Wisbech Table Tennis League staged its annual Christmas Doubles Tournament in the lead up to the festive season.
The competition had a more competitive edge thanks to the organising committee, who partnered stronger players with those less able, to produce some parity and make the contest fairer, writes Steve Barrett.
Due to some late withdrawals, the organisers had their work cut out, but by the start of play, 32 players had entered, meaning 16 pairs took part.
Fuelled by an array of free refreshments, a very good tournament ensued.
In the end, it was won by one of the top players, Chad Bassett, who guided his 16-year-old partner, Elouise Patrick, to her first medal, beating Tony Trayford and David Gilbert 3 games to 1 in the final.
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The week also saw several rearranged matches, and what a week it turned out to be for the “old boy network” aka Exiles.
Fresh from picking up their first win of the season the previous week, they turned back the years to beat Nets and Edges A 8 - 1 in a final Sleight Doubles group game and now top Group A.
Later in the week, they took on the Gladiators in the Premier Division and won 7 - 3.
Allan Nicholls was in another class in what was overall an unspectacular match. Steve Barrett scored 2, and Don Dixon one and Steve then teamed up with Allan to win in the doubles.
Guntars Briedis was the pick of the Gladiators' team, winning 2.
In Division One, there was a hard-fought draw between Spartans and Batmen. Man of the match was Ernie Pearce, who won 2 and had a share in the doubles.
Tim Hines stopped Ernie getting a maximum when he beat him 11- 9 in the fifth end.
Lewis Wui remains unbeaten, and he led DNA to a 7 - 3 victory over Vikings, where Lewis Watson did very well to beat father and son, Peter and James Hau.
He also went 2 ends up against DNA’s Lewis before submitting to the unbeatable talent of the teenager.
This win sees DNA in third position, having opened up an 11-point gap between them and fourth-placed Vikings.
In the Sleight Doubles Batmen had a very good 7 - 2 win over Stingers.
In the Parker Shield Handicap Competition, Warlords tackled Ramblers, where John Gilbert was the star of the show for the Divisional leaders who came home 392 to 332.
In the Sleight Doubles Division Two game between Monday Bunch and Nets and Edges C, there were some close ends, but the Bunch came home 7 - 2. In the same competition Raiders beat the Nets and Edges B 6 - 3.
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