As the first round of nine matches in the Bournemouth and District league came to an end, the New Milton club could only muster one win from their ten teams, their lowest haul of the campaign. The other results were four draws and five defeats.

In the Premier, the A team (Brian Vibert, Steve Hemmings and stand-in Alan Gordon) lost 4-6 away against fellow third-spot challengers Bournemouth Sports C. Hemmings won two including a victory over Bourne’s rising star Hugo Pang, but captain Vibert was just deprived of his own brace as he lost to Laslio Barcsai 13-15 in the fifth set. Gordon returned to the fold to add one more to the tally, so the doubles were required to force the draw. It was not to be however as Vibert and Hemmings lost over five sets. Read the rest of this entry →

There were no league matches last week as the week was given over to the Preliminary Round of the Annual Times and Directory Handicap Cup competition. The New Milton Table Tennis Club has entered seven of its ten teams into this year’s competition and five of them were drawn into the preliminary round. Four out of the five won through to the first round proper with one of the teams losing by the skin of their teeth.

The Cup provides an interesting diversion from the league programme in that it enables teams across all divisions to be drawn against each other in a handicapped competition, best of three matches up to 31, with no doubles.

The Premier’s A team literally got the ball rolling with a 8-1 victory over Bournemouth Sports N from Div 4. Milton were gifted three games as the Bourne turned up at Mudeford Wood a player short on Monday night. Captain Brian Vibert playing with a handicap of +4 beat both players present as did Steve Hemmings (+6), and Phil Handy (+4) won one of his two. Milton will probably have harder evenings as they try to improve on their last year’s cup runners-up position. Read the rest of this entry →

Uncannily the New Milton Table Tennis Club came up with an identical set of results in the Bournemouth and District league for the third week in a row; six wins, three defeats and one draw. John Parkhouse has finally managed to translate his formidable practice-night form across to the league to come up with his first hat-trick since January.

Parkie’s triumph came in Div 4 as he helped his H team to an excellent 8-2 victory over second-placed Breamore Batniks in their own back yard. Bobo Liang matched his treble but Danny Williams won just the one so the doubles were needed for maximum points. Parkhouse was not to be denied as he teamed with fourth man Andrew Daish to take the honours. Read the rest of this entry →

New Milton Table Tennis Club had an identical set of results to last week in the Bournemouth and District league; six wins, three defeats and one draw, but just spread around the teams differently.

In the Premier, the A team (Steve Hemmings, Brian Vibert and Brian Bickell) recovered from last week’s 0-10 drubbing with a 8-2 home win over the high-flying Lynwood A. Captain Vibert led from the front with his second hat-trick of the campaign and Hemmings and Bickell won two apiece. The two Brians won the doubles to land maximum points. Read the rest of this entry →