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

Torbay Table Tennis Academy have opened up a nine point lead at the top of the First Division thanks to a convincing 9-1 victory over Brixham Trawlers, with Chris Baron of the Trawlers preventing the whitewash.  The Academy’s 2^nd team, bottom of the pile, put up a real fight against Halwell, taking 6 sets to the 5^th game, but losing them all, going down 3-7; Dave Wadling won all 3 for Halwell.  A Rory Harries maximum helped Dawlish Aces to a draw at Brixham Gulls, whilst N A Batmen defeated stablemates N A Buzzards 7-3, the pick of the sets being Dennis Gibbs 12-10, 14-12, 17-15 win over youngster Kelvin Cheung.

Dennis Gibbs, N A Batmen

Taverners inflicted a first defeat of the season on N A Eagles in the top of the table Second Division clash. At 1-1 Geoff Read won a close 5-setter over Doug Morgan which started a run of 5 singles wins in a row for Taverners, to clinch the match before the battling Eagles won the last three to go down just 4-6 and stay in contention at the top, only 3 points behind Taverners.  Third-placed Battlers squeezed home 6-4 against Torbay Academy III, clinching the match with a final doubles win, with Dave Wills getting a maximum for the Academy. Brixham Imports came through a close encounter with Marldon Tykes at 3-4 down; the Imports won the last 3 sets to win 6-4.  Exactly the same scenario played out at Brixham as the Swallows were leading 4-3 against Marldon only to lose the last 3 sets, also going down 6-4.

Dawlish Diamonds closed the wide gap at the top of the Third Division with leaders, Denbury Tykes, having the week off. The Dawlish side convincingly whitewashed the struggling Brixham Swifts. Brixham Diamonds convincingly defeated stablemates Panthers 9-1 and Torre Warriors beat a two man Hasbeens side 8-2.

N A Falcons return to the top of the Fourth Division following a comprehensive 9-1 win over fellow Newton side, Kestrels. Luke Robins of the Kestrels prevented the whitewash. Keeping the pressure on at the top, Brixham Dolphins whitewashed N A Owls.  Torre Nadoes shared the points with Torbay Academy V, with Bertie Youd winning all three for the Torre side.

Holders, Torbay Academy I, go marching on into the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup, but not without a fight by the Battlers who pushed them close before going down 3-5.  Travis Graham was the star in the N A Hawks’ close encounter with Brixham Trawlers. He completed his maximum with a victory over Clive Banham, after the teams levelled at 4-4, to take the match for the Hawks.

Travis Graham,  N A Hawks

Two Newton Abbot sides progressed through to Round 2 of the Dyment Doubles with good away wins over teams from higher divisions.  The Falcons won 5-0 at Battlers, while N A Kestrels pulled out the surprise of the round, defeating a strong Torbay Academy III team 5-1.  

Division 1

Torbay Academy II  3 (Furgol 2, Perkins 1, Ricketts 0)  Halwell 7 (Wadling 3, Sugden 2, Atkinson 1, Dbls)

Brixham Trawlers 1 (Baron 1, Maynard 0, Williamson 0)  Torbay Academy I  9 (Piwowar 3, Cincala 3, Barnett 2, Dbls)

Brixham Gulls 5 (Smith 2, Mercer 2, Millman 1)   Dawlish Aces 5 (Harries 3, Short 1, G TUshingham 0, Dbls)

N A Batmen 7 (Gibbs 3, Dummett 2, Dunn 1, Dbls)  N A Buzzards  3 (Cheung 2, Kiff 1, Tyrrell 0)

Division 2

Taverners 6 (Read 2, Harrop 2, Tyrrell 2)  N A Eagles 4 (McIvor 2, Long 1, Morgan 0, Dbls)

Marldon Tykes 4 (Garner 2, Ayling 2, M Hern 0) v Brixham Imports 6 (Slocombe 2, Stead 2, T Haggerty 1, Dbls)

Brixham Swallows 4 (Andy Millman 2, Meah 2, Holmes 0)  Marldon 6 (Atkin 2, Glover 2, Breyley 1, Dbls)

Battlers 6 (Hawkins 2, Nicholson 2, Thompson 1, Dbls) Torbay Academy III  4 (Wills 3, Perry 1, Hine 0)

Division 3

Brixham Diamonds 9 (Williams 3, N Wilson 3, K Wilson 2, Dbls)  Brixham Panthers 1 (I Brown 1, A Brown 0, R Salt 0)

Dawlish Diamonds 10 (Davies 3, Freeman 3, Rabbage 3, Dbls  Brixham Swifts 0 (Hodierne 0, Hughes 0, K Andrews 0)

Hasbeens 2 (Fitzgerald 2, Alexander 0, Forfeit 0) v Torre Warriors 8 (Lush 3, Lavery 2, Heathcote 2, Dbls)

Division 4

Torre Nadoes 5 (B Youd 3, C Youd 1, Davies 1)   Torbay Academy V  5 (Burridge 2, Neafcy 2, Brookes 0, Dbls)

N A Owls 0  (D Bayliss 0, Hiles 0, Embury 0)  Brixham Dolphins 10 (Gilpin 3, S Shipley 3, N Shipley 3, Dbls)

N A Kestrels 1 (Robins 1, Short 0, Constantin 0)  N A Falcons 9 (Bretagne 3, Stratton 3, Nicotra 2, Dbls)

Challenge Cup

Torbay Academy I  5 v 3  Battlers

Brixham Trawlers  4 v 5  N A Hawks

Dyment Doubles

Battlers  0 v 5  N A Falcons

Torbay Academy III  1 v 5  N A Kestrels