TABLE TENNIS: No Sun, but Vikings still shine (From Oxford Mail)

TABLE TENNIS: No Sun, but Vikings still shine

10:00am Saturday 9th February 2013 in Sport

OXFORD & District League champions Vikings A overcame a huge deficit of 270 points to defeat hosts Hadd-enham B by 11 in the third round of the Aubrey Hughes Handicap Shield.

Vikings, in a new era without Jingyu Sun, faced some strong resistance from Haddenham's James Gibson and Roger Mott, and the match was level after six games.

But at this point Alan Cherry and Pawel Jaskolski turned the screw, as they conceded only 11 and eight points respectively in the next two singles. At the start of the doubles, Cherry and Jaskolski had 19 points to make up – and did so to see Vikings home 420-409.

Equally exciting was the clash between Forum M and Vikings F.

Ben Pritchard, Christine Scaysbrook and Kavan Warrender, representing Forum, received a start of 160 against Huw Morgan, John Tremayne and Tatiana Bachkirova. By the halfway stage, Vik-ings had opened up an 18-point lead.

But then Forum, inspired by Warrender, stepped up the pressure and completed the match 15 points to the good.

Forum G made the most of a 175 point handicap, to scrape home by 17 points against their C team, while Fourm J eased past their D team.

AUBREY HUGHES HANDICAP SHIELD 3rd round: Haddenham B (+270) 409, Vikings A 420; Forum M (+160) 414, Vikings F 399; Forum C 402, Forum G (+175) 419; Forum D 416, Forum J (+195) 446; Bicester F (+175) 480, Bicester E 416;,Vikings D 395, Witney A (+150) 466; Gladiators A 408, Forum I (+185) 500.