A rearranged fixture in the last week of the season in Division 1 of the Hastings & District Table Tennis League saw Saints A clinch the championship with a 10-0 win over Tackleway B. Ritchie Venner, Dave Butler and James Winchester dropped only one game between them to take their first title since 2009/10. Graham Deeprose and Andy Syrett also featured for Saints who will be looking to retain their grip on the Watts Cup and secure a double.
Playing twice in the week Hollington Academy A literally crawled over the line for second place with injuries causing games to be conceded in each match. First the Academics beat their own B team 6-4, with Basher Obeyed unbeaten and two wins from Paul Barry. For the B side, Rose Rainton’s two wins included an excellent win over Barry.
Needing a point from the visit to Bexhill B and with Barry absent ill, Academy turned up with two players, only for Andy Furnival to retire injured after winning his first match. It was left to Obeyed again to secure the point from a 4-6 defeat with another maximum.
With Bexhill D crowned Division 2 champions two weeks ago, four teams entered the final week with a sniff of second place. Tackleway D tightened their grip with a 9-1 win at NALGO A with Alan Blackman and Sue Pingram unbeaten plus two from Owen Hatter. Saints C dropped a point with a 6-4 win over Tackleway F, in which Andy Syrett was unbeaten, but Hollington Academy D put themselves in the frame with a 10-0 win over the champions with three each for Kevin Barry, Ryan Heselden and Brian Busbridge. Needing just a point, Academy D then beat Saints C 9-1 in a rearranged match to take second place with further maximums for Barry and Heselden plus two from Busbridge.
Bexhill F took the Division 3 title with a 10-0 win at Willett & Phillips through Harvey Webb, Ricky Knight and Malcolm Glover. The previous week, Bexhill had set things up with a 7-3 win over nearest rivals Monarchs when Webb was unbeaten and Knight won two and Peter Harding took two for Monarchs. With one match outstanding, the squad, which also includes Diane Webb, have won every match.
