It was the final week of the Bournemouth & District Table Tennis league last week for the top four divisions, but there are still three weeks of matches remaining for Divisions 4 and 5. Even at this late stage, there are still some league placings and even a relegation issue affecting the New Milton club yet to be decided due to matches still to be played.

The already promoted G team represented by Dave Cuddon, Chris Pusey and captain Terry Jenvey (pictured below) just missed out on the Div 3 title to Bmth Sports K who beat New Milton J 7-3 at Mudeford Wood. The Gees just needed to repeat their first round 7-3 win over Merton F to clinch the title, but a stronger Merton side failed to oblige and reversed the score-line.

Although the Div 3 title has been decided, the third-from-bottom New Milton H team are sweating on the result of the delayed battle of the basement between Ringwood C and Bmth Sports J. If the Bourne repeat their first round draw over Ringwood, then it’s curtains for Milton!

In the Premier, the B team (Jack Trafford, Kai Major and Brian Bickell) were gifted four points as Bmth Sports C only fielded one player, which propelled the Bees to second spot. However, the team that they ousted, Bmth Sports B, have yet to play Broadstone A whom they hammered 10-0 in the first round of matches. The Bourne only need to pick up a point against Broadstone to reclaim second place from Milton, as looks most likely.

The C team’s hopes of a quick return to the Premier after last year’s demotion were extinguished as the other results unfortunately went against them. Milton are yet to play Broadstone B against whom they drew first time around, but they can’t possibly catch Merton C who are second.

Division 5 saw the L team (Paul Owen, Geoff Biggs & Chris Courage) claim bragging rights over their M team (Dominic Stainton, David Brown & Maggie Brown [no relation]) as they beat them 8-2 for the second time running. Owen came up with his first ever hat-trick in the league and was joined in his treble by Biggs.  Full results details appear below:-

PREMIER

Bmth Sports C 0 New Milton B 10

(Match awarded to New Milton B as Bmth Sports only fielded one player)

DIVISION 1

New Milton D 9 Merton D 1

(Frank Handy 1, Simon Daish 2, Rob Blackmore 2)

DIVISION 2

New Milton E 6 Broadstone C 4

(Andrew Daish 1, Simon Daish 2, Simon Golding 2)

New Milton F 0 Bmth Sports H 10

(Malcolm Floyd 0, Andrew Stainton 0, Mike Roberts 0)

DIVISION 3

New Milton G 3 Merton F 7

(Dave Cuddon 0, Chris Pusey 1, Terry Jenvey 2)

Merton G 8 New Milton H 2

(Sylvia Smith 2, Ian Linney 0, Les Smith 0)

Winton YMCA C 4 New Milton J 6

(Plamen Petrov 3, Mike Roberts 3, John Parkhouse 0)

New Milton J 3 Bmth Sports K 7

(John Parkhouse 1, Plamen Petrov 1, Mike Roberts 1)

DIVISION 4

Shamrock B 6 New Milton K 4

(Lynn Willrich 0, Stuart Burton 1, James Harper 2)

DIVISION 5

New Milton L 8 New Milton M 2

(L Team: Paul Owen 3, Geoff Biggs 3, Chris Courage 1)

(M Team: Dominic Stainton 0, David Brown 1, Maggie Brown 1)