Bob Pettit's weekly reports

This page collates the weekly reports which Bob Pettit has been submitting to the Cambridge Evening News. Bob welcomes any information which you would like to submit.

Send your contributions to bobpettit@tiscali.co.uk.

15 Oct 07 Haverhill continue impressive start

Maria Boulton and Tony Reardon recorded maximums for Haverhill in their 9-1 victory over Soham I which maintained their good start to the season in Division I of the Cambridge and District Table Tennis League. Soham's solitary win was recorded by Tony Everitt who beat Robert Cushen in five sets. Promoted St Ives II recorded a good 6-4 win against NCI although David Tiplady's experience and consistency enabled him to win three singles for the losers. Champions St Georges had an easy 8-2 victory over Impington whilst three wins for Devesh Shete enabled the University to a 5-5 draw with Cambridge. The Mohan Family, having moved up to Division I as Soham II are finding the going tough losing two matches to St Ives I(1-9) and Stapleford(2-8).

In Division three, Jim Reary's three victories for Fulbourn saw them defeat Haverhill III 7-3 and with Carl Woolf playing up from Division four they also gained a creditable draw against Soham III. Impington III however proved much too strong for Soham III winning 8-2 with maximums for both Duncan Taylor and Tracy Sambrook.

The Juniors from St Ives V, backed by senior player Bernie Shannon's three wins gained a useful 5-5 draw with Impington IV in the fourth division. St Ives VI up and coming Junior, Callum Mitcham, recorded two wins in his teams 8-2 loss against NCI V whilst Dan Pedley also won two singles for St Ives V in their first win of the season by 7-3 over Impington V.

For Sawston, Victor Reicansky and John Norris were in fine form both winning three singles in their 7-3 success against Over IV whilst Reicansky also gained another maximum in his teams 4-6 loss to Cambridge IV.

RESULTS

DIV 1

St Ives II 6 NCI 4
St Ives I 9 Soham II 1
St Ives 1 8 St Ives II 2
Soham II 3 Stapleford 7
Haverhill 9 Soham I 1
Impington  2 St Georges 8
University 5 Cambridge 5

DIV 3

St Georges IV 8 St Ives IV 2
Haverhill III 3 Fulbourn 7
Soham III 5 Fulbourn 5
Soham III 2 Impington III 8

DIV 4

St Ives V 5 Impington IV 5
NCI V 8 St Ives VI 2
Over IV 3 Sawston 7
Impington V 3  St Ives V 7
Sawston 4 Cambridge IV 6

21 Oct 2007 Champions put brakes on Haverhill

Previously unbeaten Haverhill were firmly put in their place by St Georges in Division 1 of the Cambridge and District Table tennis League with the champions recording a 9-1 victory. Kevin and Martin Gray both won three singles for the 'Saints' with Haverhill's solitary success coming from Rob Cushen who beat Steve Trevannion in straight sets. Promoted Stapleford put up a good performance losing narrowly 6-4 to last seasons runners up St Ives, whilst a good all round performance saw Impington defeat Soham 1 6-4. David Atkinson's three wins for University could not save them from losing 7-3 to NCI who in turn lost 6-4 to Over despite three wins by David Tiplady.

In Division 2 three wins for Caroline Wright helped Haverhill 2 to a 5-5 draw with Impington and Rob Pownall's maximum enabled St Georges 3 to defeat Cambridge 2 6-4. In inter club battle between St Georges 3 and St Georges 2 honors were even with all players contributing points in the 5-5 draw.

New club St Neots look like dominating the third division with their latest victims Fulbourn only managing to win one singles courtesy of Jim Reary over Peter O'Gorman in the 9-1 rout. Over 3 had two good wins by 7-3 over their own second team and a 10-0 whitewash of CIBA. Jon Audus and Ian Boggie both recorded maximums as Soham 3 easily accounted for Haverhill 3 9-1.

Junior Nick Bradley recorded three wins for Over 4 in their 6-4 success against St Georges 5 in Division whilst Fred Laband had similar success for Cambridge 4 in their 6-4 victory at St Ives 5. Sawston had an easy 9-1 victory over St Ives 6 with Nick Bennett the only winner for the losers.

RESULTS.

DIV 1
RCG Stapleford 4 St Ives I 6
Cambridge I 9 Over 1
Soham I 4 Impington 6
Haverhill 10 Soham II 0
NCI 7 University 3
Over 6 NCI 4

DIV 2
Impington II 5 Haverhill II 5
St Georges III 6 Cambridge II 4
St Georges III 5 St Georges II 5

DIV 3
CIBA 8 St Georges IV 2
Haverhill III 1 Soham III 9
Fulbourn 1 St Neots 9
Over II 3 Over III 7
Over III 10 CIBA 0

DIV 4
St Georges V 4 Over IV 6
St Ives VI 2 St Georges V 8
St Georges V 2 NCI V 8
St Ives V 4 Cambridge IV 6
Sawston 9 St Ives VI 1

28 Oct 07 St Ives on song

Three wins apiece for Simon Pryke and Mark Fisher enabled St Ives I to record an emphatic 9-1 win against Over in Division One of the Cambridge and District League. St Ives II then made it a double for the club when recording an 8-2 success over Soham II with Reuan Williams and Richard Wells both recording maximums. Cambridge beat Soham I 6-4 in a close encounter with Li Wei's hat trick of wins ultimately proving the difference between the teams. Impington, with three wins by Dave Rowell, recorded a useful 7-3 victory over highly placed, although slightly below full strength, Haverhill.

In Division Two Haverhill II managed to beat St Georges III 6-4 thanks to Caroline Wright's three victories and Nick Rains maximum enabled NCI III to record their first win of the season against a weakened St Ives III. Peter Laughlin, following a two year rest from the sport, won three matches for Impington II but this was not enough to prevent NCI IV from winning 6-4 in a good all round team performance.

The highly fancied juniors from Cambridge III suffered a rare defeat at the hands of a more experienced Fulbourn side by 7-3 in Division Three with all their wins coming from Sam Pickup. Three wins by Colin Adams helped Impington III to a comfortable 8-2 win over CIBA whilst maximums from Owen Davies and Ian Francis gave Over III a win by the same scoreline at St Georges IV.

In Division Four struggling St Ives VI were whitewashed 10-0 by Bassingbourn but their club mates from St Ives V performed much better inflicting a 9-1 defeat on Over IV with three wins each for Innes Christianson and Bernie Shannon. Bragging rights at Impington will go to the fifth team who unexpectedly defeated the fourths 6-4 with a good all round attacking performance from Alan Philips ably supported by Mike Johnston and Dave Harrison. Fulbourn II beat St Georges V 6-4 with three wins from Duncan Gates and two from Carl Woolf.

RESULTS

DIV 1
St Ives I 9 Over 1
Cambridge 6 Soham I 4  
Soham II 2 St Ives II 8
Impington 7 Haverhill 3

DIV 2
Haverhill II 6 St Georges III 4
St Georges II 5 NCI II 5
NCI III 6 St Ives III 4
NCI IV 6 Impington II 4

DIV 3
Impington III 8 CIBA 2
St Georges IV 2 Over III 8
Cambridge III 3 Fulbourn 7
Soham III 7 St Ives IV 3

DIV 4
St Ives VI 0 Bassingbourn 10
Over IV 1 St Ives V 9
Impington V 6 Impington IV 4
Fulbourn II 6 St Georges V 4

Handicap Cup First Round.
St Georges I 5 Fulbourn I 2

12 Nov 07 Rare appearance suits NCI

Three singles wins from a rare appearance by Keith Richardson and three by David Tiplady ensured that NCI beat Soham I comfortably 8-2 in Division One of the Cambridge & District Table Tennis League. RCG Stapleford also recorded a useful 8-2 victory over the University with their only victories coming from newcomer Helen Pooley. The Mohan family as Soham II are still finding their feet in this Division loosing 8-2 to Impington although there was a good performance from the improving Patrick Mohan in beating Mandy Mills in five sets and narrowly losing to Jeff Catlin also in five sets.

