Due to the results secretary moving house there was a severe lack of scorecards to write up this week. Therefor I have used reports that have been sent directly to me and one of my own game. Thanks to Chris and Tim for their contribution.

In the premier division promoted Speen’s Keith Taylor lost his first match in over a season, when Downley’s Chris Haines took him out in 3 straight legs 17-15, 11-5, 11-9 as the new table tennis season got under way last week
Danny Baxter then showed Colin Deaney what life in the Premier Division is all about when he demolished him 11-5, 11-1, 11-1
Duane Brooks then made it a clean sweep in round one of matches, beating Paul Trench in a reasonably close 3 legs, 12-10, 11-4, 15-13
Haines and Baxter went on to complete maximum’s for Downley, with Speen’s only success being Keith Taylor’s win over Brooks.
Last seasons runners up, reincarnated under their new name of Downley took all six points as they ran out 9-1 winners.
Champions Den thrashed Flackwell A 9-1 in their opening match of the season, with Nick and Robert Hansell taking maximums and John Cooper winning 2 matches
Paul Savage gained Flackwell’s consolation.

Apollo D started off as they don’t mean to go on in division one against Wesley A with a 3-7 loss continuing their run of disappointing. Readers from this time last year will no doubt remember the saga of Des Morris’ new bat - would he find one, should he stick with the old faithful? This season he has taken the plunge and has a brand spanking new bat, it has improved his game noticeably with return shots zipping back where previously them might have floated. Bob Gates may also have a new bat but it’s difficult to tell these days (is that number 15 or 16 he’s got now?) Their third player for the first match was Tim Sparks and opponents in the other Division one teams will not be pleased to hear that after years of ignoring his teammates, he has finally taken their words to heart & started playing sensibly. Wesley were represented by Dick Smith, Nick Tyler and Graham Gittens, a formidable team who played their usual solid game. In a long match,
4 sets went to 5 games and 5 went to 4 leaving Apollo feeling slightly disappointed by the 7-3 score line. Tim Sparks was the shock of the night for Apollo winning all 3 of his games and despite the odd wobble, the constant reminders from his team to play ‘properly’ meant he got the only point of the match. (Tim Sparks of Apollo D)
In division Three Union Baptist will be looking to improve on their 5th position from last year. Captain Ian Fearn started the match against Apollo G’s Colwin Hunte excellently winning the first two sets 11-6 11-5 showing that training all summer had helped his game no end. Then he showed that all the training in the world won’t help if you don’t have the right mental attitude and lost the next two to take the match into a deciding fifth set. Shaking off the two lost sets he got himself straight into winning ways 11-7. Tony Walters and Colin Gardiner made short work of Leo Barry and Jim Lloyd respectively to give Union a three nil lead. Walters came back to the table and saw his way past Hunte in three again. Fearn returned from the car park to inform everyone that Wycombe were 3-1 up again Aston Villa in the football. He then proceeded to win the first two sets of his game against Lloyd. Then lose the next two. Again his resolve shone through as he took the fifth 11-5. In the doubles Gardiner and Fearn faced Lloyd and Hunte, in which the pair from Apollo took the team’s first game of the night. A quick run back and forth from the car by Fearn told everyone that Villa had just gone 4-3 in front. Could Apollo do the same? Gardiner then squashed any thoughts of a comeback in three against Barry. Walters made it 7-1 for Union against Lloyd but Hunte got another game back for Apollo against Gardiner. Another trip out ot the car bought bad news for Wanderers fans Lloyd and Fearn as the final score of 3-8 Villa sent shockwaves through the playing hall. Possibly still in shock Fearn proceeded to have problem but eventually took his last game in the fifth again giving his team a great start to the season with an 8-2 win.