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:-
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The New Milton Table Tennis Club won five out of their eight matches in the penultimate week of the Bournemouth and District league, one of them at the expense of one of their own teams in a local derby.

The promotion chasing C team (John Millward, Brian Bickell & Shaun Newcomb) did the double over their D team (Andrew Stainton, Gerard Redman & Rob Blackmore) as they beat them 7-3 in their Div 1 derby. The three points enabled them to leapfrog over Bmth Sports E and dislodge Merton C from second place by dint of superior games difference. Bmth Sports E’s match against second-from-bottom Lynwood B was postponed because of the bad weather, but if they get the same result as they did first time around, this will place the Bourne, Milton and Merton all on 41 points, all vying for the second promotion slot.

The derby saw the club’s only wheelchair-player Newcomb pick up his third hat-trick of the campaign, England Veteran Bickell bagged a brace and captain Millward added one more to the tally. There was nothing on the doubles, but Newcomb & Bickell played as if their lives depended on it and saw off Redman & Blackmore in three straight sets to make it 7-3. Octogenerian Bickell (pictured below) deserves a special mention in despatches as he played two matches simultaneously that night, his hat-trick helping the B team to a 10-0 victory in the Premier, along with trebles from youngsters Jack Trafford and Kai Major.

The already promoted G team (Chris Pusey, Dave Cuddon & Terry Jenvey) cemented their place at the top of Div 3 with a repeat 7-3 win over Winton YMCA D, aided and abetted by Cuddon’s sixth hat-trick of the campaign. Second-placed Bmth Sports K’s match against New Milton J was postponed because of the bad weather so the title remains undecided for now.

Not faring so well in Div 3, the H team represented by Lewis Reading, Dave Sutton and Les Smith gave their hopes of survival a bit of a fillip as they did the double over basement boys Ringwood C, courtesy of hat-tricks from Sutton & Reading. This 7-3 win leapfrogged them over Bmth Sports J to third from bottom, but the bad news is that Reading is unavailable for the final match against Merton G, and second from bottom Bmth Sports J play fall-guys Ringwood C.

Two other Milton players recorded hat-tricks last week, both of them playing for the F team in Div 2. In their 8-2 maximum-pointer over Merton E, captain Steve Cheesman came up with his seventh treble of the campaign, and Mike Roberts, who usually plies his trade in Div 3, played out of his skin to get his full house. With Malcolm Floyd just scraping the one win, the doubles were needed for the extra point and Cheesman & Roberts duly obliged.  Full results details appear below:-
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New Milton Table Tennis Club had a very disappointing pre-penultimate week of the Bournemouth & District League as they only managed to win three out of their ten matches.

The G team were relegated from Div 2 last season but are set to return at the first time of asking despite going down 4-6 to second placed Bmth Sports K last week, having beaten them first time around. The Gees, represented last week by Terry Jenvey (captain), Chris Pusey & Dave Cuddon, could still go up as Div 3 champions, but they are now only one point ahead of the Bourne. Milton, currently on 49 points, cannot be overhauled by third-placed Winton YMCA D who are on 41 points.

The C team (John Millward, Shaun Newcomb & Brian Bickell) from Div 1 were the other Milton side to be relegated last season, in their case from the Premier, and they are also pressing for a quick return. The table-topping Bmth Sports F did Milton a great favour by turning up a player short, which enabled the C’s to convert a 4-6 first round defeat to a 5-5 draw this time around. Milton, on 38 points are only separated from third-placed Bmth Sports E on games difference, and second-placed Merton C are on 39 points, so it’s all to play for!

The K team have been doomed to exit Div 4 for some weeks now, but they fought really hard to hold Winton YMCA E to a 5-5 draw down at the YMCA. If the H team don’t watch out in Div 3, they could possibly replace their club-mates in Div 4 following their 3-7 defeat by fellow strugglers Winton YMCA C. Milton are third from bottom on 24 points and Bmth Sports J are on 23 points with only two more weeks to go. The bad news is that the Bourne have a game in hand!

