NEWTON ABBOT AND TORRE TAKE TABLE TENNIS HONOURS

The Acacia Blinds South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League 2010-11 season came to a close

with teams from Newton Abbot and Torre all claiming top spots in their

respective leagues and trophy wins in the two cup competitions.

Division 1 was won for the fourth

consecutive season by Newton Abbot Batmen. The team, consisting of Tony Halse, Mike Dummett,

Sam Hurst and league number one Dennis Gibbs,

took the crown over nearest challengers Halwell with a game to spare.

Although Batmen stuttered in the run home

with a home draw against a resurgent Full of Beans who turned out to be the

only team Batmen failed to beat all season, they clinched the vital tie against

rivals Halwell 7-3 before romping home 10-0 winners against Brixham Trawlers

and 9-1 against Marldon, a result which concluded the Division 1 relegation

battle by sending the newly promoted Marldon team back to Division 2.

Gibbs was delighted with his team's

performance putting their success down to consistency and determination.

In Division 2, Newton Abbot Battlers were

finally crowned champions after a season long fight with Dawlish Aces who

pushed the newly formed team all the way. Although the third and final meeting

between the two sides saw Aces take the advantage winning 6-4 away at Newton,

sterling performances by Division 2 number one seed Keith

Hawkins, Dave Friend

and Ed Thompson boosted their points

tally at the wire with a crucial 9-1 home win against Brixham Pirates who, like

Marldon in Division 1, succumbed to the step up in level that last season's promotion

brought. A further 8-2 victory for Battlers against Tykes sealed the title.

Dawlish Aces fell short of points in 7-3 and 6-4 wins against Tykes and 21 Up

respectively in their final two fixtures, handing the crown to Battlers with

just two points in it.

Although 21 Down in Division 3 were beaten

convincingly in their way tie against Dawlish Drifters, a match in which 21

Down's Connor Adams was the only player to beat Dawlish's Ozzy Dee this season, the Torre team took the

Division 3 crown with wins over Brixham Swifts and Brixham Swallows.

Connor Adams

was again the hero for 21 Down taking maximums in both. Adams, Daniel Brewer, Rhys Lush and Austin Booth all

punched above their weight in only their second season in the league to fight

their way to the top in one of the most competitive divisions in years. Dawlish

Drifters took the runners-up spot with a 7-3 win over Newton Abbot Livewires.

In addition to the Division 3 title, the

Torre trio blasted their way to the Dyment Doubles final to meet the 2008-9

Dyment champions, Brixham Trawlers. Although Trawlers fought tooth and nail all

the way, the 21 Down youngsters were just too strong and won the trophy 5-1 to

add to the Torre sides trophy collection for this season.

In the Challenge Cup Singles final, an all Newton affair saw

Division 2 champions Battlers take on Division 1's Academicals. It was a very

competitive final and one which was just edged by Academicals 5-3. Alan Tyrrell

was the star of the final, getting almost every effort against him back with

his angle work a deciding factor. It was a deserved win after a very long

hard-fought season.

If you would be interested in fielding a

team in the league next season, or would like to join an existing team, please

get in touch with the league and team contacts by visiting the website at www.

sdt-tabletennisleague.co.uk.

Report by Alan Maynard, results secretary.