Their is life in the Old masters yet!
Division One:
The increase in junior players in the league is welcome, but there is still room for the experience and wisdom of age in table tennis. The ‘we are not yet 80!’ aged players of The Old Masters are currently set for promotion to the Premier after firming up the second place spot in Division One with a good 25:10 home win over KSB C: John Thornber taking all his 9 sets without loss on the night. Brierfield & KSB B have played both their fixtures against each other in this period winning one game each on the away venues! The results were 14:22 at Kay St in favour of Brierfield despite KSB John Collins winning 3/3, & at Brierfield KSB B were victors 23:16 led by Trevor Elkington with 3/3. Hyndburn TTC B had a good win away v HSC 25:14, with Dave Allen unbeaten and overcoming Fred Coghlan 3:2 in the game of the night. Nets N Edges trio of Alan Prudden, Ian Beecroft, John Burgyone thrashed KSB C at Kay st 30:6 and followed it up with a good home win 24:18 v KSB B with Ian Beecroft with 3/3.
Division two:
KSB D are still top following two wins 22:15 away to Tackyfire & 24:9 at home to Hyndburn TTC D, aided by an inform Steve Horner 6/6 across the two games including beating the divisions top two players Ben Farrar & Elton Atkins on the way (Steve himself is now 3rd in the merits). Hyndburn TTC D showed more what they are capable of in beating Doals Army 24:11 with Ben Farrar & Charlie McGrath unbeaten but the two star players need to both feature together in their remaining games if Hyndburn TTC D are to still have any hopes of promotion. The other favourites for promotion at present are Whalley Hawks who won a close game 19:16 this week in the club derby v Whalley Kestrels as Kieran Cunliffe found his form winning 3/3. Kestrels were again on the side of a narrow loss at home 18:19 v Tackyfire who were helped to victory with Elton Atkins being unbeatable on the night. Misfits nearly upset the form books as Keith Ainscoe played superb winning all his games v Hyndburn TTC C but in the end the Hyndburn team pipped them to victory 20:19. With Bryan Edwards undefeated Hyndburn TTC C won again at home to Tackyfire 23:17.
Division three:
Hyndburn TTC E trio of Felicity Pickard, Richard Staines & new signing Adam Kemp romped to victory 30: 5 v Doals Vikings, but lost in a hard fought game 17:20 to Doals Jetstream. It was 17 all before the final doubles was won by Jetstream, but man of the match was again Hyndburn’s Richard Staines though he had a tough game v Bernie Milnes before winning 3:2. Hyndburn TTC E find themselves currently top of the division and will hope a good last 4 games could clinch promotion, but nothing is decided yet! KSB E with only one loss all season and with a number of games to catch up may also still have hopes of promotion not harmed this week by a 26:8 away win over Hyndburn TTC F with Ross Erwin & Michael Mullarkey gaining 100% stats apiece on the night.
Premier Division:
No change at the top of the Premier division as Mick Moir, Mark Ramsbottom & Andrew Jackson empathised their intention to stay champions in a brutal demolition 27:6 of 3rd placed Burnley Boys Club. East Lancs. trio of Ashley Bradburn, Ian Haworth & Noel Duffy were equally ruthless in a 28:5 thrashing of The Lions, and Rovers helped their survival in the division in a relegation battle victory over Hyndburners 24:14 as Damon & Adam Blezard were undefeated in the match.
From Neil Hepworth (East Lancs. Table Tennis League match reporter & Press Officer)
Email: Hepworth_neil@hotmail.com. Mob 07873834942