High scores in table tennis league

Penmaen travelled to Graves Park A who put up a good fight but had only Rob Smith’s splendid victory over number two ranked Derek Wood to show for it, inflicting Derek’s first defeat of the season.

Rob took Brett Heppenstall and Alan Ashberry to five sets, while Phil Brooks took sets off each of the Penmaen players. Alan Reetham took Brett and Alan to deuce in one of the three sets, but Penmaen went home with nine valuable points in their quest to defend their title.

Graves Park C hosted Lodgers C, which on paper looked to be a tougher assignment than it turned out to be. Scott Sykes forced Graham Walters to a deciding fifth leg, and had two deuce sets against James Quinton, but each time the Park came out on top.

Andy Birks took the second leg from Martin Walters, but it was one-way traffic for the rest as the Park emerged with all 10 points.

Results: Graves Park A 1, Penmaen 9; Graves Park C 10, Lodgers C 0

Division Two

Third-placed Lodgers E inflicted a 10-0 defeat on bottom side Graves Park Nomads.

The Park players were not a roll-over, Chris Wicks taking sets against each of the Lodgers’ team and Walt Bridges taking Vic Clements and Richard Baxter to four sets.

John Shortland was unlucky not to win a set against Vic and Jon Burkitt, but the tightest game of the evening saw Jon and Richard take on Walt and Chris in the doubles, with two deuce legs following an 11-9 set, before the Lodgers’ pair asserted their authority to take the fourth end, and the game.

Even reversing the fixture did not help fourth-placed Sibsey D, as they lost 3-7 at home to a rampant Mayflower Pilgrims, for whom Darron Kent and Matt Lilly were on top form, winning their three.

Alan Marshall took one end, 14-12, from Darron, while Tony Hall and Tim Sampson both took an end off Matt. Howard Williams went close to winning an end against Alan, losing the third set 12-14, but nevertheless, it was an evening for each of the Mayflower players to savour.

Top-of-the-table Sibsey A were in no mood to take life easy against strugglers Graves Park E, winning all the singles in straight sets. Alex Allbones and Rita Rowe took the first set in the doubles, against Neil Snaith and Matt Haslam, an event which triggered the comment from the Park on the scoresheet: ‘Hooray, we won one set tonight!!!’

Hopefully, the Park will bounce back quickly and end the season on a high note.

Results: Lodgers E 10, Graves Park Nomads 0; Mayflower Pilgrims 7, Sibsey D 3; Sibsey A 10, Graves Park E 0