In Division Two three wins from Tony Comisky helped Stapleford to a draw against Priory whilst St Ives III beat St Georges II 7-3 thanks mainly to three wins from newcomer Chris Meadows and two for stalwart Bernie Shannon playing up from Division Four. Impington II beat St Georges III 6-4 with stand-in Peter Laughlin winning 3.

Fulbourn raced into an early 3-0 lead against Over III in Division Three but where pegged back to 3-2 with five different players winning a singles each. Determined defending by Matt Allen of Over enabled him to overcome both Jim Reary and Moumen Kuwaider in five set matches but this was not enough to prevent Fulbourn emerging winners by 6-4. A very Strong St Neots continue to dominate Division Three beating Haverhill III 8-2 with three wins each from Shaun Murray and Danny Slater. This was followed up by a 10-0 success against Soham III. St Ives IV managed their first win of the season by 6-4 against fellow strugglers CIBA.

Division Four saw leaders Cambridge IV despite three wins for Fred Laband held to a 5-5 draw by Impington IV for whom John Bray and Mike Friday won two singles each and also combined to win the doubles. In the other match in this Division Dave Harrison's three victories enabled Impington V to draw with Fulbourn II.

19 Nov 07 St Ives go top

St Ives I proved far too strong for Soham I in the Cambridge and District League and their 10-0 victory moved them into top spot in the first division. A rare appearance by Dave Atkinson for University who along with Raphael Assier both recorded maximums saw them beat struggling Soham II 6-4. Dave Rowell's impressive run of victories for Impington I continues and with support from Reno Phyo and Jeff Catlin they recorded an impressive 6-4 victory over Cambridge I.

In Division Two NCI IV moved top with a 7-3 victory over St Georges III with the main contribution coming from Glen Harrison's three victories. Haverhill II just edged out NCI II 6-4 in a close match recovering from 1-4 down in a match where all players contributed with some wins. Peter Laughlin's temporary return to Impington II resulted in another three wins for him in an easy 7-3 victory.

Division Three saw a top of the table clash between St Neots and Cambridge III resulting in a 7-3 win for the 'Saints'. Shaun Murray is much too strong for this division winning three for the victors but there were two wins for Juniors Sam Pickup and Mark Dawkins from Cambridge. Over II lost their unbeaten record going down 4-6 to Fulbourn who are also challenging for promotion.

The two junior teams from St Ives clashed in Division Four with the 5th team proving to strong for the 6th running out winners by 8-2. Bassingbourn without their top players lost 3-7 to NCI V but then beat St Georges V 7-3 with three wins for Terry Bailey to hold onto top spot. Cambridge IV are very strong in this division and are favorites to challenge for top spot and easily beat Impington V 10-0. Three wins each for Victor Riecansky and John Norris saw Sawston to and easy 9-1 win over St Georges and they followed this up with another 8-2 win over a lack-lustre Fulbourn II thanks mainly to three wins from the excellent Yao Shi backed up by Steve Shi and John Norris. Impington IV with maximums from Brian Judd and John Bray recorded their first victory of the season winning 7-3 against the improving youngsters from Over IV.

RESULTS

DIV 1
St Ives I 10 Soham I 0
Soham II 4 University 6
Cambridge 4 Impington 6

DIV 2
NCI II 4 Haverhill II 6
St Georges III 4 Impington II 6
NCI IV 7 St Georges III 3
Impington II 7 NCI II 3
NCI III 3 RCG Stapleford II 7

DIV 3
Fulbourn I 6 Over III 4
St Neots 10 Soham III 0
St Ives IV 3 Over II 7
St Georges IV 0 Fulbourn I 10
Soham III 3 CIBA 7
Cambridge III 3 St Neots 7

DIV 4
St Ives V 8 St Ives VI 2
Sawston 9 St Georges 1
Over IV 3 Impington IV 7
St Georges V 3 Bassingbourn 7
Bassingbourn 3 NCI V 7
Cambridge IV 10 Impington V 0
Fulbourn II 2 Sawston 8

25 Nov 07 Impington Hat Trick

Impington recorded a hat trick of close victories in the second round of the Handicap Cup with Impington V beating St Ives IV 5-4. Although Pippa Keane was on fine form winning three for St Ives, Dave Harrison won the all important eight game 3-2 to secure victory for Impington. Impington I, with only two players then overcame St Ives III 5-4 with three wins from Jeff Catlin and two from Reno Phyo. Impington III then completed the hat trick by beating Fulbourn II 5-4 which went right to the wire with Tracy Sambrook beating Duncan Gates in straight sets.

The juniors from St Ives V despite the handicaps proved too strong for St Georges V and ran out 7-2 winners as did St Neots who also beat NCI III 7-2 with three wins each for Ivan Clarke and Peter O'Gorman.

In Division One of the league, champions St Georges, with three wins each for the Gray brothers, recorded an easy win over RCG Stapleford by 8-2. Stapleford also lost 4-6 to Over for whom Roger Fensom won three singles and was backed up by Pat Amps who won two.

Division Two saw Cambridge II, with three wins by Rob Fincham, ease past Priory 7-3 and Peter Driscoll's maximum enabled Haverhill II to see off NCI III 6-4 in a close match.

Despite three wins from Mark Dawkins, Cambridge III were held to a 5-5 draw by Haverhill III in Division Three whilst Over III beat Haverhill III 7-3 with three wins by Ray Allen and two from Bill Knibbs.

St Ives V have stormed to the top of Division Four with an emphatic 10-0 whitewash over NCI V. Brian Judd's three wins for Impington IV enabled them to beat Fulbourn II 6-4 in a very tight match that saw Impingtons John Bray get his money's worth with three five set matches, winning two and narrowly losing out to Carl Woolf 14-16 in the fifth set.

RESULTS

HANDICAP CUP Round 2
Impington V 5 St Ives IV 4
St Ives V 7 St Georges V 2
St Ives III 4 Impington 5
Impington III 5 Fulbourn II 4
St Neots 7 NCI III 3

DIV 1
Over 6 RCG Stapleford 4
RCG Stapleford 2 St Georges I 8

DIV 2
Cambridge II 7 Priory 3
NCI III 4 Haverhill II 6

DIV 3
Over III 7 Haverhill III 3
Haverhill III 5 Cambridge III 5

DIV 4
NCI V 0 St Ives V 10
Fulbourn II 4 Impington IV 6

2 Dec 07 Champions move into second spot

Champions St Georges proved far too strong for St Ives II in Division One of the Cambridge and District League recording an easy 8-2 victory. University with David Atkinson and Raphael Assier both recording maximums, improved their position in the division with a 7-3 success against Over. Soham I, bolstered by Steve Lee's first match of the season gained some valuable points with a 7-3 success over RCG Stapleford whilst Impington recorded a good 6-4 win over NCI despite a rare appearance and three wins by Mick Harper for NCI.

