Runnymede A are the Champions! They needed five points from their last match to overtake Rawreth A and B and they did it in style defending their title with a 9-0 win over Warehouse A. Kevin Caldon, Stuart Gibbs and Dave Bowles comprised the successful team with Gary Baker adding a significant contribution during the course of the season. Rawreth A and B have finished all square behind them.
In Division 1 Hadleigh Forum have already claimed the title and the runners-up place has been claimed by to Rawreth D. In a mid-table clash, Rawreth E overcame Lentern D 5-4 thanks to another hat trick from Gus Heath who has had a very successful season. His 90.5% success rate puts him second in the divisional averages behind the 100% of Rawreth D’s Andrew Halling.
In Division 2 the champions Canvey B owe much of their success to Terry Giddens who recorded a winning average of 88% and Tony Westwell who was not far behind with 80%. The runners-up Lentern E had to fight off a strong challenge from Hullbridge C who finished just three points behind them.
In Divisions 3a and 3b there are two more weeks of fixtures left to play. In 3a Canvey C will be the clear winners but there is all to play for behind them with Hadleigh Forum C, Canvey D and TT-on-Sea all in with a shout of claiming the runners-up spot.
In Division 3b Brian Cooper, playing in only his third match of the season due to injury and illness, led Warehouse D to a 5-4 win over Canvey E. Dave Short and Ray Baker did well to bag a brace each for the losing side.
Amar al Soufi fought his way to a hat trick for Customs B but his side suffered defeat at the hands of Hullbridge F. Tony Molisso, Shannon Rolfe and John Brace launched a team effort winning two games each to claim the 6-3 win.
29th March 2010
In an extremely close race to take the title in the Premier Division, Runnymede A need five points from their last match to overtake Rawreth A & B who are level pegging at the top of the table, to claim the honours. Dave Bowles, Stuart Gibbs and Kevin Caldon kept a clean sheet against Lentern A to put themselves in what appears to be a comfortable position. Rawreth A also had a 9-0 win thanks to hat tricks from George Reeves, Charles Sweeny and Chris Jacob in their match against Customs A. Rawreth B beat their Club’s C team 8-1 with hat tricks coming from Babul McLeod and Steve Tilson but Gus Heath prevented the whitewash with a win over Eric Green.
In Division 1 Hadleigh Forum have one match left to play but following their 7-2 win over Canvey A they are clear winners at the top of the table. Garry Hartgrove was unbeaten and he was supported by Russell Bright and Graham Farmer who each bagged a brace, both of them being denied their maximums by Ray Wilson.
Rawreth D take the runners-up place. Andrew Halling kept his 100% record in their match against RESSC A with support coming from Andy Nunn and Jim Stait who banked two wins each, both of them falling victim to Mike Worship.
In Division 2, Canvey B have taken the title, eighteen points clear of their nearest rivals. In their last match they overcame Legra C 8-1 with Des Duffield and Terry Giddens winning all their games but Sam Chesher won the last game of the match against Tony Reed to spoil Canvey’s clean sheet.
Lentern E have claimed second place following their 8-1 win over Wakering. Talbot Wiseman and Ray Farmer won all their games while Peter Lucraft lost his first game of the match to Cliff Noakes but recovered to win his next two.
In Division 3a Canvey C are out of sight at the top of the table but the battle goes on behind them. Hadleigh Forum C are hanging onto the runners-up place despite losing 4-5 to the David Lloyd Centre for whom Jan Thorpe led the way with a hat trick. He was backed up by Steve Marr who won two games but was denied his maximum by Forum’s two game winner Dave Thomas.
In Division 3b Trevor Vincent led the way for Hockley in their win over Runnymede D. Paul Strutt added a pair as did the fast improving Josh Copeland to give them a 7-2 victory. Another young player to watch out for is Runnymede’s Charlie Bates who banked the two wins for Runnymede.
22nd March 2010
With one more match to play in the Premier Division the two top teams have just one point separating them and the team occupying third place are hot on their heels and with a game in hand. Rawreth B are still in the driving seat following their 8-1 defeat of Hullbridge A thanks to hat tricks for Steve Tilson and Minda Sinkus together with two wins for Babul McLeod. George Reeves, Kevin Read and Charles Sweeny kept a clean sheet for Rawreth A in their match against Lentern A to keep themselves firmly in contention. However, Runnymede A could well leapfrog over them both. Their 7-2 win over Legra B leaves them just five points adrift of the top team with two games left to play.
In Division 1 Hadleigh Forum A are top of the table. An unbeaten innings from Graham Farmer led them to a 6-3 win over Runnymede B. He was supported by Dave Woolmer, playing up from his Club’s B team, who added one and Russell Bright won two before falling victim to Tony Millward who banked a pair for the losers.
Gus Heath starred for Rawreth E when they hosted the match against Hullbridge B. Matt Rolfe and Neil Want supported him with one win each to take them to a 5-4 victory. Bill Smith and Andy Seaman bagged a brace each for Hullbridge with one of Andy’s wins being achieved at 16-14 in the fifth.
In Division 2, a 7-2 win for Lentern E over Invicta A keeps them in sight of the runners-up spot. In a very close match in which five of the games went the full distance Mark Jupe and Talbot Wiseman were both unbeaten and Ray Farmer, whose games all went to five sets, added one.
Two of the teams hovering near the bottom of the table met with Hullbridge D emerging the 8-1 winners over Wakering. In a last minute change due to illness, Hullbridge called up Ian McLeod from Division 3 and he turned out to be a super-sub winning all his games. Paul Ogden was also unbeaten but the team still looks likely to be relegated.
In Division 3a TT-on-Sea were at home to Invicta B and the juniors were in top form. Emily Godfrey and Kieran Skeggs both produced hat tricks while Bede Kelly Joined them from the Division 4 Junior Division and played excellently to win two of his games. Shelley Woolley won the solitary game for Invicta.
In Division 3b there was a close match between Hullbridge F and Canvey E in which Paul Lawrence went unbeaten for Canvey only to see his team go down 4-5. Kevin Farrow and Tony Molisso banked a pair each for the home side with Russell Fosh adding one to give Hullbridge victory.
16th March 2010
Rawreth A slipped to second place in the Premier Division league table in spite of a 6-3 victory over Legra B. Kevin Read banked a hat trick and he was supported by Charles Sweeny with two wins and Chris Jacob with one. Nicole Syderenko lost the first game of the match to Kevin but went on to win her other two for Legra B. Rawreth B are now the sole occupiers of the top spot thanks to an 8-1 win over Legra A in which Tony Halling and Steve Tilson both earned maximums while Minda Sinkus dropped the one game to Legra’s Ian Attridge.
A clean sweep for Runnymede A over Lentern B courtesy of Messrs. Gibbs, Baker and Caldon is keeping up the pressure on the top teams and they have a game in hand.
In Division 1 two title contenders met in a match that produced a close 5-4 result. Gavin Warner went unbeaten for Canvey A to steer his team to victory over Rawreth D. He was backed up by Leon Smart and Tony Giddens who each added one win to the tally while Andy Nunn and Jim Stait both bagged a brace for the losing side.
