Photo credit: Chris Rayner

Brighton are Senior British Club League champions again after prevailing in the title decider at the expense of Ormesby.

A thrilling season had a fitting end as the two teams battled it out in an absorbing contest, and of course, it was decided by the narrowest of margins. Brighton took the fixture 4-3.

A full season came down to this. Both teams entered the contest level on points with a record of eight wins from nine. It was winner takes all, all or nothing. In the end, Brighton – cheered on by around 40 supporters among 100 spectators – retained their title, a phenomenal achievement.

When all is said and done, this match was decided by the doubles. Across all levels of SBCL, how often is that the case? Almost everyone who has experienced this fantastic competition will most likely be able to relate to it.

Brighton had established a 2-0 lead. Finnish superstar Alex Naumi had made light work of Graeme Barella while Ukrainian Ihor Zavadskyi produced a brilliant display to beat England international David McBeath, despite dropping the first end.

The pair had played out a classic earlier in the season, McBeath winning in five. But the tide turned this time around. McBeath was, at times, impatient and tried to win points too early, Zavadskyi was just fantastic. The jubilant scenes among the travelling Brighton contingent told you how important they felt this set was.

But there was still a long way to go. Doubles, though, had become a must-win for the hosts.

And it started so well for them. McBeath teamed up with Humberto Manhani Junior and the pair hit it off straight away. Manhani Junior was controlling the start of points, McBeath was finishing them. All was going well for the hosts.

But Brighton spectacularly turned it around. Naumi and Shamo Nishihara adapted and played more aggressively from the start. It brought incredible success. Battling back to win the third and fourth, it did feel like going into the fifth, they had it sussed out. That proved to be the case too. A sequence of points in the middle of the fifth put them up and saw them home too, the final shot of the match determined to have hit the side of the table, securing them victory. Brighton were on the brink but after this, it already felt like the contest had been decided.

It proved to be the case as Naumi raced to victory over McBeath, winning in three straight ends. Title secured.

Knowing this, Brighton took the foot of the gas. It appeared that Nishihara was set to forfeit his match with Manhani Junior as soon as Naumi won on the adjacent table. He ended up playing it out but lost comfortably.

Zavadyski, similarly, was clearly not completely in the zone when he went on against the same opponent straight after, losing in straight ends and playing certain shots you wouldn’t expect to see from him.

Nishihara returned and again appeared disinterested. Barella was not and he ran out a 3-1 victor for an excellent personal win.

Ultimately, it was not enough though. Brighton had done the damage and got the win. Now, they can call themselves back-to-back champions.