Island team off to solid start in British Table Tennis League

The Isle of Man national table tennis team kicked off their first weekend of British League National C2 fixtures recently.

They fielded a strong squad featuring island champion Sam Bailey, Duncan Alexander, Becky Bayley and promising teenager Amit Lanin.

Bailey, previously ranked in the top 100 in England, made a welcome return to competitive league action after a break of several years, bolstering an already capable Manx side combining elite experience and youth talent.

The fixture took place recently at Halton TTC in Widnes.

The opening tie was a stern test against an Allied TTC side featuring a former Championship Division-winning Taiwanese star as their number one and an England international veteran as number two.

Bailey set the standard immediately in the opening match against England number 87 Ritchie Venner, showing high class to edge out a thrilling five-set thriller 11-7 in the decider.

Lanin and Alexander both added crucial points against Allied’s number three and four players, while Bayley fought hard in a narrow defeat against their number four.

Although Allied’s top player Sung Ming Cheng proved elusive in the singles, Bailey and Alexander joined forces in the doubles to produce a magnificent performance, defeating him and his team-mate in style.

Despite a tight 5-4 overall loss, taking four games off the division favourites was a tremendous opening statement.

The team hit top gear against experienced hosts Halton, with every squad member making a vital contribution to the scoreboard.

Bailey and Lanin both secured brilliant double singles wins, with the latter showing maturity beyond his years to claim two wins (no small feat at this level.

Bailey and Alexander maintained their unbeaten doubles run with a comfortable win, while Alexander and Bayley added a win apiece in their singles to seal an emphatic 7-2 team victory.

Sunday began against a tricky Crewe line-up equipped with contrasting rubber surfaces and awkward playing styles.

Bayley produced a standout individual performance, using aggressive attacking play to claim two magnificent victories against Crewe’s number two and number four.

Bailey added another two singles victories to his tally but, despite spirited displays, Alexander and Lanin were narrowly denied; Alexander pushing Crewe's number three all the way to deuce in a dramatic fifth-set decider.

The 5-4 loss was tough, but the performance underlined the squad's depth and determination.

The final fixture saw the Isle of Man face a match-sharp Birmingham TTA team led by full-time coach Ed Lynn.

Bailey, who usually plays two divisions higher, led from the front with two authoritative 3-1 wins against high-ranked opposition. He again teamed up with Alexander in the doubles to claim their third win out of four for the weekend.

The latter pushed Birmingham's top player all the way to a fifth set with clever tactical variations, while Bayley and Lanin battled fiercely against high-calibre opponents.

It was an exceptionally encouraging weekend of high-calibre table tennis for the Manx team.

Individually, island champion Bailey enjoyed a stellar return to British League play, winning seven out of eight singles matches and pairing up with Alexander for a dominant three out of four record in the doubles.

But the weekend's success was fundamentally a collective achievement: Bayley proved her mettle against tricky opposition, taking crucial top-order wins.

Alexander provided steady leadership and key tactical flexibility in both singles and doubles, while Lanin demonstrated the bright future of Manx table tennis by picking up multiple singles wins against seasoned adult opposition.

Every team member contributed vital match wins and gained invaluable experience competing at the elite level, serving as a brilliant advertisement for Isle of Man table tennis on the national stage.

The squad will return to action in November.

KEN MITCHELL