After Rayne A got off to a stuttering start the previous week, their main rivals Netts A followed suit in week two of the Braintree Table Tennis League.

Like Rayne, Netts could get no further than a draw in their first match – against Rayne’s B team.

Two of their top triumvirate were in action but neither James Hicks nor Andy Holmes emerged unscathed. Holmes fell to Victor Chan while Hicks lost to Matthew Brown, who won twice for Rayne.

Last season’s second-placed team Sudbury Nomads had got off to a worse start, losing 8-2 in their opening match, but they reversed that scoreline against clubmates the Wanderers. Karl Baldwin and Aron Jordan were unbeaten.

It was Black Notley A who had inflicted Nomads’ defeat and they carried on the good work with a 7-3 win over Liberal A to leave them, somewhat improbably, as the only team to win their opening two matches. Joe Addley and Luke Burridge accounted for all seven.

Liberal B had an unbeaten David Razzell to thank for a 7-3 win over Rayne C.

In division two, Sudbury Strollers and Notley D made it two wins out of two, Strollers with a 7-3 win over Rayne F and Notley D by 6-4 against Netts D.

Dave Fiddeman was unbeaten for Sudbury as was Netts’ Joe Meleschko in the second match.

Relegated Notley B took an early tumble, 8-2 against a strong looking Finchingfield A side who have quickly drawn themselves into the promotion conversation. Peter Clark was undefeated.

Like Meleschko, Yeldham A’s Roy Hooper also took his three singles in vain, Rayne E winning their fixture 6-4, while Peter Davenport showed that he belonged at the higher level by remaining unbeaten in promoted Notley E’s draw with Netts C.

In division three, Finchingfield B scored their second successive 10-0 win, this time over Netts E, while Notley F matched their scoreline against Rayne H.

Netts F, on the end of Finchingfield’s drubbing the previous week, recovered to register a 7-3 win over Notley H with Clive Forster and Myles Coker undefeated.

Yeldham B, beaten by Notley’s G team in the first week, found the I team more to their liking as they racked up an 8-2 victory.

James Dickson and Steve Willis, who won two each last time, made it three this time round.