Table tennis

Halfway through the spring season in Division 1 of the Ashford & District League it’s still tight at the top and bottom. The leading two teams again swapped positions, with Iron Room A leapfrogging Ruckinge A.

Reigning champions Ruckinge A edged past a depleted Postling A side 6-4.

Ruckinge have been back to somewhere near their titlewinning form recently – but despite enjoying a one-player advantage over Postling, they could only manage a narrow victory.

Ruckinge’s young talent Arthur Bracken won all of his matches with room to spare, but Postling scored an important point in the doubles at the end of the evening.

Ruckinge’s slightly lacklustre display left the way open for Iron Room A, their main rivals for the title, when they took on promoted side Ashford B. Ashford were playing with their new signing John Bispham, the Ashford closed singles champion – but even he was no match for another prodigious young talent, Shem Lejarde, who won all three of his matches and put Iron Room well on the way to an emphatic 8-2 win.

Vince Corbin and Paul

Waumsley won two apiece, and teamed up to take the doubles. A strong Ashford A team defeated Little Chart Tigers

8-2.

Ashford’s Matt King and Tom Down, both of whom are ranked in the league’s top 10 list, won all of their matches. Little Chart grabbed a couple of consolation points with singles victories for Michelle Kingsland and Colin Quinn.

Ashford A now sit in third place, seven points off top spot, so will need some big wins if they’re to challenge for the championship. Little Chart are equal with Ashford B, one place off the foot of the table, so it’ll be a dogfight between the two clubs to avoid relegation.