North Devon Table Tennis League 2019/20 (week five) round-up

HOLSWORTHY A moved to within a point of Holsworthy D with a game in-hand in Division One after thrashing their club rivals 8-2 at Sutcombe Village Hall last Tuesday night.

The first two matches of the night were one-sided affairs as Mark Beaumont and Owen Salisbury eased to 3-0 victories over Ashley Taylor and Nathan Taylor.

The battle of the captains between Dave Salisbury and David Sillifant was anything but.

After Salisbury eased to the first set and then won a tight second it appeared he’d cruise to a comfortable victory.

However, Sillifant then levelled the match, dropping just five points in the next two games.

The decider saw Salisbury edge ahead before Sillifant earned himself two match points at 10-8. However Salisbury fought back to make it 11-11 and then won the next two points to claim the point.

Ashley Taylor earned the ‘visitors’ their first point of the night with a 3-1 win over Owen Salisbury before Beaumont saw off Sillifant in a decider and Dave Salisbury beat Nathan Jukes.

Holsworthy D grabbed their second point of the night as Sillifant beat Owen Salisbury before Beaumont and Dave Salisbury both won their final singles matches of the evening as well as the doubles.

Bridgerule are just four points off leaders Blazing Paddles with a game in-hand as they beat Spin Doctors 6-4 at Bridgerule Village Hall on Friday night.

David Streak’s unbeaten start to the season went in the first match of the night as Michael Sussex beat him in four games.

The next two games were shared before Steve Cragg then ruined Sussex’s own 100% winning start, beating him in five games.

The rest of the night saw Streak and Cragg win their remaining singles and the doubles match.

All three Spin Doctors players beat Helen Murgatroyd to keep the scoreline close.

In Division Two, Holsworthy B fought back from 4-3 down to beat Chulmleigh Chiefs 6-4 on an evening where all but one of the ten matches went to four ends.

The visitors have improved significantly this term and in Joey Butt have one of the division’s best players.

He beat Jill Knightley and Jeremy Rickman in four before edging a tight fifth set against Doug Genini to remain unbeaten all night.

However the home trio all defeated Trevor Reynolds while Genini and Knightley got the better of Andrew Saliauskas.

Chulmleigh were in with a chance of earning a draw, but Genini and Knightley beat Butt and Saliauskas 13-11 in the doubles to claim the last point.

Holsworthy C’s clash at West Buckland was postponed.

To view all the latest results, fixtures, tables, player averages and more, www.tabletennis365.com/NorthDevon