Sharks storming through in table tennis cup

It was cup week to the fore in the South Devon Table Tennis League, sponsored by Albany Florists, as we took a break from scheduled league matches to concentrate on the next round of the team handicap cups.

In the team singles competition, last year’s losing finalists, Brixham Sharks (Clive Banham, Chris Harper and Joseph Edwards) had a convincing 24-12 victory over NA Ravens and again look like the team to beat this time around.

Their victory pitches them against Torre Spartans (Robert Excell, Lewis Lavery and Elliot Glasser) in the quarter final after they had a narrow 19-17 victory over Dawlish Renegades.

Torbay Academy 4 (Matt Laws, Ionel Ichim and Maria Dillon) are also going well, defeating Brixham Seals 23-13 and they will come up against NA Kites in a quarter-final tie as the Kites (Fin Humphreys, Nick and James Kitchen) saw off the Torre Vikings 24-12. In a close match at Teign School.

NA Merlins just lost out 16-20 to the Brixham Gulls’ team of Nick Williamson, Issy Brown and Kevin Ayling. In an all-Newton Abbot affair, NA Condors (Curtis Sage, Arden Frew-Smith and Albie Andrews) defeated NA Raptors 20-16. In a first-round tie NA Falcons (Keith Haslam, Andy Guy and Wojtek Cyron) defeated Halwell B 19-11.

In the doubles cup, Torre Spartans (Robert Excell, Elliot Glasser and Dylan Sadler), going well in both competitions, put out the holders Brixham Sharks. Although the scores were tied at 18-18, the Spartans team go through because the ‘stronger’ team based on handicaps must better their opponent’s score.

In another close match, the NA Ospreys’ team of Rob Ferguson, Mark Dulling and Marc Winstanley edged out Torbay Academy 5, 18-14. Alan Maynard, Nicholas and Stuart Shipley from Brixham Trawlers defeated Dawlish Renegades 19-12.

There were two league matches also played. NA Ravens moved up to the runners-up spot in the second division following their 8-2 victory over clubmates, NA Raptors, Steve Hugh with an excellent maximum for the Ravens.

In the fourth division, another all-Newton Abbot tie saw NA Merlins, with the help of a Lee Raymond maximum, defeat NA Vultures 7-3.