Kim Shead was the maximum man for Warehouse B in their 7-2 win over Whittingham. Ollie Podd lost out on his hat trick after a five set battle with Whittingham’s two game winner Craig Harris and Stan Dyson also banked a pair for the victors.
In Division 2, Legra C’s Dan Sanderson lived dangerously in his team’s match against Basildon Hospital but he held his nerve to win all his games in five sets. Steve Wynn also had a hat trick but earned it in more comfortable style while Sam Chesher supplied two wins before losing at deuce in the fifth to Marian Sochanic.
Canvey B continued on their merry way to stay well clear at the top of the table following their 6-3 defeat of Wakering who are struggling to avoid relegation. Terry Giddens and Tony Westwell both earned maximum points.
In Division 3a there was an in-house derby match at Canvey. Peter Cray, who has only lost one game all season for the C team, kept up his good form with a hat trick as did Les Rider. Geoff Banthorpe added one win but it wasn’t his lucky night as he lost to the D team’s Charlie Lamy and Jimmy Reardon at deuce in the fifth.
In Division 3b James Dwyer earned his first trick in the League for the Hood Group and only dropped one set in the process when his team played against Warehouse D. He was supported by Rob Moring and Billy Collins who bagged a brace each to give their team the 7-2 win.
8th March 2010
With three more weeks to go to the end of the season, the race for the Premiership title is in full swing and could go to any one of four teams. The current joint leaders Rawreth B suffered a rare defeat when they went down 4-5 to Runnymede A who are now hot on their heels just five points behind and with a game in hand. Kevin Caldon was in top form for Runnymede with a hat trick and he was backed up by Stuart Gibbs and Dave Bowles with one win each. Tony Halling and Steve Tillson both banked a pair for Rawreth B.
Rawreth A joined their Club’s B team at the top of the table after they defeated Lentern B 9-0. Charles Sweeny, George Reeves and Chris Jacob were responsible for the whitewash. Legra A are still in with an outside chance after their 8-1 defeat of Rayleigh Mill in which John Poysden and John Monk both went unbeaten with Paul Whatton being denied his maximum by Steve Maltby.
In Division 1 Hadleigh Forum A have opened up an eleven point lead at the top of the table. In a Forum derby match they defeated their Club’s B team 8-1 with Gary Hartgrove and Russell Bright both going unbeaten and Graham Farmer dropping the one game to Mick Tappenden.
At the other end of the table, two teams in the relegation zone met with RESSC A emerging the 5-4 winners over Whittingham thanks to a hat trick from Mike Worship but it wasn’t enough to lift them off the bottom spot. Craig Harris and John Blackman both bagged a brace for the losing side.
In Division 2, Canvey B are looking unstoppable at the top of the table with a sixteen point lead over their nearest rivals. Terry Giddens and Tony Reed won all their games with ease in the match against Invicta A but David Barnes put a win on the board for Invicta when he overcame Tony Westwell in a five-setter.
Hullbridge C are hanging onto second place despite going down 4-5 to third placed Rawreth F. Alan Tideswell won all his games for Rawreth while Colin Barham lost to Linda Attridge but won his other two including a 15-13 in the fifth win against Andy Seaman. However, their third player failed to put in an appearance so Hullbridge were gifted three points.
In Division 3a Hadleigh Forum C were at home to TT-on-Sea and experience won the day when they overcame them 7-2. Tony Mace banked two wins for the home team as did Jean Catley including a nail-biting five set victory over Emily Godfrey. Dave Thomas fought hard for his hat trick which included a very close game against the junior side’s two game winner Kieran Skeggs.
In Division 3b Charlie Bates banked his second win for Runnymede D in the last game of the match to take his team a 5-4 victory over Hullbridge E. John Hill had already banked two wins and Simon Headley one. Dave Booroof and Bill Hoy won two games each for Hullbridge.
22nd February 2010
A 7-2 win for Runnymede A over Rayleigh Mill has catapulted them into second place in the Premier Division table leaving them just three points behind the leaders Rawreth B. Stuart Gibbs led the way with a hat trick, Dave Bowles added two wins but lost to the Mill’s Duncan Taylor and Kevin Caldon banked a pair before conceding the last game of the match to Duncan.
Legra B also had a 7-2 win when they hosted the game against the struggling Customs A side. Jamie Willson led the way with a hat trick and he was supported by Nicole Sydorenko and Owen Warren who both won two of their games.
In Division 1 in an extremely hard fought match Hadleigh Forum A emerged the 5-4 winners against Lentern D. Peter Pond and Dave Kirston battled their way to two wins each for Lentern as did Garry Hartgrove for Forum then the crunch encounter came in game eight when Peter and Garry played each other. The first two legs went to deuce in Garry’s favour, Peter came back to win the third with the fourth set going all the way to 25-23 before Garry claimed victory and his hat trick.
Mick Tappenden led Hadleigh Forum to a 5-4 win over Lentern C and he was backed up by a win each for Dave Woolmer and Anton Ranjit-Singh. Ian Rattray & Steve Appleby both bagged a brace for Lentern.
In Division 2, there were two 7-2 results. Rawreth F, third in the table, were the winners in the match against Legra C thanks to hat tricks for Aaron Osment and Alan Tideswell. Colin Barham added one win but it wasn’t his night, losing his other games in close five-setters.
Barrie Murphy was the maximum man for Invicta A in their 7-2 win over St Peters. He was backed up by Neil Daines and Graham Cornish with two wins each but both of them lost to St Peter’s sole point earner, Paul Reed.
In Division 3a TT-on-Sea were at home to Canvey D. An excellent performance by the TT-on-Sea juniors saw Kieran Skeggs and Emily Godfrey winning two games each but they both lost to Canvey’s hat trick Gordon Johnstone in five setters. Behn Taylor, playing in his first match in Div 3 won a game to clinch victory for the home side.
In Division 3b Amar al Soufi earned his hat trick for Custom B but his team lost the match against Canvey E. Ray Baker had two wins in the bag for Canvey and Ron Parker and Dave Short one each and with the score standing at 4-4 Dave won the last game of the match to secure the 5-4 win for his team.
15th February 2010
Rawreth B have a lead of eight points at the top of the Premier Division table following their 7-2 win over Warehouse A. Keith Philips and Andrew Halling were both unbeaten but the Warehouse team put up a good fight and it wasn’t all plain sailing. Andy MacKay and Malcolm Henstock managed to claim a win each for their team who are struggling to avoid relegation.
An 8-1 win for Rawreth A keeps them in second place in table. George Reeves and Kevin Read both banked hat tricks in the match against Rayleigh Mill but Colin Chatfield managed to prevent the whitewash with an 11-9 in the fifth win in a very close game against Lee Prentice. Runnymede A are hot on their heels thanks to a 9-0 win over Rawreth C and they have a game in hand.
