News from around the courts and tables

PLYMOUTH TROPHYMAN PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE by David Williams

TWO Division Five teams without a win met, with the honours of a first victory going to Woolwell Q, who defeated Woolwell R 8-2. Recent merit award winner, Sam Taylor was the star for Woolwell Q, scoring a straight game maximum.

Ivybridge stay top after beating Crafthole F 10-0. Astor H let leads of 4-1 and 5-3 slip in their 5-5 draw with University B (Matt King 3).

In Division Two, second-placed Railway B drew 5-5 with Woodland Fort B (Mark Weymouth 3 and the doubles with Martin Parnell ). Mike Briggs was then in unbeaten form , winning all his sets in straight games for Railway B, who won 7-3 at Crafthole C. Briggs completed a perfect performance, when with John Palmer he beat Mike Cookson and Martin Wilcox 11-4, 11-7, 11-4.

Russ Keith played as a reserve for Railway C (Tony Freestone 3) and won two and the doubles with Bryn Ford, in the 7-3 win over Astor D. Astor A (John Sherlock 3) won 7-3 at Woodland Fort A, with Sherlock recovering from two games down to beat Brian Luscombe 7-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-8, 14-12.

Eric Cheung (3) was the form player for Division Three leaders Woolwell J, in their 6-4 win over University A.

Cheung did well to overcome David Wills 10-12, 11-6, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, but Wills and Chris Batey got some revenge with a 3-11, 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7 win over Cheung and Henry Tam. Next to bottom Spar Saltash drew 5-5 with third-placed Siblyback after leading 5-1. Also failing to build on a good lead were Woodland Fort C, who from 4-0 up drew 5-5 with visitors Lee Mill. Woolwell I are still unbeaten, their latest victims being Inter City D, who lost 7-3.

Molyneux Associates, Division Four's top team, were given a hard match by Woolwell K. Molyneux led 4-2 but lost the next three sets before Mike Gaylard and John Dodd secured a 5-5 draw by beating Jack Lambert and Ben Williams 11-4, 11-7, 12-10.

Second-placed Crafthole D (Connor McHale 3) went 6-2 ahead at Astor F, but then dropped two points in a 6-4 win. Woodland Fort E were below strength at Woolwell L, who, with three from John Giblin and the doubles with Andy Strike, won 8-2.

Also unbeaten in singles and doubles was Ralph Stone of Woodland Fort G who defeated Woolwell M 6-4.

The bottom two teams, Inter City E and Astor G met, with the latter winning 6-4.

Only Rob Moss (3) was on form for Woodland Fort F, who lost 6-4 at Woodland Fort H.

Crafthole A won five sets in straight games as they defeated Crafthole B 10-0 in Division One.

Both Woolwell H and Woolwell D were a player short, with the D team winning 7-2. Six sets from Mark Burridge and George Haskell saw Woolwell F to a 9-1 win at Woolwell G, Jordan Bone winning the only set for the G team.

Woolwell B and Woolwell E were level at 3-3 but the B team won 7-3. Dominic Sussex won his three for the B team but was taken to five games by Liz May before winning 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8.

Other results: Division Two: Inter City B 8, Astor B 0. Division Three: Astor E 9, Woodland Fort D 1.

Division Five: Crafthole E 2 Inter City F 8. Handicap Cup: Lee Mill 6, Woolwell M 4.

BREWIN DOLPHIN MANNAMEAD WINTER TENNIS LEAGUE by David Williams

IN THE Women's Doubles Division B, Saltash players Jane Poon and Jane Trahair move into second place after winning a double points match against two other Saltash players, Chris Bunney and Jill Cansfield. Poon and Trahair just won the first set on a tie break and held on to take the next two sets, despite determined resistance from Bunney and Cansfield, to win 6-5 (10-8), 6-3, 6-4.

Poon and Trahair also recorded a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 win over Linda Galpin and Libby Allman.

Although Joan McGregor and Helen Foote overcame Debbie Wilson and Nancy Northfield to win 6-3, 6-1, 6-2, they drop back into third place.

Julia Whetton and Lynne Macfarlane should have scored maximum points against Bunney and Cansfield but from 6-0, 6-2 and 5-2, they lost the next four games to win 6-0, 6-2, 5-6.

