By Ron Fosker

One of the more curious sequences in the Braintree Table Tennis League has come to an end.

Division one Liberal B had won no fewer than five consecutive matches 6-4, doing just enough to get over the line each time.

Netts C put an end to that run by beating them 7-3.

Not to be outdone, Liberal returned to the table the following week against Rayne C – and won 6-4.

Andy Holmes was the man mainly behind Netts C’s victory.

He won his three singles for the third match running.

Rayne C’s four points were largely the work of Adam Buxton. Playing up from the D team, he won his three singles and joined Keith Martin to win the doubles.

Netts A jumped to the top of the table, two points ahead of Liberal A but from one more match, after a 6-4 win over Rayne A.

Paul Davison again won his three singles but was stretched to 11-8 in the fifth game by Steve Pennell.

Rayne D jumped up one place to fifth with a 9-1 win over their own C team, where it was Richard Whiteside’s turn to win the C team’s one singles of the evening.

The D team are level on points with Rayne B, who beat Black Notley A 6-4, Notley’s wins all coming from Andrew Huckson.

Notley also drew with Rayne A.

At the lower end of the table, Sible Hedingham pulled themselves nine points clear of Rayne C, with three matches in hand, after a 7-3 win over a two-person Netts B, for whom James Hicks was unbeaten.

In division two Liberal C’s run of eight successive wins was brought to an end when they drew with Rayne F, the last team to prevent them winning.

Dave Marsh’s three wins were largely responsible, as they were the last time they met.

Rayne E kept in the hunt for the runners-up berth with a 9-1 win over Hedingham Lions while bottom team Felsted RBL B had one of their more profitable evenings in taking four points off Nomads.

Dean Wood and reserve Arthur Geen won two singles each.

While Felsted B are almost certain to go down, it is even more likely that it will be their C team who replace them.

They lead division three by 21 points, with a match in hand, after their latest 10-0 win, over Rayne I.

Notley E’s 7-3 win over Notley H leaves them comfortably in second place while Rayne H pulled a point closer to Notley I in third by beating Netts D 7-3 while Notley I beat their own F team 6-4.

Kierlan Richards won Netts D’s three sets while for the second match running Jim Davy outscored his teammates in taking three singles for Notley I. Notley G continue to pull away from the bottom and had a good 6-4 win over Rayne G, two places above them.