There have been many famous double acts over the years but Mark Gale and Allen Denyer performed a magic trick worthy of Penn and Teller in taking the honours this week in the Clacton League’s Drawn Doubles Tournament held at Windsor’s St James’ Hall venue.

Having finished bottom of their group, Gale and Denyer grew in confidence and stature in the later stage of the Tournament to finish with a flourish, winning their four knockout matches to take the title, in the final (on -5) defeating John Gallagher and Matt Thomas (+1) 5-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-8, 11-3.

It was a marvellous comeback for the winning pair after losing their three group matches, which included a defeat by Gallagher and Thomas who actually topped the group. But Gale and Denyer gained strength as the Tournament progressed and entered the knockout stage displaying cool heads, clear thinking and an abundance of steady table tennis play.

The final proved to be a see-saw match which ebbed and flowed throughout, largely depending on whether Gale and Denyer’s consistency could claw back the handicap deficit quickly enough. And an excellent start in the final set saw them retrieve their handicap at 2-2 to ensure success for this unlikely, but thoroughly deserving, pair of winners.

In Round One of the Knockout stage, Gale and Denyer had eliminated the pairing of Barry Allen and Lily Liu, who’d excelled to finish top of their group, winning 11-4 in the fifth in a match played off-scratch.

After which, in the quarter-final, they edged past Graham Playle and Derek Foxley by the narrowest of margins in one of the tensest matches of the Tournament, taking it 3-2 (11-7, 7-11, 1-11, 12-10, 13-11), a match also played off-scratch.

And, in their semi-final, Gale and Denyer defeated the talented young pairing of Joe Sherwin and Ruby Gallagher, the Brotherhood J team-mates who had coincidentally and randomly been drawn together. The winning score was 3-1 (11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 13-11) in another scratch-match.

In the other half of the draw, Gallagher and Thomas showed commendable team-work, as they had all day, and were never taken to a fifth set in winning their three knockout matches, in the semi-final (on +1) easing through to the final by defeating John Barton and Ferdy Rodriguez (-6) 11-4, 11-2, 9-11, 11-2.

The Tournament, which was played on a handicap basis, saw a number of close matches, with the pairing of Russell Hillier and Anne Bonny looking particularly impressive before (on +1) being edged out at the quarter-final stage 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 15-13 by Joe Sherwin and Lucy Gallagher (-3), while Scott Campbell and Lucy Carvell looked extremely competitive before being eliminated (on -6) by John Gallagher and Matt Thomas (+1) at the same quarter-final stage.

But no match was closer than the Round One match of the knockout stage where Graham Playle and Derek Foxley (+1) scraped past Mark Salter and Bob Jillins (-1) 3-2 (7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 14-12).

Although the League had previously run a Drawn Doubles Tournament between 1988 and 1993, this was the first time it was run in its current format, with the pairs drawn at random at the start of the day’s play, with the initial matches played in groups of four and with their positions in the Groups determining their knockout stage opponents.

It was a credit to all 32 players who took part that they entered into the spirit of the new Tournament. And it was refreshing that the players were spread across all three Divisions, with twelve coming from each of the First and Second Divisions, and eight from Division Three.

League Report

After dropping just one point in their first five matches, it was an important week in Division One of the League for Nomads Lions, with fixtures against both their title rivals.

Their first match against reigning champions Nomads Panthers ended all-square, Paul Hume taking two, and Ethan Lloyd and Charlie Fulcher one each. But none of them could get the better of James Denyer who was in unstoppable mood and remained unbeaten. Greg Green’s two points for the Panthers were wins in five against Lloyd and Fulcher.

But in the Lions’ second match, it was Brotherhood A who took the honours 7-3. Daniel Young was Brotherhood’s unbeaten hero, with Kevin Gowlett adding a couple and Gary Young taking a point by overcoming Adam Cuthbert 11-9 in the fifth. Paul Hume’s two for the Lions included a close 11-9 in the fifth win over Gary Young, whilst Ethan Lloyd’s point was an even closer 3-2 (12-10, 10-12, 13-11, 7-11, 12-10) against the same player.

And with the Brotherhood trio of Gracie Edwards, Kevin Gowlett and Daniel Young taking all 10 points against Brotherhood B earlier in the week, it means the Brotherhood A team have leap-frogged to the top of the table for the first time this season, four points ahead of the Lions.  

