Last week saw the penultimate matches in the Bolton Table Tennis League. Ramsbottom Town A at the top of the Premier Division took the opportunity to milk more points playing mid-table Hilton A winning out 25 – 9 with nines from Michael Moir and Andrew Jackson. Meanwhile, second-placed Flixton Cricket Club A had a 22 – 16 win against Nomads with Nomad’s Kyan Chin putting up the resistance with nine points. Ramsbottom Town B also had a good 23 – 12 win against Radcliffe Cricket Club helped by nine from Khamal Hussain. In fourth place, Flixton Cricket Club B took advantage of playing bottom team Hilton B with a full points 27 – 6 win. Mid-table Little Lever Cricket Club A beat Wharton two places below them 20 – 15 despite a resisting nine from Barry Elliott.

Division One’s winners Burning Desire trounced Wingates 27 – 1, while guaranteed second-placed Wigan TTC had a 21 – 11 win over Hilton D assisted by nine from Daniel Watkinson. Third-placed Ramsbottom Town D beat second-bottom Heaton Cricket Club A 23 – 13  helped by nine from Robert Bent. In fourth place, Polonia Club A beat bottom of the table Meadow Ben A 22 – 15 with nine from Dawid Kakol. Fifth-placed Coburg came unstuck as they went down 22 – 10 to Little Lever Cricket Club B one place below them with nine from Little Lever’s Paul Tatlock. A mid-table match had Hilton C just beating Farnworth Social Circle A 18 – 16 helped by nine from Andrew Morey.

Saint Paul’s Peel are at the top of Division Two but not safe as we await the result of second-placed Hilton E against their own F team. Saint Paul’s beat mid-table Bolton TTC 21 – 8 with the expected nine from Lee Devenport. Third-placed Polonia Club B lost out to eighth-placed  Brasszone 19 – 12 and fifth-placed Heaton Cricket Club B just got pipped 20 – 19 by Farnworth Social Circle B whose Martyn Garnet’s nine points swung it for Farnworth.  Mid-table Meadow Ben B lost out 19 – 14 to Ladybridge B two places below them who’s John Birchall was on form with nine. Towards the bottom, Hilton Top Spinners beat second-bottom Walkden Methodists 23 – 13 despite a resisting nine from John Barker.

Farnworth Social Circle A will be top of Division Three. They went to town 25 – 6 against second-bottom juniors Hilton I with nines from Ben Wyatt and Christopher Lord. Now looking comfortable in second place, Meadow Hill A took full advantage of playing their own bottom of the division B team to win out 27 – 6. Third-placed Meadow Ben C came unstuck 18 – 13 against Farnworth Social Circle D one place below them whose Elena Cecilia Tepelus was on form achieving full nine points. A two-man mid-table Irlam Steel Social Club beat Hilton H third from the bottom 16 – 12 helped by nine from Matt Hood and mid-table Hilton G beat Ladybridge C just below them 19 – 14.

This week sees the last week of league matches when some of the big guns face each other for the second time in the season.