THREE wins for Ray Mollatt helped Nomads earn their first victory of the season in Division Two of the Malvern Table Tennis league.

There were also two wins for Dave Backhurst and together they teamed up to win the doubles. Dave Elliott won two for the visiting Broadheath Belters with Pete Roberts and Roger Bates one each.

Crackpots E had a bad week with two defeats, Pete Harrold won two against Amateurs, but he was the only one to win a match, although James Palmer was unlucky to lose 12-10 to Dave de Souza in the fifth set. Dave won all his singles for Amateurs and was well supported by Chris Hughes and Ray Miles who won two apiece. Chris and Dave beat Pete and James in a five set doubles thriller.

Against Oak it was James who won two (and the doubles with Pete). For the home team, Paul Coleman won three and Paul White and Dave Gough two each.

Dave Steen was in inspired form for Poolbrook, winning all three singles against Wombats. Elaine Mills won two and Nick Haggar one. For Wombats, there were two wins for Steve Glazzard and one for Paul Lythgoe. They also teamed up to win a tight five set doubles match against Nick and Dave.

RESULTS: Crackpots E 2, Manor Park Amateurs 8; Manor Park Oak 7, Crackpots E 3; Manor Park Wombats 4, Poolbrook Rangers 6; CSSC Nomads 6, Broadheath Belters 4.

Matches are close

THE three teams at the bottom of the Division Three all suffered what looks like sound defeats in the last few matches but the scorelines do not reflect just how much they are improving.

Ben Salisbury of Express Juniors won his third game against Peter Denis and his brother, Josh, won his first game against Roy Holland of Abbeydowne.

Abbey College took two valuable sets from Ed Palmer and thus a point from the match in which 16 of the 36 games played were won by three points or less. Roy Wu and Michael Olusamni were the winners. Stan Gin and Richard Cullis each won three for Crackpots C.

When the College team played the Junior B team all the sets except two required extra games and 14 were won by two points and another six by just three. It will not be long before these close games will result in wins for the improving players.

Maulers also suffered at the hands of Rovers but were unlucky not to clinch any sets. Nearly half their games were lost by the minimum of two points.

The difference between the Malvern Junior teams was shown when the A team beat the C team with only one set requiring an extra game. Colin Sage narrowly lost to Jamie Clarke with 10-12 in the first and third games and with his brother, they put on a good performance in the doubles, losing to David Smith and Joe Higgs 9-11, 10-12, 7-11.

The local derby between the two Crackpots teams was crucial to both teams' league table positions.

There were very many close games and 39 had to be played in the evening. Stephen Lindner won all his singles and the doubles with Alan Forsdike, who won two, as also did Ted Cates for the B team. Richard Cullis and Stan Ginn each won a set for Crackpots C.

RESULTS: M P Express Juniors 0, Abbeydowne 10; Abbey College B 1, Malvern Juniors 9; M P Maulers 0, CSSC Rovers 10; Crackpots C 8, Abbey College B 2; Crackpots B 8, Crackpots C 2; Malvern Juniors C 0, Malvern Juniors A 10.