BEACON ELECTRICAL PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE by David Williams

WOODLAND Fort C did well in Division Three to recover from 4-2 down to lead 5-4, but had to settle for a 5-5 draw at Inter City D. For Fort, reserves Norman Hall (2) and Rob Batten (1) played well.

Another maximum from Siblyback A's Miles Noel-Johnson enabled the team to beat Inter City B 8-2.

Tim Collings (Crafthole District B) was pushed all the way in winning his three in an 8-2 win at Woolwell H including a 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10 victory over Damien Wyett.

Adrian Osborne won his three for Inter City A who defeated Naval Stores A 8-2 with Osborne and Martin Williams ending with a comfortable 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 win over Tony Powlesland and Richard Searle.

Saltash are setting a hot pace in Division Four but after nine singles wins they lost the doubles when Steve Marley and James Lock were beaten 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8 by Alan Warden and Chris Willis.

Back with his own team, Woodland Fort E, Norman Hall won two but the team lost 6-4 at Crafthole District D. Barry Nile (3 and the doubles with John Goodfield) led Woodland Fort D to a 7-3 win at Astor E.

Although only one set was settled in straight games, Railway Club A were clear 9-1 winners over their C team in Division One. Colin Gill won the only set for the C team beating John Palmer 13-11, 11-7, 11-3.

Woolwell E took three sets to five games but top team Woolwell B finished 10-0 winners. Also losing heavily were two-player Shoot Out Club, beaten 9-1 at Astor Hotel A. John Griffiths won his three for Woolwell A in a 6-4 defeat of Railway Club B but needed five games to defeat Gary West 11-13, 11-7, 11-13, 11-7, 11-3.

Krysten Coombs (Woolwell F) scored his first ever Division Two maximum in a 9-1 win over struggling Astor C and also won the doubles with Ben Cunningham 11-7, 8-11, 11-3, 2-11, 11-5 against Geoff Boobier and Mike Trembeth.

Woodland Fort A (Brian Luscombe 3 and the doubles with Colin Poyntz) won 7-3 against Astor A but the B team lost 6-4 to Railway Club D (Jan Walaszkowski 3).

In Division Six the two top teams only managed 6-4 wins. Siblyback B (John Kelly 3) defeated Woolwell M with Kelly having a marathon win over Stella Williams 12-14, 11-13, 11-4, 16-14, 11-9 – and Crafthole District E (Easton McAuley 3) beat Woolwell L.

Astor F, after their first defeat in Division Five last week, bounced back in beating Naval Stores B 9-1. Woodland Fort G remained unbeaten winning 7-3 at Fort H – and a rare maximum from Ian Lindsay, together with Rob Batten (3), was enough to see Woodland Fort F to a 7-3 win over Woolwell K.

Other results: Division Six: Woolwell Q 4 Woolwell N 6, Woolwell P 7 Woolwell R 3.

MANNAMEAD WINTER TENNIS LEAGUE

THE newly-formed partnership of Phil Whitby and Kamran Ali scored a deserved victory over the more established pairing of Umberto Fontinari and Tony Maestri 6-4, 6-5, 2-6 in Division A.

With both players in excellent form, Matt Redshaw and Jeremy Kevern were delighted to defeat Neil Hunt and Mike Paskins 6-2, 6-5, 6-2.

After a poor start Ollie Blanchard and Al Reynolds inflicted a third defeat on Phil Harbottle and Phil Ruse 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In Division B Phil Tucker and John Sevieri were full value for a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over John Mullin and Luke Rodd. Mullin and Rodd shared two tie-break sets with Pat Pearman and Ron Skinner, and time ran out with Mullin and Rodd leading 5-6, 6-5, 5-4.

After two wins Steve Romanski and James Payne found Simon Yeo and Ashley Scoble too good losing 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

Paul Matthews and Paul O'Connell, against Patrick Poon and John Jacobs, shared so many long rallies they only reached the first game in the third set with Matthews and O'Connell ahead 5-6, 6-3, 1-0 in Division C.

Tony Cronin and Paul Cooper had two straight game wins beating Dudley Tolkien and Ashley Jarwood 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 and Poon and Jacobs 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.

Somerset cricketer, 18-year-old James Burke, came in to partner Peter Ireland and showed a natural talent but the pair were beaten 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 by Andy Westlake and Graham Martin.

In the top ladies' Division A match Michelle Cooke and Liz Morley just kept ahead of Alice Anstee and sub Roma McMahon to win 6-5, 6-4, 5-4 (unfinished).

Kate Gibbons and Toni Aitken beat two other St Budeaux pairs defeating Tania and Chanelle Belcher 6-3, 6-5, 6-4 and Pat Hexter and Sue Gale 5-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The surprise win of the week came in Division B where for once experience did not prevail as Jean Smith and Liz Gill were beaten by Viv Sargeant and Nancy O'Connor 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Ann Short was playing her first match of the season with Wendy Sharland but the pair were overwhelmed by Jenny Penny and sub Maggie Lilley 6-1, 6-0, 6-0.

Joan McGregor and Helen Foote, after winning a tie-break first set against Janet Butler and sub Liz Parks, lost their way as Butler and Parks came through to win 5-6, 6-1, 6-3.

In the mixed doubles, both Mark Eve and Sue Peers-Jones managed to keep injury-free in a 6-5, 6-0, 6-1 win over John and Jane Trahair, while Richard Avent and Jenny Snell beat Phil Ticehurst and Carol Carter 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.

Kamran Ali and Joan Williams were almost as quick against Dudley Tolkien and sub Francine Williams winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-1. Patrick and Jane Poon beat Neil Hunt and Mandy Lee 6-2, 6-5, 6-2.