Both the pairs in the battle for second place in Division A dropped points. In second place are Luisa Warring and Sandra O'Sullivan, who beat Nikki Aitken and Pat Hexter won 6-4, 6-2, 3-6.

Warring and O'Sullivan then beat Janet Butler and Linda Haston 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Third-placed Alison Diver and Linda Trebilcock lost an unfinished match to Michelle Cooke and Liz Morley 6-5, 6-1, 5-3. Diver and Trebilcock failed to capitalise on a two-set lead in defeating Debbie Bradbury and Tania Belcher 6-2, 6-1, 3-6.

Bradbury and Belcher, in an evenly balanced match, let a first set lead slip as Ann Short and Liz Parks finished the stronger pair to win 3-6, 6-5, 6-4.

Andrew Leigh and Esther Pettit are top of the mixed doubles division after beating Dudley Tolkien and Janet Butler 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and Martyn Wolstoncroft and Mel Smith 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.

Leigh and sub Hannah Robinson defeated Yuen sui and Juliet Memery 6-0, 6-0, 6-1.

Ricky Palmer and Nikki Aitken lost to Simon Dusting and Hannah Odam 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

The unbeaten men's Division A leaders, Simon Prout and Matt Green, had one of their closest matches, in defeating Phil Harbottle and Phil Ruse 4-6, 6-4, 6-5. Harbottle and Ruse kept on course for third place after a 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 win against Ollie Fletcher and Zack Bowen.

By winning most of the vital game points, Ron Cole and Rob Thomas, the Division B leaders, beat Pete Ireland and Jon Shackel 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. Patrick Poon and John Jacobs, by defeating Kevin Thomas and Jamie Stephenson 5-6, 6-3, 6-0, go above them into second place. Thomas and Stephenson have a match in hand.

In runners-up spot in Division C are Mike Madden and Jason Holland, who recorded a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over John Mulley and John Stewart.

PLYMOUTH & DISTICT BADMINTON LEAGUE

ALL three men's divisions in the Plymouth & District Badminton League have been decided well before the end of the season.

University of Plymouth have won both Division A and B.

It is the third year in a row the students have taken Division A.

Following a 12-0 away win at Plymouth Life Centre, they cannot be caught.

Victoria may yet hold on to second place after a 9-3 win over Callington, but will need to make the most of their remaining matches as they can still be caught by two teams.

One is Callington, who beat bottom side Ivybridge 12-0.

In Division B, University B have bounced straight back up to Division A following last season's relegation.

They sealed the title with a 10-2 win at Plymouth Life Centre B and inflicted a whitewash on Torpoint.

Currently occupying runners-up spot are Derriford, who beat Torpoint 11-1. Sam Crompton and Jason Crossman saved the whitewash for Torpoint.

In the same division, University D beat YMCA Kitto 9-3 before Kitto lost 8-4 at PLC.

Plymouth Life Centre C have clinched the honours in Division C after beating Devonshire 8-4.

Runners up in this division are University C, who beat BATS 9-3.

In the women's division, University A are still ahead of the pack having inflicted two whitewashes in recent matches – away to Devonshire and at home to Plymouth Life Centre. Greenbank are still maintaining the runners up position thanks to an 11-1 win at home to PLC.

Jane Bryan and Shasha Yu saved the whitewash for the visitors.

Greenbank inflicteda whitewash on Callington, but Callington claimed their own whitewash against YMCA Kitto, who were forced to concede three points.

At the bottom of the women's league, University B edged to a narrow 7-5 victory over YMCA Kitto, but it was not enough to lift them off the bottom.

BATS have claimed the Plymouth & District Badminton League's Beckly Cup.

They beat Tavistock in the handicap final held at Torpoint & Rame Sports Centre.

It is the first time in 10 years BATS have won the trophy.

The BATS team of Andy Hall, Veronica O'Leary, James David, Hannah Kingman, Alan Berry and Ellie Drage were always the underdogs in this final against Tavistock's team of Colin Tattersall, Jo Hatton, Ray Northey, Pauline Hoar, Ben Powell and Gill Northey.

BATS went into the final knowing they had to work hard to win as many points as possible and rely on the handicap which would only be revealed at the end of the match. BATS managed to take three ends from Tavistock boosting their score to 280 and with the handicap of +100, BATS narrowly took the match 380 to 363.