In Division Two, Cambridge II with Peters Zivtins maximum, moved into top spot with a 7-3 success over RCG Stapleford II whilst St Ives III were well beaten 7-3 by Haverhill III with three wins each for Andy Driver and Caroline Wright. Peter Laughlin signed off his temporary return to Impington II with another maximum in their close 6-4 victory over St Ives III.

The juniors from Cambridge III just failed to whitewash Soham III in Division Three losing the doubles in their 9-1 victory. The only other game in the division saw Owen Davies record another maximum in Over II's narrow 6-4 victory over lowly CIBA.

The rapidly improving juniors from St Ives V with three wins by Daniel Pedley had a comfortable 8-2 win over St Georges V to extend their lead at the top of Division Four. The other junior team from St Ives VI were not as fortunate as their club mates and went down heavily 8-2 against Impington IV with Pat Nicholson and Callum Mitchell recording their only victories. Despite three wins for Val Parkes, Bassingbourn could not prevent Sawston winning their top of the table clash 6-4 whilst Cambridge IV with maximums from Tony Clarke and Aldo Galea eased past Fulbourn II 7-3 to move into second place in the division.

 
RESULTS
DIV 1
Soham I 7 RCG Stapleford 3
Over 3 University 7
St Georges 8 St Ives II 2
Impington 6 NCI 4

DIV 2
RCG Stapleford 3 Cambridge II 7
Haverhill II 7 St Ives III 3
St Ives III 4 Impington II 6

DIV 3
Over II 6 CIBA 4
Cambridge III 9 Soham III 1

DIV 4
St Ives V 8 St Georges V 2
Impington IV 8 St Ives VI 2
Bassingbourn 4 Sawston 6
Cambridge IV 7 Fulbourn II 3
Impington V 3 Over IV 7

09 Dec 2007

Raphael Assier's three wins for University, which also ended Simon Prykes 100% record for the season, could not prevent his team from losing 6-4 to St Ives I who are currently heading Division One of the Cambridge and District League. Keith Richardson also won three singles for NCI in a close fought 5-5 draw with Cambridge whilst there was not much luck for both Soham teams with Soham I whitewashed by St Ives II 10-0 and the second team losing 7-3 to Over keeping them at the bottom of the table.

In Division Two, NCI IV continued their form this season with a 7-3 victory over club mates NCI II with three victories for Glen Harrison who was well supported by Toung Dang and Albert Jackson. Cambridge II also had an impressive 9-1 win at the expense of NCI III with Rob Fincham and Guang Xu both recording maximums. Rob Pownalls three victories helped St Georges III to an impressive 7-3 victory over Haverhill II but a maximum from Tony Comiskey could not prevent RCG Stapleford losing 7-3 to Haverhill II.

The Juniors from Cambridge III had a comprehensive 9-1 victory against Over III in the third division although with six of the ten sets going to five legs the match was much closer than the score line suggests. St Neots continue to dominate at the top of the division with a 10-0 victory over their latest victims St Georges IV. Fulbourns 7-3 victory over struggling St Ives IV, with three wins each for Jim Reary and Ju Young, and Impington III's 6-4 success, including a maximum from Colin Adams, against Haverhill III have kept them both in contention at the top of the division.

In Division Four another win for Cambridge IV by 7-3 against Over IV has moved them back into top spot thanks to three wins each for Fred Laband and Aldo Galea. Fulbourn II also recorded a 7-3 victory over a weakened Bassingbourn with Carl Woolf and Duncan Gates recording maximums.

RESULTS

DIV 1
University 6 St Ives II 4
University 4 St Ives I 6
St Ives II 10 Soham I 0
Soham II 3 Over I 7
NCI 5 Cambridge 5

DIV 2
NCI II 5 St Georges III 5
RCG Stapleford 4 St Georges II 6
NCI III 1 Cambridge II 9
St Georges III 7 St Ives III 3
Haverhill II 7 RCG Stapleford 3
NCI IV 7 NCI II 3

DIV 3

Fulbourn 5 Impington III 5
St Ives IV 3 Fulbourn 7
Impington III 6 Haverhill III 4
Haverhill III 9 St Georges IV 1
Soham III 5 Over II 5
St Georges IV 0 St Neots 10
Over III 1 Cambridge III 9

DIV 4
Over IV 3 Cambridge IV 7
Fulbourn II 7 Bassingbourn 3

16 Dec 07 Champs hit top spot

Champions St Georges have moved to the top of Division One of the Cambridge and district with two victories against University winning 7-3 and Over, who they whitewashed 10-0. The only surprise was Stanley Zhang's impressive performance for University in their defeat which included wins over both Martin and Kevin Gray to record a maximum. Haverhill consolidated their position in third place with a comprehensive 10-0 victory over RCG Stapleford and a further 8-2 success against St Ives II. RCG Stapleford also found Impington too strong going down 7-3 with Dave Rowell winning three for Impington. St Ives I maintained their unbeaten run with Simon Pryke recording a maximum in their 6-4 victory over Cambridge.

Division Two is proving to be very competitive and was illustrated by St Georges II losing 6-4 to struggling Priory, for whom Ray Thorpe won three singles, and then beating current leaders Cambridge II 6-4 with Mick Runswick recording a maximum. Despite three wins by Tony Comiskey RCG Stapleford II were not able to prevent Impington II from winning 7-3 in a good all round team performance.

Runaway leaders in Division Three, St Neots, again proved too strong for previously unbeaten Impington III and ran out convincing winners by 10-0. Martin Toughey from CIBA once again proved to be a thorn in Fulbourn I's side by beating both Jim Reary and Marc Meunier which restricted Fulbourn to a 6-4 victory. Moumen Kuwaider arrived late for Fulbourn, shuffled around and managed to win all three singles in his usual laid back manner. Haverhill III and St Ives IV shared the points in a 5-5 draw that could have gone either way, whilst Soham III overcame Over III 6-4 with a good all round performance from all their players.

The top of the table clash in Division Four saw St Ives V overcome Sawston 8-2 with Bernie Shannon winning his three singles. St Ives V, with another three wins by Shannon, also beat Bassingbourn 8-2 to consolidate their position at the top of the division. Second placed Cambridge IV beat St Ives VI 8-2 but there was a great performance by Junior Pat Nicholson of St Ives who beat both Fred Laband and Tony Clarke. John Bray's recorded three wins in Impington IV's 8-2 victory at NCI V whilst Impington V also had two good wins also beating NCI V 6-4 and 10-0 against the Juniors of St Ives VI.

RESULTS

DIV 1
University 3 St Georges 7
RCG Stapleford 0 Haverhill 10
St Georges 10 Over 0
Cambridge 4 St Ives I 6
Impington 7 RCG Stapleford 3
Haverhill 8 St Ives II 2

DIV 2
St Georges II 4 Priory 6
RCG Stapleford II 3 Impington II 7
Cambridge II 4 St Georges II 6

DIV 3
Haverhill III 5 St Ives IV 5
Over III 4 Soham III 6
St Neots 10 Impington III 0
Fulbourn 6 CIBA 4

DIV 4
NCI V 2 Impington IV 8
Sawston 2 St Ives V 8
St Ives VI 0 Impington V10
Fulbourn II 10 Bassingbourn 0
St Ives V 8 Bassingbourn 2
Cambridge IV 8 St Ives VI 2
Impington V 6 NCI V 4

13 Jan 08

In the top of the table clash in Division Two of the Cambridge and District League, Cambridge II had a comfortable 8-2 victory over Haverhill II with both Rob Fincham and Jim Carswell recording maximums. Cambridge are now joint top of the division along with NCI IV who narrowly defeated St Ives III 6-4 although Brian Freer of St Ives inflicted a rare defeat on Glen Harrison who is top of the averages in this league. Three wins each for Mick Runswick and Darren Wakerley saw St Georges II record an easy win 8-2 over struggling NCI III whilst a good all round performance from Impington II enabled them to beat Priory 7-3 despite Ray Thorpe's maximum for the losers.
br /> In Division One, Dave Atkinson's three wins for University could not prevent them losing 6-4 to Haverhill whilst Soham I also beat Over I 6-4. In an even encounter Steve Fishers victory over Dave Rowell proved decisive as St Ives II drew 5-5 with Impington.

