Sharks too strong for the Guerillas in a dominant opening round

Last season’s runners up in Division One of the South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League Sponsored by Albany Florists, Brixham Sharks, started the new season with an emphatic 9-1 victory over Div 1 new boys, Grove Guerrillas.

New signing Bryan Birkbeck and Aarish Maharjan were unbeaten for the Sharks. A David Wadling maximum helped Halwell to an 8-2 victory over NA Eagles.

There were much closer matches in Division Two, as NA Raptors, with the help of a Keith Haslam maximum, defeated Teignmouth Aces 6-4 and Brixham Trawlers squeezed past Torbay Academy 3, also 6-4, despite a fine maximum from the Academy’s Alex Fialho. Neville Cregan was man of the match for Torbay Academy 2, as they defeated NA Falcons 7-3.

A whitewash 10-0 victory for Brixham Gulls’ Kevin Ayling, Nick Williamson and Sacha Edwards over Torbay Academy 4 has put their mark down for the season in Division Three.

The Kitchen’s, Nick and James, both secured maximums in NA Kites’ 7-3 victory over Torre Spartans. NA Harriers were also 7-3 winners, as an Albie Andrews maximum helped them see off the challenge from Torbay Academy 5.

In Division Four, Rob Ferguson and Ken Ramsden were undefeated, as NA Ospreys overpowered club-mates NA Vultures 9-1. Grove Tigers started their campaign well with an 8-2 victory over Torbay Academy 7, Jeff Cornish and Nigel Langley with maximums for the Tigers.

The new look Brixham Seals, with players all fresh to the league, shared the points with Torbay Academy 6, Nigel Greenfield was undefeated for the Seals.

RESULTS

Division One

NA Eagles 2 (Gaston 2, Broad 0, O’Leary 0) Halwell 8 (Wadling 3, Mercer 2, Smith 2, Dbls) Grove Guerrillas 1 (Butterworth 1, Gilhespy 0, Pearson 0) Brixham Sharks 9 (Maharjan 3, Birkbeck 3, Harper 2, Dbls).

Division Two

Teignmouth Aces 4 (Sharratt 2, Chadwick 1, Bellham 0, Dbls) NA Raptors 6 (Haslam 3, Dilkes 2, Darch 1) Torbay Academy (3) 4 (Fialho 3, Fowler 0, Harris 0, Dbls) Brixham Trawlers 6 (Brown 2, Sharp 2, S Shipley 2) Torbay Academy (2) 7 (Cregan 3, Damanskas 2, Ichim 1, Dbs) NA Falcons 3 (Banerji, Prescott, Dunn).

Division Three

Torre Spartans 3 (Excell 1, Sadler 1, Lavery 0, Dbls) NA Kites 7 (J Kitchen 3, N Kitchen 3, Humphreys 1) Torbay Academy (4) 0 (James 0, Payne 0, Gibbs 0) Brixham Gulls 10 (Ayling 3, Williamson 3, S.Edwards 3, Dbls) Torbay Academy (5) 3 (Treder 1, G Adamczak 1, Jones 0, Dbls) NA Harriers 7 (Andrews 3, Copley 2, Raymond 2).

Division Four

Torbay Academy (6) 5 (Pilloni 2, Neafcy 2, K Adamczak 1) Brixham Seals 5 (Greenfield 3, Freeman 1, Noades 0, Dbls) Torbay Academy (7) 2 (Gage 1, Harkin 1, Luscombe 0) Grove Tigers 8 (Cornish 3, Langley 3, Rodger 1, Dbls) NA Ospreys 9 (Ferguson 3, Ramsden 3, Dulling 2, Dbls) NA Vultures 1 (Fabian 1, Jewell 0, Gilbert 0).