Clacton and District Table Tennis League

“ROOSTERS WIN CUP CLASSIC”

In one of the most exhilarating finals of recent seasons, Windsor Roosters took the Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s Handicap Knock-Out Cup for a second time in three years, beating Walton B 5-4 in a three-and-a-half-hour classic.

The destination of the Cup was only settled in the last doubles of the evening as James Denyer, aged thirteen, and seventeen year-old Mark Smith (-1) sealed the deal with a tight 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10 win over Gavin Price and Claude Snell (+1).

But the Roosters unsung hero was seventeen year-old Daniel Prior (+1) who had kept his side in contention with an epic 13-11, 11-6, 11-8 success over Paul Newbould (-1) in match eight.

With both players standing back from the table and trading blows like old-fashioned prize-fighters, Prior produced an inspired display of uninhibited table tennis to bring the Roosters back from the brink, levelling the scores at 4-all to take the match into a decider.

The Roosters had got off to a good start by taking the opening match of the final - the only time, until the very end, that they led - Smith and Prior (0) edging out Snell and Newbould (0) 11-6, 8-11, 14-12, 14-12 in a mouth-watering appetiser for the main meal.

Gavin Price (+1) levelled the scores with an impressive 11-0, 7-11, Windsor Roosters

9-11, 11-7, 11-6 victory over Denyer (-1). And Walton took the lead as the guile and trickery of the phlegmatic Snell (-3) proved overwhelming for the young Prior (+1), winning 11-4, 11-5, 11-9.

But the Roosters responded as Smith (-3) defeated Newbould (-1) in a quick-fire, no-nonsense encounter in the pre-interval match, Smith victorious 12-10 in the fourth, this after being 6-10 down.

The left-handed pairing of Price and Newbould (0) restored Walton’s advantage, coming back from 5-8 down in the fourth to win 12-14, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, against Denyer and Prior (0). It was Walton’s only doubles’ success of the evening.

But it was back to parity as Denyer (-3) showed impressive skill, patience - and a maturity beyond his years - to out-wit and out-hit the wily Snell (+1) 11-6, 14-12, 11-7.

As tension mounted, Price (0) narrowly out-pointed Smith (0) 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 in a superb encounter between two talented attacking players, Smith saving two match-points at 8-10 down in the fourth, but failing to capitalise on a 6-0 lead in the fifth.

Then came Prior’s heroics, and the last-gasp doubles’ win for Denyer and Smith, to give the Cup to the Roosters. It was a final of high entertainment and excitement for the sizeable and appreciative crowd - a fitting finale to the 2009/2010 table tennis season.

Final results (Roosters’ players first): Smith/Prior (0) beat Snell/Newbould (0) 11-6, 8-11, 14-12, 14-12; Denyer (-1) lost to Price (+1) 0-11, 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 6-11; Prior (+1) lost to Snell

(-3) 4-11, 5-11, 9-11; Smith (-3) beat Newbould (+1) 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 12-10; Denyer/Prior (0) lost to Price/Newbould (0) 14-12,

8-11, 7-11, 9-11; Denyer (-3) beat Snell (+1) 11-6, 14-12, 11-7; Smith (0) lost to Price (0) 6-11, 11-5, 9-11, 12-10, 9-11; Prior (+1) beat Newbould (-1) 13-11, 11-6, 11-8; Denyer/Smith (-1) beat Price/Snell 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10.

* The Division One title was settled in bizarre fashion with Brotherhood A and Nomads Panthers playing each other twice, in two rescheduled matches, on the last night of the season.

In match one, Brotherhood’s Greg Green validated his status as Mens Singles champion by beating Monk, Andrews and Webber to help his side win 7-3, whilst in match two, it was 9-1 to Brotherhood, Dave Binns unbeaten in his only outing of the season.

So Brotherhood A secured the points they needed to regain the title they last won in 2007, with Brotherhood B - champions for the last two years - having to settle for the runners-up spot.

In Division Two Windsor Ladybirds beat Brotherhood C 7-3 to secure second spot, just two points ahead of Brotherhood F.

And with two players stranded abroad because of Icelandic ashes, Brotherhood K conceded their Division Three match to champions Nomads Tigers, the only team in the League to remain unbeaten.

“ROOSTERS WIN CUP CLASSIC”

In one of the most exhilarating finals of recent seasons, Windsor Roosters took the Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s Handicap Knock-Out Cup for a second time in three years, beating Walton B 5-4 in a three-and-a-half-hour classic.

