Four teams from the New Milton Table Tennis Club were involved in Round 2 of the Annual Times & Directory Handicap Cup last week, with two of them progressing into the quarter-finals.

The F team (Steve Cheesman, Malcolm Nash & Ian Linney) disposed of their clubmates in the L team in Round 1 and did likewise to their A team (Umit Kaya, Brian Vibert & Steve Hemmings) to book their place in the quarter-finals. Things looked promising for the Premier’s A team as they went 2-1 up, but they then went 2-4 down against their club mates from Div 3, needing Vibert to beat Linney to stay in the match. Linney playing off a +14 start up to 21 beat Vibert 21-15 in the first set but Vibert did tremendously well to scrape the second 21-20 to set up a tantalising finale. Bit by bit, Vibert heroicly ate into the handicap but Linney held out to take it 21-19 to secure victory for the F’s.  Pictured below is the F team’s Steve Cheesman who won both his matches:-

The C team (Div 1) gave themselves a mountain to climb by turning up a player short against Div 2’s Merton F and it was all over very quickly as they lost 1-5. Paul Iliffe won the first singles, but Captain Frank Handy had to give an 8 start to Merton’s very experienced Graham Blake and lost 11-21, 8-21. Iliffe needed to beat the very useful Geoff Cherrill to keep his side in the match and took the first set 21-10, but lost the next two 15-21, 19-21, so that was that.

The H team (Lewis Reading, Dave Sutton & Les Smith) had a 3 game start as Merton C from Div 1 turned up a player short. Milton who usually ply their trade in Div 4 won the “Plate” competition last season and are looking for great things in the Cup proper this season. Reading saw off both Merton players and Sutton beat Darren Bellis to romp home 6-3.

New Milton still also have five teams in the consolation “Plate” competition and all have received “byes” into the second round to be played Week Commencing 30^th January.

The G team (Graham Underwood, Mike Toole & Dave Sutton) played their rearranged Div 3 league match against a struggling Nimrod A and put them to the sword 8-2 in their own back yard. Toole returned to the club after many year’s absence to pick up an impressive hat-trick without dropping a single set, Sutton joined him in a treble and captain Underwood bagged a brace to take the maximum four points. Full results details are below:-

TIMES & DIRECTORY HANDICAP CUP (ROUND 2)

New Milton A (Prem) 2 New Milton F (Div 3) 5

(A Team: Umit Kaya 0, Brian Vibert 1, Steve Hemmings 1)

(F Team: Steve Cheesman 2, Malcolm Nash 1, Ian Linney 2)

New Milton C (Div 1) 1 Merton F (Div 2) 5

(Paul Iliffe 1, Frank Handy 0)

Merton C (Div 1) 3 New Milton H (Div 4) 6

(Lewis Reading 2, Dave Sutton 1, Les Smith 0)

LEAGUE – DIVISION 3

Nimrod A 2 New Milton G 8

(Graham Underwood 2, Mike Toole 3, Dave Sutton 3)