It was the Team Handicap quarter-finals in the Burnham & District Table Tennis Winter League this week and despite a significant change in the scoring rules the higher ranked teams came through with just one quarter left to play.

Holders Cold Norton B continue to dominate this event with yet another 5-0 victory. They are on course to repeat the heroics of last season and retain both the league title and team cup trophy – they haven’t dropped a game in this particular event for a few years now so despite some gallant efforts from the Mapledene trio their fate seemed sealed before the first ping or pong of the evening.

The Cold Norton team struggled a bit in the doubles where both matches went to a deciding leg. In the opening match Eric Green (-17) and Dan Anderson (-12) appeared to have the measure of the Mapledene duo Lin Roff (-6) and Bill Smith (-4) with a seemingly comfortable 21-16 first leg. But making better use of their 10-point advantage in leg 2 they took control of the match with a powerful 21-12 win. But as we have seen previously this Cold Norton side have talent and patience in abundance and they rallied in the final set and waited for the right opportunities, dampening the Mapledene challenge and spirit allowing them to prevail 21-13 for the hardest fought opening point of the night.

Cold Norton then took the first trio of singles all in straight sets, before another troubling doubles that followed the same pattern as the opener. Sam Lowman (-18) and Green taking the opening leg against Roff and Dave Woolmer (-6), relaxing too much and comfortably losing the second leg, before regaining composure and finishing off the third leg – game, set and match Cold Norton. The team to avoid for sure.

There were two games being played alongside each other at the Blackwater Arena – firstly in a Blackwater derby the Plucky Blackwater F side had been pitted against their own A team which gave rise to some chunky handicaps. Another 5-0 victory, but every game here was close with the handicaps providing a very even playing field with perhaps the better players being able to hold their nerve come the business end of the matches being the difference.

Three of the matches went to deciding legs – both doubles, and the singles match between Alan Scammell (-3) and Anne Brewer (+11). Having won the second leg and been ahead all the way through the final leg Brewer could and should have wrapped this one up to avoid the team whitewash. At 20-18 she had two match points but just couldn’t get over the line – and Scammell rattled off four points in a row to quash the F team hope.

The A team’s Neil Freeman (-6) had to give away 15 points to David McHattie (+9) and he was made to work hard to catch up the handicap in both legs as he won the nailbiter 21-18, 23-21. In the other singles Noah Sage (-3) had to overcome a tough opponent in Jason Bush (+2) and he only caught up the handicap at the death in each leg but still prevailed 21-19, 21-18 in a another close encounter.

Across the arena, runaway Division 3 leaders Blackwater C welcomed Division 1 opponents Woodham B. Another very close encounter despite the eventual 5-1 winning scoreline for the Woodham side. Across the six matches, four went to three legs and the other two matches saw the losing player get to 19 points in both legs – so another nod to the handicapping committee, although Blackwater might say an extra point or two wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Mervyn Perriman (-2) scored the only point for Blackwater as he outwitted Eamonn Hall (-5) for a double 21-19 bragging rights win. For Woodham Graham Briggs (-8) and Peter Harverson (-5) went unbeaten but only just. Andrea Alleyne (+3) had match point at 20-19 in the decider against Harverson but then ponged when she should have pinged, and Peter Davenport (+1), with his excellent serving, looked to be in control against Graham Briggs until he hit the opposite of a purple match that allowed Briggs to quickly catch up his handicap in the final leg and surpass his opponent before Davenport pulled himself together and started to compete again – unfortunately the damage had been done and Briggs came through shaken but not stirred.

The final match saw Hall redeem himself after being ‘out-tacticked’ by Perriman – but again it was nip and tuck as Alleyne used her handicap to build up a challenging lead for Hall to chase down. Both times it came down to the final few points as Hall won through 22-20, 21-19. Just as well it finished there as the available playing time was running out for sure.