TABLE TENNIS: Crewe and District League season got underway in fine style for last year's Division One runners-up Bentley Blades.
Two convincing wins sounded their intentions. A 10-0 destruction of Post Office B came courtesy of Kevin Foster, Steve Tasker and Brain Locket, while a 9-1 victory over Wordcraft saw Foster and Dave Allison take maximums.
Wordcraft pipped promoted Post Office E 6-4 thanks to a Barry Hughes treble and John Dawson. Two sets from Neil Proudlove was the highlight of Post Office E's night.
Post Office A got off to a flyer with successive victories over Post Office D and Post Office B. An 8-2 success, featuring a John Ibbs treble pairs from John Stonley and Steve Addis, saw off the D side despite two sets from Steve Crowson.
The second win was thanks to maximums from Stonley and Bernard Thorley in 7-3 win over the B team. A 8-2 victory for Post Office C over Post Office D was engineered by maximum returns from Lee Groves and David Galley.
In Division Two Norton walloped Post Office F 9-1 with trebles from Pete and Steve Foster, while Post Office F later got back on track with a 7-3 win over Post Office G, thanks to a treble from Dave Prince and two from Bill Newton.
Lee Rickard's brace for the G proved a mere consolation, and another Rickard pair were also futile as they went down 8-2 in their other match against Bombardier. A trio of wins from Tony Walker and two a piece for Alan Platt and Mick Jones helped the Railmen to victory. Bentley Boys were 7-3 winners over Civic TT with a Ray Stafford treble and a Vinny Miller double.
