By Ron Fosker

Braintree Table Tennis League’s longest winning sequence has come to an end after 48 sets.

That is how many consecutive sets Tony Stredder had won in division three. Then he ran into Black Notley G’s Adam Clift.

The result was a resounding win for Clift 11-8, 11-3, 11-6.

And his evening did not end there.

He went on to avenge his division three singles final defeat by Charles Wilkinson, again without dropping a game.

Ian Rubens went the same way and Clift’s charge led to a 7-3 defeat for leaders Rayne G, their third reverse of the season but their first in which both Stredder and Wilkinson were playing.

Felsted RBL B’s 9-1 win over Notley I means they are now only four points behind with a game in hand.

Elsewhere in division three, there were good wins for Roger Hasler over Declan Baines at 11-9 in the fifth game in Rayne H’s 8-2 win over Notley I and also for Vernon King, 11-9, 6-11, 17-15, 6-11, 11-3 against Helen Barnett in Notley F’s 7-3 win over their own H team. Rayne I’s new signing Brendan Mason was responsible for his side’s only win in the 9-1 defeat by Felsted C.

Leaders Sible Hedingham pulled further ahead in division two with a 10-0 win over Hedingham Lions while chasing Notley B and Liberal C won 7-3 and 6-4 respectively.

Tim Huxtable had two good wins for Notley D against the club’s B team while Rayne E’s Steve Siggs produced his best result since his return to the game with an outstanding 11-5, 4-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-6 win over Liberal C’s Gareth Davies, a man with only ten defeats behind him after 45 sets.

Lorraine Burgess was another player to show a surge of form.

She won her three singles for the first time this season in Nomads’ draw with Rayne F.

Rayne F’s recent signing, John Robinson, also starred with an unexpected win over Kevin Saunders.

Notley E remain above both the club’s C and D teams after beating the C team 7-3.

Gary Jackson was unbeaten.