THE current South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League first division leaders, NA Buzzards, have opened up a 12-point lead at the top of the table following their 8-2 victory over Halwell.

Both Kevin Nicholls and Herbie Sage collected their eighth maximums of the season, they also head the seasons’ averages. Paul Davey and Ian Callard were unbeaten as their NA Eagles defeated clubmates NA Ravens 8-2.

The second division title looks to be heading towards Brixham as the Trawlers picked up two victories in two days to head the table by 14 points with just two matches left to play.

David Davies with a fine maximum for Teignmouth Aces slowed the Trawlers charge to the title down but the Trawlers still took the match 7-3. The Trawlers team of Issy Brown, Stuart and Nick Shipley then went on to whitewash NA Falcons, seventeen points in two days virtually assures them of the title.

There is however a very close contest for the runners-up spot, Torre Vikings are currently in second spot despite going down 6-4 to a Paul Hine inspired NA Raptors, who themselves are just a point behind both Torre Vikings and Teignmouth Aces.

The new leaders in a really tight third division are NA Kestrels despite losing out to Torre Spartans 6-4, Rob Austin, still unbeaten this season, with a maximum for the Spartans in the only third division encounter this week.

One more big win should be sufficient for the Grove Tigers to clinch the fourth division title. Nigel Langley and Jeff Cornish were undefeated in their latest victory, 8-2 over Brixham Seals, which gives them an 18-point lead at the top of the table.

A Phil Jewell maximum for his Torbay Academy 6 side helped them to a 7-3 victory over clubmates Torbay Academy 7. Andrew Clitheroe was undefeated as Teignmouth Delinquents defeated NA Vultures 8-2.

In an all-Newton Abbot clash, the NA Merlins just got the better of NA Ospreys 6-4, thanks to a maximum from the Merlins’ Doug Morgan.

There was one Handicap Doubles Cup quarter-final played which saw the holders NA Kites bow out to the Torbay Academy 5 team of Jamie McGuire, Aleksandra Treder and Gustaw Adamczak.

RESULTS

Division One:

NA Eagles 8 (Davey 3, Callard 3, O’Leary 1, Dbls) NA Ravens 2 (Wilson 1, Hugh 1, Symons 0)

Halwell 2 (Wadling 1, Mercer 1, Smith 0) NA Buzzards 8 (Nicholls 3, Sage 3, Ryland 1, Dbls)

Division Two:

Torre Vikings 4 (Crawford 2, Garner 1, Russell 0, Dbls) NA Raptors 6 (Hine 3, Dilkes 2, Haslam 1)

NA Falcons 0 (Wilshire 0, Copp 0, Dunn 0) Brixham Trawlers 10 (Brown 3, S Shipley 3, N Shipley 3, Dbls)

Teignmouth Aces 3 (Davies 3, Cooper 0, Chadwick 0) Brixham Trawlers 7 (Brown 2, Maynard 2, S Shipley 2, Dbls)

Division Three:

NA Kestrels 4 (Doxsey 2, Hathaway 1, Wakefield 1) Torre Spartans 6 (Austin 3, Lavery 2, Sadler 0, Dbls)

Division Four:

Grove Tigers 8 (Cornish 3, Langley 3, Rodger 1, Dbls) Brixham Seals 2 (Carter 1, Stobie 1, Gilbert 0)

NA Vultures 2 (Fabian 2, McTear 0, Jewell 0) Teignmouth Delinquents 8 (Clitheroe 3, Boatman 2, Northcott 2, Dbls)

NA Ospreys 4 (Ramsden 2, Dulling 1, Ferguson 0, Dbls) NA Merlins 6 (Morgan 3, Stratton 2, Olver 1)

Torbay Academy (7) 3 (Gage 2, Luscombe 1, Clark 0) Torbay Academy (6) 7 (Jewell 3, Pilloni 2, Adamczak 1, Dbls)

Team Handicap Doubles Quarter Final:

Torbay Academy 5 beat NA Kites 21-11.