Hockley A handed out an 8-1 thrashing to Basildon B to leave themselves top of Division 1 at this early stage of the season in the Southend Summer League. Basildon actually started the match by winning the first doubles but it was downhill after that as Hockley won all the remaining games. Credit, though, to Peter Hilton who took Tarun Goel and Tim Pang to five sets but just couldn’t manage the crucial fifth. Joseph Odegbami made up the Hockley team winning both his singles without dropping a set and winning both his doubles also to make him an easy choice as player of the match. Jenne Seibolt and Dawn Baldry completed the Basildon team.
Sitting just one point behind Hockley are the Basildon A team who chalked up their third win by beating the highly rated and pre-season favourites Rawreth 6-3. Les Hoey was their star performer on the night winning all his singles and doubles closely followed by Ian Wall who also won both his singles and his doubles with Hoey. Rob Burton completed the team but he found it hard going on the night losing his singles to Kim Shead and Norbert Fullerton. Fullerton was actually two sets down against Burton but edged it 11/8 in the deciding set. Shead and Russell Mills combined to win the final doubles.
Creeping up into third place with two wins from two games are Matchpoint A who came back from 3-0 and 4-3 down against Hockley B to win the final doubles and clinch a 5-4 victory. This condemned Hockley to a third successive defeat. The evening had started so well for Hockley winning the opening doubles and then good wins for Paul Ogden against Dan Stewart and Stuart Adshead against Samuel Morgan. Matchpoint then took their turn to win two singles and a doubles Hannah Harbour and Stewart both defeating Paul Strutt in four sets and then Stewart and Morgan combining to win the doubles. Harbour carried an unbeaten record from the winter league into this match but after winning the first set against Adshead he ground out a four set victory winning the fourth 14/12. Young Samuel Morgan then took centre stage and showed just how much he is improving as a player beating Ogden in straight sets to level the scores at 4-4. The final doubles between Strutt and Ogden and Stewart and Morgan lived up to expectations going all the way to five sets before Matchpoint sealed the win 7/11 11/7 16/14 9/11 6/11.
Hadleigh A picked up their first win of the season in fine style beating Wakering 8-1 and condemning them to a third straight defeat. Michael Grout got the consolation point for Wakering beating Anthon Ranjit-Singh and Martin Shaughnessy almost added another as he lost in five sets to Simon Jacob but otherwise Hadleigh were very much in command. Keith Willett took the POTM award and also demonstrated a new trick shot, playing the ball from behind his back while facing away from the table and still winning the point! Not surprisingly he gets my vote for Player of the Week!
Scott Dowsett made history in the Braintree Table Tennis League open singles final when he became the first son of a former winner to become league champion. His dad, six-times champion Terry, was there to watch him. Thirty-one-year-old Dowsett has had an up and down career since his days as an Essex-ranked junior. And it was an up and down performance in the final that brought him the title. There was a point when it looked as if it might have slipped away from him. After narrowly losing the first game and then equally narrowly winning the second, Dowsett was looking good after winning the third before Davison hit his stride to take the fourth 11-2. That could have deflated him, but Dowsett stormed back as more and more of his booming forehands began to trouble his opponent and he hung on to take the final game 11-8. Dowsett did not have it his own way in the semi-final either when James Hicks stretched him to five games before he finally got in the groove to win the final game 11-8. Davison was also pushed by Luke Burridge in his semi-final, but did just enough in each game to win 15-13, 11-9, 13-11. There was double consolation for Davison as he came away with both the veterans’ singles and the men’s doubles trophies. The veterans’ event against Hicks featured two Netts A teammates who must know each other’s game backwards and it was one in which Hicks was never overawed, often matching his opponent in the quick rallies. It looked all over as Davison led by two games and 8-2 in the third before Hicks staged an unlikely comeback to lead 10-8. He let two points slip but took the next two to stretch it to four games, only for Davison to bounce back to win the fourth 11- 5.
The two of them teamed up to take the men’s doubles, Hicks’ first win in the event, Davison’s eleventh. Dowsett was at the other end of the table again, partnered by Ashley Skeggs, and again there was a surprise comeback. The Liberal pair trailed by two games and 6-0 but rallied to win 11-9. It was the end of their challenge, though, Davison and Hicks easing to an 11-3 victory in the fourth game. Skeggs was also in action in the division one singles but put in a strangely subdued performance against Alesha Ellis-Austin, apparently believing that defence was the best form of attack, hoping that he could induce his younger opponent into mistakes. There were a few but not enough and Ellis-Austin became only the third female player – after Sarah Davison and Lucy Wang – to win the event. She dropped a game but won comfortably in the end 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4. One of the most impressive performances of the evening came from 18-year-old JJ Calisin in the junior boys’ singles. He gave reigning champion Ethan Collins little chance to settle against his all-out attack on both wings. Collins’ probing defensive style could not contain his opponent who won in three straight games. There was more probing and more defence in the restricted singles and this time it was enough as Dave Fiddeman took the title against the more adventurous Peter Davenport. Like Collins, Davenport has unorthodox rubbers on his bat, which caused Fiddeman some problems but he had sufficient control to wear him down in three straight games. Results: Men’s singles final: Scott Dowsett beat Paul Davison 9-11, 15-13, 11-5, 2-11, 11-8. Semi-finals: Dowsett beat James Hicks 11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4; Davison beat Luke Burridge 15-13, 11-9, 13-11.
Brotherhood A have capped a momentous season by winning the Clacton League’s 2026 Handicap Knock-Out Cup, in the final defeating Second Division Nomads Tigers 5-2.
The Brotherhood team become only the fourth team in the last 40 years to complete ‘the double’ of winning both the Division One title and the Handicap Cup in the same season.
