MATTHEW Brown is this year’s champion of the Rayne Table Tennis Club’s charity hard bat tournament.

The competition, run annually to raise money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Phil Wade, a Rayne player for many years, is in its third year and is open to all clubs in the Braintree League.

This year, as well as Rayne, players from Felsted RBL and Liberal Club took part and the winners and runners-up from each club took part in a mini-league competition, with bats used in the World Championships of Ping Pong.

Brown, from the host club, emerged successful after adapting his game to defeat Andrew Huckson (Liberal), Ashley Butler and Nicholas Butler (Felsted) and Ian Whiteside (Rayne).

A total of £180 was raised for the British Heart Foundation.