Division Three leaders St Neots, with junior Daniel Fielding making his debut, easily disposed of struggling St Ives IV 10-0 whilst maximums for Terry Edwards and Matt Allen enabled Over III to beat St Georges IV 8-2. Promotion hopefuls Cambridge III narrowly defeated Impington III 6-4 with Sam Pickup winning three singles for the winners although Tracy Sambrook also played well in winning two for Impington. A good all round team performance enabled Haverhill III to ease their relegation worries with a 7-3 victory over CIBA.

In Division Four Dave Harrison's maximum ensured Impington V beat St Georges V 7-3 whilst Sawston saw off NCI V 8-2 with Yao Shi winning three to maintain his unbeaten record for the season. Although losing 8-2 to Over IV, Pat Nicholson of St Ives VI won two singles and only lost in five sets to Ed Merola. St Ives V maintained their position at the top of the division with an emphatic 9-1 victory over Fulbourn II with Fulbourn's only success coming from Freddie Clamp who beat Bernie Shannon in five sets in the opening match of the evening.

In an outstanding Handicap Cup second round match Soham II staged a remarkable comeback from 1-4 down to beat St Georges I 5-4 with Christian Mohan beating Kevin Gray and Patrick Mohan winning two matches.

RESULTS

DIV 1
Over 4 Soham I 6
St Ives II 5 Impington 5
University 4 Haverhill 6

DIV 2
NCI IV 6 St Ives III 4
Haverhill II 2 Cambridge II 8
St Georges II 8 NCI III 2
Impington II 7 Priory 3

DIV 3
CIBA 3 Haverhill III 7
St Georges IV 2 Over III 8
St Ives IV 0 St Neots 10
Impington III 4 Cambridge III 6

DIV 4
St Georges V 3 Impington V 7
St Ives VI 2 Over IV 8 
Fulbourn II 1 St Ives V 9

HANDICAP 2nd Round
Soham II 5 St Georges I 4

20 Jan 08

Cambridge II with three wins from Jim Carswell continued their push for promotion from Division Two of the Cambridge and District Table Tennis League with a 7-3 victory against Impington II. Second placed NCI IV were held to a 5-5 draw by St Georges II for whom Mick Runswick won three singles whilst a maximum from Nick Rains could not prevent struggling NCI III being defeated by Haverhill II who are also well placed to challenge for promotion. Tony Comiskey gained another maximum for RCG Stapleford II but with little support from his team mates could not prevent St Georges III from emerging 6-4 winners.

In Division One University, with two wins each for Deveshe Shete and Raphiel Assier, were held to a 5-5 draw by Impington I for whom Dave Rowell and Mandy Mills also won two each. RCG Stapleford gained some useful points, in their bid to stay in the division, losing narrowly 6-4 to Cambridge I.

Runaway leaders of Division Three, St Neots had another 10-0 whitewash, this time at the expense of CIBA. Second placed Cambridge III maintained their challenge for promotion in beating St Ives IV 9-1 although Gill Fitzgerald of St Ives did record a useful win over Mark Dawkins. Soham III with maximums for both Ian Boggie and Jon Audus easily beat St Georges IV 8-2 pushing the losers closer towards relegation.

Cambridge IV have temporarily leapfrogged St Ives V at the top of Division Four with a 10-0 victory over NCI V and an 8-2 success against St Georges V thanks to maximums from Tony Clarke and Aldo Galea. A good effort by the juniors from St Ives VI saw them lose narrowly 6-4 to Fulbourn II with Oliver Love recording a useful victory over Duncan Gates.

RESULTS

Div 1
RCG Stapleford 4 Cambridge 6
University 5 Impington 5

Div 2
St Georges III 6 RCG Stapleford II 4
Haverhill II 7 NCI III 3
NCI IV 5 St Georges II 5
Impington II 3 Cambridge II 7

Div 3
CIBA 0 St Neots 10
St Ives IV 1 Cambridge III 9
Soham III 8 St Georges IV 2

Div 4
NCI V 0 Cambridge IV 10
St Georges V 2 Cambridge IV 8
Fulbourn II 6 St Ives VI 4

28 Jan 08 Haverhill halt St Ives unbeaten run

Haverhill ended St Ives I's unbeaten run in Division One of the Cambridge and District League emerging winners in a tight encounter by 6-4. Maria Bolton's fine attacking play, which gained her three wins, were the foundation for the victory and was also backed up by victories for both Rob Cushen and Tony Reardon. NCI also suffered at the hands of another very good performance by Haverhill going down 2-8 at home. In this match Tony Reardon showed some excellent form with three victories including a four set victory over David Tiplady, one of the league's better and most consistent players. NCI did however redeem themselves in beating RCG Stapleford 6-4 with Tiplady recording his customary maximum. Champions St Georges maintained their push to retain the First Division title with comfortable victories over Soham I 10-0 and Cambridge 9-1 to remain in pole position.

In Division Two in a good all round performance Haverhill II came out on top by 6-4 against St Georges II in a top of the table clash, whilst lowly NCI II, with Toung Dang playing up from the fourth team, recorded an unexpected 6-4 victory over St Ives III.

Over II recorded two draws in Division Three against Haverhill II and Fulbourn I thanks mainly to maximums from Owen Davies in both games. A good all round performance enabled Fulbourn I to then to recover from 2-3 down to record a 7-3 victory over Haverhill III.

Division Four saw NCI V record a useful 7-3 victory against Over IV whilst a rampant Impington IV whitewashed St Georges V 10-0.

In the Handicap Cup Quarter Finals the juniors from St Ives V, with a maximum from Innes Christison, had a good win over Impington III whilst last years runners up, Sawston, proved too strong for Impington V running out winners by 6-3.In the other Quarter Final match played Impington I beat St Neots 5-4 in a very close game.

RESULTS

Div 1
Over 3 Haverhill 7
Haverhill 6 St Ives I 4
St Georges 10 Soham I 0
RCG Stapleford 4 NCI I 6
NCI I 2 Haverhill 8
Cambridge 1 St Georges 9

Div 2
St Georges II 4 Haverhill II 6
St Ives III 4 NCI II 6

Div 3
Over II 5 Haverhill III 5
Over II 5 Fulbourn 5
Fulbourn 7 Haverhill III 3

Div 4
NCI V 7 Over IV 3
Impington IV 10 St Georges V 0

Handicap Cup Qtr Final
St Ives V 6 Impington III 3
Impington V 3 Sawston 6
St Neots 4 Impington I 5

4 Feb 08 Champions halt Haverhill's good run

Champions St Georges brought Haverhill's recent good run of victories to a halt with a convincing 7-3 victory in the Cambridge and District League first division. The Gray brothers, Martin and Kevin, formed the basis of St Georges' win by both recording maximums to keep the team on track to retain their title. St Ives II recorded two good wins beating Over 10-0, with maximums for Steve Fisher, Reuan Williams and Richard Wells, and also defeated NCI 7-3 although Mick Harper's three wins saved the 'Stutes' from a heavier defeat. In the only other game Soham I beat their second team 6-4 although both teams remain in the relegation dog fight.