Daniel Young, Kevin Gowlett and Gary Young of Brotherhood A are an impressive trio and, starting the Cup Final as strong favourites, immediately raced into a 2-0 lead.
Using the League Rule where matches with large handicap differences are played as best-of-three sets, Brotherhood won both opening matches in two-straight. In the first doubles, Gowlett and Gary Young had to retrieve a fourteen-point deficit to beat Matt Sage and Alex Baldock, while Daniel Young got the better of Tigers’ skipper Tom Wilkin despite a thirteen-point difference.
But the Tigers are nothing if not fighters and there followed what proved to be the three pivotal matches of the Final.
In match three, Baldock (+3) faced the vastly-experienced Gowlett (-13) and, with a combination of great attacking shots and a handful of Gowlett errors, came out on top 11-2, 7-11, 11-7.
Then came the closest and tensest contest of the evening, Gary Young (-10) just preserving his season’s 100% record in Cup singles matches by edging past pen-holder Sage (+3) 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, this after being 1-9 down in the final set.
So Brotherhood took a 3-1 interval lead, but Wilkin and Baldock (+3) returned in combative mood and, in the middle doubles, inflicted an impressive 8-11, 12-10, 11-7 defeat on the two Youngs (-11).
Alas for the Tigers, it was to be their last success of the night, with Gowlett defeating Wilkin in match six and Daniel Young inflicting the coup de grace with victory over Sage in match seven. Both were settled in two-straight, both with the Brotherhood player needing to retrieve thirteen points.
Thus, for a second season running, Baldock and Sage end as Cup runners-up, having been members of the losing 2025 Nomads Jaguars’ Cup final team. Nevertheless, all four members of the Tigers’ squad who played during the season should take pride, not only in their efforts in reaching the Cup Final but also for playing their part in providing the thirty-plus spectators with an entertaining and competitive evening’s table tennis.
As for Brotherhood A, there’s little more that can be said about the history-making outfit of Daniel Young, Kevin Gowlett, Gary Young and Gracie Edwards, and now is surely the time for them to relax and open the champagne bottle to celebrate what has been a truly memorable season.
Cup Final results : (Brotherhood A players named first : all matches best-of-three sets):
Match 1 : K Gowlett/G Young (-11) beat M Sage/A Baldock (+3) 11-6, 11-9;
Match 2 : D Young (-10) beat T Wilkin (+3) 11-5, 11-9;
Match 3 : K Gowlett (-13) lost to A Baldock (+3) 2-11, 11-7,
7-11;
Match 4 : G Young (-10) beat M Sage (+3) 11-9, 8-11,1 13-11;
Match 5 : D Young/G Young (-11) lost to T Wilkin /A Baldock (+3) 11-8, 10-12, 7-11;
Match 6 : K Gowlett (-10) beat T Wilkin (+3) 11-6, 11-9;
Match 7 : D Young (-10) beat M Sage (+3) 12-10, 11-9.
Trophies were presented to the two teams by League President, Jenny Higgins. Trophies were also awarded to the two non-playing members of the respective squads who had contributed to the teams’ successful runs up to the Cup Final – Gracie Edwards for Brotherhood A and Sam Watling for the Tigers. The umpires for the Cup Final were Mark Gale and Ferdy Rodriguez.
Report by Tony Oswick
Brotherhood A – (left to right) Kevin Gowlett, Daniel Young, League President Jenny Higgins, Gary YoungNomadsTigers – (left to right) Tom Wilkin, Alex Baldock, Jack Riddleston (non playing member), Matt Sage
Over the course of every season there are some phenomenal individual and team performances but this week we honour the most valuable players across the length and breadth of the season in the Burnham & District Table Tennis League. All of the stats for every player in the league have been fed into the Editors ZX Spectrum and we can now reveal the worthy winner for each division. To be eligible players must have played at least 50% of the team matches.
Liam Squirrell is the man to beat in the top Division, and this year he only lost a single match all season. A fast, forceful and resilient player – he just keeps coming at you with power and precision. This year Squirrell was pushed hardest by Dan Young of Woodham TTC, and Keith Adams of Fambridge. Squirrell will be presented with the Peter Ballard Cup by the very same Peter Ballard at the upcoming Presentation Evening.
Until the final game of the season it looked like Maldon’s Colin Napper had the Brian Ellis Cup all wrapped up with a win rate of 82% across the season. However by playing the final game Lloyd Bennett-Smith qualified for entry into the ZX Spectrum and with only 3 losses in this very competitive cohort after much whirring and chin rubbing he came out on top. Next year Bennett-Smith will be back in the top flight where he belongs. Not surprisingly the top 5 slots were held by players from the two promoted teams with Blackwater A’s Denis Balic and Neil Freeman coming in 3rd and 4th respectively, and Maldon’s talisman Hamish Innes taking 5th place on 74% win rate.
Division 3 (Roy Davis Cup) – Winner Gary Smith, Blackwater TTC (94%)
At one point it looked like Gary Smith would go the whole season unbeaten – but then he had his own weekus horribilus at the end of January when he lost 3 games in two matches in quick succession. After a few bouts of therapy he came back fighting and resumed his winning ways for the remainder of his phenomenal season. Smith was the runaway leader all season but the battle to chase him down was fierce. In the end the runner up was Woodham’s Simon Thomas who had a really good run in in his first season back for many a year. Much more to come from him next season no doubt. In 3rd place was the 2024 winner of the Roy Ellis Cup Blackwater’s Peter Davenport.
