NETTS C have clinched the division three title in the Braintree Table Tennis League.

They did so in style, with a 9-1 win over Black Notley I.

It was a match that could have caused a modicum of difficulty as Liam Ebbs had won two sets against them at their first meeting.

This time they limited him to one, although it was Joe Belsom who lost this time while he was the only one to beat him first time round.

This time Max Plumridge and Kierlan Richards remained unbeaten.

The match that put them out of reach was Rayne H’s 8-2 win over Notley E.

Although that win put Rayne firmly on course for the runners-up spot it was actually Notley E, with matches in hand, who mathematically could have caught Netts but their defeat to Rayne ruled that out.

Brian How won three for Rayne and Dave Allinson and Tim Gowers two each.

There was cause for celebration too at the other end of the table where, after 23 defeats from the start of the season, Notley G recorded their first draw.

It helped that Mel Cooch was playing up from the H team and won two singles but there were two wins too from Peter Game and one from Nguyen Tran as they shared the points with Netts D.

Declan Baines was unbeaten in Notley H’s 8-2 win over Rayne I while Keller Pritchard Green and Leon Hewitt were likewise untroubled in Notley F’s 6-4 win over Rayne J.

In division two Rayne E pulled further ahead with a convincing 9-1 win in what could have been a tricky fixture against Felsted RBL A.

All three players had lost to Matthew Laws last time round, but both Dave Punt and Steve Siggs overcame him this time.

Liberal C’s challenge faded even further when their two-man team lost 7-3 to Notley C, who could yet pip them to the runners-up spot.

Nomads’ Kevin Saunders and Lorraine Burgess picked up excellent wins over Dave Marsh and Dave Moles respectively against Rayne F but Marsh beat Burgess and Moles beat Saunders to ensure the match finished all square.

Other results: Rayne G 5 Notley D 5; Felsted B 2 Rayne D 8.

The two Netts teams were big winners in division one, the A team 8-2 against Notley A, where Andrew Huckson picked up the two for the visitors, and the B team 9-1 against Rayne C where Peter Hance’s win over Steve Buer spoiled the scoreline.

Robin Armstrong, often in the shadow of his team-mates this season, outscored them both in Liberal B’s 7-3 win over Notley B where Glen Laing outlasted Adrian Pitt at 14-12 in the fifth game and Andrew Pagett battled to a win at 11-8 in the fifth against Mike Johnston.

Adam Buxton was unbeaten in Rayne B’s 7-3 win over Sible Hedingham.