New Milton Table Tennis Club now has only one team left in the Times and Directory Cup competition in the shape of the A team, who were last year’s losing cup finalists.

The A team got their revenge over Bournemouth Sports P who beat them in last year’s cup final. It was only slightly less of challenge as the Bourne youngsters had lower handicaps, but still pretty formidable as Louis Coppard and Jake Simpson started off +24 and Louis’ brother Andre was off +23. Steve Hemmings, playing off +6, quite literally got the ball rolling as he beat Louis Coppard in the first match, but Shaun Newcomb (+8) lost to Simpson. Captain Brian Vibert (+4) lost to Andre Coppard but parity was restored when Hemmings beat Simpson. Vibert put his side ahead by beating Louis Coppard but then Newcomb lost to Andre so Vibert again restored the lead by beating Simpson to make it 4-3. Hemmings completed a superb hat-trick by beating Andre Coppard to take Milton into the semi-finals.

The D team were denied a place in the semi-final as they lost 3-6 to Ringwood C. Captain Terry Jenvey (+13) lost the first match to Ringwood’s Phil Smith (+20) and then Roy Hobbs (+16) lost to Steve Heap (+20). Bob Fagan (+16), got one back as he beat Pat Baldwin (+23), but then Jenvey lost to Heap which made it 1-3. Milton went further behind when Fagan lost to Smith but Hobbs kept his side in it by beating Baldwin to make it 2-4. Things were looking up as Fagan beat Heap but Jenvey’s misery continued as he lost to Baldwin to exit the cup.

The J team exited the “Plate” competition as they lost 3-6 to Ringwood A at home. Geoff Biggs, playing off +25, got Milton off to a good start as he beat Ringwood’s Adrian Mountain (+12), but teenager Luke Gurton (+22) lost to Chris Morgan (+14). Milton went behind as captain Malcolm Douglas (+21) lost to the very tricky Martin Jerome (+6), but parity was restored when Gurton beat Mountain to make it 2-2. Milton went behind again as Biggs and Douglas lost respectively to Jerome and Morgan to make it 2-4 so Milton had to win the next to stay in the Plate. Gurton duly obliged by despatching Jerome but then Douglas lost to Mountain.