The Burnham & District Table Tennis League witnessed an exciting conclusion to its Team Handicap Cup competition this week. In this event, player rankings are used to determine handicaps, aiming to create a level playing field and allow teams from all divisions to compete evenly.
This year’s final was an all-Cold Norton affair, as the league’s B and C teams battled through several rounds to earn the right to face off for the coveted trophy. The defending champions, Cold Norton B, got off to a steady start, with Ian Wall and Dan Anderson quickly overcoming their five-point deficit to secure the opening win against Tim Cramphorn and Dick Wyman.
The first singles match of the night was a classic encounter. Neil Want of the Cold Norton C team raised his game and attacked the defensive-minded Eric Green, who was given a five-point handicap. The match went to deuce in the first leg, with Green holding on, but Want bounced back to take the second leg 21-19 after some fantastic rallying. The final leg saw Want take an early lead, but Green mounted a remarkable comeback, scoring seven consecutive points to win the leg 21-18 in a hard-fought and well-played match.
“Wall then propelled the B team into a commanding 3-0 lead with a straight-sets victory over Cramphorn, his serve proving accurate and decisive.”
The next match saw the captains, Anderson and Wyman, face off, with Anderson emerging victorious through measured and consistent play.
Trailing 0-4, the C team duo of Want and Cramphorn faced a daunting task against the league’s best doubles pairing of Green and Wall. However, with a six-point handicap in their favor, the C team duo went all out and took a considerable lead in the first leg. But the B team duo eventually found their rhythm and pulled off a comeback victory.
Undeterred, the C team duo fought back in the second leg, with the match tied at 19-19. Want then coolly dispatched a Green serve to take the leg. Reeling from this setback, the B team came out strongly in the deciding leg, quickly erasing their handicap deficit and securing a comfortable 21-11 win to clinch the match and the Cup for Cold Norton B.
The victorious Cold Norton B team will receive their well-deserved trophies at the upcoming Presentation Dinner. A big thank you goes out to the event organizer and chief umpire, Mr. Alan Scammell, for their hard work in making this tournament a success.
🔗 Source