In Division two Alan Chambers and Ray Thorpe each won two singles and teamed up to take the doubles in their 5-5 draw with NCI III whilst Impington II beat NCI II 6-4 thanks mainly to three wins from Peter Laughlin.

St Neots, with Shaun Murray unavailable, still proved far too strong for Over II in Division three running out 8-2 winners, including promising junior, Daniel Fielding maintaining his unbeaten record by ending Owen Davies own 100% record. Fulbourn I kept up their outside chance of promotion with a 10-0 whitewash of Soham III whilst Impington III also had an easy 9-1 victory at St Georges IV pushing the losers closer towards relegation. Over III with a maximum from Bill Knibbs beat St Ives IV 8-2 again pushing the losers towards the relegation places.

Cambridge IV maintained their promotion push in Division four beating Sawston 6-4. Fred Laband's three wins, including the defeat of previously unbeaten junior Yao Shi, proved to be the difference between the two teams. St Ives V, who are also pushing for promotion gained, a 6-4 win in a tricky fixture at Impington IV and had Bernie Shannon to thank for the win as a result of his maximum. The juniors from St Ives VI continue to improve and they recorded their first victory of the season by beating NCI V 7-3 with three wins each for Pat Nicholson and Callum Mitchum.

RESULTS

Div 1
St Ives II 10 Over 0
Soham I 6 Soham II 4
Haverhill 3 St Georges 7
NCI 3 St Ives II 7

Div 2
Priory 5 NCI III 5
Impington II 6 NCI III 4

Div 3
Over III 8 St Ives IV 2
Impington III 5 Over III 5
Haverhill III 5 Over II 5
St Georges IV 1 Impington III 9
Fulbourn 10 Soham III 0
St Neots 8 Over II 2

Div 4
Impington IV 4 St Ives V 6
St Ives VI 7 NCI V 3
Cambridge IV 6 Sawston 4
Impington V 5 Bassingbourn 5
Over IV 10 St Georges V 0

10 Feb 08 St Ives keep up hunt for title

St Ives I maintained their push for the first division crown in the Cambridge and District Table Tennis league with easy wins over St Ives II (7-3), NCI (9-1) and RCG Stapleford (10-0). Mark Fisher and Simon Pryke continue to win the bulk of their singles for St Ives although there was a rare defeat for Pryke who lost to Stephen Fisher in the match with their second team. Dave Atkinson won three singles for University but with no support the students lost 3-7 to Cambridge. Cambridge also followed this up with a 10-0 whitewash against Over although the score line does not reflect the closeness of some of the games with several going to five sets. Champions St Georges, with maximums from Martin Gray and Steve Trevannion, had a comfortable 8-2 victory over Impington, whilst Haverhill also beat Soham I 8-2 thanks to three wins each from Tony Reardon and Maria Bolton.

In division two NCI IV came out on top 7-3 in the top of the table clash with a below strength Haverhill II, whilst three wins each for Peter Laughlin and Paul Grammer gave Impington II a 6-4 victory over St Georges II.

Mark Dawkins three wins for Cambridge III, including one over Owen Davies, ensured his team beat Over III 8-2 to maintain their promotion bid in division three. Favourites for the title, St Neots, also won 8-2 against Over II although junior, Daniel Fielding suffered his first losses of the season to Terry Edwards and Ray Allen. Impington suffered a surprising defeat at home to Soham by 6-4 with Soham's Jon Audus recording three wins.

The Juniors of St Ives V beat Impington V 9-1 in division four with Tim Nicholson and Innes Christison recording maximums to put them on top of the league whilst main challengers for the title, Cambridge IV, whitewashed Bassingbourn 10-0. St Ives Vi who are also an all junior team recorded another victory beating St Georges V 6-4.

 
Results

Div 1
Cambridge 7 University 3
St Ives II 3 St Ives I 7
St Ives I 9 NCI 1
St Ives I 10 RCG Stapleford 0
Over 0 Cambridge 10
Soham I 2 Haverhill 8
St Georges 8 Impington 2

Div 2
Haverhill II 3 NCI IV 7
Impington II 6 St Georges II 4

Div 3
CIBA 5 Over III 5
St Ives IV 6 St Georges IV 4
Cambridge III 10 CIBA 0
Impington III 4 Soham III 6
Over III 2 Cambridge III 8
St Neots 8 Over II 2

Div 4
St Georges V 4 St Ives VI 6
St Ives V 9 Impington V 1
Bassingbourn 0 Cambridge IV 10

17 Feb 08

St Ives I recorded a comprehensive 9-1 victory against Over in division one of the Cambridge and District Table Tennis League a result which pushes the losers into the relegation scrap. St Ives II, with Stephen Fisher gaining a maximum, recorded a good 7-3 victory over Cambridge whilst RCG Stapleford came out on top 6-4 in a close match against bottom club Soham II.

In division two, promotion hopefuls Cambridge II, despite three wins from Jim Carswell, were held to a 5-5 draw by NCI II for whom Tony Whiting and Alan Spackman both won two singles each. NCI II also recorded victories against NCI III 6-4, and Priory 7-3, with Sid Dunster recording maximums in both matches. Chris Meadows of St Ives III recorded a useful victory over Tony Cominsky in his two wins but could not prevent RCG Stapleford winning the match 7-3.

Terry Edwards recorded two victories against runaway leaders St Neots in Division three but his team, Over III, were still well beaten 8-2 as were Over II who went down by the same score against the long time leaders.

In division four, Daniel Pedley's three wins with, support from Tim Nicholson and Innes Christinson, enabled St Ives V to beat Over IV 7-3 and go joint top with Cambridge IV. Tom Meecham played well for Over beating both Nicholson and Christinson whilst junior, Yao Shi gained a maximum in Sawstons 5-5 draw, also against Over IV.

In the Handicap Cup semi final Impington I, giving points away to last seasons beaten finalists, Sawston, reached the final with a convincing 5-3 victory.

Results

Div 1
RCG Stapleford 6 Soham II 4
St Ives II 7 Cambridge 3
Over 1 St Ives I 9

Div 2
NCI II 5 Cambridge II 5
RCG Stapleford II 7 St Ives III 3
NCI II 6 NCI III 4
NCI II 7 Priory 3

Div 3
St Neots 8 Over III 2
St Neots 8 Over II 2

Div 4
Sawston 5 Over IV 5
St Ives V 7 Over IV 3

Handicap Cup Semi-Final
Impington I 5 Sawston 3

25 Feb 08

Cambridge IV emerged victorious in the top of the table clash with St Ives V in division four of the Cambridge and District League. The experienced Bernie Shannon won three singles for St Ives but his two junior team mates were unable to beat Fred Laband, Kwok Kee Chan or Tony Clark who each won two singles for Cambridge. In the same division John Taylor and Eddie Bolandi each recorded maximums as NCI V had an emphatic 9-1 victory over struggling St Georges V.

In the top division, St Georges trounced Cambridge 8-2 with Martin and Kevin Gray each winning three singles whilst Impington beat Soham 1 6-4 in a closely fought match which swung Impington's way thanks to Dave Rowell's maximum.

