THERE was controversy as Derwent Table Tennis Club started their British League campaign with a mixed bag of results at Grantham Leisure Centre.

The first team scored three victories and after four rounds of matches they lead what looks like being a tight division one north.

In a strong looking division two Derwent second team were disappointed to only achieve one solitary win leaving them clearly in a relegation dog fight.

Derwent's first team of Dave Godbold, Andrew Horsfield, Richard Smith and Simon Noutch, began by crushing newly-promoted Halton Croda 7-1. Horsfield lost to Halton's top player Chris Ford.

Junior player Noutch was the umpire's choice as player of the match.

On another table the second team of Steve Horsfield, Trevor Williams, Richard Moss and Mick Wilcockson lost to the powerful Grove team which included two Chinese, a former Indian international and an England junior International.

The Chinese players Lei Kou and Shuang Zhao won in straight sets.

Derwent gained two sets, with the defensive skills of Wilcockson and Williams proving too solid for England junior Bradley Evans.

There was controversy caused by the new service law and weak umpiring.

Moss played some outstanding table tennis to lead Napur Santra two sets to one when at 9-9 in the fourth set the Indian player, who had been warned on numerous occasions, foul-served twice to take the set.

Moss then lost the decider and his team eventually went down 6-2.

In the second round of matches the first team beat Coventry Phoenix 5-3 with two victories each for player of the match Andrew Horsfield and Dave Godbold and one win for Richard Smith.

Already without Chris Nicholls through injury the second team had another setback when Trevor Williams withdrew after injuring his back in the earlier match. Dave Noutch replaced him in the line-up.

Steve Horsfield gaining Derwent second team's only set in a 7-1 defeat to Elgre (Nottingham).

Sunday's matches saw Derwent's squad weakened further, injury forcing number one player Dave Godbold to withdraw. Andrew Nicholl was pulled in to strengthen the squad.

An early selection meeting decided to upgrade Dave Noutch to the first team and keep the desperate-for-points second team as strong as possible for the vital relegation battle with Clarks Wakefield, who had lost their opening matches.

The match started with the new service law again causing controversy. The umpire misinterpreted the new ruling and continually faulting Nicholls. This cost him the first end against Wakefield's Mark Land.

Derwent's management asked for the referee to be called and eventually it was agreed that the umpire had misunderstood the rule and Nicholls' serves were deemed legal.

The match then continued and Nicholls, now using his big serves, took no time at all to crush his opponent.

Team-mates Steve Horsfield, Richard Moss and Mick Wilcockson dominated the rest of the match to win 8-0.

The decision to play a strong second string backfired on the first team and they lost 6-2 to Darlington. Simon Noutch and Richard Smith won Derwent's sets.

Another swap around for the final round of matches saw Mick Wilcockson step up to the first team, who beat Dewsbury 7-1. Andy Horsfield and Simon Noutch won, but Richard Smith lost to Shaun Ellis.

Despite good wins for Steve Horsfield and Andrew Nicholls the second team lost 6-2 to Humpty's Club (Newark).

The next round of matches is not until December.

Updated: 12:01 Wednesday, September 04, 2002