YMCA Rookies defeated club-mates YMCA Elizabethans in the Worcester Table Tennis League's Team Handicap Knock-out final.

Rookies had disposed of last year's winners and faced a team who are one place above them in Division Three.

Number one seed John Cawthra started well, beating Elizabethan's Dave Bradley, but had difficulty against Reg Stobbs, who held him to a 22-20 score in the second set.

Alan Spink produced a surprise with telling forehand smashes to hold Bradley to 18 and 16, which proved a telling blow for Rookies.

However, in the last three events of the evening, Elizabethans mounted a charge with Stobbs beating Spink 10 and 12.

But Lisa Lang responded for Rookies, holding Bradley to 18 and 6, setting the scene for the number ones to fight out the final match.

Elizabethans' number one Dean Lewis got off to a flyer, leading Cawthra 9-1 in the first set.

But a change of tactics by Cawthra resulted in a turn-round of fortunes, giving him a thrilling 22-20 win.

In the second set, Cawthra maintained the initiative and comfortably won 21-8.

When the handicaps were revealed, the result was a win for Rookies by 8.5 points.

Spink was the star performer, gaining more points than anticipated, whilst Stobbs performed above his handicap for Elizabethans.

In a nail-biting last week of the Division Three season, Nemesis piled on the pressure at the top after overcoming WGCC 9-1.

At Strensham, St Martin's secured top spot after also winning 9-1.

Dave Watton and Simon Gibson won all three games and Pete Kasch took two.

St Martin's deserved to clinch the title after going the whole season without defeat.

Tony Harding and Tony Green also made valuable contributions to their title triumph.