In division two Impington II whitewashed a weakened Haverhill II 10-0 in another clash at the top of the section with Tony Martin, Paul Grammer and Bob Pettit all winning three singles. RCG Stapleford II dented NCI IV's promotion hopes by winning 6-4 thanks to Tony Comisky's maximum and being well supported by Chris Badger who also won two singles. Cambridge II maintained top spot with a 7-3 victory over St Ives III and St Georges III came out on top against their St Georges II club mates 6-4 courtesy of David Oates' maximum.

St Neots maintained their dominance of division three beating Fulbourn 8-2 with maximums from Shaun Murray and Peter O'Gorman whilst Ju Young and Marc Meunier won Fulbourns points by both beating junior Daniel Fielding. Impington III with three wins from Colin Adams and two from Tracey Sambrook beat St Ives IV 7-3 and CIBA just lost out to St Georges IV 4-6 despite Martin Touhey's three wins for CIBA.

RESULTS

Div 1
St Georges 8 Cambridge 2
Impington 6 Soham I 4

Div 2 
NCI IV 4 RCG Stapleford II 6
Haverhill II 0 Impington II 10
Cambridge II 7 St Ives III 3
St Georges II 4 St Georges III 6

Div 3
St Neots 8 Fulbourn 2
Impington III 7 St Ives IV 3
St Georges IV 6 CIBA 4

Div 4
Cambridge IV 6 St Ives V 4
NCI V 9 St Georges V 1

2 Mar 08 Macrae wins marathon

Clare Macrae won one of the longest games ever played in the Cambridge and District League since the change in the scoring system to 11 up when she beat Alan Spackman 33-31 in the first leg of their match. She then went on to win the match by 3 games to 2 and with Mick Runswick also recording a maximum enabled St Georges II to run out winners 6-4 against NCI II in division two. In a top of the table clash NCI IV, with Glen Harrison recording a another maximum, won 6-4 at Impington II whilst St Ives III, with Sid Burgess also winning all his singles, managed a 5-5 draw with NCI III.

In the Handicap Cup Semi-Final the juniors from St Ives V made the most of their handicaps in beating last season's winners Cambridge III 6-0 with Daniel Pedley, Tim Nicholson and Innes Christinson all winning two games. They now go on to play Impington I in the final and could round off the season by winning the cup and promotion from division four.

In division four the clash between the two Impington teams resulted in a 7-3 success for the fourth team with the experienced Brian Judd winning all three of his singles.

Cambridge I, with Andy Merritt's maximum proving the difference, beat Soham I 6-4 in the top division, whilst highly placed Haverhill I overcame Impington I 7-3 with Rob Cushen shining with three wins in a polished performance.

In division three St Neots steam rollered Haverhill III 9-1 with the latter's only resistance coming from Alex Austin who beat junior Daniel Fielding. St Neots then completed a double roll over by also crushing Over II 9-1 with Owen Davies success against Peter O'Gorman being the loser's solitary success. Soham III with Rob Wallis, Ian Boggie and Jon Audus all on fine form, thrashed St Ives 9-1 in the same division and CIBA surprisingly beat Impington III 7-3 with all Impingtons wins coming from Colin Adams.

RESULTS

Div 1
Haverhill 7 Impington 3
Cambridge 6 Soham I 4

Div 2
Impington II 4 NCI IV 6
NCI II 4 St Georges II 6
St Ives III 5 NCI III 5

Div 3
Soham III 9 St Ives IV 1
Haverhill III 1 St Neots 9
Over II 1 St Neots 9
Impington III 3 CIBA 7

Div 4
Impington IV 7 Impington V 3

Handicap Cup Semi Final
St Ives V 6 Cambridge III 0

9 Mar 08 Richardson shows class

Although losing 4-6 to top of the table St Georges, Keith Richardson, making a rare appearance for NCI, still showed that he has the class at this level by winning his three singles in the match, including one against Martin Gray. St Georges still however look on track to retain the first division crown in the Cambridge and District League. A strong University team, with newcomer Yeng beating veteran Mick Harper in straight games as he recorded a maximum easily beat NCI 8-2. The University then showed their comparative lack of interest in the league by fielding a very weak team and losing very heavily 9-1 to lowly Stapleford. The Mohan juniors from Soham II are finding life tough in the top division and went down 9-1 to Impington. In another match Impington also drew with University with one of the highlights being Impingtons Mandy Mills' victory over Devesh Shete.

In division two three wins for Mark Dawkins, who was playing up from division three, helped Cambridge II beat Stapleford II 8-2 to keep their promotion challenge on track. Second placed NCI IV also maintained their challenge by beating Priory 8-2 and in the process pushed the losers further towards relegation. Three wins for Andrew Driver and Peter Driscoll saw Haverhill II return to winning ways as they thumped NCI II 9-1 whilst Tony Martin's maximum enabled Impington II to draw 5-5 with St Georges III. Another maximum from Darren Wakerly also proved the difference between the two teams as St Georges II beat St Ives III 6-4.

The Fen men from Soham III had no answer to the St Neots juggernaught in division three losing 9-1 at home, whilst second place Cambridge III remain favorites to finish second following their 7-3 win against Haverhill III with both Mark Dawkins and Sam Pickup winning three singles each. Next week's top of the table clash between St Neots and Cambridge III is eagerly awaited and will undoubtedly determine who wins this division.

In division four Cambridge IV easily disposed of Impington IV 8-2 to go back to the top of the division whilst closest challengers St Ives V showed no mercy on their club mates and thrashed St Ives VI 10-0.

RESULTS

Div 1
St Georges 6 NCI 4
Soham II 1 Impington 9
University 8 NCI 2
University 5 Impington 5
University 1 RCG Stapleford 9
NCI 6 Soham I 4
Cambridge 5 Haverhill 5

Div 2
Haverhill II 9 NCI II 1
Impington II 5 St Georges III 5
St Georges II 6 St Ives III 4
RCG Stapleford II 8 Priory 2
NCI IV 8 Priory 2
Cambridge II 8 RCG Stapleford II 2

Div 3
St Ives IV 6 CIBA 4
Soham III 1 St Neots 9
Cambridge III 7 Haverhill III 3

Div 4
St Ives VI 0 St Ives V 10
St Georges V 1 Sawston 9
Cambridge IV 8 Impington IV 2

16 Mar 08 Over the Worst

Over may be over the worst and making a big effort to avoid relegation from the first division of the Cambridge and District League with two wins last week. They started with an unexpected 7-3 success against St Ives II three with three wins by Roger Fensom and two by newcomer Paul Hillier and then followed this up with a 6-4 success against RCG Stapleford. The unpredictable University side put out a strong side and with maximums from David Atkinson and Deveshe Shete, inflicted a second heavy defeat on St Ives II by 8-2. Haverhill's Tony Reardon seems to have gained the upper hand against NCI's David Tiplady, beating him for the second time this season in in his teams good 7-3 victory whilst Li Wei's maximum proved the difference as Cambridge beat Impington 6-4.

In division two Mark Lillyman's three wins for St Georges III slowed down NCI IV's promotion push but could not prevent them coming out on top 6-4. Another of the teams involved at the top of the division, Impington II easily beat struggling NCI II 8-2, with maximums from Tony Martin and Howard Morley, to temporarily lead the section.

St Neots all but wrapped up the third division title by beating closest challengers Cambridge III 9-1. Although the final score was one sided, Cambridge did put up a spirited performance and there was some fine attacking table tennis from all players on both sides. CIBA eased their relegation worries with a 7-3 success against Soham III whilst three wins by Neil Farlie ensured Haverhill III gained an unexpected 6-4 win against Over III.