The D team have had a really good second-half of the season in Div 1 so far, having only lost one of their seven matches. Captain Frank Handy’s first hat-trick of the campaign helped his team do the double over Lynwood A. Handy (pictured below) was joined in his treble by Rob Blackmore, his fourth of the season, and Paul Iliffe bagged a worthy brace.

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The New Milton Table Tennis Club won six out of their twelve matches in the Bournemouth & District league last week, one of the wins coming from a Milton interclub derby match. All of the wins came in the top two echelons of the league, apart from the Div 3 derby.

The A team had a very good week in the Premier as they did the double over both teams that they faced. First up, the team represented by Steve Hemmings (captain), Umit Kaya & Gerard Redman (playing up from Div 1) took maximum points off Broadstone A in their 8-2 win chez Broadstone. Kaya came up with his third hat-trick of the campaign, and Hemmings and Redman bagged a brace apiece. The doubles were required for the maximum four points and Hemmings & Kaya combined clinically to see off the Broadstone pairing in three straight sets.

Their second match of the week was a rearranged fixture against Bmth Sports C, with Rob Blackmore, another Div 1 player replacing Gerard Redman on this occasion. This time it was Captain Hemmings’ turn for the hat-trick, with Kaya and Blackmore adding one each to the tally. The doubles again proved decisive, this time for the win, and once again Hemmings & Kaya came up trumps over three straight sets which made it 6-4.

The Div 3 derby saw the table-topping G team avenge and reverse their first round 6-4 defeat at the hands of their club mates in the J team who are mid-table. Unfortunate to end up on the losing side, 14 year old Adam Titcombe (pictured below) played exceptionally well to win two of his matches, only losing out to G’s very experienced Terry Jenvey (captain). 

Full results details appear below:-
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The New Milton Table Tennis Club had an excellent week in the Bournemouth & District league by winning seven out of their nine matches, one of those wins coming at the expense of one of their own teams in a local derby. The club is absolutely delighted that 16 year old Kai Major (pictured below) has won a Premier hat-trick in only his second league match since returning from a serious illness. Kai had treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, at Southampton Paediatric Oncology Unit throughout 2016 and was classed as being in remission in January 2017. Kai, who was voted the club’s most improved player in 2014, says that he is thoroughly enjoying getting back to playing competitive table tennis, and it shows. On top of his Premier treble, he medalled during a Junior 2-Star event last month, and he will be representing Dorset in the Finals of the Under 19s National Schools Championships in Wolverhamption in April.

It was a good night all round in the Premier for Milton’s youngsters in the B team as they improved on a first round away draw against Broadstone A by beating them 8-2 at Mudeford Wood. Just turned 15 Jack Trafford matched Major’s hat-trick, Trafford’s second of the campaign, and 19 year old Andy Tipsana chipped in with the one win. The doubles were needed for maximum points and Major and Trafford had a real fight on their hands against the more experienced Broadstone pairing. It went all the way to five ends but the two lads displayed a collective wit and maturity beyond their years to win out 11-9 to earn their plaudits.

Div 3 saw the J team (Plamen Petrov, Sid Daynes & Mike Roberts) avenge their first round defeat at the hands of their H ream by walloping them 8-2 in their return match, courtesy of hat tricks from captain Roberts and the red hot Petrov.

The F team starring Steve Cheesman, Ben Greene and super-sub Plamen Petrov completely reversed their 3-7 away defeat at Breamore by doing the same to them at the Grange. Captain Cheesman led from the front with his fifth hat trick of the campaign and Greene and Petrov bagged a brace apiece, all of them getting the better of the very tricky former Miltonian, Geoff Ware.  Full results details are below:-
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One of the New Milton Table Tennis Club’s teams has made it through to the semi-finals of the annual Times & Directory Handicap Cup competition but the two other teams crashed out of the Cup. There was more success in the “Plate” as the three Milton teams booked their places in the quarter-finals.

In the Cup, the J Team (Plamen Petrov, John Parkhouse & Mike Roberts) from Div 3 disposed of Premier outfit Merton B by 5-2 thanks to a really good team performance. Impressive new signing Petrov (pictured below) carried his league form into the cup by winning both of his matches, Parkhouse won two out of three and captain Roberts won one of out of two.

