Aces play a winning hand

Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis LeagueTHE third of the four cup finals, the Handicap Doubles, saw Aces beat Crosscourts. The all-Cromer affair was contested at Trunch Village Hall with Chris Pooley and Derek Philpott sharing umpiring duties.

Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis League

THE third of the four cup finals, the Handicap Doubles, saw Aces beat Crosscourts.

The all-Cromer affair was contested at Trunch Village Hall with Chris Pooley and Derek Philpott sharing umpiring duties.

Alan Rutledge (M), Maureen Chapman (R) and Anne Armitage (R) lined up for Crosscourts, while Aces were represented by Clive Smith (O), Ron Povey (R) and Geoff Long (Q).

The first battle saw Rutledge and Armitage take on Smith and Long (+2). Both teams made a nervous start but ultimately Smith's smashes were the difference as Aces won a tight contest 21-17, 21-18.

The handicaps in the second contest only gave the Crosscourters a single-point advantage and the opening set was won by the Aces who had more weapons at their disposal - Povey setting up the attack of Long.

However, Armitage and Chapman combined well in the second to force errors from the Ace's duo and led

16-11.

But the Aces made a comeback, saving two set-points at 18-20 and winning the match on a sudden death.

Next Aces had both the handicaps and the luck on their side as Smith and Povey (+2) easily won the first set.

The second was closer and Rutledge and Chapman had a set-point at 20-19, but again Aces came back to win a sudden death on a ridiculous net-cord and they moved 3-0 in the final.

Finally, and for the first time that night, Crosscourts received some good luck at the start of the fourth contest and it seemed to mark some sort of turning of the tide as Chapman and Armitage (+4) took the first set from Smith and Long.

However, the Aces upped the pace to level and a good start for them in the decider was key. With the final exactly one hour old, the Aces took their second match-point to move one win from the cup.

And it was a very familiar story of missed opportunities for Crosscourts in what was the fifth and final battle with Rutledge and Armitage squandering a set-point chance at

20-19 in the second as the Aces came through to win the third sudden-death of the night and with it the cup -

their 5-0 victory taking just 70 minutes to complete.

Handicap Doubles Cup final: Crosscourts 0-5 Aces Smith/Long (+2) beat Rutledge/Armitage 21-17, 21-18, Povey/Long beat Chapman/Armitage (+1) 21-11, 21-20, Smith/Povey (+2) beat Rutledge/Armitage 21-7, 21-20, Smith/Long beat Chapman/Armitage (+4) 12-21, 21-14, 21-17, Smith/Povey (+2) beat Rutledge/Armitage 21-12,

21-20.