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Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis League

PIRATES moved into contention in the second division following two good wins.

At Antingham Delta's Tom and Bev Baldock-Yaxley and Phil Mole (the latter two playing up) hosted the Pirate's team of Dave Thompson, John Hancock (Snr) and Steve Dams (playing up). Mole took a brace by defeating Hancock in four and then Thomson 15-13 in the fifth. After losing to Hancock in five, Tom Baldock-Yaxley excelled to take a hard hitting game with Thompson in straight. Dam's smashes helped him to a maximum - including a 16-14, 12-10, 4-11, 11-3 win against Mole - which played a key part in Pirate's 7-3 win. Stan Munn took over from Dams as Pirates hosted Aces and took a maximum as the team won 8-2. Clive Smith was involved in two-five setters - losing to Thompson and beating Hancock while Eric Dolden took Aces second point with a win against Thompson in four.

Smith also took a brace as Aces played Gresham School but fell to Alex Lam who completed his maximum with an 11-9, 12-14, 13-11, 12-10 win. Ron Povey beat Ray Sin in five to take Aces third and final point, but with Sin beating Geoff Long in three plus a brace from Roy Lau and a solid doubles performance from Lau and Lam, Gresham School took a 7-3 win.

Meanwhile Backhanders continue to make quiet progress - the team of Teucer Wilson, Rod Goffin and Murray Shanahan staying at the top of the division with a 10-0 whitewash of Poachers.

For the visitors, both Andy Woods and Barry Evans took a set off Shanahan.

The Crosscourts trio of Whil De Neve, Anne Armitage and Mike Cheek took their team's first two wins of the season, including a 10-0 away against Echoes junior members without dropping a set.

However for the hosts, Franchesca Bennett produced some lovely flowing shots, Jack Wardle is still improving and Naomi Myhill came up with the shot of the night with an amazing smash against Armitage.

The Crosscourters also hosted Barracuda's Derek Philpott, Ken Rendle and Rex Parfitt with Philpott winning the opener against De Neve 12-10, 5-11, 12-14, 11-5, 12-10 and later winning another close battle with Cheek 15-13, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6.

However, Armitage played consistently to beat the Barracuda in four. Rendle also took a brace for Barracudas with two four-set wins before falling to an inspired De Neve in three. Crosscourts took the vital doubles in four for a 6-4 victory.

Meanwhile the Barracudas had better fortune as they won 6-4 against Goblins for whom Peter Ward took a maximum. The visitors other point came from Peter's wife Rosie whose tenacity paid off as she won a vital third set from 4-8 down before defeating Rendle in five.

Philpott and Rod Hill both took braces and another vital doubles completed the match as Rendle and Parfitt led by two sets, before Rosie Ward and Simeon Care forced a decider - however the Barracudas took a 5-1 lead and stayed in control to take the win.

In the first division Special's John Paul, Martin Lawes and Ray Howe hosted Beta. Paul saved four set-points but not the fifth as Simon Halliday took the second set 12-10, but some stunning backhands saw Paul took his opening win in four, which he backed up with two wins in straight.

Lawe's attack let him down as Philip Stone won in five, but the Special beat Halliday in straight before being taken the distance by Ivan Hewitt.

Howe took a maximum which included two close four-setters - a 12-14, 11-7, 14-12, 11-8 win against Stone followed by an 11-5, 12-14, 11-8, 13-11 defeat of Halliday. Stone and Chris Johnson took the first set of the doubles, but a win in four for Paul and Lawes completed a 9-1 match win for Specials.

The players of the week have all been selected for consistent, good and improving play and are Steve Dams, Tom Baldock-Yaxley, Clive Smith, Alex Lam, Teucer Wilson, Naomi Myhill, Whil De Neve, Anne Armitage, Peter Ward and Simon Halliday.