In Division 1 there were two very close matches. Lentern D left it until the last game of the evening to seal victory over their Club’s C team. Peter Pond had two games in the bag but had a lengthy struggle against Steve Appleby before completing his hat trick. Peter was supported by Terry Jasper who banked a pair to take the score to 5-4 but he was denied his maximum by the C team’s two game winner Brian Spencer.
A hat trick for Ray Wilson a win each for Tony Giddens and Gavin Warner took Canvey A to a 5-4 win over Whittingham who are trying to fight their way out of the relegation zone. John Blackman and Craig Harris both bagged a brace for the losing team.
In Division 2, Warehouse C overcame Wakering 8-1. Graham Back and Tony Wright both went unbeaten for the victors but Dave Accleton stopped the rot for Wakering with a win over Ray Balchin who bagged a pair for the winning team.
Lentern E had a comfortable 8-1 win over St Peters. Ray Farmer won all his games in three straight sets, Peter Lucraft had to work a little harder for his hat trick and with the score at 8-0 Peter Pond salvaged some pride for St Peters in the last game when he beat Talbot Wiseman.
In Division 3a a team effort from Pam Swan, Sarah Mapes and Stan Owen gave RESSC B a 6-3 win over the David Lloyd Centre. They all won two of their games but found Jan Thorpe, who banked his eleventh hat trick of the season, too good for them.
In Division 3b Trevor Vincent kept his 100% record when Hockley played against the Hood Group. He was supported by two wins from Paul Strutt whose games all went the full distance and one win from Josh Copeland to take Hockley to a 6-3 victory. James Dwyer banked two for the Hood Group.
The Southend & District Table Tennis League’s Closed Championships will be taking place this weekend, 20th/21st February, at the Rayleigh Leisure Centre, Rawreth Lane. Spectators welcome.
8th February 2010
Lentern A may be five places above their Club’s B team in the Premier Division table but the form book was turned on its head when the two sides clashed in a derby match. Russell Mills was in top form for the B team and his hat trick was backed up by two wins each for Les Tayler and Cliff Firth to give the underdogs the 7-2 win. Paul Brown was the sole game winner for the A team.
Rayleigh Mill enjoyed their third successive win when they came up against the struggling Warehouse A side. There were some hard fought games but Rob Harris, Marilyn Bawden and Duncan Taylor emerged unscathed to claim the 9-0 victory.
In Division 1 Warehouse B hosted a very close match against Hadleigh Forum B that was eventually won by the visitors in the last game of the evening. Mick Tappenden banked a hat trick for Forum but it was earned the hard way in a titanic struggle against Ollie Podd before he scraped home at deuce in the fifth. David Woolmer added two wins but was denied his maximum by Ollie who went on to bag a brace for the home side.
Runnymede B fielded their new signing Martin Turner in their match against Whittingham and he proved his worth by winning all his games. Kieran Wood and Ian Tuckey added one win each to give Runnymede the 5-4 win. Craig Harris and John Blackman both banked a pair for the losers.
In Division 2, in a match that was closer than the score suggests, Invicta A fought their way to a 7-2 win over Warehouse C. Neil Daines dropped a set in each of his games but held on to earn his hat trick, David Barnes added two wins in games that went the full distance and Graham Cornish won one at deuce in the fourth set and another that went down to the wire.
Hullbridge C overcame Runnymede C 7-2. Andy Seaman dropped only one set on his way to a hat trick while Jim McKechnie had to work a little harder for his maximum that included a close five-setter battle against Tony Coeshall.
In Division 3 there were no matches.
1st February 2010
Legra A’s hopes of earning honours in the Premier Division took a nose-dive when they were trounced by Runnymede A 1-8. Kevin Caldon was in great form winning all his games in three straight sets while Dave Bowles also went unbeaten although he had a close tussle with Paul Whatton before winning at deuce in the fifth leg. Paul won a consolation prize by becoming Legra’s sole game winner when he overcame Stuart Gibbs in a close five-setter.
A 6-3 win for Rawreth B over Lentern A keeps them at the top of the table and Rawreth A move into runners-up spot thanks to a 7-2 win over Hullbridge A. Kevin Read led the way with a hat trick for the Rawreth A team, Chris Jacob added two wins and George Reeves, having lost his first game against Peter Saunders, went on to win his remaining two.
In Division 1 Lentern C suffered 3-6 defeat at the hands of Hadleigh Forum A. Russell Bright was in great form to win two of his encounters with ease but had to struggle in a close game against Lentern C’s top player Ian Rattray. Anton Ranjit-Singh won one of his games for Forum and Graham Farmer added two before losing to Ian who bagged a brace for the losing side.
In a close match between RESSC A and Lentern D Mike Worship kept up his good form to register a hat trick for the home side but it wasn’t enough to give his team victory. Terry Jasper and Dave Kirston both banked a pair for Lentern and Ron Coutts added one to give them the 5-4 win.
In Division 2 Aaron Osment, aided and abetted by Colin Barham and Lou Hopkins, led Rawreth F to a 7-2 win over Invicta A. Aaron earned his hat trick while his team-mates bagged a brace each both of them losing to Invicta’s David Barnes in three straight sets.
There was a similar scenario when Basildon Hosptial hosted the match against Hullbridge D. Adrian Atkinson was the maximum man for the home team with Richard Bryant and Sid Hills adding two wins each both of them being denied their hat tricks by Hullbridge’s Paul Ogden.
In Division 3 there were two 6-3 results. RESSC B ran out the winners against Hadleigh Forum C with Sarah Mapes and Stan Owen both winning all their games to take them to a well earned victory against the team who are currently occupying second place in the table.
A hat trick for Custom B’s Amar al Soufi helped them on the way to a 6-3 win over Warehouse D. Richard Kidd added two wins and Eddie Huen one while Dave Holland played well to bank a pair for the losing team.
25th January 2010
Rawreth B leap-frogged their way back to the top of the table with a 7-2 win over Legra B. Minda Sinkus led the way with a hat trick despite stiff opposition from Legra’s Ian Attridge in a game that went the full distance. Keith Phillips and Eric Green added a pair each to the tally but both fell victim to Ian who was the sole game winner for Legra B.
Legra A and Rawreth A had a close match which left Legra A in second place in the table with their rivals closing in on them just one point behind. John Poysden and Paul Whatton bagged a brace each for Legra A as did Kevin Read and Charles Sweeny for the opposition but one win from their third player Chris Jacob gave the 5-4 victory to Rawreth A.
In Division 1 there was a mid-table clash between Warehouse B and Hullbridge B from which Hullbridge emerged the winners leaving them two points ahead of their opponents in the league table. Richard Hiskey and Bill Smith both earned hat tricks with Andrew Seabrook adding one to give Hullbridge B the 7-2 win.
Rawreth D are one point behind the leaders Lentern C following their 6-3 defeat of Hadleigh Forum A. Andrew Halling won all his games in three straight sets and he was supported by Jim Stait who also banked a hat trick but had to fight harder for it’
In Division 2 there was a close match between Wakering and Legra C that went down to the wire. With the score standing at 4-4 Legra’s Sam Chesher completed his hat trick in style to give his team the 5-4 win. Sam’s maximum was backed up by two wins from Steve Wynn who was denied his hat trick in the fifth set of his game against Wakering’s two game winner Dave Accleton.
