Table tennis round-up: Leaders Jokers take command with win over depleted JDM

Jokers beat JDM 5-0 last week to take a firm grip at the top of the Division One table in Spalding and District Table Tennis League.

In fairness to the losers, they were forced to bring in a substitute for an injured player in the shape of young Tom Chesworth – who performed very creditably despite finding the opposition a little too strong.

But then Jokers’ Sasha Martin and Guntars Briedes also won against the regular player. They now lead by three from South Holland, second on wins, and Moulton SE, who are tied on 19.

Holland met The Underdogs, for whom John Gilbert and Ionel Dumitrache took a singles each and Gilbert teamed up with Jean White to win the doubles.

Kelvin Preville won the other two singles for Underdogs’ points.

Moulton now have two unfinished matches to add in, compared with Jokers’ and Holland’s one each, after facing Outsiders who were a player short.

The Appleby brothers both won their game in straight ends.

Bladerunners and Mine’s a Pint could only field a player each because of illness so only played one game which went to the Pinters.

Nets n Edges picked up their second win of the season 3-2 against Aches and Pains.

The latter took the lead with a win in the doubles which were played first, before Reece Kerry levelled for the Edgers. The third went to Aches’ Garry Wilkinson, but they were pulled back again by

Kerry in the fourth before Allan Lewis won the final singles and the match.

In Division Two, Pottermus Clarets extended their lead in moving to 4-0 in their match with Castle Sports from last week with Peter Chester and Tom Chesworth winning all four in regulation.

Castle Sports, meanwhile, picked up a good win against Hurricane Brothers.

Castle’s Tony Dorey and Ping Wang shared the singles with Sam and George Wallis of Hurricanes but secured the doubles in four ends to win 3-2.

The juniors of MatDuf found contenders 200up too strong for them, going down 5-0 to the title contenders who trail the leaders by five points behind.