Kentish Express Ashford & District
Bispham triumphs again
Johnny Bispham retained his men’s singles title at the Trophy Pet Foods Ashford table tennis tournament at the weekend.
He defeated No.3 seed Joe Britnell in the final, winning a tense fiveset match 11-9, 9-11, 5-11, 11-4, 11-7.
Bispham also retained the mixed doubles title in partnership with Michelle Kingsland, defeating No.2 seeds Britnell and Jenny Swain.
Bispham’s weekend also saw him retain the under 40-singles, beating 14-year-old Arthur Bracken.
However all did not go to plan for Bispham. As reigning men’s doubles champions, Johnny and his father Steve lost in the first round to new pairing Bracken and Hrvoje Crnko.
The unseeded Bracken and Crnko proved to be the pair in form as they powered through to reach the final against No.2 seeds Malcolm Skates and Nick Owen. In one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend, Bracken and Crnko won the title in four tight sets.
Kingsland dominated the ladies’ events, winning her fifth singles crown in row, defeating her mother Jenny Swain in straight sets. She then combined with Jenny to retain the ladies’ doubles title, defeating Robertson and Michele Chapman.
Kingsland also won the allocated doubles title in combination with John Jarvis, defeating Bracken and Swain in the final.
The veteran section (over 40) was dominated by Malcolm Skates who retained his singles title after recovering from two sets down to defeat second seed Alan Provan 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 and then combined with Chris Hooper to defeat Provan and Kevin Beasley in tight three-set final.
Provan retained his over 50s singles title defeating Nick Owen 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6 11-3 in the final.
Paul Waumsley held on to his over-60s crown by beating Chris Hooper in the final for the second year in a row.
John Jarvis won the divisional singles A event defeating Douglas Ho in the final with debutant Chris Penning defeating Jarvis to win the divisional singles B title. Penning partnered Brian Cook to the divisional doubles title, defeating Joe Morgan and Matt Hills.
Charlie Richards won the consolation singles Event by defeating Jarvis in a four-game final.
The David Cue Merit Award for outstanding performance of the tournament went to John Jarvis for reaching four finals and winning two of them.
In the junior events, 13-year-oldShem Lejarde retained the under17 boys’ singles crown, defeating Tom Down over four sets and also the under-14 singles title defeating Arthur Ellison-Burrough in straight sets.
Other junior results: Junior doubles final: Tom Down & Luke Garvey bt George Patten & Harvey Horsley. Under-17s girls’ final: Ella Down bt Shreya Verma. Non-league singles final: Sam Timms bt Ella Down. Non-league doubles final: Sam Timms & Scott Strange bt Ella Down & Shreya Verma.
The Stan Hastie Junior Award for most improved player over the season went to Leo Kingsland.
The junior trophies were presented by life vice-president David Cue, with president Michael Claughton presenting the trophies for the senior events. Southend v Holcombe 1A, Southend & Benfleet v Sevenoaks 3rds.
Kent League Division 2 Ashford 2 ...... 20 19 1 0 92 9 58 Ashford 3 ...... 20 13 4 3 59 33 43 Tun Wells 3 ... 20 11 2 7 54 28 35 BBHC 2 ......... 20 9 6 5 43 29 30 Holcombe 3 .. 20 8 5 7 36 24 29 N Beccs 2 ..... 20 8 2 10 36 46 25 Deal .............. 20 7 3 10 25 30 24 Gore Court 2 . 20 6 3 11 24 58 21 C’bury 3A ..... 20 4 7 9 19 40 18 Burnt Ash 3... 20 4 6 10 15 45 18 Old Willi 2 ..... 20 5 2 13 24 68 17 Dartford ........ 20 4 3 13 23 40 15
Results: Ashford 2nds 4 New Beccehamians 2nds 0, Deal 2 Gore Court 2nds 4, Burnt Ash 3rds 2
Dartford 1, BBHC 2nds 2 Ashford 3, O Williamsonians 2nds 1 Holcombe 3, Canterbury 3A 2 T Wells 3rds 2.
Fixtures: Gore Court 2nds v Canterbury 3A, Dartford v Ashford 2nds, New Beccehamian 2nds v Deal, T Wells 3rds v Old Williamsonians 2nds, Ashford
3rds v Burnt Ash 3rds, Holcombe 3rds v BBHC 2nds.
Kent League Division 5 – top four Ashford 4 ...... 20 19 0 1 96 8 57 K Sports 2 ..... 20 18 0 2 76 13 54 Sevenoaks 7.20 13 1 6 53 27 40 Blckheath 4 .. 20 11 2 7 59 31 35
Results: Faversham 0 Ashford 4ths 5, Marden Russets 3rds 1 Sevenoaks 7ths 2, Blackheath 4ths 7 Burnt Ash 6ths 2, Dartford 3rds 1 Meopham
2nds 0, K Sports 2nds 0 Remnants 1, New Beccehamians 3rds 5 Bromley & Beckenham 5ths 1.
Fixtures: Ashford 4ths v Marden Russets 3rds, Meopham 2nds v
New Beccehamians 3rds, Bromley & Beckenham 5ths v K Sports 2nds, Burnt Ash 6ths v Dartford 3rds, Remnants v Faversham, Sevenoaks 7ths v Blackheath 4ths.