Lentern E enjoyed a 6-3 win when hosted the match against Rawreth F. Graeme Dale, Ray Farmer and Talbot Wiseman put in a team performance winning two games each all of them losing to a different member of the opposing team.
In Division 3 Jan Thorpe steered The David Lloyd Centre team to a 6-3 win over Hullbridge E. Steve Marr added two wins but lost in the last game of the match to Neal Klyman who banked his second win of the match for Hullbridge.
Runnymede D overcame Canvey D 5-4. Charlie Bates had two wins for Runnymede as did John Hill who was well on his way to a hat trick in his last game when he led Rob McDonald 2-0 but then had to concede with a neck injury. Rob won both his other games for Canvey.
18th January 2010
With the League back in full swing last week two of the teams vying for honours faced each other in a match that went down to the wire. The first encounter of the evening was between Rawreth A’s Kevin Read and Dave Bowles from Runnymede A. They fought a lengthy duel before Dave eventually emerged the winner at 19-17 in the fifth leg. George Reeves banked two wins for Rawreth but lost his game against Kevin Caldon who bagged a brace for the opposition. With the score standing at 4-4 Kevin Read beat Kevin Caldon in four sets to win his second game of the night and the match 5-4 for Rawreth.
Title contenders Legra A had an easier ride against Warehouse A. John Poysden and Paul Whatton were both unbeaten while Martin West played well for the Warehouse to stop the whitewash with a win over John Monk.
In Division 1 Lentern C have taken over the top spot following their 7-2 defeat of Rawreth D. Ian Rattray was in top form winning all his games in three straight sets. He was supported by Brian Spencer and Wayne Farmer who banked a pair each but both of them lost 9-11 in the fifth leg to Rawreth’s Jim Stait.
Canvey A are occupying second place in the table thanks to a 6-3 win over Hadleigh Forum B. Ray Wilson led the way with a hat trick, Gavin Warner lost his first match to Mick Tappenden but went on to win his other two in style and Leon Smart had some close encounters and was unlucky to come away with only one win.
In Division 2 Jim McKechnie starred for Hullbridge C in their match against Lentern E. when he fought his way to a hat trick which included a deuce in the fifth win over Talbot Wiseman. He was supported by Andy Seaman who was denied his maximum by Talbot while Denis Warren won one to take Hullbridge to a 6-3 victory.
Top team Canvey B came close to blotting their copybook in a very close match against Warehouse C. Tony Westwell had banked two wins and Des Duffield and Terry Giddens one each and with the score level at 4-4 it was left to Terry to win his second game of the evening to save them from defeat. Tony Wright and Kelvin Zhuang banked a pair each for The Warehouse.
In Division 3 Rawreth Juniors A battled their way to a 5-4 win over Runnymede D. Adam Deadman and Ben Matthews won two games each for the Juniors but were denied their hat tricks by an in form Simon Hawker who was unbeaten on the night. Joseph Iley added one win to take the Junior side to victory.
TT-on-Sea’s run of good form continued with an 8-1 win over Warehouse D. In the opening game, Jonathan Allen got the better of Jack Burns in a close five-setter but then the tide turned and Jack, Kieran Skeggs and Emily Godfrey went on to win the rest of the games.
11th January 2010
The weather played havoc with the table tennis fixtures last week with the vast majority of teams being unwilling to take the risk of turning out in the evening in the snowy conditions only to find that by the time their match was over the roads would probably have been treacherous. One match was played in the Premier Division however when Rayleigh Mill hosted the match against Lentern B. Duncan Taylor and Rob Harris were both in good form winning all their games in three straight legs while Steve Maltby added one to give the Mill a 7-2 win.
There will be all to play for when matches gets underway again with only five points separating the top team Rawreth B from the fourth team Legra A with Runnymede A and Rawreth A battling it out in-between them.
In Division 1 two fixtures were fulfilled. Warehouse B were at home to Lentern C but went down 4-5. Kim Shead won two of his games for the home side but a hat trick from Brian Spencer put Lentern in the driving seat with Wayne Farmer and Steve Appleby adding one win each to take them to victory. Lentern C are now top of the table but Hadleigh Forum A and Rawreth D are hot on their heels with a game in hand.
In a mid-table clash a hat trick for Tony Millward steered Runnymede B to a 6-3 win over Hadleigh Forum B. He was supported by Ian Tuckey who was denied his maximum by Dave Woolmer at deuce in the fifth, and Vince Gurney who added one.
In Division 2 no matches were played. Canvey B are romping away at the top of the table, fifteen points clear of their nearest rivals Hullbridge C. The race for runners-up place will be closely contested with Rawreth F hot on the heels of Hullbridge C followed by Lentern E just one point behind them.
In Division 3 the Hood Group and Hockley teams braved the weather to play their scheduled match. The Hood Group’s Billy Collins earned his first hat trick in the League and he was ably assisted by James Dwyer and Robert Moring who bagged a brace each to give their team the 7-2 win. Hockley’s Paul Strutt played well to deny them their maximums and bank two wins for his team.
21st December
Title contenders Rawreth A were in action in the Premier Division when they played away to Warehouse A. George Reeves was the top player with a hat trick although he had to fight hard to win a very close game against Nicole Syderenko before eventually winning 11-9 in the fifth set. Nicole’s efforts were rewarded when she beat Chris Jacob and Kevin Read but she was the sole game winner for her team with Rawreth A winning the match 7-2.
Rawreth B also won their match 7-2 when they came up against their Club’s C team. Tony Halling led the way with a hat trick and he was supported by Simon Woods and Dave Calleja who banked a pair each. Steve Sawyer was the C team man who denied them their maximums.
In Division 1 Hadleigh Forum A are now top of the table following their 8-1 defeat of Whittingham. Russell Bright was unbeaten as was Garry Hartgrove who kept up his run of good form with his sixth hat trick of the season. Paul Fawell added two wins before losing 9-11 in the fifth set to Craig Harris.
In a match that was closer than the final score suggests, Hullbridge B overcame Canvey A 6-3. All the games went to four or five sets but Howard Grant, Andrew Seabrook and Jean Chasmer put in a team effort to win two games each and give Hullbridge the victory. Canvey’s Ray Wilson was in good form to beat them all and stop the whitewash.
In Division 2 Aaron Osment steered Rawreth F to a 6-3 win over Basildon Hospital. He was supported by Colin Barham who lost his first game against Marian Sochanic but went on to win his other two. Lou Hopkins added one win to the total and was unlucky not to win another when he went down to Sid Hills 16-18 in the fifth set.
Lentern E enjoyed a 7-2 win over Runnymede C. A hat trick for Peter Lucraft was backed up by two wins for Ray Farmer who lost only to Tony Coeshall, and Talbot Wiseman who was denied his maximum by Chris Liu.
