Last week saw the end of the first half of the season in the Bolton & District Table Tennis League. It was time for the two top teams to face each other.  Ramsbottom Town A were at home to Flixton Cricket Club A. They made their point by beating Flixton 23-14 with Michael Moir scoring a nine. This now puts Ramsbottom thirteen points ahead in the table. It remains to be seen whether Flixton can reverse this trend when they have the home advantage at the end of the season. Flixton’s B team are flying high in third place. They beat eleventh placed Hilton A 21 – 12 with a nine from Keith Deaville. Fourth place Ramsbottom Town B just lost out to eighth-placed Little Lever Cricket Club A despite a resisting nine from Ryan Choong. Mid-table Nomads had a 23 – 14 win over Wharton helped by a nine from Kyan Chin and Radcliffe Cricket Club beat second from the bottom Ladybridge A 20 – 13 assisted by a nine from Michael Dore.

Division Two Leaders Burning Desire gave Coburg a lesson with a full points 27 – 5 win while second-placed Wigan TTC had a 24 – 8 success against Meadow Ben A with nines from Paul Clark and Daniel Watkinson. These two are so far ahead in the tables that it would be a brave person who would put money on the odds that the status quo will not be maintained at the end of the season. Third-placed Ramsbottom Town D had a 23 – 17 win over seventh-placed Little Lever Cricket Club B helped by a nine from Martin Holt. Polonia Club A in fourth place had a surprise loss 19 – 12 to Farnworth Social Circle A in sixth place with John Hutchinson on his usual nine for Farnworth. In the lower part of the table Heaton Cricket Club A had a 21 – 14 win over Hilton C with David Hall on nine for Heaton and Hilton D beat Wingates 20 – 16. Wingates are now bottom of the table.

In Division Two Hilton E remain top despite a result yet to come. Second-placed Bolton TTC just pipped Heaton Cricket Club B 18 – 17 while third-placed Saint Paul’s Peel had a 19 - 13 win over second from the bottom Walkden Methodists with the usual nine from Lee Devenport. Fourth-placed Meadow Ben B had a close 18 – 15 win over Farnworth Social Circle B assisted by nine from Mike Heaton. Mid-table Ladybridge B outdid Hilton F 23 – 9 with nine from John Cole.

Top of the table Meadow Hill A had a 20 – 11 win over mid-table Hilton G with nine from man of the match John Nuttall. Second-placed Farnworth Social Circle C trounced stoic bottom of the table Meadow Hill B 27 – 3. Third-placed Meadow Ben C only just pipped Polonia Club C 19 – 18 helped by nine from Ian Wheeldon.  Farnworth Social Circle D team had a 21 - 10 win over juniors Hilton I assisted by nine from David Wyatt. Ladybridge C had their third win of the season as they met Hilton H winning 19 – 9 with a nine from John Hilton.