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Eamonn Hall, Press Officer
Burnham & District Table Tennis League
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Pic 1 – Peter Ballard Cup Winner 2026, Liam Squirrell in full concentration mode
Pic 2 – Brian Ellis Cup Winner 2026, Lloyd Bennet-Smith in action at the Maldon TTC arena
Pic 3 – Roy Davis Cup Winner 2026, Gary Smith stretching to maintain his winning streak
The Southend League Junior Boys team have booked a place in the finals of the Carter Cup, part of the English Leagues Cup competition, after beating teams from Peterborough and Norwich. The finals will be held at the home of Drayton and Long Eaton TTC, Derbys on Sunday 5th July.
Playing at the home of Hockley TTC the Southend team were made up of 3 boys from Hockley and two from Stanford TTC. Elliot Brackenbury and James and William Evesham from Hockley TTC, and Vivaan Babbar and Josh Freeman from Stanford TTC. Mitchell Jones of Stanford was their coach.
The format for each match was four singles and one doubles and with a five man squad Mitchell was able to vary his side with all the boys getting at least one game. Southend got off to the perfect start whitewashing Peterborough 5-0 Brackenbury and Babbar winning both their singles whilst the Evesham brothers combined for the doubles.
The Norwich team then took on Peterborough and also won 5-0 albeit Peterborough’s best player, Adil THobani, picked up an injury during the match and had to withdraw thus conceding three matches.
The decisive match between Southend and Norwich turned out to be the closest as Norwich’s best player Finley Howes, ranked in the top 200 juniors in the UK, beat both William Evesham and Freeman in four sets whilst they, in turn, had no problem beating the Norwich number two Joseph English to leave the singles all square. The crucial match then turned out to be the doubles and coach Mitchell Jones made a key decision in pairing Brackenbury and Babbar against the Norwich pair. It turned out to be the right one as they won three sets to one and a 3-2 victory put them through to the finals.
A great performance by the boys and we wish them every success in the finals.
Report by Paul Strutt
Southend’s winning Junior Boys team – from left to right
Elliot Brackenbury, Vivaan Babbar, William Evesham, Mitchell Jones (Coach), James Evesham, Josh Freeman.
Josh Freeman v Finley Howes (Norwich)William Evesham v Finley HowesWilliam Evesham v Joseph English (Norwich)Josh Freeman v Joseph English (Norwich)Lucas Belson (Peterborough) v Finley Howes (Norwich)Vivaan Babbar v Adil Thobani (Peterborough)Elliot Brackenbury v Lucas Belson (Peterborough)William and James Evesham v Adil Thobani and Lucas Belson (Peterborough)Vivaan Babbar v Lucas Belson (Peterborough)
In a weekend of relatively few shocks, the top four seeds in the open singles all made their way through to the semi-finals of the Braintree Table Tennis League’s individual tournament
In the last four, to be played on finals night at Earls Colne Recreation Centre on Friday, eight-times champion Paul Davison, who had a tough five-game battle with Ashley Skeggs in the quarter final, will face Luke Burridge, who knocked him out at the quarter final stage last season.
In the final, he could face Scott Dowsett, who took away his unbeaten record in the final league match of the season – if Dowsett wins his semi-final against No.2 seed James Hicks, who he also beat in that match.
Davison and Hicks will face each other in the final of the veterans’ singles and team up against Skeggs and Dowsett in the men’s doubles final after beating Burridge and Sam Burrows in the semi-final. Skeggs and Dowsett beat Colin Moss and Ian Shrubsole in the semi-final.
The junior boys’ singles did not run according to plan after Tom Verrier beat top seed Lucien Nolan-Bradford at the group stage.
That meant that Nolan-Bradford had to face No.2 seed and holder Ethan Collins in the semi-final rather than the final as anticipated – and it was Collins who emerged successful.
Verrier met his match in the other semi-final against Netts clubmate JJ Calisin, who will face Collins on finals night.
The restricted singles final unusually features a third division player, Peter Davenport, who will pit his wits against top seed David Fiddeman.
Davenport owes his place to his victory over Ben Southgate in the semi-final, while Fiddeman came through via a win over Aivars Taimins.
A number of events were decided at the weekend, as a result of which Hicks has already got his hands on two trophies. He won the over 50s singles with a victory in the final over Ian Whiteside and he and Davison took the veterans’ doubles, beating Garry Fryatt and Steve Noble in the final.
In the mixed doubles, Luke Burridge and Alesha Ellis-Austin took the title with Rev Matthews and Jacqueline Smith runners-up in a round robin.
Ethan Collins retained his cadets’ singles title with a win in the final over Tom Verrier, a repeat of last season’s final, while he and Alesha Ellis-Austin won the junior doubles with a victory over Verrier and James Howard in the final.
The under 11 singles was won by Max Chisnall. Albert Wickens was the runner-up for the second year running.
This season’s Team Handicap KO Cup Final will go down in the annals of Burnham & District Table Tennis League history – it was an upset to match the Ryder Cup Miracle of Medinah in 2012, or the Liverpool FC Miracle of Istanbul in 2005. Woodham B somehow defeated the recently crowned Division 1 Champions and Handicap Cup specialists in a dramatic comeback last gasp victory.
The Team Handicap Cup is Burnham’s only team cup competition and the handicapping is applied to players starting points depending on their perceived ranking in the league – the better players are penalised and the lower ranked players are given a headstart in an attempt to create a level playing field. Cold Norton B are the renowned specialists in this discipline having won the trophy for the past 3 seasons without ever dropping an individual match – yes you read that correct not a single match lost in 3 years! This year was going along in the same fashion as they won all their opening rounds 5-0, but then a crack appeared as they dropped two matches in semi-final where they ‘only’ won 5-2. Hope for their opponents from Woodham B for sure. Woodham B also had the services of the two finalists from this year’s Handicap Singles competition – so some good handicap pedigree there. An upset was unlikely but not impossible!
