Invaders derby close fought

It was the Bath Invaders derby in the Premier Division of the Bath Winter Table Tennis League this week. The A team had three players playing up in an unusual derby game between six players who usually play together. Five games went to five sets in the first six, with the fixture tied at two all after four games. Ian Maggs just pipped Radhika Agarwal and Andrew Boucher to a brace for the home team, but Boucher and Martyn William Millard outdid Len Vowles and Paul Jeffery respectively.

Len Vowles got a brace in the last five games with Maggs completing his hat-trick, whilst Agarwal and Boucher scored vital points for the away team. This left the game at 21-18 going into the doubles, which could have tied the game for the away team. However the partnership of Maggs and Vowles was too strong and secured the points for the A team.

There was a shock in Division One as Radstock B overcame Oldfield D away. This was another match where six of the ten games went to the final set to settle the score. Wayne Button came away with three wins for his team but conceded three points in the process as Mike Newton also overcame him in the fifth set of their game,

Julie Taylor and Brian Neathey managed to pip Radstock’s Dan Walker to the post with fifth set wins. The damage was done though with Mark Bennetts coming through his games with three wins. He had to come from 2-1 down to beat Neathey in the sixth game of the evening.

Oldfield had the last victory of the night by winning 13-11 in the fifth set of the doubles after falling 2-1 behind early on.

Dawn Turner’s Ensleigh team featured two new league players in Division Two and they didn’t disappoint in gaining their first win of the season. In another game with five games going to the final set, Ensleigh took the lead through Martin Leach.

Experience told in the next two games as Evan Holding and Greg Rowland came though for Bathford in the fifth sets against Brendan Rouse and Phil Taylor. Mark Davies added another win with Rowland completing his hat-trick of games.

Phil Taylor overcame his early loss to gain a brace for the home side, setting up a tight finish.

Leach held his nerve to beat Holding in the fifth set with the scores at 20-19 going into the doubles. However the momentum was with the home side who edged a tight doubles 12-10, 12-10 and 11-9 to claim a priceless win.