Thirty juniors from the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League’s introductory competition CLICK met at the Melbourne Athletic Stadium on Friday 26 November for the first stages of the CLICK KO Cup. 

The holders of the trophy Danbury duly returned it for display, but then set about demonstrating that they have every intention of trying to win it back!

The tournament itself was run on five groups of three teams, two players in each team, representing 6 Clubs. Each match the best of 5 sets. The winners of each group qualifying for the next stage with one wild card place for the best runner-up. With all games being on a handicap system everyone stood a fair chance. But to get through the underdogs would have to beat the 'seeded' team in each group. A tough call even on handicaps as there are some quite strong players in CLICK this year.

The holders Danbury A were placed in Group A, which started of with a real cliff hanger of a match between Ingatestone Boys Club B, represented by two complete newcomers Jack Moss and Damien Laverty, up against Baddow Village E with Alex Gill and Kath Austin. Jack did brilliantly to sneak his two singles but Alex & Kath struck back with 1 win each to leave all to play for in the doubles. A see-saw set followed with Baddow just coming through 15,-9,2,11. A great start. Then up stepped the holders represented by James Gatheral (in last years winning team) and Matthew Standen. They proceeded to demolish the other two teams in the group, with straight 3-0 wins to qualify for the semi-final stage.

Group B saved its best match to last, in effect the group decider. In the opening match Baddow Village A, represented by Alex Stone and Andrew Orme, overcame Danbury B (Ben Bayley, a finalist last year, and newcomer Richard Quirk) 3:0. Danbury fared little better in their next match as OC's B, Matthew Porter and Nicholas Rock, came through 3:1 after Ben had won the opening set for Danbury. The group decider was a much different affair. Alex Stone took the opening set for Baddow, but then Andrew Orme conspired somehow to drop both his singles by the narrowest of margins in the 5th end each time to give OC's a 2:1 lead. Alex had to fight all the way to keep Baddow in the match, coming through a marathon with Matthew at 11:8 in the 5th. In the doubles however despite giving away 4 points per game the Baddow boys made the most of their second chance taking all three ends 11:9 to qualify for the next stage.

In Group C, the current leaders of CLICK ECC A were in no mood to mess around. All 3 games in this group being decisive 3:0 wins. The girls from Baddow Village D (Rebecca Steed and Bethany Hudgell), one of the youngest teams in the competition, were no match for the fire power of either ECC A or Ingatestone Boys Club A. And equally the  Ingatestone boys, Jamie Urch and Lee Cranmer, were over shadowed by the ECC pair of brothers Tommy & William O'Donnell. ECC A duly qualifying.

Group D also proved to be a decisive affair. Brother and sister Dacre and Stevie Pell representing ECC B, showing that they were a class above the rest. But then as the other two teams Excalibur B, featuring Toby & Jack Amos, and Baddow Village C, with Aled Upson and Scott Dowsett, contained complete beginners to table tennis perhaps that was hardly surprising. Aled & Scott overcame the Excalibur pair in the opening game but were then put to the sword by Dacre & Stevie in the group decider, but not before Scott, playing only his second competitive match, took a game off both Dacre and Stevie. 

The final Group E was set to feature 4 teams, but the last minute withdrawal of one meant it would then be difficult for both 'seeded' sides to come through. One would have to fall. And it was the opening game that in effect decided it as Baddow Village B, Ben Steed and Tom Lee, brushed aside group favourites OC's A,  James Stapely and Kane Lambert, 3:0. OC's hit back with a 3:1 win over Excalibur A, brothers Craig and Martyn Hiskey, but the Baddow pair made sure of their place with a second 3:0 victory over Excalibur to take the group.

With the five group winners standing clear they duly take their places in the next round. The one remaining place in the semi-final stage going to the best placed runner-up. Here no slide rule was needed, OC's B standing alone just 1 point behind the top five qualifiers. This meant that 4 out of the 6 participating clubs had teams through to the semi-final stage. 

Overall it was a very good evening with excellent adult support played in the great environment of the Athletics Stadium. Now we look forward to the semi-final stage.

The final table below shows just how close it was. The top 5 qualified automatically, with OC's B taking the highest runner-up spot.