The Hastings Table Tennis League’s season came to an end with the final of the Team Handicap Event played at Hollington Youth & Community Centre between Hollington B and Bexhillians C.

After a monumental struggle, with the lead changing hands several times, Hollington B took the trophy 5-4. The match could hardly have been closer, featuring four individual ties won by 2 points in the deciding leg.  No player dominated the match with Paul Hyland and Steph Sargent (both Hollington) and Malcolm Glover and George Beardsley (Bexhill) all winning two of their three singles.

Hollington started as favourites, having already beaten this Bexhill team in the group stages. A lot of attention focused on fourteen-year-old Beardsley, with only three senior league matches behind him.

Hollington made the better start with Hyland beating Glover (+9) 21-18, 21-18 before Sargent (+2) beat Trevor Towner. In the latter tie, two tight games were shared 21-23, 21-19 before Sargent took control in the decider before cruising home 21-10 to put Hollington 2-0 ahead.

Bexhill then turned things around, winning the next three with Beardsley (+12) first up, beating Mike Courtnage 21-8, 21-12 with the junior showing a fine range of attacking shots on both wings. Glover (+1) then won a nail-biter with Sargent 17-21, 21-15, 21-19 before Beardsley (+13) had another excellent win over Hyland 21-17, 21-16 to put Bexhill in front 3-2.

The nerve of both teams was put to the test over the next three ties with Courtnage restoring parity, beating Towner (+5) 16-21, 21-13,22-20.  Hollington next recovered the lead when Sargent beat Beardsley (+10) 21-17, 11-21, 23-21 only for Glover (+6) to set up a grand finale with a win over Courtnage 21-12, 14-21, 22-20.

Three deuce-in-the-third ties had left the match in the balance at 4-4 with the two captains still to meet. Towner took it all the way to no avail in the first before Hyland took the second more comfortably to win 21-19, 21-16, leaving Hollington B winners by 5-4.

Peter Harding, the Event organiser, presented the trophies to both teams.