Maldon 'B' became the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League's first champions of the season with a resounding 8-2 victory over their nearest challengers to the division three title, Danbury 'E'.

Barry Mays carried on with his sensational form by taking his three singles in style while David Knights, hit back for Danbury by taking their two singles which included a 26-24 in the third win over two-down champion, Richie Hughes.

Mays, with an average of 97 per cent and Hughes with 85 per cent, have been brilliant all season and the excellent back-up provided by Jon Batchford and Brian Riedling, make this team worthy champions.

In division two, ECC D put the trials and tribulations of their season behind them with a 6-4 win over leaders Danbury C.

Joe Lewington avenged his first half-defeat by getting the better of Dave Finlayson and Joe's son Peter did the same.

Assuming that ECC D win their games in hand and go on to take the title, then there should be a great scrap for second place.

EEV 'B' who can reasonably expect to be involved in that shake-up, were stretched to overcome a two-man Prison side by a 6-4 margin.

Steve Elmes was in top form and took his three games for Prison in commanding fashion.

Other results: Division Four: Maldon 'C' 7, Hat-field Peverel 'B' 3; Ingatestone 'A' 1, OCs 'C' 9; ECC 'K' 6, Danbury 'F' 4. Division Six: Maldon Borough 8, Maldon 'D' 2.

Rosebery Table Tennis Club, who dominated the Chelmsford scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s, are holding a reunion evening on Friday, April 9.

This club last played in the league in 1977 and older players will remember their excellent first team of Mikel Dvorak, Jeff Lucas, Micky Parkhurst, Julien Levett, George Gale and Charlie Carroll.

Any former players who would like to attend the reunion is invited to telephone either George Gale on 01245 353920 or Micky Parkhurst on 01245 287939 for further details.

New Chelmsford men's singles champion, Lawrence Trumpauskas, hit the headlines at the Midlands Grand Prix at Stratford-upon-Avon when from an unseeded position he reached the men's singles final.

He got the better of England number 12 Michael Isherwood (Derbyshire), Michael James (Yorkshire) ranked number 36 and Steven Shaw (Derbyshire) ranked number 15 before pushing England number 6 Gareth Herbert (Berk-shire) all the way to 15-in-the-third in the semi-final.

With another fine recent win over Neil Charles (Middlesex) ranked number 30, Lawrence can reasonably expect an England ranking of around the top 20 mark in the next list.

Steve Dettmar, beaten so narrowly by Trumpauskas in their Chelmsford men's singles final, has also been in fine form lately.

He recently took the English Post Office men's singles title for the second time, after blitzing former England international, Stuart Gibbs 21-11, 21-12 in the final.

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