 2  Torbay Academy I  5

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3