TWO teams in the nether regions of division one turned in the results of the week in the Braintree Table Tennis League.

Sible Hedingham cast off their relegation concerns some time ago but can nonetheless be pleased with a convincing victory over Rayne C, two places above them, while Black Notley A, for whom relegation remains a continuing threat, did themselves a power of good with an unexpected win over Liberal B.

Roy Hooper and Richard Jennings were unbeaten as Hedingham powered through Rayne C 8-2, a result that leaves them six points behind their opponents and only two behind Liberal B.

Notley A’s win was their second in succession after failing to win any of their first 18.

And for once it was not all down to Andrew Huckson.

Huckson won twice, but it was Zach Harrington, with only two successes in his last 15 sets, who hit top form and remained unbeaten in the 6-4 victory.

The results leave Notley’s B team looking more forlorn at the bottom.

They suffered 10-0 at the hands of leaders Liberal A and in a rearranged fixture lost 8-2 to Netts A.

Victor Chan won the two sets against Netts A and came within a whisker of averting the whitewash against Liberal A when he took Scott Dowsett to 12-10 in the fifth game.

Netts A moved back above their own B team after beating them 6-4 while Rayne A had a win by the same score against their own B team, but it was Hector Rogers who stole the glory in this match by winning his three sets.

In division three leaders Netts C continued their good run of form with a 9-1 win over Notley G, but Notley’s Declan Baines, playing up from the H team, can be pleased with his win over Joe Belsom.

In his own team, Baines joined Mel Cooch and Takunda Nerutanga in winning twice against Netts D but, like most people, had to give second best to Joe Meleschko, who stretched his unbeaten run to 27 sets.

Notley H won the match 6-4.

Second-placed Rayne H had an 8-2 win over their own J team, a match they might have expected to win 10-0.

That they did not was down to excellent wins by Chris High over Charles Wilkinson and Ian Rubens over Dave Allinson.

Jamie Brooks and Jim Davy were unbeaten in Notley E’s 8-2 win over Rayne I while Leon Hewitt was to the fore in Notley F’s 8-2 win over Notley I.