Netts crowned winners of Women's British Table Tennis League Division 5B

Netts have been crowned champions of Division 5B of the Women’s British Table Tennis League.

The Earls Colne-based club clinched the title at Wolverhampton after the closest of battles.

Netts knew they were going to have to be on top of their game when their No 1 Lucy Wang, unbeaten during the first stage, was unavailable. But Gracie Edwards, Maria Boulton and Nikki Davison made a statement in their first game that they were not going to let Wang’s absence put them off their stride with a 5-1 win against Kingfisher (Reading).

They followed this up with another 5-1 win against Sutton At Hone and a 6-0 triumph over Ormesby II (Middlesbrough).

This final match of the Saturday, however, was closer than the 6-0 scoreline suggests, as it included five-game victories by both Boulton and Davison, the latter coming back from 10-6 down in the fifth end to win 6-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8 ,13-11.

The junior players of the Glenburn Irish Ladies II were in top form the following day and inflicted Netts’ first defeat of the competition, 5-1, with Boulton picking up the only win.

That result meant Netts needed a draw against Drumchapel in the final round to be sure of the title without relying on countback. And they duly managed a 3-3 scoreline, clinched when Edwards put them 3-1 ahead by defeating Alisa Khalid 11-8, 6-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7.

Netts also won the overall Team of the Weekend accolade.