In Division 3 Canvey C are twenty points clear at the top of the table following their 9-0 defeat of Customs B. Geoff Banthorpe, Mervyn Francis and Peter Cray won all their games in three straight sets. Canvey’s D team also had a victory – 6-3 over the David Lloyd Centre. Gordon Johnstone, Charlie Lamy and Jimmy Reardon banked two wins each but all found Jan Thorpe too good for them.
TT-on-Sea also won their match 6-3. Jack Burns fought his way to a hat trick with two of his encounters going the full distance. He was backed up by Kieran Skeggs who banked a pair before losing in his last game to Bill Hoy, and Bede Kelly who added one to the tally.
14th December
George Pavitt’s first hat trick of the season proved to be the deciding factor when Hullbridge A hosted the match against Lentern B in the Premier Division. Peter Mynard and Russell Mills bagged a brace each for the visitors but with George being supported by Nigel Lamb and Tim Pang who won a game each, Hullbridge emerged the narrow 5-4 winners.
Kevin Caldon led the way for Runnymede A in their 6-3 win over Lentern A. He was backed up Dave Bowles who was denied his maximum by Django Fung while Gary Baker added one to the tally.
Rawreth A are top of the Division following their 8-1 win over a depleted Customs A side while Legra A are just one point behind them thanks to a 9-0 win over their Club’s B team.
In Division 1 Rawreth D are now occupying the top spot in the table thanks to an 8-1 win over RESSC A. Andrew Halling and Sam Langton were both unbeaten but Gordon Swan prevented the whitewash when he overcame Jim Stait.
Colin Napper completed his hat trick for Hadleigh Forum B in the last game of the match against Lentern D when he defeated Lentern’s two game winner Dave Kirston deuce in the fifth leg. Colin was supported by Mike Tappenden who banked a pair and Dave Woolmer who contributed one win to give Hadleigh the 6-3 win.
In Division 2 Terry Giddens kept up his run of good form to lead Canvey B to a narrow 5-4 win over Legra C who put up a good fight against the top team. With Sam Chesher and Steve Wynn having won two games each for Legra and the score standing at 4-4 they had their hopes of a win dashed when Tony Reed won the last game of the match for Canvey to give his team the victory.
Steve Giles and Chris Liu were both unbeaten for Runnymede C when they came up against the struggling Hullbridge D team. Anne Adlington added one win to take the score-line to 7-2 that keeps Hullbridge firmly in bottom place.
In Division 3 the TT-on-Sea youngsters were at home to top team Canvey C. A thrilling team effort with some excellent attacking play proved decisive with Emily Godfrey, who came back from two sets down against Geoff Banthorpe, and Kieran Skeggs winning two games each and Jack Burns adding one to give them the 5-4 win to inflict the first defeat of the season on the table-toppers.
From the youngsters to an octogenarian. Lawrie Neville rolled back the years to win his hat trick for Warehouse D and steer them to a 5-4 victory when they hosted the match against Hullbridge E. He was backed up by Jonathan Allen who banked a pair but lost in a deuce in the fifth encounter with Hullbridge’s two game winner Neal Klyman.
7th December
Marilyn Bawden pulled out all the stops for Rayleigh Mill in the Premier Division when her team fought a closely contested match against Rawreth C. She battled her way to her first hat trick of the season but was unfortunate to finish on the losing side when Trevor Ward won his second game in the last game of the match to clinch victory for Rawreth C. Steve Sawyer also banked two wins for Rawreth and Dave Colwill added one to give them the 5-4 win.
The two teams at the bottom of the table met and Customs A were delighted to come away with their first ever win in the Premier Division when they overcame Warehouse A 6-3. A hat trick for Roy Thomas was backed up by two wins for Brian Rackham and one for Dave Morgan.
In Division 1 top team Canvey A suffered defeat at the hands of their nearest rivals Lentern C but are still five points clear at the top of the table. Steve Appleby and Ian Rattray were both unbeaten on the night to take their team to a 6-3 victory.
In a mid-table clash Rawreth E overcame Hullbridge B 6-3 thanks to hat tricks from Gus Heath and Matt Rolfe. They each won two of their games in three straight legs but had their work cut out against Bill Smith before both of them got the better of him at 11-9 in the fifth set.
In Division 2 a hat trick for Jim McKechnie of Hullbridge C led the way to a 7-2 win over Basildon Hospital. He was supported by Barry Bronson who banked a pair but lost to Marian Sochanic and Denis Warren who also won two but lost at deuce in the fifth to Adrian Atkinson.
Close rivals Rawreth F and Warehouse C met with Rawreth emerging the 6-3 winners. Lou Hopkins, Colin Barham and Aaron Osment put in a team effort and won two games each but all of them fell victim to Darren Launder who was in top form for The Warehouse.
In Division 3 RESSC B are top of the table although Canvey C are hot on their heels with three games in hand. Sarah Mapes won all her games in three straight sets, albeit with a couple of deuce legs along the way, while Pam Swan also banked a maximum to give their team the 6-3 win over Hullbridge E.
A hat trick for Trevor Vincent steered Hockley to a 6-3 win over Hadleigh Forum C. He was backed up by Paul Strutt who won two of his games but lost to Forum’s two game winner Jean Catley, and Josh Copeland who added one.
30th November
Things are hotting up at the top of the Premier Division. Rawreth B are still leading the way following their 7-2 defeat of Legra A but their Club’s A team are just six points adrift thanks to Lee Prentice, Charles Sweeny and Chris Jacob inflicting a 9-0 defeat on Legra B who were unable to field their strongest side.
Hot on their heels are Runnymede A who narrowly failed to keep a clean sheet when they came up against Lentern B. Dave Bowles and Kevin Caldon were unbeaten while Peter Mynard managed to salvage a point for Lentern when he edged home against Gary Baker in a closely fought game that went the full distance.
In Division 1 Linda Attridge was in great form for Hullbridge B when her team played away to Hadleigh Forum B. She won all her games with ease, Andrew Seabrook added two wins losing only to Colin Napper, and Bill Smith contributed one to give Hullbridge the 6-3 victory.
Whittingham also had a 6-3 win. They did well to overcome Warehouse B who are currently five places above them in the table. Craig Harris kept up his good form with a hat trick and he was supported by John Blackman who was also unbeaten.
In Division 2 Neil Daines and David Barnes both registered hat tricks for Invicta A in their match against the struggling Hullbridge D team. There were some very close games with five of the encounters going to five sets but Rob Hills, Janet Finch &Bob Shingleton-Smith could only manage to bank one win each for Hullbridge.
Top team Canvey B kept up their impressive form when they came up against Wakering. Des Duffield, Tony Westwell and Terry Giddens were all unbeaten to give their team a 16 point lead at the top of the table.
In Division 3 the TT-on-Sea junior side were at home to Canvey D. Kieran Skeggs earned his hat trick with a fifth set 11-9 win over Jimmy Reardon and Emily Godfrey played well to take two points before being denied her hat trick by Steve Parker to give them the well-deserved 5-4 win.
