Table Tennis: Keighley & District League

From the archive, first published Friday 3rd Feb 2006.

In Division One of the Keighley & District Table Tennis League Peter Holbrook single handedly saved Ukrainian `B' from a whitewashing away to Lothersdale `A'. The Ukrainian number one won all his games with comparative ease, although Keith Wilkinson did his best to stem the tide, going down 11-5, 12-10, 11-13, 12-10. The home team fared far better against Holbrook's team-mates Jerry Harkawy and Stef Szczur who failed to register with Bob Davis being particularly impressive against Szczur 11-5, 14-12, 11-5 and David Adams doing likewise against Harkawy 11-3, 11-7, 13-11. Adams and Wilkinson then teamed up in the doubles to defeat Holbrook and Harkawy 15-13, 11-3, 11-8 as the Lothersdale boys sealed a 7-3 victory.

Nelson Nomads couldn't stop the Embassy `B' cavalry charge, although things looked promising in the first for the Lancastrians when Peter Wood defeated Carl White 4-11, 15-13, 12-10, 11-8. Sadly, this proved to be a false dawn for Nomads as Tony Boyd and Gareth Wiles notched up hat-tricks to power the Bingley team to a 9-1 win and with it a nine point lead at the top of the table. Boyd was particularly imposing against Cath Lawson 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 and Wiles showed his class to get the better of Ian Beecroft 11-8, 11-7, 11-2 before White and Boyd rounded off the Embassy win with the defeat of Wood and Beecroft in the doubles 9-11, 12-10, 11-3, 10-12, 11-5.

In Division Two, Embassy `D' had the edge at home to Cononley Sports. Steve Crossland was superb value for a max that was completed by the defeat of Stuart Maude 11-9, 11-5, 10-12, 8-11, 11-8. Prior to this the Embassy player had got the better of Paul Lister 7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6 and Eric Hudson 11-9, 11-3, 11-9. Support from Tim Sharp with wins against Maude and Hudson, plus an 11-6, 11-7, 11-1 defeat of Hudson for Keith Brooke ensured a 7-3 triumph for Embassy. Points for the visitors came with wins for Lister against Brooke and Sharp and a victory for Maude, 10-12, 2-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-7 against Brooke.

Lothersdale `C' go top following an excellent performance against their erstwhile betters Lothersdale `B'. The derby produced some memorable performances, none more so than Andrew Lambe's win against Martin Connolly 10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 14-12 on his way to a treble for the 'C' team. Richard Crookes got the better of Peter Midgley 12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8 and Paul Hirst to add another couple to the `C' team tally and Martin Mulligan pulled out the stops to grab a win against Midgley 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7 as the `C' team ended 7-3 winners.

In Division Three, Ilkley Road `A' took full advantage of a Wilsden side lacking their best player Adam Broadbent to plunder 9 points. Roy Towler was particularly impressive, his full house including wins against Dave Broadbent 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 and George Fletcher 11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3. A solitary win for Wilsden's Luke Broadbent 11-4, 11-1, 11-7 against Steve Barton did little to redress the balance as the Riddlesden team surged into a 9 point lead at the top of the table.

Derek Stanforth grabbed a couple for Johnson & Johnson away to Ilkley Road `B' with wins against Steve Ives 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4 and Ken Feather 11-2, 6-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-4. John Pullen added a customary treble and Tony Bugeja notched one against Paul Stead 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 to help the visitors towards a 7-3 victory. For Ilkley Road, Ives got the better of Bugeja 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 as did Feather and a win for Stead 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 3-11, 11-8 against Stanforth finished the scoring for the Riddlesden outfit.

Things are tight at the top of Division Four with the top four teams being separated by a mere three points. Leaders Hawks `A' just got the better of South Craven in third thanks to a classy performance by skipper Andy Bray. Starting as he meant to go on with the defeat of Matthew Wiggan 11-6, 11-7, 11-3, the young Haworth star completed his max with wins against Edward Jagger 7-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-7 and Chris Farnworth 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9. Nathan Carr added a couple more for the Hawks with wins against Wigan 13-11, 11-5, 11-9 and Jagger before Steve Cole added another for the Haworth boys with the defeat of Farnworth 12-10, 7-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8. Points for South Craven were achieved by Wiggan and Jagger who both got the better of Cole; a win for Farnworth against Carr and a win in the doubles for Wiggan and Jagger 10-12, 11-6, 11-5, 10-12, 11-6 against Bray and Carr to end a match of high drama.

Crossflatts `B' are in second spot following a crushing 9-1 home defeat of Ilkley Fastbats `C'. James Marshall, improving with every match, took the eye with an impressive treble that included the defeat of Jak Katterfield 13-11, 11-7, 18-16. Ryan Foulds added another three for Crossflatts and a couple from John Patrick edged the hosts further ahead before Marshall and Foulds inflicted more pain on Fastbats with an 11-2, 11-5, 11-8 defeat of Jesse White and Katterfield in the doubles.

Oakbank moved clear of the rest at the top of Division Five with a 9-1 win at Embsay. The returning Russell Findley scored the Skipton team's consolation with the defeat of Alan Pearson, but both Gary Storton and Steve Flockton remained undefeated for Oakbank as the Keighley team looked strong candidates for honours.

RESULTS:-Division One-Lothersdale `A' 7, Ukrainian `B' 3; Nelson Nomads 1, Embassy `A' 9; Ukrainian `B' 3, Nelson Nomads 7. Division Two-Embassy `D' 7, Cononley Sports 3; Lothersdale `C' 7, Lothersdale `B' 3. Division Three-Ilkley Road `B' 3, Johnson & Johnson 7; Wilsden 1, Ilkley Road `A' 9. Division Four-Crossflatts `B' 9, Ilkley Fastbats `C' 1; Denholme 5, Lothersdale Juniors 5; Ilkley Fastbat `C' 1, South Craven 9; Lothersdale Juniors 6, Crossflatts `B' 4; South Craven 4, Haworth Hawks `A' 6. Division Five-Embsay 1, Oakbank 9; Oakbank 7, Ilkley Fastbats `A' 3.

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