Table tennis

IT was a case of so near, but yet so far, as Weald Table Tennis Club had three runners-up in three Junior British League divisional matches.

Lewis Gray, Yolanda King and Daniella Gray finished runners-up while representing Midlands Club Burton Uxbridge in their respective divisions in round two of the Bribar Junior British League, at Aldersely Sports Village, Wolverhampton, over the weekend.

Playing for Burton Uxbridge A, who last season won the Boys' Premier Division, England junior number two, Gray, from Benenden, started well against DHS Greenhouse Progress. Although he was taken to five games by Reece Placid (Kent), he outplayed England number three Igor Morais (Middlesex) by 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 to record two wins in his team's 5-1 victory.

However, although Lewis, who trains at the Grantham Table Tennis Academy, had another emphatic 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 success over England number three Helshan Weerasinghe, he sustained a surprise loss by 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 6-11 to big-hitting number seven Jared Patel in his team's 4-2 loss to BBATT.

Lewis won two more singles against Olop-Impact, beating Dan Lawrence, of Tonbridge, now the England junior number 10, and number seven Liam McTiernan, his team drawing 3-3.

Gray's worst performance was in dropping both his singles to the Hungarian Zsolt Szarka and England number 13 Bradley Tuttle in Burton Uxbridge's 5-1 loss to league leaders Ellenborough.

In their second clash with BBATT, Burton Uxbridge finished strongly to claim a 5-1 victory, Lewis taking both his singles, including revenge earlier defeat to Patel (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 14-12).

Gray ended his weekend with six wins to four losses as Burton Uxbridge finished runners-up to Ellenborough.

Yolanda King, England number two junior girl, also training at the Grantham Academy, had a similar 6/4 record while her team, Burton Uxbridge A, also champions last season, came very close runners-up to Wales in the Girls' Premier Division.

Yolanda's best results were in taking her singles against both Irish Girls and the Bridge Club, contributing to two 5-1 successes for her team, though she only just got the 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 15-13 verdict over the Irish number two Ashley Givan.

Facing her two closest rivals in the DHS Greenhouse Progress match, the luck was against her. Despite having match points against the England number three Tin-Tin Ho, whom she could have beaten in straight games, and number four Tressa Armitage, she lost both, the scores being 11-6, 12-10, 10-12, 10-12, 8-11, and 7-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-3, 11-13 respectively.

Burton Uxbridge drew this crucial match 3-3, but needed a win.

They then notched up an excellent 4-2 triumph over league leaders Wales, Yolanda contributing a win over Welsh junior number three Megan Phillips, but losing to the Welsh number two Angharad Phillips.

In their final match, Burton Uxbridge drew with Ormesby 3-3, Yolanda beating the England number eight Chloe Whyte (Cleveland) in straight games, but going down 4-11, 5-11, 11-8, 3-11 to England number one Emily Bates.

Benenden's Daniella Gray, of Angley School, Cranbrook, did really well in winning six out of her eight singles for Burton Uxbridge II in the Girls' Division 2.

Daniella, England ranked 31, had her best result in overcoming Lois Peake (Sussex) of St Andrews, 11-8, 18-16, 11-8, but she also beat several other players ranked above her.

In finishing runners-up to St Andrews, with whom they drew 3-3, Burton Uxbridge II gained promotion to the Premier Division for next season.