A hat trick for Jan Thorpe of the David Lloyd Centre wasn’t enough to take his team to victory. Chris Gregory banked two wins for Invicta B, John Golding one and Shelley Woolley grabbed her second win of the match in the last leg of the last game to give her team the 5-4 win.
23rd November
Richard Stubbington, playing in his second match of the season for Legra B in the Premier Division, came up trumps with a hat trick to steer his team to a 5-4 win over Warehouse A. He was supported by Sam Chesher and Steve McSweeney who each won one game with Steve being unlucky not to win another when he lost at deuce in the fifth to Berti Makoli. Martin West bagged a brace for the losing side as did Berti who was playing up from Division 1 and did exceptionally well to win two of his games.
A hat trick for Hamish Innes paved the way for a 7-2 win for Hullbridge A over Rawreth C. Nigel Lamb and Tim Pang added a pair each but both fell victim to Rawreth’s Paul Churn who scraped home against Tim at 12-10 in the fifth.
In Division 1 Mick Tappenden battled his way to a hat trick for Hadleigh Forum B when his team played away to the Club’s A side. However, his efforts were in vain as Paul Fawell, Russell Bright and Graham Farmer put in a team performance with two wins each to take the A side to a 6-3 victory.
The table toppers Canvey A came close to defeat when they played Warehouse B. Their third player failed to put in appearance and with the score standing at 4-4 it was up to Captain Ray Wilson to win the last game, complete his hat trick in the process and win the match. Against stiff opposition from Kim Shead he managed to save the day with a deuce in the fifth win.
In Division 2 Canvey B have opened up a clear lead at the top of the table following their 8-1 win over Invicta A. Neil Daines got Invicta off to a good start with a win over Des Duffield but that was to be their only win. Terry Giddens and Tony Westwell were both unbeaten for Canvey with Des adding two to give them their sixth successive victory.
Rawreth F are still occupying second place despite going down 2-7 to Hullbridge C who have climbed up into third place. A hat trick for Linda Attridge was backed up by two wins each for Barry Bronson and Jim McKechnie both of them losing in close encounters to Colin Barham.
In Division 3 Hadleigh Forum C nicked the last game of the match to give them the 5-4 win over Invicta B. Bob Gabe and Tony Mace had to fight their way to two wins each and Terry Faires added one to take them to victory. Invicta’s Derek North was denied his hat trick by Tony Mace while Shelley Woolley had her clean sheet spoiled by Bob Gabe.
RESSC B are now second in the table behind Canvey C following their 9-0 defeat of Canvey E. The ladies of RESSC, Pam Swan, Sarah Mapes and Maureen Cooper, won all but one of their games in three straight sets over the inexperienced Canvey team.
16th November
In a closely contested in-house derby match in the Premier Division Rawreth A and Rawreth B both fielded their star players. A hat trick for the A team’s Cris Sladden was backed up by one win for George Reeves who was unlucky not to win more, losing both his other games at 9-11 in the fifth set. The B side’s Tony Halling suffered his first defeat of the season at deuce in the fifth to Cris who also spoiled Steve Tilson’s one hundred per cent record. Minda Sinkus added one win for the B team to give them the 5-4 victory.
Nicole Syderenko won all her games for Warehouse A in their match against Lentern B. She was supported by Martin West who banked two to give them the 5-4 win but he was denied his hat trick by Lentern’s two game winner Russell Mills
In Division 1 Lentern C overcame Hadleigh Forum B 5-4 when Steve Appleby completed his hat trick in the last game of the match. Brian Spencer backed up Steve with two wins before losing to Mike Tappenden in a close five setter.
Peter Pond and Terry Jasper were both unbeaten for Lentern D in their match against Hadleigh Forum A to lead their team to a 7-2 win. Reg Innes contributed the extra one. He was engaged in some very close games and with one set going to 18-20 he was unlucky not to add more.
In Division 2 there were two 5-4 results. Legra C were the winners over Rawreth F thanks to a hat trick from Sam Chesher. Rawreth’s Alan and Jamie Tideswell both took Sam the full distance but couldn’t get the better of him. However, they won their other games to give their team four points.
Warehouse C defeated Runnymede C despite Tony Coeshall being unbeaten for the losing side. Tony Wright and Mark Doxey bagged a brace each for the Warehouse with Kelvin Zhueng adding one to take them to victory.
In Division 3 Amar al Soufi led Customs B to victory over Runnymede D. His hat trick was backed up by a win each for Eddie Huen and Gaye Dean to give them the 5-4 win. Simon Hawker and Charlie Bates banked a pair each for the losers with Charlie being deprived of his maximum by Amar at 8-11 in the fifth.
Bill Hoy, Bill Chester and Neal Klyman put in a team performance for Hullbridge E. They won two games each to overcome Canvey E 6-3 but all lost to Paul Lawrence who earned his hat trick playing in his first game of the season for Canvey.
9th November
Rawreth B kept a clean sheet for the third successive week and are now eight points clear of their nearest rivals at the top of the table in the Premier Division following their 9-0 defeat of the struggling Warehouse A side. An 8-1 win for Runnymede A, thanks to maximums for Stuart Gibbs and Dave Bowles backed up by two wins for Gary Baker, took them to victory over Rawreth C leaving them in second place on 41 points.
Rawreth A defeated Rayleigh Mill 7-2 and Legra A overcame Hullbridge A 6-3 to put them level pegging on 39 points in joint third place. Kevin Read was unbeaten for Rawreth A while George Reeves and Charles Sweeny added a pair each both of them losing to the Mill’s Duncan Taylor. Paul Whatton led the way for Legra A with a hat trick and he was supported by Jamie Willson with two wins and John Poysden with one. Hamish Innes banked two wins for Hullbridge A but lost in a very close game against Paul.
In Division 1 Craig Harris scored a hat trick for Whittingham but he finished on the losing side in the match against Canvey A. Tony Giddens, Gavin Warner and Ray Wilson put in a team performance for Canvey winning two games each to take them to a 6-3 win.
Warehouse B won by the same score-line in their match against Rawreth E. A hat trick for Oliver Podd, backed up by two wins for Stan Dyson and one for Kim Shead, took them to victory. Rawreth’s Gus Heath, Ken Field and Aaron Osment all ended the night with a win a-piece.
In Division 2 a hat trick for Sam Chesher steered Legra C to a 5-4 win over Hullbridge C. He was backed up by Steve Wynn who lost his first encounter against Barry Bronson but went on to win his next two. Barry earned another win the hard way for Hullbridge in a marathon that went to 19-17 in the fifth.
Invicta A had a fight on their hands against Basildon Hospital after they went down 0-3 at the start of the match. David Barnes, Barrie Murphy and Graham Cornish then put on the pressure and mounted a team effort to win all the remaining games to give them a 6-3 win.
In Division 3 there was a very close match between Warehouse D and Invicta B. The match stood at 4-4 going into the last game of the night but then Invicta’s determined Shelley Woolley fought hard to overcome Clive Smith deuce in the fifth to win the match and earn her hat trick. John Golding banked the other two wins for Invicta but was denied his maximum by the Warehouse’s two game winner Kelvin Zhoung.
