North Cornwall Table Tennis League 2019/20 weekly round-up

NORTH Hill A’s winning start to the season in Division One came to an end on Thursday night as they were held to a 5-5 draw at Budehaven A.

The result was one of two games they had in-hand on leaders Torridge, but they are now six points behind with a game in-hand.

Budehaven got off to the best possible start as Mark Beaumont defeated Shirley Luckhurst in straight ends before Owen Salisbury did likewise against Martin Hynes.

Michael Briggs pulled one back by easing past Dave Salisbury before Luckhurst ensured it was 2-2 by Salisbury.

Briggs, who has made a big impression since joining the league in the summer, had won his first 16 games, dropping just four ends in the process. However his run came to an end in a superb clash with Beaumont. Having traded the first four ends, both players missed match points in the decider before Beaumont won it 19-17.

Hynes beat his old rival Dave Salisbury to make it 3-3 going into the doubles, which was claimed by the home team.

Briggs made it all square before Dave Salisbury, in agony all night due to tennis elbow, conceded his clash with Luckhurst.

However Beaumont got the better off Hynes in four sets to secure a share of the spoils.

Helland won 9-1 at Budehaven D, in a match where the hosts defied their bottom of the table status to push them close.

Home skipper Anthony Ward twice fought back against Mike Fisher to take it to a fifth end before Fisher snuck home 11-9.

Ward and Gary Bickle’s record as a team in the doubles is superb and they beat Ingus Abolnieks and Fisher 13-11 in the fifth to get themselves on the board at 6-1.

Although Helland won the next two with ease, the match of the night was a thriller as the hard-hitting Bickle took on Ritchie Bartlett. Again two of the first four sets went to sudden-death. The fifth also proved to be dramatic, but Bartlett claimed it 12-10 in the fifth.

Budehaven B are five points off Budehaven A in the battle for fifth with a game in-hand after a 7-3 success at Crackington A.

Frank Barnes had to leave early and played all of his matches for the hosts at the start. He got off to a poor start as Ashley Taylor edged a close battle before seeing off David Sillifant and David Ewen comfortably.

He then combined with Ross Wilmshurst to overcome Taylor and Ewen to make it 3-1.

From there the visitors took control, even if they did have to survive some nervy moments against Paul Seez and Wilmshurst, who on another day could easily have nicked a couple of points, as they secured their third win of the season.

Budehaven C earned their second victory since promotion with a 6-4 victory over Whitstone Wanderers on a night where all six played involved won at least once.

With Robin Worden and Helen Murgatroyd unavailable, the C team called upon E team regular Ian Westaway.

The hosts got off to the best possible start as they led 4-0, although three of them went the distance.

Nathan Jukes and Doug Genini eased to victories over Tim Orchard and Westaway to halve the defict before the doubles point was narrowly claimed by the hosts to make it 5-2.

Sam Jennings secured an impressive hat-trick by beating Jukes in four ends before Barry Stearman made it 6-3.

Genini then made the scoreline a bit more respectable by withstanding a superb comeback from Orchard to take it 11-9 in the fifth.

Crackington B continue their march towards the Division Two crown by thrashing Crackington C, 9-1.

After Zach Parker beat James Ellis in the opener, C team skipper Simon Patterson beat opposite number Keiron Chatterjea in straight ends to make it all square.

From there, the hosts won the next four in four ends before Chatterjea and Parker combined to edge past Patterson and Trevor Dean in the doubles.

Jane Johnson then secured a treble with victory over James Ellis before Chatterjea and Parker completed an excellent night’s work.

The clash between Altarnun A and Budehaven E was postponed due to Altarnun Village Hall being used as a polling station for the General Election.

There was just one match in Division Three as Budehaven F beat Budehaven H, 4-1. Ezra Jukes won both of his singles matches as well as combining with Phil Hawken to take the doubles point.

Hawken beat Finlay McKinnon but was edged out by Alex Worth for Budehaven H’s point.

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