Delta make last four

QUARTER-final week in both North Norfolk Table Tennis League Handicap Cups and an extraordinary Walsham derby in the singles as the Delta team of Phil Mole (M), Tom Baldock-Yaxley (P) and Jay Gardner (P) hosted the Beta line-up of Simon Halliday (J), Philip Stone (I) and Matt Robinson (O).

Halliday won the first nine points against Mole (+6), but the Delta fought back to take the opener 16-21 21-17 21-12, before Baldock-Yaxley (+11) easily saw off Stone 21-14 21-7 to put Delta 2-0 up.

Robinson won a tight three-setter over Gardner (+2), before Baldock-Yaxley (+10) took the first from Halliday.

A slice of luck set up the Delta with match-point at 20-19 and he got another net-cord then - but this time Halliday managed to retrieve the ball and his spin serves helped him level the tie with a 21-18 win in the third.

Robinson then won a nail-biter over Mole (+4) with a 13-21 21-19 21-20 victory before Stone's defence saw him to a 21-18 21-19 win over Gardner (+11) and the Beta's found themselves one win from the semis at 4-2 up in the tie.

Robinson was confident of victory having never lost to Baldock-Yaxley (+2) before, but a confident attacking display saw the Delta keep his team alive with a 21-8 21-16 win.

Gardner (+10) defeated Halliday in straight which set up a deciding match between Stone and Mole (+8). Stone played a phenomenal first set - several times surprising Mole with unlikely winners off his own attack - but he was never going to be able to keep that standard up as he seemed quickly drained of both physical and emotional energy as Mole booked Deltas place in the semis with a 18-21 21-9 21-5 win.

Meanwhile James Baldock-Yaxley and Cobra teammates Alex Spragg and Adam Brown, had a tricky tie away to Crosscourters Alan Rutledge, Maureen Chapman and Anne Armitage.

Rutledge (+10) won the opener over Baldock-Yaxley 21-3 19-21 21-8.

The next four games were all straight sets affairs but were won alternatively by the two teams before Armitage (+12) defeated Spragg 17-21 21-9 21-19 to put Crosscourts 4-2 up in the tie.

Despite breaking his bat on the final point, Brown threw himself on the floor to somehow close out a 21-14 21-17 win over Chapman (+12) to keep Cobras alive and Baldock-Yaxley forced the deciding match after an incredible effort saw him only concede three points against Armitage (+13).

Rutledge (+8) proved too strong for Spragg with a 21-12 21-15 victory to complete Crosscourts narrow 5-4 win.

The singles quarter-finals continued at Trunch as Shark's Mike Toye, Nigel Hayward-Surry and Keith Register hosted Sidewinder's Martin Lawes, Paul Warner and Hugh Rout (Toye and Rout both being cup-tied). Toye (+13) came unstuck against Lawes' spin serves, before Hayward-Surry edged a tight contest in three over Warner.

Register (+6) came from 17-19 to lead 20-19 in the third, but Rout came back to win the sudden death 20-20 point.

A brilliant return from Hayward-Surry (+10) saved set-point as he saw off Lawes 21-20 in the second and Toye (+11) put Sharks 3-2 up.

Register (+13) defeated Warner in two despite dropping the opening nine points before Rout took advantage of Hayward-Surry (+4)'s loss of concentration in the third.

Register (+11) crushed Lawes 21-9 21-1 to complete Sharks 5-3 win.

The semi-final line up was completed by the Seals trio of Ray Amo, Ron Millett and Chris Marshall who were too much for the Alphas as Seals won 6-0 without dropping a set.

In from the first round of the Handicap Doubles Cup Aces beat Backhanders 5-3 and will play Alpha (who had a bye) next week.

Meanwhile Betas made up for their disappointment in the quarters of the singles, by reaching the semis of the doubles with a 5-1 win over Specials.

Elsewhere, the same Seals team as in the singles booked their semi berth with another 6-0 win over Dolphins.

Finally in a busy week, there was an emotional time for the Backhanders duo of Teucer Wilson and Rod Goffin as they contested their first league match since the tragic death of their teammate Steve Thompson.

They were joined by Clive Smith for the match against Dolphin's Scott Wallace, Steve and Matthew Hudson. Wilson and Goffin took maximums in their 7-3 win.

Backhanders are third in the table and trail Alpha by 10 points with the teams still to meet this season.

Handicap Singles Cup quarter-finals: Delta 5, Beta 4; Sharks 5, Sidewinders 3; Seals 6, Alpha 0; Crosscourts 5, Cobras 4.

Handicap Doubles Cup, round one: Backhanders 3, Aces 5.

Handicap Doubles Cup quarter-finals: Specials 1, Beat 5; Seals 6, Dolphins 0.

First Division: Dolphins 3, Backhanders 7.

Handicap Singles Cup semi-final draw: Sharks v Delta, Crosscourts v Seals.

Handicap Doubles up semi-final draw: Sharks/Crosscourts v Beta, Aces/Alpha v Seals.