Hockley won their first match in the League when they scraped home 5-4 against RESSC B. A hat trick for Trevor Vincent did most of the damage and he was supported by Paul Strutt and Josh Copeland with one win each. Pam Swan and Sarah Mapes banked a pair each for RESSC.
2nd November
Colin Chatfield was in top form for Rayleigh Mill when they played The Warehouse A side in the Premier Division. His hat trick was achieved with ease the only player to take a set off him being Nicole Syderenko who went on to win both her other games for The Warehouse. Marilyn Bawden added two wins to the tally for Rayleigh and Rob Harris contributed one to take the score to 6-3.
There was an in-house derby at Lentern when the A team met the B team. Django Fung cruised his way to a hat trick, Richard Brown encountered stiffer opposition but was unbeaten and Mick Grout won two of his games to take the A team to an 8-1 victory. Russell Mills was the B team player who spoiled their clean sheet.
In Division 1 there were two 5-4 results. RESSC A had their first win of the season thanks to a maximum from Mike Worship. In a very close match against Hadleigh Forum B four of the games went the full distance but Mike’s hat trick, together with a win each for Gordon Swan and Dale Gutteridge, gave them the victory. Dave Woolmer’s two wins for Hadleigh Forum made him their best player on the night.
Ian Rattray’s hat trick was the deciding factor that took Lentern C to a 5-4 win over Hullbridge B. Brian Spencer supplied the other two wins and was on course for a maximum until he came up against Andrew Seabrook in the last game of the match and lost in three straight sets to give Andrew his second win.
In Division 2 the table toppers, Rawreth F, overcame Wakering 7-2 in a match that was closer than the score suggests. Colin Barham and Alan Tideswell both registered hat tricks but they had to work hard for them winning some deuce sets along the way. Lou Hopkins banked a win after a tight battle against Dave Accleton that saw him scrape through in a game that included two deuce sets, 16-14 and 14-12.
St Peters are still waiting for their first win although they came close to it in their match against Hullbridge D. Paul Ogden banked a pair for the winners as did Neal Klyman who was playing up from Division 3. Ann Lane added one for Hullbridge to give them the 5-4 win.
In Division 3 Neal Klyman was in action again this time for his own team Hullbridge E. He was unbeaten in the match against Hockley and was backed up by Bill Hoy and Steve Smitheman who each won two games to take them to victory, 7-2. Paul Strutt played very well for Hockley and was rewarded with two wins.
Hadleigh Forum C overcame Hullbridge F 8-1 thanks to hat tricks from Bob Gabe and Tony Mace. Jean Catley supported them with two wins but she lost in a close five-setter against Ian McCleod who salvaged the sole point for Hullbridge.
26th October
Legra A suffered their first defeat of the season in the Premier Division when they went down 3-6 against Runnymede A but are top of the table. Kevin Caldon won all his games with ease in three straight sets for Runnymede, Dave Bowles added two and Stuart Gibbs one to put them in third place with a game in hand. John Monk was Legra’s top player with two wins. Rawreth B are occupying second place following their 9-0 win over Lentern A.
Lentern B notched up their first win of the season when they overcame Legra B 5-4. Les Tayler and Peter Maynard each banked a pair and Pat White added one to take them to victory. A hat trick for Jamie Willson was not enough for Legra who had two of the League’s promising juniors playing alongside him. Owen Warren had one win and was unlucky not to grab another having had a match point at 10-9 in the fourth against Peter Maynard.
In Division 1 Hadleigh Forum A are leading the way following their 7-2 win over Lentern C in which Graham Farmer and Garry Hartgrove were both unbeaten. With an 8-1 win over Runnymede B, Canvey A are just three points behind them and with a game in hand. Tony Giddens and Ray Wilson both registered hat tricks while Gavin Warner narrowly missed his maximum in a close game against Ian Tuckey.
Rawreth D are in third place thanks to a hat trick from Andrew Halling and a brace each for Jim Stait and Sam Langton that took them to a 7-2 win over Hullbridge B. Bill Smith earned the two wins for Hullbridge.
In Division 2 Legra C emerged the 5-4 winners in a close encounter with Runnymede C. A hat trick for Steve Wynn was backed up by two wins for Neil Warren who was denied his maximum by Tony Coeshall. They now lie second in the table, one point behind the leaders Rawreth F.
Lentern E inflicted a 7-2 defeat on Warehouse C that puts them level pegging at fourth and fifth. Talbot Wiseman did most of the damage while Ray Farmer and Peter Lucraft each added a pair both of them losing in five sets to Tony Wright.
In Division 3 a new team in the League, the Hood Group, fought their way to their first win when they hosted the match against TT-on-Sea A and won 5-4. Kieran Skeggs earned his hat trick for the away side and his team mates, who were both playing up from the Junior Division, battled well with Bede Kelly winning one of his games. Gary Eastall and Rob Moring bagged a brace each for the winners with Bill Collins adding one to take them to victory.
Pam Swan was in top form for RESSC B. Her hat trick was backed up by two wins for Stan Owen and one for Sarah Mapes to give them a 6-3 win over Invicta B. John Golding was Invicta’s top player and narrowly missed his hat trick in a close five-setter against Pam.
12th October
Legra A have opened up an early seven point lead at the top of the Premier Division table following their defeat of Rawreth A. Stuart Kimm, playing his first game in the Southend League, won all his games for Legra A while his team mates John Monk and Paul Whatton each banked a pair to take their team to a 7-2 victory.
Peter Saunders won his second game for Hullbridge A in their match against Warehouse A and sealed the win for his team in the last game of the night. He was supported by Nigel Lamb who also bagged a brace and Tim Pang added one to take the score to 5-4. Nicole Syderenko was unbeaten for The Warehouse team.
In Division 1 Lentern D scraped home 5-4 against RESSC A. Peter Lucraft and Peter Pond both won two of their games while Michael Piper added one to take them to the finishing line. Gordon Swan and Mike Worship banked two wins each for RESSC A but their team has yet to win a match this season.
Hullbridge B’s Andy Seaman and Richard Hiskey were both unbeaten when they hosted the match against Warehouse B. They won all their games in three straight sets to take their team to a 6-3 win.
In Division 2 there were two 6-3 results. Hullbridge C won their game against Invicta A thanks to a hat trick for Andy Seaman, two wins for Denis Warren and one for Barry Bronson. It wasn’t Barry’s night – he lost to Invicta’s David Barnes deuce in the fifth and suffered the same fate against Grahame Cornish.
Mark Doxey led Warehouse C to a 6-3 win over Hullbridge D. He was backed up by Kelvin Zhuang, who was denied his hat trick by Bob Shingleton-Smith, and Tony Wright who won one.
In Division 3 Runnymede D’s new signing Trevor Vincent won all his games with ease against RESSC B but he finished on the losing side when his team went down 4-5. Pam Swan and Sarah Mapes banked a pair for RESSC, Maureen Cooper added one and Pam Swan won her second and the last game of the match to take her team to victory.