In the best of 9 Final, Cold Norton got off to a flyer winning the opening doubles match, and then Ian Wall followed up with a very tight win over Peter Harverson but only 22-20 in the deciding leg for a 2-0 early lead for Cold Norton. Graham Briggs used his positive handicap to great effect for Woodham when he upset the apple cart by beating Sam Lowman in straight sets. Cold Norton’s Eric Green then had to fight tooth and nail to eventually get past the dogged defence of Eamonn Hall over 3 long and hard fought legs. So Cold Norton took a commanding 3-1 lead. Woodham duo Harverson and Brigges then took the next doubles despite having given away 4 match points at 20-16 up in the second leg. Green was next up against young Harverson and another marathon ensued and yet again a deciding leg was required to separate the teams. This time Green’s accuracy and determination saw him through for his brace of singles wins, and Cold Norton now only needed one more triumph to retain their crown once more. Lowman and Hall have very different styles and this next match-up was a proper game of cat and mouse as Hall tried to control the play and keep Lowman pinned on his backhand, knowing full well any forehand loops would just go straight past him. It certainly worked in the opening leg where Lowman was a bit uncharacteristically wayward with some of his attacking, and Hall was dogged with his cat and mouse approach. This changed in leg 2 when Lowman began to come around his backhand and attack with his forehand from the backhand side – brilliantly executed and he took leg 2, 21-18. In the deciding leg Hall got off to a much better start with a tweak or two to his tactics and found himself 10 points clear by the time Lowman had cleared his handicap. This buffer was enough for Hall to take a few more chances and despite Lowman still rattling multiple forehands passed him the gap was enough for Hall to take another unexpected point. 4-3 to Cold Norton and we were now very late into the evening. The next match was a belter. Cold Norton’s Wall had a determined glint and was dealing with Briggs’ attacks much better than anyone else all evening. The first leg saw some tremendous rallies but Wall was always just that little bit more in control and he won out 21-18. The second leg saw Briggs a little bit more controlled and not lashing out at hopeful shots. It was mighty close again and Wall caught up at 18-18, but Briggs went all brave and hit a couple of stunning winners in the next few rallies to take the leg. The final leg was epic and both players went full hammer and tongs on us. Brilliant table tennis and brilliant drama. Wall was on fire and he was the first to hit his halfway point. Despite changing ends Wall was relentless and caught Briggs very early at 12-12. At this point the Woodham players started to pack up, and the venue caretakers were preparing to lock up – it looked done and dusted. But Briggs became inspired, something deep inside had been stirred and he matched Wall point for point as they made their way to the business end of the deciding leg. Briggs had the first match point at 20-19, and the second at 21-20 – but Wall snubbed both of those. Then Wall had Championship Point at 22-21 but couldn’t get over the line and the fat lady had to extinguish her cigar. At 23-22 Briggs finished with a fine winner – a truly epic match that had everything. So somehow it was now the next day already, and the Final was all square at 4-4. The final and deciding doubles featured Green and Wall versus Hall and Harverson with a 12 point handicap. Of all the matches this one was surprisingly uneventful as Hall and Harverson took the majority of chances that came their way, didn’t make too many mistakes, and the handicap gave them license to attack when they could. Both legs finished 21-17, and Woodham were not only back from the dead but had triumphed in the face of adversity.
Despite an excellent display by Eric Green for Cold Norton, Player of the Match was undoubtedly Graham Briggs – but in truth the spectacle was the real winner. What a Final. 5-4 to Woodham B, although Cold Norton B had Championship Point in Match 8, with 5 of the matches going to a decider, with 4 legs going to deuce, and the amazing accurate handicapping was brilliant all night.
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Eamonn Hall, Press Officer
Burnham & District Table Tennis League
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Pic 1 – Burnham Team Handicap KO Cup Champions 2026 – Woodham B Celebrating (Peter Harverson, Graham Briggs, & Eamonn Hall)
Pic 2 – Burnham Team Handicap KO Cup Champions 2026 – Woodham B (Peter Harverson, Graham Briggs, & Eamonn Hall)
Pic 3 – Player of the Final – Graham Briggs
Pic 4 – Action from the final point of the epic match between Graham Briggs and Ian Wall
Pic 5 – Eric Green in winning action in the Final for Cold Norton B
Woodham B – Peter Harverson, Graham Briggs and Eamonn HallBurnham Team Handicap Handicap KO Cup Champions 2026 – Woodham BEric Green – Cold Norton BPlayer of the final – Graham BriggsIan Wall (left) v Graham Briggs
The Brotherhood Club has swept the board this season, with their teams winning all three Divisions of the League, only the second time in the League’s history that teams from one Club has won Divisions One, Two and Three in the same season.
In Division One, Brotherhood A completed their programme with a 10-0 victory over Windsor Buzzards, a win which sealed their position as the top team in the League. Many congratulations to Gracie Edwards, Kevin Gowlett, Daniel Young and Gary Young who thus provided the Brotherhood Club with their first Division One title since 2011.
Nomads Lions could field only two players against Walton B but hat-tricks from Jason Lloyd and Martyn Green still gave them the 6-4 win. Walton’s Clive Allenby and Graham Buxton shared a fine three-straight doubles victory against Lloyd and Green. The Lions have challenged hard all season and finish as worthy runners-up, a superb achievement for a talented squad of players.
And so Nomads Panthers, who were without a match, will finish in third place, thus ending their long and proud reign as champions, having won the Division One title a record twelve years running.