The D team (Frank Handy, Gerard Redman & Mike Roberts) from Div 1 found the handicaps really heavy going against Winton YMCA F (Div 4) and were soundly beaten 9-0 at Winton. Unfased by the heavy defeat, the Milton players sportingly played the remainder of the matches having already lost the match at 5-0.

Milton’s other Div 1 team (John Millward, Brian Bickell & Shaun Newcomb) had a closer match against Ringwood B (Div 2) but lost 6-3, replies coming from England veteran Bickell (2) and captain Millward (1).

The G team featuring Chris Pusey, Bob Fagan & Dave Cuddon are sitting pretty atop Div 3 in the league and are replicating this success in the Plate. In their 5-3 victory over Winton YMCA E from Div 4, Cuddon played out of his skin to pick up his hat-trick, and Pusey won two out of his three matches.

Milton’s most impressive win came as the H team starring Dave Sutton, Sylvia Smith & Les Smith (no relation) from Div 3 beat Div 5 high-flyers Merton J 8-1 in their own back yard. Sutton and Ms Smith were on top form to take their hat-tricks and captain Smith bagged a brace.

The M team had a much easier passage into the quarter-finals of the Plate as Bmth Sports H had to concede their match because they were unable to put out a side. The L team’s fate is unknown as their match against Merton C was postponed.  Full results details are below:-
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The New Milton Table Club managed to win six out of their ten matches in the Bournemouth & District league last week, one of those wins coming at the expense of one of their own teams in a local derby.

The F team (Steve Cheesman, Plamen Petrov & Andrew Stainton) completely turned the tables on their E team (Andrew Daish, Simon Daish & Simon Golding) by beating them 6-4 in their Div 2 derby having lost 4-6 first time around. The E team looked like doing the double over their club mates as they went 3-0 up, Andrew Daish beating F team captain Cheesman, Simon Daish getting the better of Petrov, and Golding doing the same to Stainton. That proved a false dawn for the E’s, however, as they lost all of the remaining matches, apart from Simon Daish’s victory over Stainton. The F’s needed the doubles to seal their victory to make it honours even, and Cheesman (pictured below) and Petrov duly saw off the Simons in three straight sets.

Div 3 saw the table-topping G team (Dave Cuddon, Chris Pusey & Terry Jenvey) do the double over basement boys Ringwood C with a 10-0 drubbing at Mudeford Wood. They increased their lead to four points over second-placed Bmth Sports K who dropped a point against Winton YMCA C.

Both the Premier teams won their matches; the A team beating bottom-dwellers Ringwood A by 8-2 at Mudeford Wood, despite having to call two players up from Div 1. Gerard Redman scored his first ever Premier hat-trick and team-mate Paul Iliffe chipped in with the one win. Regular Umit Kaya came up with his second treble of the campaign, which left the A’s needing the doubles to secure maximum points. What an epic match that turned out to be as the Ringwood pairing just wouldn’t lay down. Milton narrowly lost the first set 11-13, then sneaked the second by 15-13 and took the third 11-9. Ringwood won the fourth very comfortably at 11-5, but Milton just edged the fifth and final set by 12-10 to pile more agony on the Brewers.

The B team (Jack Trafford, Andy Tipsana & John Hook) had a much easier victory over top flight strugglers Merton B, who didn’t help their cause by turning up a player short. In their 7-3 win, Hook beat both players in attendance, and Trafford celebrated his fifteenth birthday with a win over Merton’s very tricky Tom Stride and a doubles win with Hook.  Full results details appear below:-
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The Bournemouth & District Table Tennis league programme resumed after the Christmas break last week with the New Milton Club winning six out of their twelve matches. Player of the Week just has to be impressive new signing, Bulgarian Plamen Petrov who won two hat tricks; one for his own J team in Div 3 and one playing up a division for the F team.

