South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League: Batmen strike form again

The Acacia Blinds 2010-11 South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League began in earnest last month with 22 teams from Brixham, Dawlish, Marldon, Newton Abbot, Halwell Bishopsteignton, Torquay and Denbury all competing over three divisions for their respective titles.

Teams will play each other three times this season in a gruelling campaign for silverware which will run until April next year.

In Division 1, current champions Newton Abbot Batmen made a stuttered start to their campaign to retain their title for the fourth consecutive year in their 6-4 victory against last season’s middlers Brixham Gulls. Batmen, without Division 1 top seed Dennis Gibbs and Newton Abbot stalwart Tony Halse, drafted in Keith Hawkins and Dave Friend from newly formed Division 2 team Battlers for the fixture. While Friend struggled to gain any headway over Brixham’s number one player David White, Michael Lu and Mick Mercer, Hawkins exceeded expectations to win two of his three games, falling only to White who succumbed to a superb maximum from Batmen’s new signing Mike Dummett.

Batmen’s other opening matches proved more fruitful against stablemates Newton Abbot Academicals and Full of Beans with maximum 10-0 victories, whilst Taverners put up a decent fight to claim a well earned three points at home to the champions. Taverners’ “talisman” Colin Harrop was firing on all cylinders managing to take a set away from Gibbs and beat Tony Halse in four and Mike Dummett in three to help Taverners avoid a heavy defeat.

Like Batmen, last season’s runners-up Halwell narrowly claimed victory against last season’s strugglers Brixham Trawlers. Dave Wadling for Halwell was the man of the match winning all three of his games, whilst Terry Stead and new signing Geoff Beavington for Trawlers played fantastically well to take two each over Rod Sugden and Mick Atkinson, Beavington winning in straight sets.

Halwell later surged up towards the top of the table with a 10-0 maximum over newly promoted Marldon to put them within two points of Brixham Gulls with a game in hand. Marldon suffered a further heavy defeat at the hands of Newton Abbot Academicals with Academicals’ Jim McIvor and Nigel Hunt winning all their games but notched three crucial points on the board during their encounter away to Full of Beans as Dave Atkin, Graham Holmes and George Breyley all beat Full of Beans’ Tracey Lyon to keep them in touch.

In Division 2, brand new outfit Newton Abbot Battlers are taking no prisoners as they began their campaign with three maximums out of three over Hasbeens, Dawlish Diamonds and 21 Up. Ed Thompson, from last season’s disbanded Barnabas Sports Trust, Keith Hawkins and Dave Friend, both transferred from Brixham, all made their intentions clear in the opening matches. Only Richard Fitzgerald from Hasbeens was close to breaking the Battlers’ mould, losing 11-9 in the fifth set against Thompson.

Dawlish Aces, relegated from Division 1 last season, are close behind Battlers winning all their matches so far and dropping only three points against last season’s Division 3 top player Mike Coxhead now playing for Dawlish Diamonds. Coxhead was cool and collect coming from behind to beat Steve Cooper in the final set 11-8 after crushing Karolina Czyz in straight sets. Czyz lost in four in Aces away tie against 21 Up to Connor Lowe, but Aces were able to take a maximum away from their tie at home to struggling Brixham Pirates to remain in touch at the top.

Last season’s bronze medallists Tykes, occupy the third spot once again but have a game in hand over their rivals at the top. They enjoyed two 9-1 victories over Brixham Pirates and Hasbeens with Kevin Ayling and Steve Metcalfe holding unbeaten status.

Dawlish Diamonds, 21 Up and Brixham Pirates all suffered heavy defeats to leave them rooted firmly to the foot at the table, with last season’s Division 3 champions Pirates having played one match more.

Newton Abbot Livewires top the Division 3 table with newcomer Andrew Tyrrell winning maximums in his two matches for the team. Livewires, formally Newton Team Spirits, beat both Dawlish Drifters and Brixham Swifts in matches in which Tyrrell was supported well by the Stephens family of Cheryl, Ashleigh and Robert. Bruce Freeman for Drifters and Richard Johns for Swifts were the players who held Livewires back from bigger victories, each winning two of their three games against the leaders. Newly formed team, Brixham Swallows managed to halt Livewires unbeaten run with a tight draw in which Andrew Millman won a maximum and, together with son Aaron, took the doubles in three straight to avoid Swallows’ second defeat.

Dawlish Dinosaurs lie only one point behind Livewires with unbeaten performances from Ozzy Dee helping the cause. Dee beat Daniel Brewer, Connor Adams and Rhys Lush in a tight draw against 21 Down with only Adams able to claim a set. The Millman family from Brixham Swallows succumbed to Dee’s awkward spinny game as they lost in straight sets in a narrow 6-4 victory for Dinosaurs, whilst Tony Munson of Dawlish Drifters was the only other player to claim a set against Dee in a 7-3 defeat against their clubmates.

A host of new players were on show in the first few matches in the Division 3 season. Most notable were Livewires Andrew Tyrrell, Brixham’s Andrew Millman and Chris Meah Snr, Rhys Lush for 21 Down and Dawlish Drifters’ Nathan Cram all showing early promise in what we hope will be a very tight and exciting season ahead.

For more information about the Acacia Blinds South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League, see http://www.sdt-tabletennisleague.co.uk..

Report by Alan Maynard, results secretary.