Elsewhere, Walton A ended their season with a flourish, defeating Brotherhood C 7-3 with Mark Gale unbeaten, Derek Willis taking two and Mark Ratcliffe one. Martin Edwards picked up a couple for Brotherhood and John Cleasby one.
But it was a bad day at the office for Windsor Hawks who, in a match where both sides played with a reserve, crashed to a 10-0 defeat at the hands of Brotherhood B. Russell Hillier, Simon Smith-Daye and reserve Joe Sherwin took the Brotherhood points.
Brotherhood G are the new champions of Division Two following their 7-3 success over Windsor Harriers, Mark Boyland and John Gallagher taking trebles. But the real hero of the night was Paul Metcalf – even though he didn’t win a point. Paul was summoned during the evening to replace a player who hadn’t turned up and, after making a 40-mile journey when he finished work, turned up to play to ensure his side wasn’t deducted points for fielding a short team. Credit, too, to the Harriers for not claiming the points.
Brotherhood F have pushed the ‘G’ team hard all season and they finish as well-deserved runners-up, only three points behind their Club-mates. This week, trebles for Mark Salter and Paul Alden, plus a couple from Tricia Salter, saw them end the season with a 9-1 victory over Windsor Kestrels. Windsor’s Peter Aumord had two close matches, beating Tricia Salter 11-7 in the decider but going down 11-8 in the decider to Mark Salter.
Brotherhood J drew with Windsor Penguins and finish in a highly-impressive third place. Kelvin Olano-Harper took his three for the Penguins, but only just, scraping past Ruby Gallagher 17-15 in the fifth in one of the tightest matches of the season. Gallagher and Tom Bryden each won two for Brotherhood, and Lucy Carvell one.
And to emphasise Brotherhood’s domination of Division Two, Brotherhood D are confirmed in fourth place. In their last match, they shared the spoils with Nomads Jaguars, although an unbeaten Chris Petrou was the player of the match for the Jaguars. Kevin Pryor took a couple for Brotherhood.
Nomads Tigers warmed up nicely for their forthcoming Cup Final appearance, producing a fine team performance to draw with the battle-hardened Lawford side. Tom Wilkin took two, and Alex Baldock and Sam Watling one each, with Wilkin and Watling taking the doubles 11-9 in the fifth against Ian Sherwood and Charlie Denholm, only a second doubles win of the season for the Tigers. Richard Spence recorded his first hat-trick of the season for Lawford, with Denholm winning two, defeating Watling 11-9 in the fifth but losing 11-8 in the fifth to Wilkin.
The two leading sides met in Division Three and Brotherhood H sealed their position as the top team with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Holland Hurricanes. There were two each for Danny Still, Dan Grindrod and Owen Woollard, Woollard winning five-setters against both Ian Gwillim and Gerry Widnell. Gary Stallwood maintained his 100% season record for the Hurricanes. In a nice touch of sportsmanship, the Hurricanes’ score-card was annotated with the comment, ‘Well deserved win for Brotherhood H, Holland Hurricanes congratulate Brotherhood H on winning the League and wish them the best of luck in Division Two’.
It was also even-stevens between third-placed Nomads Leopards and Holland Lancasters. Peter Evans stayed undefeated for the Lancasters, with Tony Aresti and Dave Wright each winning one. Anne Bonny and Dominic Joannou won a pair apiece for the ever-reliable Leopards’ team, also sharing a doubles success.
Walton C, who will finish in a commendable fourth position, beat Holland Vulcans 7-3. Lynette Sparks took her maximum, while there were a pair apiece for Adrian Sexton and Maggie Earle. Bob Keefe won two for the Vulcans and combined with Derek Foxley for a doubles victory. Foxley came close to getting on the score-sheet but went down 11-9 in the decider to Sexton and 11-6 in the decider to Earle.
The Brotherhood E v Windsor Magpies fixture ended with honours even. Eleven-year-old Jack Hillier, the youngest player in the League, completed an excellent first season League table tennis with his seventh hat-trick. For the Magpies, John Plummer and Alan Rutledge both won two and Dave Sweetland one, but each was involved in matches which went the distance, Plummer beating Rodney Betts 11-7 in the fifth, Sweetland defeating the same player 11-9 in the fifth and Rutledge edging past Joe Hillier 13-11 in the fifth.
Windsor Falcons were 7-3 victors against Nomads Ocelots, who once again were playing with a guest. Mike Wellum made a welcome return after injury for the Ocelots in their final match and remained unbeaten, although it was a tight 11-9 in the fifth against Matt Thomas. There was a point each for Thomas, Nikki Hayes and Gary Barnes of the Falcons.
* An end-of-season word of praise must be given to the three teams which finished bottom in each of the Divisions, Windsor Buzzards, Windsor Kestrels and Nomads Ocelots. All three teams, for differing reasons, have had difficult seasons but all three have battled on and seen the season through. A massive pat on the back to the players of the Buzzards, Kestrels and Ocelots.
And an honourable mention, also, to those players who went through the season winning only a handful of matches and, in a couple of cases, none at all. Players like these – players who turn up week in week out with little prospect of winning but still apply themselves to their task – are the lifeblood of our League and, to them, we say a special ‘Well done and thank you’.
* The Handicap Cup Final between Brotherhood A and Nomads Tigers is the last event of the League’s 2025/26 season. It takes place on Tuesday 21st April at the Brotherhood Hall with play starting at 7.30 pm. All players and friends of the League are encouraged to attend to support the finalists.
* A reminder that James Denyer, Martin Edwards and Daniel Young are among the nominations for the Harry Walker Trophy, awarded each year to the Essex County Player of the Year. Any League player who has played at least eight League matches is entitled to vote, with the closing date for voting 30th April.
