Regardless of a late hiccup towards Sudbury Nomads, Black Notley C have clinched the division two title within the Braintree Desk Tennis League.
Nomads turned out a powerful group of Karl Baldwin and Richard Kemp plus a uncommon look from Kevin Saunders, now residing in Kings Lynn, to register a 6-3 victory.
The night began properly for Notley C, who received the primary three units, however then, defying logic, they misplaced the remaining six. The three Nomads gamers all received twice.
Two 5-4 outcomes – a win over Notley F and a defeat by Nomads for second-placed Liberal C – eased Notley’s passage and so they had already received the title by the point they scored a 7-2 win of their last match towards Notley E. Jonny Evans and Glen Laing had been unbeaten for Notley C.
Rayne C ended their season with 6-3 wins over Notley’s D and F groups, with Richard Whiteside unbeaten within the former and Adi Kamma within the latter.
On the different finish of the desk, Notley D moved up a rung with a 6-3 win over Nomads.
Considerably surprisingly the division one title stays unsettled. Netts A appeared to have it sewn up a while in the past however a 6-3 defeat by Liberal B and an additional three factors dropped towards Rayne B have left them needing three factors from their last match with Rayne A on Thursday to take the title.
After shedding to Netts on the finish of March, Rayne A have been on a roll, with wins of 8-1 over each Notley A and Rayne B and 6-3 over Liberal B.
The latter match included a repeat of the division one singles last between Steve Pennell and Ashley Skeggs that had enthralled the finals night time viewers 4 days earlier.
Pennell received on that event 13-11 within the fifth sport. Within the league match he went even additional, successful solely at 19-17 within the fifth.
In division three, Netts C, who secured the title a while in the past, completed with two 7-2 wins. In opposition to Notley I, the 2 defeats had been inflicted by Lawrence Grantham, whose kind has improved steadily after his return to the sport in January. He beat each Peter Clark and Clive Forster and simply missed out at 13-11 within the fifth towards Peter Lewis.
At Notley H, Graham Chinnery received twice and this time it was Clark who prevented the hat-trick.
Netts C completed 33 factors forward of Rayne E who ended their season with a shocking 7-2 defeat by Notley I. They solely had two gamers however that’s nonetheless a 4-2 defeat on the desk.
Third-placed Notley G completed with two defeats of their final three matches, 5-4 towards each Notley H and Rayne F, however had a 7-2 victory of their penultimate match towards Netts D.
Notley I, however, as soon as properly adrift on the backside, have risen sharply after the arrival of Grantham and received 4 of their final six matches, having overwhelmed Rayne G in addition to Rayne E of their final two.
It isn’t solely Grantham who has made the distinction. Paul Downes’ common improved from 37 per cent in his first 9 matches to 67 per cent within the final seven whereas Matt Stephenson received eight of his first 39 units after which seven of the final 18.
