Rayner in imperious form for Ratley in Banbury Table Tennis League
Millennium A maintained their hold on second position in Division 1 with a comfortable 8-2 win against a strong Bodicote A side.
Jack Shardlow was player of the match; Jack Garner also won all three of his singles and the pair combined to take the doubles. Pete Harris added a further two points. Gary Jackson and Roald Myers scored a win apiece for Bodicote, while Toby Dow was unlucky to go down 13-11 in the deciding set against Shardlow.Ratley A stay in third following an 8-2 defeat of Bodicote B.
Matt Rayner was in imperious form, winning all three singles in straight sets. Brian Hobill, in contrast, was taken to a deciding set in all of his three singles but ended the night undefeated and the pair took the doubles. Bodicote were
again left to rue their recent run of failures to convert five-setters into wins. Bodicote C eased their relegation fears with a 6-4 win over Shipston A. Harry Smith again won all three of his singles, but two wins apiece for Joseph Fisher and Paul Rowan, together with their win in the doubles and a point for Neil Buzzard saw Bodicote take the match.
In Division 2, leaders Shutford A defeated Bodicote F 7-3. Andrew Sabin and Sean O’Keeffe took three wins each and Nicholas Walker added a further point. Bloxham A, in second place, extended their gap above third-placed Tadmarton B with a 7-3 win. Tadmarton B could only field two players and Paul Waller picked up the points for them in his three singles. Bodicote E scored a 7-3 win against their club D side. Yao Fu and Changli Wang were undefeated in their singles, while Wang and Rob Gray took the doubles for the E team.
Only one point separates the top two teams in Division 3. Bloxham C defeated Bodicote G 7-3. Richard Anstis was player of the match with three wins in the singles. Lewis Genney added two wins and combined with Anstis to take the doubles. John Keen took two wins for Bodicote.
Second-placed Shutford B had a comfortable 9-1 win over their club C team. Derek Oxley and Mike Starkie won all or their singles as well as the doubles, with James Mcfarlane adding two wins. Bloxham B with two games in hand could still take the title.
They dispatched Ratley C 8-2. Paul Harris was undefeated in the singles, Ian Critchley and Patrick Foley scored two wins apiece, and Critchley and Harris took the doubles. David Grysakowski picked up the only points for Ratley. Bodicote H were too strong for Bloxham D, running out 9-1 winners. Harry Hunt was player of the match for the fifth time this season. Ben Shangkuan also won his three singles. Finn Gibbs took two victories in the singles and paired up with Hunt to win the doubles.