Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis LeagueTHE first division derby match between Seaflames Sharks and Dolphins produced the longest- ever match in the league in terms of points played.

Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis League

THE first division derby match between Seaflames Sharks and Dolphins produced the longest- ever match in the league in terms of points played.

Lining up for Sharks were Keith Register, Peter Betts and Phil Baker and for the Dolphins Steve Nichols, Andrew Tuddenham and Steve Hudson.

The record came in the first match with Nichols taking the first two sets from Register, both 11-9. Register saved seven match points as he took the third 19-17.

Nichols had a further three chances to close out at 10-7 in the fourth, but Register hung on to take it 17-15 and he completed the comeback by taking the fifth decisive set 11-9.

The 128-point marathon which lasted 35 minutes beats the previous longest match record, a 2005 clash won by Matthew Hudson over Andrew Pegg which also contained a 19-17 set, by five points.

And there was more drama to follow as Tuddenham beat Betts 6-11, 11-4,

9-11, 14-12, 11-6. After Baker had come from a set down against Hudson, two more five-setters followed - Betts and Hudson defeating Nichols and Register respectively. Tuddenham took the first from Baker 12-10, but lost the second

2-11 - however Tuddenham took the next two sets 11-4 and levelled the evening's contest at 3-3.

Betts could not find an answer to Nichols open attacking game as the Dolphin won in four, but Baker's loop defeated Nichols in the only straight sets encounter of the night.

A war of attrition with rallies in excess of 40 returns between Register and Tuddenham ended with the Dolphin sealing his maximum in five.

The doubles finally got under way at 11.15pm and then took another 30 minutes to complete as Betts and Baker won in five to end a long night as a draw.

In contrast, Specials' Ray Howe, Jonathan Care and Hugh Rout controlled their games against Seal's Mike Toye, Ray Amo and John Barron, comfortably, winning 10-0.

Howe won all his games in four, including an 8-11, 11-5, 17-15, 11-7 win against Toye while Barron took a set from Care. With the exception of the doubles which went the distance, Specials won all remaining battles in straight.

In the second division Crosscourters Will De Neve, Anne Armitage and Mike Cheek hosted Poacher's Andy Woods, Maureen Chapman and Jon Cheyette with Woods winning a nail-biting opener in five against De Neve.

Cheek has returned to the game after a long absence and took a brace, including a win in four against Cheyette. Woods took a maximum and Cheyette a brace and they teamed up for a five-set doubles win over Cheek and De Neve to seal Poacher's 6-4 win.

At Gresham's School Roy Lau, Christopher Stadelmaier and Will Moaling hosted Pirates' David Thompson, John Hancock (Snr) and Stan Munn. Lau played very well against an experienced player as he took the opener against Thompson in four. The league's newest club members all played some great shots and showed real promise, but it was the experience of the Pirates that saw them to a 9-1 win.

In a Cromer derby Backhander's Teucer Wilson, Rod Goffin and Murray Shanahan won 10-0 against Ace's Clive Smith, Eric Dolden and Peter Taylor with Goffin taken the distance by Taylor.

Delta's Jack Morton, John Vaughan and Tom Baldock-Yaxley continued their storming start to the season, winning 10-0 against a Barracudas team a man down.

Teams must now use the new score sheets with the tick boxes to indicate when players are playing up from lower in the club.

Star players of the week are Mike Cheek, Roy Lau, Jack Morton, Andrew Tuddenham and Hugh Rout.