Jokers have seized control at the top of the Spalding and District Table Tennis League Division One table as the season enters its business end.
There are just three weeks left for teams to catch up, with things coming to a head nicely.
In the top flight, Jokers have overhauled Moulton SE in what looks like a title-clinching move.
Jokers had a match-and-a-half to play against leaders long-term leaders Moulton SE, but the teams agreed to just play the full match and double the results where necessary.
Moulton took the first singles, but that was the limit of their success with Guntars Briedes and Wesley Roper taking the other singles and the doubles.
This meant a double 4-1 defeat for the leaders and Jokers leapfrogged over them at the summit.
Jokers also finished a match with Aches and Pains from the previous week, which they led 2-0.
Roper took his two games, plus the doubles, to complete a whitewash and move further ahead, coming from six behind.
For good measure they added another from a delayed fixture with Underdogs.
Third-placed South Holland moved closer to Moulton, but lost ground to Jokers, with a win over Mine’s a Pint.
John Gilbert returned to the fray with two points and a hand in the doubles and Ionel Dumitrache added a fourth.
Jeremy Hitcham scored for the Pinters, but he and team-mate Andrew Hay were unfortunate to lose two games in the fifth having led.
Outsiders could only field one player in their match with Nets n Edges, so defaulted on three points.
However, their Keith Davey was in unstoppable form – winning one for the loss of just five points – and rarely being troubled in his other straight ends win.
Just one match was played in Division Two, which saw Hurricane Brothers doing what they must to maintain pressure on the leaders and moving up to second.
George and Sam Wallis defeated MatDuf 5-0, but that scoreline does not reflect the effort the juniors put in, forcing one game to a fourth and leading in another.
The Guardian Cup semi-final between Castle Sports and Underdogs, was a sensational affair which the latter won by 132-61 over the table.
The handicapper had given Castle another 71 which tied the score.
They played a deciding doubles which Underdogs also led, 33-15, before Castle received 18 more to tie again.
A replay saw Underdogs finally win through 33-9, rounded up to 33-27.
Meanwhile, Outsiders defaulted on their Marylands semi-final as they were unable to field a full team.
Earlier, John Gilbert at last got his name on the Supremes trophy, a surprising omission, with an 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 win over Stephen Appleby.
However the Doubles final went against him and partner Jean White.
An early lead of 11-6, 15-13 against Briedes and Kelvin Preville dissolved into a loss after the latter came back 11-8, 11-7, 11-5.
Briedes also reached the final of the Roy Gibson. Facing Tom Chesworth – who had a 22-15 lead at the start of each game – he won 31-29, 31-28.
Richard Matthews (19) reached the semis in the same event at the expense of Sam Wallis (21) with a 31-27, 31-30 win and now faces Preville (3).