In division four the juniors from St Ives V whitewashed NCI V 10-0 to strengthen their position at the top of the division and put pressure on nearest challengers Cambridge IV. Bassingbourn also beat NCI V 7-3 with three wins by Val Parkes whilst maximums from John Bray and Brian Judd gave Impington IV an easy 8-2 success against Over IV.

Results

Div 1
St Ives II 2 University 8
Over 7 St Ives II 3
Impington 4 Cambridge 6
RCG Stapleford 4 Over 6
Haverhill 7 NCI 3

Div 2
St Georges III 4 NCI IV 6
NCI II 2 Impington II 8

Div 3
Over II 5 St Ives IV 5
Haverhill III 6 Over III 4
CIBA 7 Soham III 3
St Neots 9 Cambridge III 1

Div 4
Fulbourn II 6 Impington V 4
NCI V 3 Bassingbourn 7
St Ives V 10 NCI V 0
Impington IV 8 Over IV 2

22 Mar 08 Saints go marching on

Three wins each for Steve Trevanion and Martin Gray enabled champions St Georges to march on at the top of division one of the Cambridge and District League when they easily beat RCG Stapleford 9-1. Second placed St Ives I initially kept up the pressure on the champions with a similar 9-1 success against Soham I, for whom Andreas Elia recorded their only victory against Mark Fisher. Unfortunately however St Ives then suffered a humiliating 9-1 reverse against a very strong University team and also only recorded a 6-4 success against bottom team Soham II who put in a good performance and showed considerable improvement from their 9-1 defeat earlier in the season.

Cambridge II kept up their promotion challenge in division two by beating bottom team Priory 9-1 with their only loss coming when Ray Thorpe beat Rob Fincham who returned to action following several weeks traveling. Struggling NCI III eased their relegation fears when they beat RCG Stapleford II 6-4 whilst a strong Impington II team thrashed an abysmal St Ives III 10-0 to keep up their challenge for runners up.

There was only one match in division three which saw St Neots break out the lucozade following a roll over against Over III 10-0 to become the first team to clinch a divisional title. The St Neots team of Shaun Murray, Ivan Clarke, Peter O'Gorman and Daniel Fielding, who are new to the league, proved to be much too strong for this division and they should have a much tougher test next season following promotion.

Cambridge IV stay in second place following 7-3 wins over Impington V and Fulbourn II. The match with Fulbourn turned out to be an excellent evening of table tennis with Fulbourn's young Tom Hands showing the adults how to behave whilst looking on in amazement at the verbal skirmishes of Aldo Galea and Duncan Gates. Cambridge got off to a blistering start going 7-0 ahead before wins by Carl Woolf and Duncan Gates against Tony Clarke and Chan Kwok Kee followed by the doubles restored some pride for Fulbourn.

RESULTS

Div 1
Soham I 1 St Ives I 9
St Ives I 1 University 9
Soham II 4 St Ives I 6
St Georges 9 RCG Stapleford 1

Div 2
RCG Stapleford 4 NCI III 6
Priory 1 Cambridge II 9
Impington II 10 St Ives III 0

Div 3
St Neots 10 Over III 0

Div 4
Impington V 3 Cambridge IV 7
Fulbourn II 3 Cambridge IV 7

6 Apr 08 St Georges on track

St Georges remain on track to retain their first division title in the Cambridge and District League following an easy 7-3 victory over St Ives II. Closest challengers St Ives I also disposed of Impington I 7-3 although Impingtons Dave Rowell had two good victories over Simon Pryke and Mark Fisher. Andy Merritt and Matthias Carl both recorded maximums as Cambridge pushed Soham II further towards relegation with a 7-3 victory whilst Haverhill, with Tony Reardon winning three singles, consolidated third spot with an 8-2 victory over RCG Stapleford although Dan Waters had a good night for the losers beating both Rob Cushen and Maria Bolton.

In division two, Tony Comisky and Chris Badger both recorded maximums in RCG Staplefords narrow 6-4 victory over a strong St Georges II and Impington II continued to push for a promotion spot with an 8-2 victory also against St Georges II. The only surprise in this match was the end of Peter Laughlin's 100% record in his defeat by Mick Runswick although Impingtons Tony Martin and Paul Grammer both registered maximums. Sid Dunster with three wins proved the difference as NCI II beat NCI III 6-4 in an inter club battle and there were useful points for St Ives III in their bid to avoid the drop as they drew with St Georges III.

Cambridge III had a surprising 4-6 loss to Soham III which dented their promotion hopes in division three with Rob Wallis winning three for the victors. This enabled Fulbourn to close the gap on Cambridge in a fight for second spot with an 8-2 victory over Impington III and 10-0 against relegated St Georges IV. St Neots who have already won the division whitewashed Over II 10-0 and Soham III followed up their success against Cambridge with an impressive 8-2 victory against Over III.

The wily Roger Sulman won three singles for St Georges V against division four leaders St Ives V but could not prevent them running out 7-3 winners. Cambridge IV maintained second spot with a 7-3 victory against Fulbourn II whilst Dave Harrison's three wins were their only successes in a 7-3 defeat at Over IV.

RESULTS

Div 1
Impington 3 St Ives I 7
Soham II 3 Cambridge 7
St Ives II 3 St Georges 7
Haverhill 8 RCG Stapleford 2

Div 2
NCI III 4 NCI II 6
St Ives III 5 St Georges III 5
St Georges II 2 Impington II 8
St Georges III 6 NCI II 4
St Georges II 4 RCG Stapleford II 6
St Georges III 4 Priory 6

Div 3
St Neots 10 St Georges IV 0
Soham III 8 Over III 2
St Neots 10 Over II 0
Impington III 7 Over II 3
Haverhill III 4 Impington III 6
Impington III 2 Fulbourn 8
Soham III 6 Cambridge III 4
CIBA 6 Over II 4
Fulbourn 10 St Georges IV 0

Div 4
Impington IV 6 NCI V 4
Sawston 5 Impington IV 5
Over IV 7 Impington V 3
Fulbourn II 3 Cambridge IV 7
Sawston 6 Fulbourn II 4
Sawston 7 Bassingbourn 3
St Georges V 3 St Ives V 7
St Ives VI 1 Impington IV 9

13 Apr 08 Cambridge and Fulbourn neck and neck

Cambridge III and Fulbourn are neck and neck in their battle for the runners up spot in division three of the Cambridge and District Table Tennis League. Whilst Cambridge had an easy 9-1 success against St Georges IV, Fulbourn also recorded two big wins against St Ives IV 8-2, and CIBA 9-1, with Marc Meunier and Ju Young both in fine form recording maximums in both matches. St Neots who have proved to be far too strong having already won this division, recorded yet another 10-0 whitewash against Impington III although Impington's Helen Arnold played extremely well to take the unbeaten Shaun Murray to five sets for the first time this season.

In division one, champions elect, St Georges easily beat University 9-1 with the students only win coming from Paul Assier over Steve Trevanion. NCI with David Tiplady prominent disposed of a weakened Cambridge I 10-0, Impington 8-2 but were then held to a surprise draw by improving bottom team Soham II. Unfortunately Soham's improvement looks to have come too late to save the juniors from relegation to division two. RCG Stapleford found Impington too strong in their fixture at home going down 2-8 with Mandy Mills and Dave Rowell both on form for the visitors.

