Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis LeagueIN the first division this week, Special's John Paul, John Batchford and Ray Howe hosted Alpha's Dennis Elliott, Dave Johns and Mary Sawyer and won 9-1.

Star Paving Services North Norfolk

Table Tennis League

IN the first division, Specials John Paul, John Batchford and Ray Howe hosted Alphas Dennis Elliott, Dave Johns and Mary Sawyer and won 9-1.

Elliott's strong forehand loop and spin caused problems, but he ran out of steam as Paul won the opener 11-2, 11-13, 12-14, 11-5, 11-2, Batchford also defeated the Alpha 3-11, 13-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8 but Elliott did pick up a single in straight. However, that was the only point Alpha got on the night as the hosts only dropped two more sets.

A North Walsham derby saw Cobras' James Baldock-Yaxley, Alex Spragg and Adam Brown take on Betas Simon Halliday, Ivan Hewitt, Philip Stone and Chris Johnson. Cobras won 7-3.

Halliday had his moments but Baldock-Yaxley took the opener in four, before Stone levelled with a 5-11, 11-4, 3-11, 11-9, 11-5 defeat of Spragg. Brown and Spragg both won in four sets against Hewitt and Halliday respectively, before Baldock-Yaxley came from two sets behind to defeat Hewitt.

The only two straight-set encounters followed as Stone and Spragg won against Brown and Hewitt respectively, before Halliday took a single against Brown in four. Two nets and a shot off his finger helped Stone save match-point against Baldock-Yaxley in the third set, before the Cobra ultimately won a terrific battle between his forehand and the Beta's backhand in five. The doubles wrapped up the match win.

It took until the 14th week of the league to see a drawn match in the second division - that featured Gresham's School, and the team of Alex Oliver, Roy Lau and Chris Stadelmaier found themselves involved in another drawn match, against Echoes Stan Baldock and Andy and David Beane.

Trunch saw Barracuda's Rex Parfitt, Derek Philpott and debutant Jonathan Dempsey host Crosscourters' Mike Cheek, Alf Green and Whil De Neve, the latter taking the match 6-4.

It was business as normal for the three teams fighting it out for the two promotion spots in the second division as Delta (Jack Morton, Tom Baldock-Yaxley and John Vaughan) whitewashed Poachers 10-0, Pirates (Andy Marsh, David Thompson and Mark Fairhurst) won 9-1 away to Aces and Backhanders (Teucer Wilson, Murray Shanahan and Chris Marshall) won 8-2 against Goblins.

Attention now turns to the two Handicap Cups. With all 18 teams entering, four teams will fight it out in the preliminary round of both while the remaining 14 receive a bye through to the last 16. .

Players of the Week: Teucer Wilson, Dennis Elliott, James Baldock-Yaxley, Stan Baldock, Derek Philpott and Tom Baldock-Yaxley.

More detailed report can be seen on our website www.northnorfolknews 24.co.uk