MARSH D scored a 6-4 victory over leaders Kingsmith C when the rivals clashed in Division II of the Huddersfield Table Tennis League.

Kingsmith have made an excellent start to the season with Pewist Osman boasting an 87% record and Alex Beresford 67%, supported by Kingsley Smith’s 33%.

Marsh are also strong all round, with Steve Martin (85%), Keith Hague (66%) and David Taylor (55%), although both the latter have missed some matches.

The opening game brought together Osman and Martin and it fully lived up to expectations in an inevitably close-fought encounter.

Martin took the first game 11-8 then lost the next two to six and five before coming back to take the fourth 11-9.

The match was finally decided in an epic fifth game which ended 16-14 in Osman’s favour.

He went on to complete a notable hat trick with wins over Hague and Taylor but his colleagues’ only success was Beresford’s win over Hague by 11-5 in the fifth game.

Marsh’s 6-4 victory brought them level on 49 points with Kingsmith and with a game in hand.

Woodfield Park B might have sneaked past the pair of them but could raise only a team of two when they travelled to Kingsmith E and were trounced 8-2.

Steve Knott beat both John Langfield and Steve Cook but was thwarted by Kingsley Smith, turning out for his second match of the week, surprisingly easily in three straight games.

In an all-Kingsmith affair, the 200s beat the D team 7-3. It was a good night for Gerry Kerr, who scored a maximum, and also for the losers’ David Arnold, who took the notable scalp of Geoff Heywood.

Kingsmith PW were also under strength for their visit to Golcar Liberal. Ian Charlton travelled back from Windsor to support Paul Nutton, but the two men could muster only four points. David Singleton scored a maximum as Golcar won 6-4.

In the First Division there was an outstanding performance from Scissett’s Roger Morley, playing only his second game of the season.

He beat Ian Tweedale, Tony Stead and Bob Sanderson but lacked support, with only Kevin Plowman adding to Scissett’s score in their 6-4 defeat at the hands of Marsh A.

Deighton’s Matthew Weatherby is making his mark at all levels in his first season in the League.

He has won 14 out of 15 so far and recorded his second successive maximum in Division I against David Brown A. Brown’s, however, took the match 6-4.

In Division III, Scissett B beat fellow promotion contenders Marsh E 6-4 in a cracking encounter.

Scissett had to win the last three matches to clinch it – Sarah Napier and Dave Marriott both won twice and combined to take the doubles.

Peter Lindley, back in action again after almost two seasons, won one. For the losers Craig Butler scored a double.

New North Road’s Daniel Wood suffered his first defeat of the season at the hands of Wilshaw’s Roy Crosby.

Crosby, now in his 80s, making a comeback after retiring three seasons ago, showed flashes of the form which made him a strong Division II player with Golcar. Wilshaw B went on to record their fifth 8-2 victory of the season.