THE two teams who ran Rayne E close last season have set out their stall as likely challengers in division two of the Braintree Table Tennis League.

Black Notley B and Liberal C are the only two to have won their two opening matches - Notley with two 9-1s while Liberal added a 10-0 win to their opening 6-4.

Notley’s wins came over Rayne G and Netts D.

They had to call on a reserve on both occasions but with players of the calibre of Mick Richardson and Steve Noble in the wings, that is hardly a problem. Both remained undefeated.

Steve Siggs beat Dave Parker for Rayne’s solitary point in the first match while 16-year-old Max Plumridge scored an excellent win over Gordon Fairchild, eighth in last season’s division averages, for Netts.

Liberal C came up against Dave Marsh at his most obdurate in their first fixture.

He took his three singles for Rayne F who added a surprise win for Ted Sims over Jon Fieldsend, the division’s number two last season.

Rayne E have also got off to a good start with a win in their only match so far - but not as good as they thought after losing points for playing an ineligible player.

Richard Whiteside and Kelly Yuenyongpknan were unbeaten.

Nomads followed up a 6-4 defeat with a 6-4 win.

They lost to Notley C, for whom Glen Laing was unbeaten, and then with Ken Lewis in the side beat Notley’s D team.

Netts E did it the other way round, following a 6-4 win with a defeat by the same score.

Fred Evans made a winning return to the league with two wins against Felsted RBL A, but neither he nor his team-mates could get the better of Felsted’s new signing Richard Baxter.

In their next match against Rayne F, Marsh was the stumbling block but Joe Meleschko can be pleased with his win over Dave Moles.

Netts D began with a draw against Notley D.

Division three started with a series of tight matches, two draws, a 7-3 and an 8-2.

Peter Hardy held Netts F together with his three singles in the draw against Notley G but Peter Taylor had to work hard to follow suit for Rayne H in their draw with Felsted C.

He had to come from 2-1 or 2-0 down in games before taking his three sets.

Notley F beat Rayne J 7-3 but no one could get past Chris High, while Notley E were the most convincing winners of the week, their 8-2 win over Rayne I featuring three singles wins for Jamie Brooks and two for Jill Canning in her comeback match after a season off with a shoulder injury.

In division one Matthew Brown led the way with his three singles for Rayne B in their 6-4 win over Netts C.