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

With just 2 weeks of the league season to go, Torbay Academy I hit the top for the first time.  Their 9-1 defeat of bottom side Brixham Trawlers takes them past the Batmen, who had a week off. The Academy’s Kris Piwowar & Patrik Cincala were untroubled by the Trawlers’ side, with neither of them losing a leg in gaining their maximums.  Defeat puts Brixham Trawlers in serious trouble, 8 points adrift at the bottom, although they do have a game in hand over their rivals.  The sides which the Trawlers are trying to catch, played each other with Dawlish Aces doing their survival hopes no harm defeating the Battlers 7-3, Giles Tushingham gaining a maximum for the Aces. A close encounter between two teams with little to play for in the middle of the division saw Newton Bishops win 6-4 against Brixham Gulls despite a fine maximum from Gulls’ Joshua Millman.

The top two in Division 2 both had whitewash victories: 2^nd placed Torbay Academy II easily defeated bottom side Dawlish Diamonds, while top side Taverners saw off a battling Tykes side who pushed them close in several of the sets. So Taverners still have a 7 point lead, with both sides having tough fixtures next up before playing each other in the last match of the season. Bishops Academicals’ Doug Morgan helped his side to a narrow 6-4 victory over Brixham Swallows with a hard fought maximum, to cement 3^rd place for the Bishops.

A big result at the top of the 3^rd Division has opened things up.  Unbeaten leaders and strong favourites for the title, Marldon Badgers, were beaten 7-3 by 3^rd placed Hasbeens. Only 3 points separate the top three teams, with Hasbeens & Badgers now sitting level at the top, with Torbay Academy III just 3 points behind.  The Badgers, who were without their number one Simon Hern against the Hasbeens, do have a game in hand over their rivals.

Results

Div 1

Battlers 3 (Nicholson 2, Hawkins 1, Thompson 0)  Dawlish Aces 7 (G Tushingham 3, Y Tushingham 2, Crawford 1, Dbls)

Newton Bishops 6 (Adams 2, S Jessop 2, McIvor 1, Dbls)  Brixham Gulls 4 (J Millman 3, Smith 1, A Millman 0)

Torbay Academy I 9 (K Piwowar 3, Cincala 3, Brewer 2, Dbls)  Brixham Trawlers 1 (Maynard 1, Beavington 0, Williamson 0)

Div 2

Tykes 0 (Ayling 0, P Darch 0, Garner 0)  Taverners 10 (Harrop 3, Tyrrell 3, Morley 3, Dbls)

Bishops Academicals 6 (Morgan 3, Tyrrell 1, Coxhead 1, Dbls)  Brixham Swallows 4 (Slocombe 2, Meah 1, Millman 1)

Torbay Academy II 10 (Perkins 3, Furgol 3, Barnett 3, Dbls)  Dawlish Diamonds 0 (Freeman 0, Beesley 0, Stratton 0)

Div 3

Marldon Badgers  3  (Smith 2, Warwick 1, M Hern 0)  Hasbeens 7 (Fitzgerald 3, Alexander 2, Smallshaw 1, Dbls)

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3