Top of the table Ryde A suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Shanklin Skuas in the Island Winter Table Tennis League last week.
Runaway League leaders Ryde A had a shock in their match against 7th-placed Shanklin Skuas, who proved much more difficult opposition than might have been envisaged. Shanklin’s Paul Rainford was player of the match, winning all 3, whilst teammate Graham Evans won 2.
With Ryde leading 5-4 going into the doubles, this proved the most exciting game of the match – a 5 set thriller in which Ryde’s Mark Turner and Rob Smith edged against Rainford and Evans, and the match ultimately ended in a draw.
Ryde’s C and B teams also contested a close match, with the C team’s Alex Rorke unbeaten in the singles, whilst the B team’s junior Joe Chapman won 2 against Tim Giles and Ross Holme. The C team took an easy doubles victory to win the match 6-4, and lie 2nd in the table, 4 points above the B team who have a game in hand.
Division 1
| Havenstreet B | 1 | Shanklin Skuas | 9 |
| Newport Vics A | 9 | Havenstreet A | 1 |
| Shanklin Skuas | 5 | Ryde A | 5 |
| Ryde C | 6 | Ryde B | 4 |
2nd placed Ryde Rascals had an easy win against Ryde Wight Knights, with the Rascal’s Steve Gibbons and Brian Voller unbeaten, whilst teammate John Featherstone won 2, with his only loss to the Wight Knight’s Maggie Preston.
Ryde Retailers had a strong win over Ryde Apprentices, with Sean and Paul Cates and 11-year-old Jye Lock all winning 2 each, whilst the Apprentice’s junior Robert Pope was player of the match, winning all three of his singles, to give the Apprentices their only wins of the evening, which ended 7-3 to the Retailers.
Division 2
| Ryde Wight Knights | 1 | Ryde Rascals | 9 |
| Ryde Rangers | 0 | Newport Vics B | 10 |
| Ryde Rockets | 8 | Newport Vics C | 2 |
St Lawrence Lizards are firm favourites to take the Division Three title after their 9-1 win over Ryde Rustics, with Ryde’s only winner being Frank Kelly who beat St Lawrence’s Andy Francis in four sets.
nd- placed Shorwell Spinners played fellow club team Shorwell Saints and won 7-3, with the Spinner’s Robert Wendes and Steve Fairclough unbeaten, but the Saint’s Kevin Williams and Tony Pearse won one each and proved a strong doubles partnership, getting the better of Wendes and Fairclough on deuce in the 5th set.
Division 3
| St Lawrence Lizards | 9 | Ryde Rustics | 1 |
| Shorwell Spinners | 7 | Shorwell Saints | 3 |
| Ryde Retailers | 7 | RydeApprentices | 3 |
| Ryde Rhinos | 3 | Shorwell Saints | 7 |
