TABLE TENNIS: In the first round of the handicapped Divisional Cups the new points scoring system was employed resulting in some close matches and others not so close.

Only two matches played in the Brian Gittins Cup for Premier and Division One teams, the rest of the teams receiving byes.

Premier Division team St Catherine’s A, represented by Charles Musa, Pavel Orzechowski and Bill Russell, gave the top team in Division One, Heaton A, 21 points start and came out on top to win by 33 points. Steve Barber and Paul & Matt Ward played for Heaton.

In the all-Division One clash, Little Lever C left themselves in an impossible position by fielding only two players, and the Ladybridge A trio of Dave Bolton, Craig Bradbury and Lee Davenport recorded a very comfortable win.

Seven matches were played and nine teams received byes in the George Yates Shield for Second and Third Division teams.

Heaton D won a very close match with fellow Second Division team BEN A. Heaton’s trio of Alan Crompton, Bill Fairhurst and John Scowcroft recorded a 12-point victory over Mike Heaton, John Dodd and Phil Calvert for BEN who received 21-point start.

Second Division Hilton D gave Division Three Farnworth SC 56 points start and came out on top, winning by 35 points. Hilton were represented by Alan Bradshaw, Gary Hilton and Barry Walsh. The Farnworth team included John Kofi, John Ainley and John Rothwell.

Brian Greenhalgh, John Cole and sub Andy Scully, from the Division Two team Ladybridge B, recorded a 45-point victory over Malcolm Wilcock, Tony Mason and Alan Revell of Hilton H from of Division Three.

Again a Second Division team came out on top when the Hilton C trio of Chris Naylor, Roger Bertrand and John Barker beat their F team from Division Three by 64 points. Brian and Barek Young and Gary Hibbert played for the F team Farnworth TTC A from Division Two proved to strong for Third Division team St Catherine’s E. Their team of Rene Seidel, Graham Clayborough and junior player Krishna Chauhan won by 74 points. The Farnworth team was Roy Alty, and juniors Arron Waring and Beth Farnworth.

Top team in Division Three St Catherine’s D, beat the bottom team in that division, Ladybridge C, by a massive 136 points despite giving the Ladybridge team 63 points start. They fielded their regular team of Debbie Wilson, Stuart McCaig and Ben Dudley, with Andy Scully, Colin Gregory and Robin Llewellyn playing for Ladybridge.

Frank Green, Chris Higson and Steve Woods of Second Division Heaton E had a very comfortable 91 points win over Third Division Irlam Steel who only fielded two players.

In the Ron Hindle Memorial Trophy for Division Four teams, two matches were played, a third was conceded, and five teams received byes.

Hilton I went through on a concession received from Heaton G.

The Lads Club A team of Craig Duncan, Josh Sandford and Chris Ahmed beat the Hilton J trio of Minh Le, Andy Morey and Jeff Thomas by 19 points, making good use of the 14-point start they received.

The Hilton K juniors Max Maybury, Thomas Rotherham and Matthew Fishwick entertained Brass but, their 14 points start was far from enough as they lost by 90 points.

Ola Atinola, San Thien and Abdwali Ali, made up the Brass team.

RESULTS

Brian Gittins Cup: Ladybridge A bt L Lever C; St Catherine’s A bt Heaton A.

George Yates Shield: Ladybridge B bt Hilton H; Hilton C bt Hilton F; Farnworth TTC A bt St Cath’s E; Heaton E bt Irlam; St Cath’s D bt Ladybridge C; Heaton D bt BEN A; Hilton D bt Farnworth SC.

Ron Hindle Memorial Trophy: Lads Club A bt Hilton J; Brass bt Hilton K Hilton I w/o.

FIXTURES

Round Two draw to be played week starting January 25.

Brian Gittins Cup: Ladybridge A v St Catherine’s B; Meadow Bank v Wingates; Heaton B v Hilton B; Nomads A v Heaton C; Hilton A v Ramsbottom A; Wharton v St Catherin’s A; Burning Desire v Little Lever B; Little Lever A v Tameside.

George Yates Shield: Farnworth TTC A v Nomads B; Hilton C v Coburg; St Catherin’e D v BEN B; Little Lever D v Hilton G; Heaton D v Hilton D; Hilton E v Heaton E; Heaton F v Meadow Hill B; Hilton H v St Paul’s Peel.

Ron Hindle Memorial Trophy: Brass v Lads Club B; Farnworth TTC B v Hilton I; St Catherine’s F v Lads Club A; Heaton H v Boyzone.