THE annual Colchester and District Table Tennis League Tournament takes place this weekend at the Tollgate Table Tennis Centre in what arguably is one of the strongest fields in Essex County Regional League table tennis.

The action takes place at the Holmwood House School Sports Hall tomorrow and Sunday.

Unfortunately, reigning Men’s Singles champion Rik James will not be defending his title due to injury meaning he hasn’t played the requisite qualifying matches.

Interestingly James' old Rowhedge team-mate and great rival Dave Cole is making his return after a ten-year absence and the pair share the record of nine Colchester Men’s Singles titles.

So the question is can Cole make it ten as he lines up as number one seed.

At the opposite end of the draw is the consistent Andy Warner, who this year made the switch from Tollgate A to Gt Horkesley A and has made finals night for the past seven years.

Joint third seeds are Tollgate’s beaten finalist last year and reigning Clacton champion Colin Stallwood.

He beat Warner in that final as well as last year’s Colchester semi-final and must have a favourable chance of adding a Colchester winner's medal to his three Clacton titles.

Mark Wicker has been the most consistent performer this season and poses a real threat with his undoubted pedigree. Joint number five seeds are Clacton’s Sam Hume, recent Chelmsford runner-up Trevor Lloyd and the in-form Richard Hutchinson, who only last week beat Ryan Collins playing his best table tennis for a while.

His Gt Horkesley A team-mate Paul Broxton completes the expected quarter-finalists and is capable of upsetting anyone on his day, hence the strength in depth of the Colchester Table Tennis League.

There is an exciting prospect of 15-year-old Gracie Edwards of Rowhedge winning four Ladies' Singles titles in two months.

She now holds the Chelmsford and Ipswich mantles and is going for a record in completing the quadruple by winning the Colchester & her home Clacton event.

Standing in her way is last year’s champion, Dawn Baldry from Tollgate, who beat her twice then both in five hard-fought games.

Joint three seeds are Jan Fuller and multiple winner Sue Welham of Tollgate, who will relish the challenge.

Sam Hume of St Jame’s will be defending his Junior title and once again Gt Horkesley’s Suffolk Junior Dan Shelly, who beat Ryan Collins in the Colchester League, will be the main protagonist.

The Cadets has a strong field and will be an exciting affair with Essex Under-13 champion Ollie Rampton the hot favourite facing Tollgate team-mates Toby Deng, Andy Huang and Liam Harris.

In the Junior Girls, Gracie Edwards will defend her title and her main competition will come from newly-capped Essex County player Chloe Andrews from Rowhedge.

The Vets sees Dave Cole and Colin Stallwood as the top seeds with strong competition from the likes of Mark Wicker, Trevor Lloyd and Richard Hutchinson.

The Over-50s is a carbon copy of the Vets and in the Over-60s Martin Edwards and Ian Whiteside are expected to do battle together.