Elsewhere, Windsor Hawks beat Brotherhood C 8-2, Andy Vincent and Scott Campbell taking trebles. John Barton took one point for the Hawks but was denied a second by Brotherhood’s Graham Playle who took their individual match 12-10 in the decider.

Walton A chalked up a first win of the season, 8-2 over Windsor Buzzards, Mark Ratcliffe starring with a maximum. Derek Willis and Paul Meikle each won two for Walton whilst, for the Buzzards, there was one each for Andy Cawley and Andy Foster, Foster edging out Willis 12-10 in the fifth. Encouragingly, it was good to see Windsor’s Ray Chillingworth back in table tennis action taking part in the doubles.

Brotherhood J have settled well to life in Division Two, this week beating Windsor Kestrels 8-2, their fourth victory of the season. Tom Bryden stayed undefeated, while there were two each for Lucy Carvell and Ruby Gallagher. The two closest matches of the evening involved Windsor’s Peter Aumord, beating Gallagher 11-9 in the fifth but losing by the same score to Bryden.

Brotherhood F were 6-4 victors against Windsor Penguins, Mark Salter unbeaten, Neil Chegwidden taking two and Tricia Salter one. Kelvin Olano-Harper won two for the Penguins and, with Paul Woolnough, took the doubles against Chegwidden and Mark Salter, the Penguins’ first doubles win of the season and Brotherhood’s first doubles defeat.

Brotherhood D beat Windsor Harriers 7-3 in an encounter where none of the matches were settled in three, and with seven going the full distance. For Brotherhood, Kevin Pryor took three, Fred Gallone two and Lily Liu one, with Barry Allen taking a couple for the Harriers and Ferdy Rodriguez one.

By contrast, although the Lawford v Brotherhood G match ended all-square, only three individual matches were extended to a fourth set, the remainder settled in three. John Colvin recorded a treble for Lawford whilst there were a couple each for Brotherhood’s Mark Boyland and John Gallagher.

In an all-Nomads’ clash, the Jaguars’ Andy Hart was the standout player, remaining unbeaten in his side’s 7-3 success against the Tigers. Chris Petrou picked up a couple, as did Tom Wilkin for the Tigers.

In Division Three, a Danny Still hat-trick and two for Dan Grindrod saw Brotherhood H home 6-4 against Walton C. Lynette Sparks’ two for Walton included an 11-9 in the fifth win over Grindrod but she failed to get the better of Still, going down 11-7 in the fifth. There was a point each for Walton’s Adrian Sexton and Deborah Pallett, Pallett edging past Tony Woollard 11-4 in the fifth.

Holland Hurricanes won the three individual matches which went the distance to record a 7-3 success over Windsor Falcons, Gary Stallwood winning three, Gerry Widnell two and John Smith-Daye one. Matt Thomas won two for the Falcons and Nigel Rolph one, with Gary Barnes unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet, going down 14-12 in the decider to Widnell. The doubles was also ultra-close, Widnell and Smith-Daye edging past Thomas and Barnes 12-10 in the decider.

Three for Andrew Cousins, two for Hazel Blanche and one for Norman Jacobs was good enough for Nomads Ocelots to take the win 6-4 against Holland Vulcans. For the Vulcans, Derek Foxley picked up two, James Horsler one, plus Foxley and Bob Keefe took the doubles.

Dominic Joannou won his three and Anne Bonny two, including a 12-10 in the fifth win over Alan Rutledge, as Nomads Leopards beat Windsor Magpies 6-4. John Plummer won two for the Magpies.

Finally, no-one stayed unbeaten in the drawn match between Brotherhood E and Holland Lancasters. Joe Hillier and Jack Hillier each won two for Brotherhood, as did Peter Evans and Dave Wright for the Lancasters.

RESULTS
Division 1
Nomads Panthers 5 Nomads Lions 5
Windsor Buzzards 2 Walton A 8
Brotherhood A 10 Brotherhood B 0
Windsor Hawks 8 Brotherhood C 2
Nomads Lions 3 Brotherhood A 7
Division 2
Windsor Harriers 3 Brotherhood D 7
Lawford 5 Brotherhood G 5
Nomads Tigers 3 Nomads Jaguars 7
Brotherhood F 6 Windsor Penguins 4
Brotherhood J 8 Windsor Kestrels 2
Division 3
Windsor Falcons 3 Holland Hurricanes 7
Walton C 4 Brotherhood H 6
Holland Vulcans 4 Nomads Ocelots 6
Brotherhood E 5 Holland Lancasters 5
Nomads Leopards 6 Windsor Magpies 4