Four of Milton’s wins were 8-2 maximum pointers and the other two by the lower 6-4 scoreline. Two of the six defeats were 10-0 whitewashes suffered by the A and B team in the Premier, but they were at the hands of second placed Bmth Sports B and leaders Bmth Sports A respectively.

Petrov (pictured below) got his week off to a good start by helping his J team beat Div 3 strugglers Merton F 6-4 having lost 3-7 first time around without him. Then he was called up to play for the F team in Div 2 and his second hat-trick of the week helped them beat strugglers Broadstone D by 8-2, an improvement on their first round 7-3 win.

The G team (Terry Jenvey, Chris Pusey & Dave Cuddon) were relegated from Div 2 last season, but they are currently on top of Div 3, hoping to bounce straight back. Their 8-2 victory over Winton YMCA C certainly did their cause no harm, but second placed Bmth Sports K are still only three points behind them having beaten their own J team 8-2. Full results details are below:- Read the rest of this entry →

Five teams from the New Milton Table Tennis Club were involved in the Annual Times & Directory Handicap competition last week, with three of them going through to the next round. Four of the matches were in the Cup proper with three teams going through, whilst the “Plate” saw the F team deprived of further progress.

Both teams who normally ply their trade in the 1st Division booked their places in Round 3 of the Cup having defeated teams from lower divisions. The C team (John Millward, Shaun Newcomb & Brian Bickell) beat Div 3 outfit Winton YMCA C 6-2, courtesy of a terrific hat-trick from England Veteran Bickell, two wins from Captain Millward and the one from wheelchair-player Newcomb.

The D team (Frank Handy, Gerard Redman & Paul Iliffe) took the same haul of 6 games from Div 5’s Merton K in their 6-1 victory, aided and abetted by a hat-trick from Redman (pictured below) who didn’t drop a set. Iliffe won both of his matches and Captain Handy won his one of out two by the skin of his teeth 21-20, 21-20.

Milton’s most emphatic Cup win came from the J team (Plamen Petrov, John Parkhouse & Mike Roberts) with an 8-1 thumping of Bmth Sports L who play a division lower than them in Div 4. Impressive new signing Petrov scored a hat-trick as did Captain Roberts, but Parkhouse had to settle for a brace.

The K team (Sid Daynes, James Harper & Mike Gent) from Div 5 were as-close-as-this to joining their team mates in the next round of the Cup, but they narrowly lost 4-5 to Div 2’s Ringwood B. 15 year old Harper and stand-in captain Gent had bagged a brace apiece and it fell to Daynes to try to keep his side in the Cup. He got off to a good start by winning his first set 21-15 against the very experienced Chris Morgan to raise Milton’s hopes. That proved a false dawn however as Daynes lost the next two 20-21, 20-21, you can’t get closer than that!

Five New Milton teams were in the draw for Round 1 of the Plate, but the F team (Sylvia Smith, Andrew Stainton & Steve Cheesman) were the only ones to see action as the G, H, L and M teams got byes to Round 2. Unfortunately they won’t be joining their club mates in the next round as the Div 2 outfit lost 2-7 against Bmth Sports M who are struggling in Div 5. Captain Cheesman and Stainton replied for Milton with a win apiece.

The next round of matches are scheduled to be played week commencing 29^th January.

CUP (ROUND 2

New Milton C (Div 1) 6 Winton YMCA C (Div 3) 2

(John Millward 2, Shaun Newcomb 1, Brian Bickell 3)

New Milton D (Div 1) 6 Merton K (Div 5) 1

(Frank Handy 1, Gerard Redman 3, Paul Iliffe 2)

New Milton J (Div 3) 8 Bmth Sports L (Div 4) 1

(Plamen Petrov 3, John Parkhouse 2, Mike Roberts 3)

New Milton K (Div 4) 4 Ringwood B (Div 2) 5

(Sid Daynes 0, James Harper 2, Mike Gent 2)

PLATE (ROUND 1)

New Milton F (Div 2) 2 Bmth Sports M (Div 5) 7

(Sylvia Smith 0, Andrew Stainton 1, Steve Cheesman 1)