Table Tennis Round-Up: League Updates and Eastern Masters Veteran Tournament
In a week with no scheduled league or cup fixtures, several teams took the opportunity to catch up on postponed matches. Wanderers faced off against Vikings in their rescheduled Division One match from week one, suffering a 7-3 defeat despite Stephen Kent’s maximum performance for Wanderers. The Vikings lineup of Neil Parsley, Lewis Watson, and Kevin Saunders proved too strong overall, showcasing the competitive nature of the division even in these early stages of the season. These make-up matches allow teams to maintain momentum and ensure the league table accurately reflects all teams’ current standing without having a backlog of fixtures later in the season.
After just three league games, the standings are beginning to take shape across the divisions. Wizards have claimed their typical position at the summit of their table with 26 points, though Eagles are keeping pace close behind with 23 points. Division One sees Warlords setting the early pace with 25 points, but DNA has emerged as this season’s dark horses, sitting just three points behind on 22. The competitive balance in both divisions promises exciting contests ahead as teams jockey for position in these early stages. Six players across the leagues currently boast 100% records, though this number will inevitably decrease as the season progresses and the stronger players face each other in key matchups.
Individual performances are already creating talking points across the divisions. While Division One has two players maintaining perfect records, they’ve only played a single match each. More impressively, Kevin Buck and Peter Hau have played all possible games and still maintain remarkable 89% win rates, with David Patrick close on their heels. In Division Two, youth appears to be dominating as Nets and Edges B have established a commanding five-point lead over Possibles, dropping just one game en route to accumulating 29 points. The division sets up an intriguing narrative of youth versus experience, with veterans Stephen Buttriss and Tony Trayford facing the challenge of holding back the tide of talented younger players making their mark on the league.
The Norwich Premier Division saw Foxwood B secure a convincing 8-2 victory over Broadland Foxes, with David Lemmon and Paul Rich both achieving maximums. Owen Turner contributed two wins to complete the dominant team performance. In contrast, Serafim Melo’s Foxwood C team suffered a 7-3 defeat to The Originals B, with Melo himself experiencing a frustrating evening of narrow margins – he contested three extremely close matches but could only convert one into a victory. These results highlight the fine margins that often determine success in table tennis, where a few points can be the difference between a comfortable win and a disappointing loss.
The weekend saw five members from Wisbech Table Tennis Club testing themselves against elite competition at the Eastern Masters Veteran Tournament in Norwich. Wayne Mason, Paul Rich, Serafim Melo, Judy Hodgson, and Wendy Cropp all participated in this prestigious event for players aged 40 and over. Mason, the defending champion in the over-40s Men’s Singles from 2024, came agonizingly close to advancing further in the tournament but was eliminated in the quarter-finals despite holding four match points in the fourth end – a heartbreaking way to relinquish his title.
Despite the singles disappointment, the tournament brought success in other events. Mason teamed up with clubmate Paul Rich in the over-40s doubles competition, where the Wisbech pair performed admirably to finish as runners-up. Rich added to his medal haul by also securing runner-up honors in the over-40s consolation singles. These performances at regional level demonstrate the strength in depth at Wisbech Table Tennis Club, with multiple players capable of competing successfully against the best veterans in the eastern region. Their achievements bring positive recognition to the club and inspire other members to raise their competitive standards as the league season continues to unfold across all divisions.
