The Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League season has reached its final week and only in two of the six divisions is it clear which team have won the title.

The biggest shock of the week came in division two where Maldon B who have been third for most of the season produced a superb team-effort to hammer fourth-placed ECC D 9-1 and to guarantee themselves the second placed promotion spot ahead of EEV B.

Maldon really put it together on the night with Richie Hughes and Barry Mays staying undefeated and all ECC had to show for their efforts was a token win for Keith Woodcock over Jon Batchford.

A resurgence towards the end of the season was not enough to save ECC C from relegation and although they drew 5-5 with Baddow Village B they drop to division three next year.

Rawreth B have also shown a marked improvement over the second half of the season and earned a draw with OCs A with Bob Sladden taking the lead-role with an unbeaten performance.

In the third division the two leading teams who have been neck-and-neck all year enter the last week of the season level on points.

Writtle A dropped a point in their 7-3 win over ECC E despite the fact that leading player Gary Ward sailed through his singles undefeated, while Baddow Village C played above themselves to secure a draw against leaders OCs B.

Graham Turner scored excellent wins over Adrian North and Robbie Burton and the unorthodox Alastair Brown got the better of Trevor Palmer.

OCs face ECC F in their last match while Writtle are up against the unpredictable but nevertheless relegated Ingatestone A.

Hatfield Peverel B did well to hold ECC F to a draw with Malcolm Jacobs coming out on top in his three singles.

When the bottom two teams met it was fitting that the match ended in a draw and it was OCs C's Ray Mitchell who came out on top as his side shared the points with Ingatestone A.

In the first division ECC A and ECC B are still level on points. ECC A made no mistake in crushing relegated EEV A 10-0 with Steve Dettmar, Steve Kerns and Dave Birkett all staying undefeated.

However the big surprise came when Elmtree Graphics conceded to ECC B as there is no doubt that a full-strength Elmtree team would be more than a match for both of the leading sides.

As ECC A still have to face Elmtree then this must give ECC B a distinct advantage.

Boreham secured another season in the first division by drawing with a two-man Rawreth A.

Steve Northcott scored a fine win over new Burnham mens singles champion George Reeves.

Baddow Village A have not given up hope of retaining their status and managed a draw with a two-man Danbury A but they now have to take all four points off Hatfield Peverel A in their last game which would in turn relegate Hatfield Peverel.

Danbury A were back to winning ways as they beat their B side 7-3 with Neil Brierley and Tom Carr staying undefeated. Carl Johnson and Tony Forster impressed with wins over Colin Marco.

Elmtree Graphics B showed championship winner's form to bury Writtle C 10-0 and they remain favourites to take the division five title.

Andy Shepherd, Rod Maclennan and Nicola Pippen all played well.

Writtle produced a better performance to beat Maldon Borough and Anne Lockhart excelled to take her three singles whilst Ray Wisbey will be pleased with his win over Matt Brown.

OCs E are still in there fighting to retain their status and by beating Writtle D 7-3, they only trail them by one point.

Top player Brian Shipley took his three singles and another great effort by Nigel Parmenter saw him win twice.

Danbury H were strengthened by the return to action of Tim Pulham and his inclusion made all the difference as they beat Maldon Boro 7-3.

ECC's Arthur Clark was on good form for ECC K and they stay in third place after beating relegated Highwood 7-3.

Division four champions Maldon C turned on the style as they beat Hatfield Peverel D 9-1; a solitary success for Neil Freeman over Peter Oriss at 22-20 in the third being all Peverel had to show for their efforts.

However without Cathy Eakin they were made to struggle by Baddow Village E for whom Colin Gooday was undefeated.

Gooday's trio of wins included an excellent victory over Colin Barrell and this enabled his side to share the points.

Writtle B just came out on top 6-4 after a well contested match with Baddow Village D with Frank Neill playing well to take his three singles.

Steve Back had a night he might want to forget; three losses all deep in the third end.

EPHQ secured a draw against a two-man Hatfield Peverel D side, but this was not enough to save them from relegation.

Their leading player Ian Hockley won both his singles and he will be too strong for division five next year.

Danbury J turned on the style in division six crushing fourth placed Danbury K 9-1 with Norman Hayes and Ray Beckwith both carrying all before them.

Danbury J were not unexpectedly too strong for Baddow Village H with Hayes and Beckwith joined by John Skuse in taking all their matches.

The game between Baddow Village H and OCs F went to form with OCs taking all four points as they won 8-2, with Stuart Wintle and Gerard Esser both remaining untroubled.

However the ages of the players in some of these matches makes interesting reading and when Baddow's Frank Harris, 73, faced OCs Ken Iliffe, 67, and Danbury's John Skuse, 67, the combined ages totalled 140; which cannot have occurred too many times.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.