The destination of the Cup was only settled in the last doubles of the evening as James Denyer, aged thirteen, and seventeen year-old Mark Smith (-1) sealed the deal with a tight 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10 win over Gavin Price and Claude Snell (+1).

But the Roosters unsung hero was seventeen year-old Daniel Prior (+1) who had kept his side in contention with an epic 13-11, 11-6, 11-8 success over Paul Newbould (-1) in match eight.

With both players standing back from the table and trading blows like old-fashioned prize-fighters, Prior produced an inspired display of uninhibited table tennis to bring the Roosters back from the brink, levelling the scores at 4-all to take the match into a decider.

The Roosters had got off to a good start by taking the opening match of the final - the only time, until the very end, that they led - Smith and Prior (0) edging out Snell and Newbould (0) 11-6, 8-11, 14-12, 14-12 in a mouth-watering appetiser for the main meal.

Gavin Price (+1) levelled the scores with an impressive 11-0, 7-11, Windsor Roosters

9-11, 11-7, 11-6 victory over Denyer (-1). And Walton took the lead as the guile and trickery of the phlegmatic Snell (-3) proved overwhelming for the young Prior (+1), winning 11-4, 11-5, 11-9.

But the Roosters responded as Smith (-3) defeated Newbould (-1) in a quick-fire, no-nonsense encounter in the pre-interval match, Smith victorious 12-10 in the fourth, this after being 6-10 down.

The left-handed pairing of Price and Newbould (0) restored Walton’s advantage, coming back from 5-8 down in the fourth to win 12-14, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, against Denyer and Prior (0). It was Walton’s only doubles’ success of the evening.

But it was back to parity as Denyer (-3) showed impressive skill, patience - and a maturity beyond his years - to out-wit and out-hit the wily Snell (+1) 11-6, 14-12, 11-7.

As tension mounted, Price (0) narrowly out-pointed Smith (0) 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 in a superb encounter between two talented attacking players, Smith saving two match-points at 8-10 down in the fourth, but failing to capitalise on a 6-0 lead in the fifth.

Then came Prior’s heroics, and the last-gasp doubles’ win for Denyer and Smith, to give the Cup to the Roosters. It was a final of high entertainment and excitement for the sizeable and appreciative crowd - a fitting finale to the 2009/2010 table tennis season.

Final results (Roosters’ players first): Smith/Prior (0) beat Snell/Newbould (0) 11-6, 8-11, 14-12, 14-12; Denyer (-1) lost to Price (+1) 0-11, 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 6-11; Prior (+1) lost to Snell

(-3) 4-11, 5-11, 9-11; Smith (-3) beat Newbould (+1) 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 12-10; Denyer/Prior (0) lost to Price/Newbould (0) 14-12,

8-11, 7-11, 9-11; Denyer (-3) beat Snell (+1) 11-6, 14-12, 11-7; Smith (0) lost to Price (0) 6-11, 11-5, 9-11, 12-10, 9-11; Prior (+1) beat Newbould (-1) 13-11, 11-6, 11-8; Denyer/Smith (-1) beat Price/Snell 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10.

* The Division One title was settled in bizarre fashion with Brotherhood A and Nomads Panthers playing each other twice, in two rescheduled matches, on the last night of the season.

In match one, Brotherhood’s Greg Green validated his status as Mens Singles champion by beating Monk, Andrews and Webber to help his side win 7-3, whilst in match two, it was 9-1 to Brotherhood, Dave Binns unbeaten in his only outing of the season.

So Brotherhood A secured the points they needed to regain the title they last won in 2007, with Brotherhood B - champions for the last two years - having to settle for the runners-up spot.

In Division Two Windsor Ladybirds beat Brotherhood C 7-3 to secure second spot, just two points ahead of Brotherhood F.

And with two players stranded abroad because of Icelandic ashes, Brotherhood K conceded their Division Three match to champions Nomads Tigers, the only team in the League to remain unbeaten.

LEAGUE RESULTS

Division 1

Nomads Panthers 3 Brotherhood A 7;

Windsor Condors 3 Nomads Panthers 7;

Brotherhood A 9 Nomads Panthers 1.

Division 2

Windsor Ladybirds 7 Brotherhood C 3.

Division 3

Nomads Tigers w/o v Brotherhood K.