JUNIOR BRITISH LEAGUE

SQUAD 2003-2004

Sponsored by:

Elite Business Systems Limited

 David Gibbons

Martyn Hancox

Keith Lucas

Ben Starmer

Fixtures:

Junior British League

Boys Division 4B

2nd Weekend

  Final Table

Final Matches

Averages

Northampton players only

Match Report

By Chris Gibbons – Team Manager

Second Weekend

Played at Aldersley Leisure Village , Wolverhampton , 14-15 Feb 2004

The second weekend began with Northampton , sponsored by Elite Business Systems and Orange , lying in fourth place.

Cornwall Rockets 3 Northampton 3

Cornwall Rockets, lying just above the Northampton team of Keith Lucas, Martyn Hancox, Ben Starmer and David Gibbons, were the first opposition.After going 0-2 down, David Gibbons brought Northampton back into the match with a fighting 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 12-10 victory over Daniel Putt.

With the next game going Cornwall ’s way, Ben Starmer played some superb attacking table tennis, to take the fifth rubber 11-5, 11-7, 11-4, also against Daniel Putt, revenging their previous meeting. With Northampton 2-3 down, it was left to David Gibbons to secure the draw, which he did, with a comfortable fourset win over Andrew Broad.

 Northampton 4 Bedford Modern 2

The “derby” game produced the first victory of the weekend. The two sides have met on numerous occasions, predominantly in the National League in Rugby , and they have always been close, hard fought affairs. This proved to be no different.

After dropping the first end, Keith Lucas put Northampton ahead against David Coglan , after easily taking the next three sets, to win 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11 -7.

With the next game going to Bedford , David Gibbons put Northampton back ahead with an 11-8 final set win over Imandeep Shambi .

With Bedford again levelling in the fourth rubber, David Gibbons battled out yet another “five-setter” to put Northampton 3-2 up. This was after losing the first end 0-11 to David Coglan , he finally won the match 11-8 in the fifth, to complete a brilliant come-back.

With a point in the bag, Ben Starmer made it two with an emphatic straight sets win over Imandeep Shambi .

Northampton 2 Spicer Boys 4

The return match against the league leaders proved to be much closer than the previous encounter.After the first two rubbers went the Spicer Boys’ way, Ben Starmer played some of his finest attacking top-spin shots easily defeating Adam Ryder in straight sets.11-3, 11-8, 11-7, putting the side back into the game.

Despite battling hard, the next two rubbers both went away, but in the final game, Martyn Hancox played some excellent table tennis to make the match result 2-4 with an 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8 win over Adam Ryder.

Club Mid-Cheshire Boys 1 Northampton 5

After drawing the last time around, this was a superb result!

After the team went 1-0 down, Keith Lucas’ excellent counter hitting game was far too strong for David Billington , producing an easy 11-1, 11-8, 11-6 straight sets win.With David Gibbons proving likewise with a straight sets win over Neil Baker, and Keith again being untroubled against Andrew Davies, this left Martyn Hancox to secure the two points , which he did playing some superb attacking strokes,11-9, 11-3, 11-8, against Neil Baker.

With the win assured, David Gibbons made the result emphatic with his top-spin game overpowering David Billington in four sets.

Northampton 4 Sunderland & District 2

A win against an improving Sunderland side would still give the team a chance of second spot, depending on other results.

With the first match going Sunderland ’s way, deuce in the fifth, it was an uphill task, but one which was duly completed through both some excellent skilful, and battling table tennis.

Ben Starmer recovered magnificently after going two sets down to Christopher Dixon, to level the match at 1-1, with an 8-11, 2-11, 12-10, 12-10 11-9 win, in which was a highly entertaining match.

With the third game going against the Northampton trio, and with one eye on the Cornwall match, Martyn Hancox, made no mistake in a comfortable four set win over Christopher Dixon.

With David Gibbons winning a close four setter 14-12, 13-11, 11-13, 11-9 against Philip Dixon, this left Ben Starmer with the task of obtaining the win, which he did in four sets against Anthony Barella .

