Finchingfield B’s apparent stroll to the Braintree Table Tennis League division three title received an unexpected jolt last week when they were held to a draw by mid-table Black Notley H.

After seven successive wins since the start of the season, the league leaders found their hosts a tough nut to crack.

Seventeen-year-old Lucien Nolan-Bradford kept his unbeaten record – now 18 out of 18 – but was given a tough examination by Wayne Wilson, who bowed out only at 12-10 in the fifth game.

Two wins for Wilson and one each for Harry Wilson and Peter Foster, plus a doubles win for the Wilsons gave Notley a share of the points.

Things were stirring behind the leaders as well where the teams in second and third place faced each other.

Notley E and Rayne F had both won six out of seven and it was the former who came out on top 7-3 to bring the two teams level.

Peter Davenport and Dave Parker were unbeaten, but Davenport had to come back from two games to one down against Dave Whiting and Parker from 2-0 down against Conrad Gomes.

At the other end of the table, the bottom two played each other with Sudbury Drifters picking up their first win of the season. An unbeaten Ian Whipps led them to a 6-4 win over Netts E.

Rayne G had a 10-0 win over Yeldham Whitlocks B while Netts F’s young warriors picked up a 7-3 win over Notley G. Frank Chapman, 18, James Howard, 17 and Annabel Dix, 12, picked up two wins each.

Ben Southgate accounted for Notley’s three wins, but he was stretched to four games by Dix and five by Chapman and Howard, clinching a win against Howard only at 17-15.

In division two, Netts and Notley featured in two D v C matches and in both cases the C team came through 6-4.

Charles Calisin was unbeaten for Netts C against Notley D while Jamie Brooks took his three singles in Notley C’s win over Netts D.

The other match in the division was a draw between Yeldham A and Rayne D. Lorraine Burgess made a welcome return for Yeldham after a lengthy injury lay-off but Dean Andrews’ three singles ensured Rayne shared the points.