The Isle of Man table tennis team kicked off their first weekend of British League National C1 fixtures with a team consisting of Mike Tamarov, Duncan Alexander, Becky Bayley and Amit Lanin.

They were without island number one Scott Lewis, but nevertheless this was a strong line-up, combining youth and experience. The fixture took place at Halton TTC in Widnes.

The opening tie was against a formidable Albert TTC side. Alexander set the tone early, pushing the Albert number two to a fourth set in a spirited performance, but ultimately couldn’t overcome his opponent’s aggressive play.

Tamarov and Lanin also battled hard in their singles, though the consistency and depth of the Albert team proved too strong. The highlight came in the doubles, where Alexander and Lanin combined brilliantly to secure a notable win in an entertaining five-set thriller.

But the standout moment of the match came from Bayley who produced a superb performance to defeat the Albert number two 3-2 - a superb win against an opponent ranked well above her.

Despite a narrow overall loss, the Isle of Man side showed plenty of promise.

Next up was new side Halifax and the Isle of Man team started in style.

Alexander and Tamarov both claimed impressive singles victories to give the team early momentum. Bayley and Alexander then teamed up in the doubles and were unlucky to lose a tightly contested tactical battle.

At the halfway point, the islanders led 3-2 and in the decisive second half they held their nerve superbly to close out a 5-4 overall victory - a well-deserved reward for their teamwork and determination.

Sunday began with a clash against island rivals Guernsey but, with only three players available because of injury, the odds were stacked against the Isle of Man.

Despite the disadvantage, Tamarov, Alexander and Bayley all produced some excellent play.

Alexander earned the team’s sole win with a strong performance against the Guernsey number two, while Bayley and Tamarov were both edged out in tense five-set encounters.

The final scoreline of 8-1 didn’t fully reflect the competitiveness of the match.

The final fixture saw the Isle of Man face hosts Halton who fielded a high quality side including two world-class Paralympic players.

Still without Lanin who suffered an injury on the first day, Team IOM were a player down and found it tough to match the home team’s strength, but Alexander again led by example, claiming an emphatic 3-0 win over the Halton number two.

Both Bayley and Tamarov fought hard but struggled against the tricky combination bats of their opponents, narrowly missing out in their singles.

Despite some clear challenges, the Isle of Man team showed resilience, skill and great team spirit throughout the weekend. They will return to action in November, aiming to build on their performances and climb further up the league table.

Further details of the British Club League can be found at https://british.ttleagues.com/league/2290

KEN MITCHELL