Wanderers edge keenly fought Highfield clash

Highfield A were beaten 24-12 by Wanderers A in Division One of the Wellingborough and District Table Tennis League.

This keenly fought contest between the division’s second and third placed teams saw the Wanderers come out on top.

Wanderers’ captain Tony Wharton led his team to victory with a brilliant maximum to add to a good double from Andy Law and a further single from Mike Terry.

Nitin Patel was Highfield’s best performer with a fine double to add to a single win for Mike Hawes.

Highfield’s lead over the Wanderers has now been cut to a mere two points but they have a game in hand.

Having gained 29 points against Westfield’s B team last week, Chesterwell did it again this week with another 29-point haul, this time at the expense of Westfield’s A team, who collected five.

Daniel Mann and Johnathon Driscoll both carded perfect maximums for Chesterwell without conceding a single end and Stan Galkowski added an excellent further eight points .

Westfield’s Steve Fuller was the only home player to taste any success, beating Galkowski.

Fuller and David Rogers took the first end in the doubles against Driscoll and Mann but then lost the next three.

A contest between the division’s fifth and sixth placed teams - Wanderers B and Stanwick VHTTC - ended up with a 19-19 score-line, the top flight’s first draw of the season.

Wanderers’ Paul Goodman fired another excellent double and this was matched by newcomer Kelvin Marshall, whilst Stanwick’s Ian Baldock and Graham Taylor both fired good doubles of their own to add to a further single win from Geoff Neville.

Goodman and Marshall finished the night with a good 3-1 doubles victory over Baldock and Taylor.

In Division Two, Highfield B beat Higham Harriers C 6 (23)- 4 (13).

A good effort by Higham Harriers C, scoring 13 points in total.

Martin Reeves scored twice, including taking the scalp of Himanshu Ganatra, and Ansh Shah, who had only lost one set each before.

Neil Stevens also took Shah in four ends.

Hubert Malenda came away unscathed, without dropping an end, giving him 12 hat tricks in total.

Some close ends in the doubles but Stevens and Reeves saw Ganatra and Malenda off in four ends, to gain another well-earned three points.

Westfield D 26 v Wanderers C 9

Westfield D saw off lowly placed Wanderers C, winning 8 (26)-2 (9).

Adam Koszyk and Roy Smyth were unbeaten, with only Smyth losing two points in total.

Those points were against Graham Babbage, who went down 4-11 at the final hurdle.

Wanderers other two players, Roger Ellingham and Mike Howorth, both won their sets off Stuart Rae, giving their team the majority of points earned.

Smyth and Rae took the doubles in three close ends a culminating with a 15-14 victory.

With Old Grammarians B not playing this week, Chesterwell B overtake them into third place, despite giving nine points away by playing with only two players due to Covid, for a 21-10 success.

Maxine Shears and Mike Pond took all the remaining sets, and only lost one point.

Deirdre Kiziak caught Pond off his guard in the first end 11-9 but went down in the next three ends.

The doubles was over quickly with Chesterwell winning 11- 4, 11-5 and 11-4.

Chesterwell, only fielding two players this week, gave Highfield C their greatest victory this season, 30-3.

Only two ends were surrendered, Mary Roka Magar winning both.

One against Swati Jethwa and the other against Rushabh Patel 9-11, 12-10, 9-11, and 11-12. Shivam Gopal, Patel and Jethwa took all points on offer and Jethwa and Gopal won the doubles 11-8, 11-9, 10-12 and 12-10 to give them maximum points.