LITTLETON Aces' Jill Stride proved a real wild card at Evesham and District Table Tennis Association finals and presentation evening on Saturday.

She collected three titles to add to the GLB Veteran drawn doubles title she and Rob Sexton had already won when the event was played to a conclusion three weeks ago.

Both the Dorothy Macfarlane Ladies' and Dillworths Ltd Men's singles semi-finals were held over and started the evening. Stride overcame Bengeworth Purples' Aileen Berry to set up a final against Berry's teammate and reigning champion Lynda Reid, who beat Wyre Netting's Wendy Moulton in the other semi.

In an entertaining final Stride took the first set 14/12 but Reid took time to compose herself to take the next two 11/3, 11/8. Stride's flat forehand and backhands worked well to help her take set four 11/5 but Reid looked in charge in the decider and was always ahead until at 7/9 Stride went up another gear to win 11/9 to win the title for the 11th time for her fifth different club.

Stride had earlier won the RK Services Veteran Ladies' singles beating Wendy Moulton 11/5, 11/9, 14/12 and together with her godmother Jean Lewis beat Peggy Mytton and Anny Roper 11/9, 11/5, 11/8 in the McLennan Building Contractors Ladies' doubles.

The men's final was equally exciting. Reigning champion Matt Hartwell had beaten Wyre clubmate Malcolm MacFarlane in a close semi-final to meet Bengeworth Tigers Grahame Brown who beat teammate Stuart Greene in the other semi.

Brown raced to a 13/11, 11/6 two set lead in the final but Hartwell fought back to level, winning 11/9, 11/4.

The crowd were treated to some scintillating rallies in the deciding set which Hartwell won 11/6 in the game which was judged to have been best on the night.

New partnership

Hartwell had also been in action earlier in the evening when, in a new partnership with Darrell Wiltshire, they beat Graham Fisher and Ken Southwell 11/9, 11/13, 11/5, 11/6 in an all Wyre Elite Cotswold Provisions Ltd Men's doubles.

Grahame Brown's domination of the Pete Bott Skips Veteran Men's singles continued when he beat Malcolm Macfarlane 9/11, 11/8, 11/8, 9/11, 11/4 to collect the title for a record sixth consecutive season.

Ken Baker found the concession of eight points to Wyre Coils young David Fisher too much in the H20 Plumbing and Heating Handicap singles with Fisher winning in straight games 11/8, 11/7, 11/4.

Rob Sexton and Lynda Reid successfully defended their Star Soccer Mixed Doubles beating the new pair of Littleton's Mark Dudley and Maria Casas 8/11, 11/6, 11/6, 11/9.

The three junior finals produced some good games. In the Happy Little Sole junior boys Bengeworth Blues', Craig Norledge, who had just completed his first season in Division One, proved just too good for Division Two top player Andrew Taylor. Norledge won 11/8, 7/11, 11/9, 11/6 but Taylor later received a trophy for being top average player in Division Two.

In the junior girls' equivalent, Evesham Swans' Rachael Sellick was rewarded for an excellent first season when she beat Littleton Blades' Eleanor Lasota. Both girls started off nervously and Lasota took the first set 12/10 but Sellick hit back to take the next three sets 12/109, 11/8, 11/7.

Luke Moffat and Leon Williams just edged out Tom Urbanski and Amy Moffat in the Schito Design junior drawn doubles 11/6, 9/11, 11/5, 11/9.

League president Les Jobson presented all the trophies and thanked Rob Sexton, Ken Baker and Aileen Berry for all the work put in to run the tournament.