By Ron Fosker

Six of the seven matches in the first round of the Braintree Table Tennis League Handicap Cup went in favour of the underdog.

Division two leaders Black Notley B were the only team to buck the trend, with a 7-2 win over Rayne F, who are below them in the table.

Dave Parker won both sets he played for Notley while Peter Taylor took the two for Rayne.

Otherwise it was minnows all the way.

Division three Notley G had the biggest gap to bridge against their own A team, from division one.

The A team had only two players but would probably still have floundered with a full team as the G team won four of the six sets played. Adam Clift won both his sets for the G team.

Notley C and Rayne E, both from division two, also knocked out first division teams.

Matt Wallace and Oliver Hicks were unbeaten in Notley C’s 5-1 win over Rayne B, while Dave Miller, Dave Punt and Steve Siggs all took two in Rayne E’s 6-3 win over their own C team.

Felsted RBL B also overcame a team from a division above, in their case Notley E in one of the tightest matches of the round.

They came from 4-3 down to win 5-4.

Gary Jackson was unbeaten for Notley.

Netts C, currently footing the division three table, were also involved in a close battle before they overcame Rayne I by the same score after being 3-1 down.

Peter Hardy and Jack Gooden won two each for Netts.

In the other all-division three clash, Notley I put out Rayne H 6-3.

Alan Cook was unbeaten for Notley.