TABLE TENNIS: It's getting tight at the top of the Ipswich & District Table Tennis League as Claydon have mounted a considerable challenge.Barry Thain and Michael Wright have both been in fine form, with both players enjoying victory over Ian Brown in a recent match.

TABLE TENNIS

IT'S getting tight at the top of the Ipswich & District Table Tennis League as Claydon have mounted a considerable challenge.

Barry Thain and Michael Wright have both been in fine form, with both players enjoying victory over Ian Brown in a recent match.

Prior to this Claydon had beaten Norbridge Cranes 10-0 where Gary Young joined Thain and Wright in being unbeaten.

Lloyds Stallions – promoted last year with Norbridge – are enjoying a better time in the top flight and recently beat Sidegate Lane 6-4.

In their last two home matches TXU Asteroids went down to the two Britannia sides – 8-2 to the Flamingo's where Ashley Philips beat Brown and Howard Osbourne beat Aimee Sparkes, as Ken Lewis won his three games.

Against defending champions Eagles, TXU were gifted three games as Eagles had only two players. Even so it was the Eagles who won 6-4, Phillips a victor over Andrew Holmes for TXU.

Trimley are very much in the hunt and were able to beat Helmingham 9-1, with Glen Barnes and Martin Bozier both winning three.

After losing Fulcher and Rex Manning, Eagles have recently signed former Clacton men's champion Fred Dove.

In his first game Dove starred with Dosher and Holmes as they won 10-0 at Hospitals, who included John Tallant and Simon Ball.

However, against Rosary Eagles were without Holmes and Dosher and went down 7-3.

Rosary made it two wins against Premiership big boys when they also beat St Margaret's 7-3.

IPSWICH League have qualified for the next stage of the Wilmot Cup as they took on representatives from the Cambridge, Lincoln and Norwich leagues.

Ipswich took on Lincoln in their first match and in the first game two-time top-16 champion Andy Wignall was made to look second best as Brown won 3-0 to give Ipswich the lead.

Ipswich eventually ran out 5-2 winners as Brown and Andrew Warner were outstanding – Warner just overcame the dangerous Brophey at nine in the decider. Brophey had earlier beaten Dosher.

Against Norwich, Ipswich scraped home 5-4 and in their final match, against Cambridge, they were playing for first and second positions as Cambridge had also beaten the other team, so both teams were assured of entry to the next phase.

Here only Brown registered a win over Steve Annison as Cambridge were too strong.