 Unfortunately, Cornwall Rockets won their final match which gave them second spot, but it was a valiant effort from the Northampton team, with the second weekend’s set of results bettering the first weekend. This resulted in a third place finish- above Bedford !

Again, as the first weekend, there were some excellent matches played.

Once again, all the players involved and the Northampton Junior Club would like to express their appreciation for the sponsorship received from mobile phone suppliers

Elite Business Systems Limited and Orange ,

which has helped with this venture.

 Results

Boys Division 4B

1st Weekend

Matches to date

Averages

Northampton players only

Match Report

By Chris Gibbons – Team Manager

After last seasons success at winning the West Midlands National League, the team from the Northampton Junior Table Tennis Club ventured into the Junior British League.

Spicer Boys 6 Northampton 0

The first match on was against the Spicer Boys from Surrey, who after the first round of five matches top the division on maximum points.

Despite losing the match 0-6, Martyn Hancox, Keith Lucas and David Gibbons could count themselves very unlucky not to have been able to pick up some rubbers in reply. All of Martyn’s and Keith’s matches were four setters, whilst both of David Gibbons’ matches were tight five setters, with the closest being against the defender Daisuke Zama, who ended the weekend unbeaten. After being two sets up and 9-7 up in the fifth, he narrowly lost the game 9-11.

Northampton 3 Cornwall Rockets 3

The second match was against Cornwall Rockets, which saw Ben Starmer replacing David Gibbons in the team. 

Martyn Hancox put the team 1-0 up, producing a fine display against Andrew Broad to win in straight sets.

Keith Lucas’s two good wins helped provide the team with their first point of the weekend, which included a fantastic comeback against Daniel Putt. After losing the first two sets 6-11 and 8-11, Keith fought back with tremendous determination, to take the next three sets 11-8, 11-9, 11-6.

The draw was almost turned into a win, when with the team leading 3-2, Ben Starmer narrowly lost 10-12 in the fifth to Daniel Putt, also fighting back after being two sets down.

Bedford Modern 3 Northampton 3

The second draw of the weekend resulted when Bedford Modern provided the next opposition.

Keith Lucas again starred, comfortably winning both of his matches, which included a quite superb 11-9, 11-3, 11-13, 11-6 result against the highly rated Oliver Young. David Gibbons provided the third point to complete the draw, when again being involved in a nailbiting five setter. This time he came through, to win against David Brightman 11-9, 2-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8. Again, whilst Ben Starmer was unfortunate not to assist with the match score, both matches he was involved in included close deuces going against him.

Sunderland & District 2 Northampton 4

 Martyn Hancox returned to the side, and provided the inspiration for the first win, which had looked to be coming in the previous two matches.

After Ben Starmer had unluckily gone down to Christopher Dixon 5-11 in the fifth set, Martyn produced some of his best hitting to win both of his matches in four ends, firstly against Philip Dixon and then Christopher Dixon.

With David Gibbons’ forehand loops providing a comfortable 11-3, 11-7, 11-8 straight sets win over Anthony Barella, this then left Ben Starmer to finalise the result, which he did in a superb five setter, also against Anthony Barella , 7-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-9, 11-4.

Northampton 3 Club Mid-Cheshire Boys 3

The weekend’s round of matches finished with another draw.

Martyn Hancox, Keith Lucas and David Gibbons all chipped in with a win apiece, which provided the draw. Both Martyn and Keith won in straight sets against Mark Platt and David Billington respectively, with David Gibbons’ four set win against Mark Platt slightly tougher. A win was just snatched away when David Gibbons unluckily lost 9-11 in the fifth set to David Billington.

At the end of the first round of matches, the team are in fourth position, just one point off second place. The second round of matches to be played in Aldersley on the 14/15 th February 2004 should again provide some entertaining table tennis.

The club and the players would like to express their appreciation

for the sponsorship received from

mobile phone suppliers

Elite Business Systems Limited

which has helped with this venture.