Three wins each for Rob Fincham and Jim Carswell enabled Cambridge II to dispose of St Georges II 9-1 and with games in hand they are firm favorites to win division two. Tony Comisky recorded three wins for RCG Stapleford but could not prevent his team from going down to potential runners up Impington II. NCI IV with top of the averages Glen Harrison continuing to record maximums most weeks, easily beat club mates NCI II 9-1 and also NCI III 6-4 but the latter result has dented their chances of catching Impington II for the runners up spot.

In division four, Cambridge IV with an emphatic 9-1 success against St Ives VI kept up the pressure on St Ives V in the battle to win this division. Bernie Shannon of St Ives V recorded three wins in their narrow 6-4 success to keep alive their hopes of piping Cambridge IV to the title.

RESULTS

Div 1
Cambridge 0 NCI 10
Soham I 4 St Ives II 6
University 7 Over 3
NCI 8 Impington 2
Soham II 5 NCI 5
St Georges 9 University 1
RCG Stapleford 2 Impington 8

Div 2
Impington II 6 RCG Stapleford II 4
NCI II 6 St Ives III 6
NCI II 1 NCI IV 9
St Georges II 1 Cambridge II 9
NCI IV 6 NCI III 4

Div 3
Fulbourn 8 St Ives IV 2
Over III 7 Soham III 3
St Ives IV 5 Haverhill III 5
CIBA 1 Fulbourn 9
Impington III 0 St Neots 10
St Georges IV 1 Cambridge III 9

Div 4
Bassingbourn 5 Fulbourn II 5
St Ives VI 1 Cambridge IV 9
St Georges V 4 Impington IV 6
Bassingbourn 4 St Ives V 6

20 Apr 08 Ray of hope for Priory

Ray Thorpe provided some hope in Priory's battle to avoid the drop in division two of the Cambridge and District Table Tennis League. His three victories in both matches earned draws and valuable points against St Georges II and a weakened Impington II although the five points gained by Impington has all but guaranteed them runners up spot in the division. Two wins for Chris Meadows gave St Ives II priceless points in the relegation battle although they lost 4-6 to NCI IV, whilst fellow strugglers NCI III beat St Georges II 6-4, despite three wins by Mick Runswick to temporarily move above St Ives III.

The 'All Saints' battle in division three finished with a 10-0 whitewash for Champions St Neots over a luckless St Ives IV who as a result of the defeat are relegated. Three wins for Mark Dawkins saw Cambridge III continue their challenge for the runners up spot with a convincing 8-2 victory over Impington III but Fulbourn leapfrogged them back into second spot with a comprehensive 10-0 demolition of Over II who were without their number one player, Owen Davies. Without Davies Over proved to be ineffective against Marc Meunier although they did perform better against the erratic Ju Young and exam plagued Moumen Kuwaider.

In division four leaders St Ives V finished with an easy 8-2 victory over Fulbourn II but challengers for the title Cambridge IV responded by whitewashing NCI V 10-0 to move within eight points of St Ives with their final game in hand. Sawston beat Impington IV 7-3 to finish in third spot thanks mainly to Yao Shi who was on fine form with a maximum including a useful success over the experienced Brian Judd.

RESULTS

Div 1
Impington 5 St Ives II 5
Haverhill 2 University 8

Div 2
Priory 5 St Georges II 5
Cambridge II 7 NCI III 3
St Ives III 4 NCI IV 6
NCI III 6 St Georges II 4
Priory 5 Impington II 5

Div 3
St Neots 10 St Ives IV 0
Over III 10 St Georges IV 0
Cambridge III 8 Impington III 2
Haverhill III 5 CIBA 5
Fulbourn 10 Over II 0

Div 4
Fulbourn II 10 Over IV 0 w/o
Over IV 8 St Ives VI 2
Impington IV 3 Sawston 7
NCI V 6 Impington V 4
St Ives V 8 Fulbourn II 2
Cambridge IV 10 NCI V 0
Impington V 7 St Georges V 3
Bassingbourn 7 Over IV 3

28 Apr 08

Three wins for Simon Pryke were the cornerstone of St Ives I 7-3 victory over NCI in division one of the Cambridge and District Table Tennis League. St Ives then followed up this victory with another 6-4 success against Haverhill to keep them in contention for the runners up spot. Pryke again recorded three victories although he had one epic battle against Maria Boulton which included one leg that he won 21-19 thanks to a horrendous net cord killing the ball dead. Rob Cushen picked up useful wins against Alan Smith and Leon Rogers to enable Haverhill to get their very hard earned four points. Soham I gained some useful points in their 7-3 success against a weakened University and also followed this up with another 7-3 success over their clubmates from Soham II. Fellow strugglers Over lost 4-6 to Impington and although newcomer Paul Hillier won two singles for Over but was unable to beat Impington's Reno Phyo who has just returned from injury but still recorded a maximum.

NCI IV beat the favorites for the second division title, Cambridge II 8-2 with Glen Harrison winning his three singles but have just fallen short of catching Impington II for the runners up position. Ray Thorpe again won his singles for Priory but having struggled for players all season their 5-5 draw with Haverhill II proved to be in vain and they will spend next season in the third division along with NCI II who are also relegated.

Another massive 9-1 victory by Fulbourn against Over III has put them firmly in pole position to clinch the runners up berth in division three thanks to maximums by Marc Meunier and Ju Young. Cambridge II could still overhaul Fulbourn but with only one game in hand and an eleven point deficit it looks unlikely.

RESULTS

Div 1
NCI 3 St Ives I 7
St Ives II 3 Haverhill 7
St Ives II 8 Soham II 2
University 3 Soham I 7
Impington 6 Over 4
Impington 1 University 9
Soham II 3 Soham I 7
Cambridge 7 RCG Stapleford 3

Div 2
St Ives III 6 Haverhill II 4
Haverhill II 5 Priory 5
RCG Stapleford 5 Haverhill II 5
RCG Stapleford 6 St Georges III 4
NCI IV 8 Cambridge II 2

Div 3
Over III 1 Fulbourn 9

Div 4
Over IV 6 Fulbourn II 4
Impington V 4 St Ives VI 6

11 May 08 St Ives take Cup

The juniors from St Ives V won the Handicap Cup when they defeated first division Impington I 5-1 in the final played at Fulbourn. The experienced Impington team of Dave Rowell, Mandy Mills and Jeff Catlin found the handicaps of the St Ives team of Daniel Pedley, Tim Nicholson and Innes Christison too much to overcome and the winners completed the double of cup and promotion as runners up from division four.

Champions St Georges wrapped up the retention of their first division title by beating and drawing with their nearest challengers St Ives I 8-2 and 5-5. In the drawn match a good performance from St Ives saw Simon Pryke record a good win over Martin Gray in five sets but he then lost to his brother Kevin in four sets. As expected in division two, Cambridge II were crowned champions, although they lost their final game 4-6 to St Georges III with Sunay Mehmed, making a rare appearance for St Georges, winning his three singles.

In the third division Cambridge III recorded a 10-0 whitewash against Over III to take the runners up spot by three points from Fulbourn. Cambridge IV needing to win by at least nine points to take the fourth division crown and duly obliged by thrashing Over IV 10-0.

Results

DIV 1
Soham I 3 University 7
NCI 3 Over 7
St Georges 8 St Ives I 2
St Ives I 5 St Georges 5
St Ives I 7 Cambridge 3

DIV 2
Cambridge II 4 St Georges III 6

DIV 3
Cambridge III 10 Over III 0

DIV 4 
Cambridge IV 10 Over IV 0

HANDICAP CUP FINAL

St Ives V 5 Impington I 1