Table Tennis Leagues heading for title deciders

With just three matches remaining in this season’s first division campaign, the title can still be won by three teams in the Torbay and South Devon Table Tennis League.

NA Batmen currently have a five-point lead over NA Buzzards, who are two points ahead of Torbay Academy 1, each have one game to play with the crunch match being Torbay Academy 1 v NA Batmen. The NA Buzzards face Brixham Sharks in their final encounter.

This week, the top four teams all played each other. Leaders NA Batmen beat fourth placed NA Eagles 7-3 thanks to a fine maximum from Rory Harries, while the two teams competing with the Batmen for the title battled out an excellent 5-5 draw at Torbay Academy.

An excellent Herbie Sage maximum helped the NA Buzzards who, at 5-3 down, had to win the final two sets to earn the draw and keep themselves in contention for the title. The excellent Torbay Academy 1 team had won all 12 of their matches to date with their main man, Toma Mitranescu, undefeated.

Playing twice in the week, NA Buzzards continued their impressive unbeaten run with a whitewash victory over a weakened NA Condors’ team. Herbie Sage, Kevin Nicholls and Simon James comfortably beating the Condors’ team ravaged by injuries.

Division Two is just as exciting, as the top two are scheduled to play each other in their final match. Leaders Brixham Trawlers have a three-point advantage over second placed Dawlish Aces.

The Dawlish Aces finished off any chance of Halwell B being in the mix for the title with a 6-4 win against them, despite a fine maximum from Halwell’s Mick Mercer. Ollie Malin secured a fine maximum for the basement side, NA Kestrels, but they just lost out to NA Falcons 4-6.

The top two in the third division still have a couple of matches each to play. However, one of the matches is between them and that match could well decide the title. Currently, the Taverners and Torre Vikings cannot be separated, both on 91 points, so this division is going down to the wire, just like the top two.

The only third division match played this week was between two Newton Abbot teams. An excellent Jackie Whitehorn maximum was the difference as NA Hawks got the better of NA Kestrels 6-4.

This week’s results in the fourth division have seen a clear favourite for the title emerge. Torbay Academy 6 did their club-mates a big favour by beating the leaders Dawlish Doubtfuls 7-3, Maria Dillon in fine form for the Academy.

That result, along with the Torbay Academy 5 team beating NA Vultures 8-2, means the Academy 5 team require just a point against bottom side Brixham Seals to become champions.

Aleksandra Treder was unbeaten for the Academy 5 team. Lewis Lavery picked up another maximum as Torre Gladiators defeated NA Merlins 7-3.

The NA Parrots’ team of Rhys Lush, Ben Hoare and Dan Webster-Hall eased past club-mates NA Falcons 25-11 to claim their place in the final of the team singles handicap cup.