* For the record, before the Brotherhood Club this season, the only other Club whose teams have won Divisions One, Two and Three in the same season is the Clacton Youth Centre who did it back in the 1964/65 season. The three teams involved were CYC Nomads, CYC Unpredictables and CYC Optimists. Among the players in the CYC Optimists’ squad which won Division Three that year was a certain Dave Martin, a player who can still be found plying his trade for Windsor Buzzards over 60 years later. The Optimists also lived up to their name that season by winning the KO Cup.
* Finally, this weeks’ report ends on a sad note as the League is sorry to have to report the death of Colin Webber, aged 71 years. Colin was a loyal member of the League and the Nomads Club for many years. A full tribute will appear later.
For a third year running, James Denyer and Gracie Edwards, dominated the Clacton League’s Closed Championships, sponsored by The Survey Initiative and held last weekend at the Lift Clacton School Sports Hall.
Both players were successful in their respective singles events, Denyer notching up a fifth Men’s crown and Edwards taking the Ladies’ title for a ninth time.
The Men’s Singles final between Denyer and Daniel Young was a re-run of the Colchester Closed final last month but the outcome was the same, Denyer winning 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. In a typically robust match of attacking table tennis, Denyer got off to a slow start but, from 4-0 down in the second set, the tide turned, Denyer’s experience getting the better of Young, a gifted player surely destined for title success in the coming years.
Denyer had been in imperious form all day, winning all his qualifying matches without losing a set including, in the Knock-Out stage, victories against high-quality opposition in Denes Somodi, Gary Young and Kevin Gowlett.
Daniel Young had an equally comfortable ride until his semi-final when he was forced to bring out his A game against Ethan Lloyd, coincidentally his doubles partner. In a match which kept the spectators’ attention throughout, there were moments when Lloyd, who’d already eliminated Paul Hume, looked like causing another upset. But Young had just that iota more of big-time experience and, after a classic encounter, he made it to the final, winning 11-9, 16-18, 12-10, 11-9.
Runner-up for the last two seasons, Greg Green, failed to make it past the quarter-finals this year but it was a mighty close-run thing, Kevin Gowlett edging their quarter-final meeting 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-9 in yet another crowd-pleasing match.
The Group matches also produced their quota of shocks and surprises. Group 10 could well have been described as ‘The Group of Death’ with three quality Division One operators – Adam Wilkin, Jason Lloyd and John Hatley – drawn in the same Group. With only the top two qualifying for the Knock-Out stage, it was ranked player Wilkin who was eliminated, with Hatley and Lloyd going through. And in another tight Group 11, Simon Smith-Daye and Kevin James won through at the expense of Russell Hillier
In the Ladies’ Singles, the two seeded players, Edwards and Gill Locke made it to the final as they had done last year. And once again youth again triumphed over experience, Edwards winning 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 in confident style against Locke, who was never quite able to match the consistency and attacking verve of her younger opponent.
Encouragingly for the future of this event, talented young players Ruby Gallagher and Lucy Carvell both showed their potential by reaching the semi-finals. Carvell had qualified from a four-player Group by beating Lynette Sparks and Lily Liu before going down to Edwards, whilst Gallagher had the temerity to take a set off Locke in her semi-final before losing 8-11, 10-12, 11-6, 6-11.
The Men’s Doubles final was something of a generation game where not only did two veterans face two twenty-somethings, but father and son were on opposite sides of the table. But the old hands, Kevin Gowlett and Gary Young, came out on top, retaining their title by defeating Ethan Lloyd and Daniel Young 6-11, 11-6, 15-17, 11-7, 11-7. It was a nail-biting match and one of the most entertaining encounters of the whole weekend.
Ranked pairs Paul Hume/Kevin James and Greg Green/Adam Wilkin had both made it to the semi-finals but both lost in three-straight at that stage.
James Denyer, partnered by Dad Allen Denyer, did not feature among the fancied pairings but they did enjoy a notable victory in Round One, defeating John Pattrick and Phil Smith by the interesting-looking score-line of 2-11, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10, 12-10 before going down to Hume and James in the next Round.
For the record, having won last year, this was only a second-ever Men’s Doubles success for Kevin Gowlett. But for Gary Young it was his eighth victory in this event, having previously won with Greg Green (three times), Paul Adams (twice) and Andy Warner and Gowlett (once each), his first success being back in 2004.
The Ladies Doubles looked a clear run for Gracie Edwards and new partner, Tricia Salter. But they faced a harder task than they might have expected and so nearly went out in the semi-finals, the young pairing of Lucy Carvell and Ruby Gallagher going close to producing a major shock, Edwards and Salter winning by the narrowest of 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9 margins.
In the final, Edwards and Salter took on the scratch pairing of Gill Locke and Anne Bonny and, once again, they didn’t have things all their own way, the under-dogs sticking to their task unstintingly, and it was only in the third set that Edwards and Salter took full control, eventually winning 12-10, 12-10, 11-3.
For Gracie Edwards, it was a fifth Ladies Doubles title in a row. For Tricia Salter it was only her second win in twelve appearances in a Ladies Doubles final, her only other victory being in 2008 when, partnered with Jenny Binns, they defeated Bethany Johnson and Gill Locke.
However, there was a reverse of fortune for Locke and Edwards in the Mixed Doubles where the mother and son combination of Locke and James Denyer retained their title by beating Edwards and Greg Green 11-5, 11-3, 6-11, 12-10 in a repeat of the 2025 final.
