Last week the second half of the Bolton Table Tennis League season began with the return fixtures. In the Premier Division all the high fliers set out their stall by taking advantage of the lower teams. However in one top clash, top team Glodwick beat third placed Flixton Cricket Club A with a result they don’t receive very often. It was a convincing 25 – 4 win and maximum nine pointers from Amirul Hussain and Meng Cheng, making his reappearance in the team. Second placed Ramsbottom Cricket Club A also took advantage of Flixton Cricket Club B winning 26 – 7 with nines from Mark Ramsbottom and Andrew Jackson. Fourth placed Ramsbottom Town B took out Nomads with a 24 – 7 win with nines from Brian Clements and Ryan Choong. Fifth placed Radcliffe Cricket Club performed well against bottom of the Division Burning Desire with a 24 – 7 win with nines from Robert Hall and Brian Hallsworth. There were more equal confrontations further down the table. Wharton A defeated Ladybridge A 24 – 16 with nines from Barry Elliott and Jacop Reilly-Cooper. Little Lever Cricket Club A had success over Hilton A 20 -14 helped by a nine from Graham Jeffries.
In Division One top team Ramsbottom Town C just lost out to third placed Hilton B 18 – 17. Second placed Coburg faced Farnworth SC A in a match that did not take place in the first half of the season and whose result was determined by the Committee. Now Coburg won 21 – 14 assisted by a nine from Dave Jones. Hilton D, a team making a good impression in their first year in Division One and in fourth place, beat fifth placed Little Lever Cricket Club B 24 – 12. Meadow Ben A beat bottom of the table Hilton E 24 – 8 assisted by a nine from John Scowcroft, while Heaton Cricket Club A overcame second from the bottom Hilton C 18 – 14 with nines from David Hall and Frank Green. Ramsbottom Town D beat Wingates 22 – 14 helped by a nine from Martin Ormsby.
Division Two’s Bolton TTC A, who are well out in front, played next to the bottom Farnworth SC B who despite their position put up a good fight holding Bolton TTC to a 20 – 17 win. Second placed St. Paul’s Peel had an easier ride over Top spinners winning 24 – 8 with the usual nine from Lee Devenport, as did third placed Polonia Club A against mid table Brass Zone winning 27 – 4 with all players obviously on top points. Fourth placed Meadow Ben B took advantage of their own C team lying bottom, with a 22 – 14 win assisted by nine points from Mike Heaton. Mid-table encounters saw Farnworth SC C beating Ladybridge B 18 – 13 with nines from Christopher Lord and Ben Wyatt. Bolton TTC B edged out Heaton Cricket Club B 21 – 16 with nines from Sam Greenhalgh and Peter McCormick.
In Division Four Top team Walkden Methodist were away to fourth placed Meadow Hill A who were hoping to reverse their fortunes in the first match of the season. However, it was not to be as Walkden kept them at bay with a 22 – 17 win with man of the match Richard Whittleworth on nine. Second placed Hilton F took advantage of their own lower placed G team winning 22 – 8 with nines from Jeff Saunders and Malcolm Wilcock. Third placed juniors Hilton H had a bit of a surprise as they took on Albany, slowly rising up the table, who held them to a 19 – 18 win with Hilton’s Nabeel Malji on nine. In an Inter-club Derby mid-table Meadow Ben D took on bottom of the table Meadow Hill B winning 25 – 10 assisted by a nine from Neil Cowburn. Polonia Club B had their third win of the season beating Irlam Steel just above them 20 – 15 despite a resisting nine from David Yates. Second from the bottom Farnworth SC D only just lost out to fifth placed Ladybridge C 18 - 16.
