British League Preview

DRUMCHAPEL GLASGOW LOOKING TO EXTEND THEIR LEAD

The second weekend of British League Premier Division action takes place at
the BATTS Team Peniel Table Tennis Club, The Norman Booth Centre, Eldersfield,
Mullbery Green, Old Harlow, Essex, CM17 0EY next weekend (Saturday/Sunday 28/29
November 2009) commencing at 11.00 am on the Saturday and at 10.00 am on the
Sunday. Admission is free and you can expect to see some eagerly contested
play.

Leaders and reigning Champions Drumchapel Glasgow I who totally dominated the
first weekend’s play are certainly the team to beat and it is difficult to see
their all-star team of Welsh no. two Ryan Jenkins, Scottish no. two - newcomer
Qian Hai Song, England no. ten Terry Young and Welsh no. three Stephen Jenkins
failing to dominate again. Their Saturday morning game against Westfield I and
their Sunday morning game against BATTS Team Peniel are two to watch out for.

Surprise package Westfield I who are second with seven points hope that they
can field the same four players as last weekend. England no. seven Damien
Nicholls, Niall Cameron and Richard Andrews all won five singles out of eight
last time, whilst England no. 21 Shaun Marples won four of his eight singles.

BATTS Team Peniel I will be hopeful that they can improve on their third place
and the selection of England no. one Cadet Zac Zilesnick represents an
investment in the future. The silky smooth all-action top-spinner is always
exciting to watch, and he should relish the opportunity to play at this level.
Zac will be joined by four very experienced hands - Wang Zheng, John Holland,
Ritchie Venner and Clive Carthy. Ritchie will presumably hope that he won’t
have to extend too much time discussing his recent impressive showing on BBC’s
“Mastermind”.

The glory days of DHS Greenhouse Progress are almost definitely behind them,
if only temporarily but they still have a talented team at their disposal. Led
by England no. seventeen Garth Kinlocke with backing from Irish international
Jason Sugrue and Da Qing Tong as well as up-and-coming England no. twelve
Junior Daniel Basterfield (a real TTK success story) they will hope to improve
on their fourth place. They will certainly be keen to win both of their Sunday
matches, against lower placed teams Sycamore and Derwent.

Sycamore however, have a trump card up their sleeve ( a real “Ace of Hearts” )
in the flamboyant and entertaining Scottish no. one Gavin Rumgay and if he can
win his eight games you expect them to do well. His team-mates - Kevin Dolder,
Sam Perry, Jason Ramage, Danny Lowe and Sean Cullen are an exciting blend of
experience and youthful promise and you can certainly expect England no. five
Junior Danny Lowe and England no. seven Junior Sean Cullen to feature strongly.
Both Cullen (ranked no. 71 nationally as a Senior) and Lowe (ranked no. 73) are
seemingly well under-rated and they will look as this weekend as a chance to
address this matter.

Ormesby I will be looking to do better than last time. Led by England no.
eight David Meads with backing from England no. 13 Michael Marsden, Welsh
no. five Patrick Thomas, England no. 39 Nigel Eckersley and England no. 58
Andy Wilson they will be helpful of doing well against Derwent, BATTS Team
Peniel and Ellenborough. However, they will be without their best player from
the first weekend of matches - Justin Ma.

Ellenborough, who finished a superb second last year are a little off the
pace this time. They hope to field a team with a distinctly cosmopolitan feel
to it - new England no. one Veteran - Lorestas Trumpauskas, John Nilsson,
Thomas Bennborn and Abdul Wuraola. Expect ace Swedish defender Bennborn and
England no. two Veteran Wuraola to score well in the numbers three and four
positions.

Promoted Derwent have it all to do if they are to avoid relegation. Taking the
opportunity to field an all-local team rather than reinforce by bringing in a
top-class no. one is certainly commendable, although it is doubtful that their
side of Simon Noutch, Matthew Dodds, Stephen Horsfield and Richard Smith will
be able to stave off relegation. No doubt they will be out to prove me wrong !.
Their Sunday morning clash with Ellenborough will certainly be a “six-pointer”.