THERE were mixed fortunes for the two Cippenham Table Tennis Club teams when the Senior British League season got under way.

Both teams held home advantage, something the twos will enjoy all season as all the matches in their division are to be played at Cippenham. The first team will play two weekends at Cippenham and the other two in Harlow.

The tables were turned from last season as, this time, it was the second team that were successful, gaining seven points out of eight from their four matches in National Division C-5.

Following a restructure of the league, the Cippenham first team were awarded a place in the prestigious Championship Division but failed to pick up a point during the first weekend.

The matches had started promisingly for the first team as Josh Bennett and Martin Adams put them 2-0 against Wymondham with wins against Lauren and Neil Charles respectively.

However, things went against Cippenham from that point. Bennett secured his brace with a straight- forward win over Neil Charles, but that was all the team could muster and the match was lost 5-3.

Robert Hansell against Lauren Charles – one of four of the top eight England women on show at Cippenham – and Tom Windram, against Jake Collins, both recovered from 2-0 down to square at 2-2, but neither could win the all-important fifth game.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Robert Hansell of Cippenham Table Tennis Club recovered from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 before eventually losing 3-2 to Lauren Charles.

Cippenham then lost 8-0 against Nottingham Sycamore, one of the three teams running away at the top of the division, before leaders London Academy inflicted a 7-1 defeat with only Adams registering a win.

Bennett, Player of the Year in Division One South last season, concluded his weekend in style with wins against David Barr and Marcus Giles but Kingfisher – local rivals from Reading – ran out 5-3 winners.

Owe Karlsson got the other set for Cippenham against ex-England junior champion Daniel Basterfield.

Adams and Martin Gray found England number four Maria Tsaptsinos far too strong and both lost 3-0.

Across the other side of the hall it was all very different for the second team. After several lean lessons, the team was placed in the restructured National Division C-5.

Due to unavailability of some players Tony West and Anthony Ellis were drafted in and both performed well. However, it was the encouraging winning performances from locals Shae Thakker, Simon Vine and Paul Baker that really inspired the team.

Thakker, 13, was truly inspired, winning six of his eight matches during the weekend while Vine was unbeaten. Team captain Baker won three of his four matches.