The Warehouse D team won 6-3 against the Hood Group. Graham Back won all his games in three straight sets and Barbara O’Brien played well to earn a hat trick but she did it the hard way with her game against Gary Eastall going the full distance. Gary and his team mates Rob Moring and James Dwyer all won one game for the Hood Group.
4th October
Title holders Runnymede A suffered a rare defeat in the Premier Division when they went down 3-6 to Rawreth A whose star player Cris Sladden did most of the damage with a hat trick. Kevin Read added a pair and George Reeves one while two wins for Kevin Caldon made him Runnymede’s best player on the night.
Duncan Taylor’s hat trick led Rayleigh Mill to a 6-3 win over Legra B. He was supported by Rob Harris with two wins and Marilyn Bawden with one. Legra A kept a clean sheet against Warehouse A to open an early lead at the top of the table with Runnymede A not far behind. A 9-0 win for Rawreth B over Lentern B puts them in third place with a game in hand.
In Division 1 there were two very close encounters that were decided in the last game of the match. Andrew Halling kept his unbeaten record for Rawreth D when they played at home to Lentern C. His maximum was backed up by a win for Andy Nunn while Jim Stait grabbed the last game and the match for Rawreth.
A hat trick for Craig Harris led Whittingham to a narrow 5-4 win over Lentern D. With the score at 4-4 John Blackman won his second game to clinch the match for Whittingham.
In Division 2 Terry Giddens was on top form to earn his hat trick which led Canvey B to a 6-3 win over Warehouse C. Des Duffield supported him with two wins but lost in a close five-setter against Graham Back.
Lentern E fielded their new signing, Talbot Wiseman, in the match against Hullbridge C. He made a great start with his new Club by earning a hat trick but he had to fight hard with two of his games going to five sets. However, it wasn’t enough to give his team the win. Andy Seaman and Barry Bronson both bagged a brace for Hullbridge with Dennis Warren completing the line-up with one win to give them the narrow 5-4 victory.
In Division 3 Canvey C enjoyed a 7-2 win over Invicta B to keep them at the top of the table. Les Rider was unbeaten for the winners and he was backed up by Geoff Banthorpe and Lee McGonagle who were both denied their hat tricks by John Golding.
The young TT-on-Sea players were in great form again winning the match against the team from the David Lloyd Centre 6-3. Jack Burns, Emily Godfrey and Kieran Skeggs put in a team performance to win two games each but Jan Thorpe kept his unbeaten record for the opposition.
28th September
Lentern A and Hullbridge A fought a close battle in the Premier Division. With the score standing at 4-4 Django Fung pulled out all the stops to win his second game and the match for Lentern denying Glenn Johnson his maximum in the process. Richard Brown also won two while Paul Brown added one to the tally. Tim Pang, back playing in the League after a couple of year’s absence, banked two wins for Hullbridge to add to Glenn’s pair. John Poysden led Legra B to a 6-3 win over Rawreth C. His hat trick was backed up by two wins from John Monk and one from Owen Warren. A brace for Steve Sawyer made him Rawreth’s best player on the night.
Runnymede A won their match against Warehouse A 8-1 with Kevin Caldon and Stuart Gibbs unbeaten. Nicole Syderenko prevented the whitewash with a fine win over Gary Baker and she took Stuart to deuce in the fifth.
In Division 1 the Runnymede B team Kieran Wood, Ian Tuckey and Chris Liu put in a team performance by winning two games each to take their side to a win over Hadleigh Forum B. Mick Tappenden was the thorn in their side winning all his games for Forum.
Andy Seabrook, Howard Grant and Jean Chasmer of Hullbridge B enjoyed a close match against Whittingham and by bagging a brace each they emerged the 6-3 winners. Craig Harris was the best player on the losing team but he was denied his maximum by Howard.
In Division 2 Invicta A’s new signing Neil Daines played his first game in the League and went unbeaten in the match against Runnymede C. He was backed up by David Barnes and Barrie Murphy with two wins each to give them the 7-2 victory. Tony Coeshall was Runnymede’s sole point earner. Sam Chesher’s hat trick for Legra C failed to steer them to victory against Lentern E. With the score level at 4-4 Ray Farmer won the match for his team in the last game of the night to give Lentern the 5-4 win. Ray banked two wins and he was supported by a pair from Michael Piper and one from Richard Pond.
In Division 3 TT-on-Sea kept a clean sheet against the experienced players of Hadleigh Forum C. They had to fight hard for their win and several of the matches could have gone either way but the team spirit kicked in enabling Emily Godfrey, Kieran Skegga and Jack Burns to earn their hat tricks.
Derek North and Shelley Woolley were both unbeaten for Customs B in their match against Canvey E. Chris Gregory added two but he fell victim to Canvey’s super vet Ron Parker.
21st September
Runnymede A have begun the new season in fine style in the Premier Division with an 8-1 win over Customs A in a bid to retain their title. Dave Bowles and Kevin Caldon won all their games in three straight sets while Gary Baker banked two wins but was denied his maximum in a close encounter with Roy Thomas. Kevin Read, George Reeves and Lee Prentice kept a clean sheet for Rawreth A in their match against Warehouse A while Rawreth B dropped only one game to overcome Rayleigh Mill 8-1. Rawreth C had a much tougher time against Lentern B but Dave Colwill completed his hat trick in the last game of the night to give them the 5-4 win.
In Division 1 Canvey A, who were relegated from the Premier Division, got off to a good start with a 7-2 win over Hullbridge B. Tony Giddens led the way with a maximum and he was supported by Leon Smart and Ray Wilson who both bagged a brace. The defending Division 1 champions, Warehouse B, had a bad start to the season when they came up against a strong Rawreth D team who overcame them 8-1. Andrew Halling and Jim Stait both registered hat tricks while Sam Langton was on course for a maximum before losing out to Kim Shead in the last game of the match.
In Division 2 newly promoted Wakering beat Invicta A 7-2 in a hard fought game that was much closer than the score indicates. Seven of the nine games went the full distance with three of these finishing in Wakering’s favour at deuce in the fifth. Cliff Noakes won all his games for Wakering while Dave Accleton and Dick Gilbert contributed two wins each. Canvey B came up against Hullbridge C who provided stiff opposition. However, Canvey’s Tony Westwell went unbeaten and Terry Giddens brought his tally to two in the last game of the match to give Canvey a narrow 5-4 win.
In Division 3 Dave Thomas led Hadleigh Forum C to a 7-2 win over Warehouse D. He was backed up by Bob Gabe and Tony Mace who were both denied their maximums by an in form Graham Back. A new team in the League, the David Lloyd Centre, had their first outing. Jan Thorpe and Pat Townsley have returned to the fold after an absence of ten years and they were joined by 10 year old Sid Dorn who was playing in the League for the first time. Jan was unbeaten but the team went down 4-5 to the ladies of RESSC B Pam Swan, Sarah Mapes and Jane Swan.