The event produced its share of close matches, two of them involving the pairs seeded third-equal. Mark Salter and Tricia Salter only just made it to the semi-finals, edging their quarter-final match with John Gallagher and Ruby Gallagher 11-13, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9, while Daniel Young and Lucy Carvell nearly took a surprise place in the final, eventually going down to second seeds Green and Edwards 11-9 in the decider.
The Veteran’s Singles proved a personal triumph for Peter Burrows. Three times a previous winner (in 2008, 2014 and 2015) and twice a runner-up (in 2011 and 2024), Burrows had tasted both success and defeat in this event. But this year he was in sparkling form, beating five-times winner, reigning champion and top seed, Gary Young, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 in the semi-final.
And in the final, Burrows defeated number two seed Kevin Gowlett, also a previous winner of this event. But he had to be at his very best and, in yet another top-class final, showing showed great character in retrieving a two-set deficit and then coming back from 6-2 down in the final set to win by the narrowest of 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 14-12 margins. It was a cracking final!
Burrows followed up this success with victory in the Super-Veterans Singles, his first foray into Super-Veterans’ territory. In a tough set of matches, he saw off Mark Gale, Mark Ratcliffe and Gavin Price before, in the final, defeating Charlie Fulcher, winner of this event in both 2024 and 2025. In a fast, aggressive final with many hard-fought, attacking rallies, Burrows was determined not to be beaten and his determination was not to be denied, taking the title 11-5, 3-11, 11-9, 11-9.
It was a highly-impressive performance from Burrows in both the Veterans and Super-Veterans. The latter event was only introduced in 1999 but this year was the first time ever that one player has taken both the Veterans and Super-Veterans titles at the same Championships. And, for this achievement, Burrows was presented with the Victor Trophy, awarded for the outstanding performance of the weekend.
The Restricted Singles, an unseeded event with an open draw, always has the potential to surprise and it did so again this year. At the start, there were a number of potential winners, including players like Mark Gale, Phil Smith, Denes Somodi, John Pattrick, Mark Ratcliffe, Scott Campbell and Felipe Rodriguez, all of whom did reach the quarter-finals.
Somodi was particularly unfortunate in his draw, but he completed his task with aplomb, defeating Jason Lloyd, Peter Burrows – who probably fancied his chances of a third title – and Phil Smith before falling to Gale in the semi-final.
In the other half of the draw, John Pattrick won through to the final after eliminating John Barton, Paul Woolnough, Mark Ratcliffe and Felipe Rodriguez.
The final proved a match of contrasting styles, the more stylish, aggressive and orthodox Pattrick facing the dogged, determined and consistent Gale. And Gale it was who proved the unlikely winner, frustrating his opponent and coming back from 10-7 down in the third set to win 11-9, 11-4, 14-12. It was a well-deserved success for a much-improved and often under-rated player.
With only four juniors entering the Championships this year, all three junior events went straight to finals. But that didn’t detract from the quality of the finalists, all of whom came from the same Brotherhood J team.
Joe Sherwin was defending his title in the Junior Boys Singles and his opponent was his good friend and team-mate, Tom Bryden. Sherwin’s improvement over the season had installed him as favourite and he lived up to that tag, coming back from an indifferent start to win 8-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-9. The winning point for Bryden in the first set came from an edge, which no-one, including the umpire or Bryden had seen but Sherwin, in a pleasing act of sportsmanship, declared it against himself.
Ruby Gallagher and Lucy Carvell have been fighting it out in the Junior Girls Singles for the past three season, Ruby winning in 2023 and 2024, and Lucy taking the title last year. The two girls, who know each other’s game so well, were once again in opposition but this time it was Gallagher who came out on top, taking her third title in a nip-and-tuck match 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7.
The four juniors were on opposite sides in the Junior Doubles, with Sherwin and Bryden strong favourites to retain the title they’d won in the past two season. But under-dogs Carvell and Gallagher, beaten finalists back in 2023, gave them a tougher ride than might have been expected, showing great combative spirit which necessitated Sherwin and Bryden to bring out their best form to win 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 13-11 to make it three titles in a row.
It’s true to say that, although the League has only a few juniors playing in the League, we are very proud of them all.
Mark Salter has monopolised the Division Two Singles event in recent seasons, having won it an unprecedented three times running. But this year he succumbed to Kelvin Olano-Harper who, after edging past Tom Bryden 11-9 in the decider in the quarter-finals, defeated Salter 11-8 in the decider in another close encounter in the semi-finals.
Alas for Olano-Harper that was to be the end of his success, losing in the final to Joe Sherwin, a player currently on fire who, having sailed through the opening Rounds with three-straight victories against Lucy Carvell and John Gallagher, completed the set with an 11-5, 12-10, 11-7 final win over Olano-Harper to take a well-deserved title.
With several leading players not entering the Division Three Singles, the way was open for an unheralded player to step into the limelight. The four seeded players, Lynette Sparks, Matt Thomas, Gerry Widnell and Derek Foxley all made it to the semi-finals but it was the top two seeds, Sparks and Thomas who won through to the final.
In a tense, but entertaining, final, Thomas, in only his second season of competitive table tennis, took a two-set lead. But Lynette Sparks, a loyal servant of the League for many seasons, showed true grit and fought back to take a richly-deserved first Championship trophy with a 8-11, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-5 victory.
Overall, the Championships attracted an entry of 61 players, with some 230 individual matches played over the two days. The Tournament was once again sponsored by The Survey Initiative and the League is most grateful to Gary Cattermole for his generous sponsorship. Thanks also go to the sponsors of individual events : Phil Smith, Jenny Higggins, and Fenton’s Estate Agents. One player also sponsored an event anonymously.
