THE Ely and District Table Tennis League Handicap Plate final took place at Soham s Comrades Club on Thursday. Haddenham II took on older, vastly more expierenced players than Elsworth. Bill Knibbs and Mourice Circus gave Elsworth a 2-0 lead with narrow

THE Ely and District Table Tennis League Handicap Plate final took place at Soham's Comrades Club on Thursday.

Haddenham II took on older, vastly more expierenced players than Elsworth. Bill Knibbs and Mourice Circus gave Elsworth a 2-0 lead with narrow wins over Ben Nightingale and Matt Tyler.

Chris Holden was next up for Haddenham, playing off +20 against Dave Humphries +16. Holden winning a close fought game in four legs to halve Elsworth's lead.

Further very close fought victories from Knibbs and Circus forged Elsworth into a 4-1 lead and only needing one more game to take the trophy. But a fantastic rally from the Haddenham youngsters saw Ben Nightingale beat Dave Humphries and Chris Holden beating Bill Knibbs in fine style to bring the score back to 4-3.

Haddenham's Nightingale, playing off 24, went on to try and square the match and send it into a ninth-game decider. But he was up against an old wily player in Circus, playing off +8.

It was Elsworth's star man Circus who edged it against Nightingale winning in five tight legs 22-31, 31-29, 31-28, 33-35, 31-29 to take the trophy for Elsworth, 5-3.