At the end the Tournament, there were four unclaimed raffle prizes (yellow border 411; salmon pink border 384; green border 373; and white 341) – contact Jenny Higgins (Tel : 07790 240566) to make arrangements to collect your prize. There were also three items of lost property – a large lilac coloured towel, and a small blue and white cooler bag (contact Jenny Higgins) and a pair of black-rimmed glasses (contact Tony Oswick on 01255 429869).
2026 CHAMPIONSHIPS
(sponsored by The Survey Initiative)
RESULTS
Men’s Singles (anon sponsor) : J Denyer beat D Young 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7.
Ladies Singles (sponsored by Jenny Higgins) : G Edwards beat G Locke 11-6, 11-8, 11-8.
Men’s Doubles : K Gowlett/G Young beat E Lloyd/D Young 6-11, 11-6, 15-17, 11-7, 11-7.
Ladies Doubles : G Edwards/T Salter beat G Locke/A Bonny 12-10, 12-10, 11-3.
Veterans Singles (sponsored by Phil Smith) : P Burrows beat K Gowlett 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 14-12.
Super-Veterans Singles : P Burrows beat C Fulcher 11-5, 3-11, 11-9, 11-9.
Junior Boys Singles (sponsored by Fenton’s Estate Agents) : J Sherwin beat T Bryden 8-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-9.
Junior Doubles : T Bryden/J Sherwin beat L Carvell/R Gallagher 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 13-11.
Junior Girls Singles (sponsored by Fenton’s Estate Agents): R Gallagher beat L Carvell 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7.
Division Two Singles : J Sherwin beat K Olano-Harper 11-5, 12-10, 11-7.
Division Three Singles : L Sparks beat M Thomas 8-11, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-5.
Restricted Singles : M Gale beat J Pattrick 11-9, 11-4, 14-12.
Victor Trophy (for outstanding performance) : Peter Burrows.
Report by Tony Oswick
James Denyer (left) and Daniel YoungGracie EdwardsMark Gayle (left) Lynette Sparks and Peter BurrowsLadies entrants 2026The venue – Lift Clacton School Sports Hall
Paul Davison is used to being the favourite for the Braintree Table Tennis League men’s singles title, but this season the odds on him adding to his eight wins are shorter than ever.
Nearly all of his challengers or conquerors of recent years will be absent this time.
Current champion Gary Young has not played in the league this year. Nor have Lee McHugh, winner in 2019, or Michael Andrews, the champion in 2022.
Paul Lucas, beaten by Davison in the 2023 final, has only just started playing again, as has Adam Buxton, winner over Davison in the 2019 semi-final.
One player who is in the draw is Luke Burridge, whose defeat of Davison was the major surprise of last season.
Can he do it again? A relatively modest league return of 73 per cent (and 47 per cent in Colchester) suggests not, but his average was only marginally higher last year before he rose to the occasion in the quarter final.
Seeded to face Davison in the final is his Netts A teammate James Hicks, ultra consistent in the league this year with 32 wins out of 33, the defeat coming at the hands of Burridge.
Burridge is seeded third alongside Scott Dowsett, beaten only twice in his 18 sets this season.
Davison and Hicks are top seeds in the men’s doubles with Burridge and Sam Burrows, or last year’s finalists Karl Baldwin and Ken Lewis the likely challengers.
Sadly there were not enough entries to run a ladies’ singles but the junior boys’ singles could throw up an intriguing contest.
Ethan Collins, at ten the youngest ever winner of the title last year, faces the fast-improving Lucien Nolan-Bradford, beaten only once in 39 sets in division three.
The preliminary rounds of the individual events, plus the finals of some minor events, will be held at the Earls Colne Recreation Centre this weekend, with finals night the following Friday.
A few t’s were crossed and i’s dotted in the final week of league fixtures.
Black Notley B needed to better Sudbury Wanderers’ result by five points to stave off relegation from division one but fell three short.
Notley’s A team did their bit to help by beating Wanderers 10-0, but wresting five points from Rayne B proved beyond the B team. Adi Kamma was unbeaten in Rayne’s 8-2 win.
Sudbury Nomads had already secured the runners-up spot but had the satisfaction of beating the team immediately below them, Rayne A, in their final match.
Rayne’s Paul Lucas continued his comeback from injury by taking his three singles and the doubles with Steve Pennell in the 6-4 defeat.
In the second division, Sudbury Strollers at last leaped out of the pack into the runners-up spot.
They jumped up from sixth to second with a 6-4 win over Notley C followed by a defeat by the same score against Netts D.
David Fiddeman was unbeaten at Netts but against Notley C he met his match in Jamie Brooks, who repeated his win in the restricted cup the previous week, this time in straight games, compared with 12-10 in the fifth game in the cup.
Netts C and Rayne E, who drew with each other, can still overtake them but Strollers still have two matches left compared with their one.
In the other match in the division, Notley D confirmed they will finish last but they went out with a bang, a 6-4 win over Rayne D, with Graham Chinnery and Matt Stephenson unbeaten.
In division three, Notley E took the point they needed – and seven more – to clinch the title against their own F team.
There were three wins each for their mainstays, Peter Davenport (40 wins out of 44) and Dave Parker (38 from 43).
Finchingfield B ended their four-match winless run with an 8-2 win over Rayne F, a team they had lost 7-3 to the previous week with only one change in each line-up. Ray Bradford and Trevor Laird were unbeaten in the second match.
Netts F finished their programme with a comprehensive 10-0 win over their own E team to claim third spot. Their top two James Howard and Tom Verrier were unbeaten in both.
Notley G beat Rayne G 8-2 with Steve Baines and Ben Southgate unbeaten, while Sudbury Drifters finished their season with a 6-4 win over Notley H
