WEYMOUTH & District League Division Three champions Budmouth B have completed a remarkable season by capturing a league and cup double, writes Dill Butcher.

The league winners earned a 5-3 victory over Budmouth C in the Handicap Knockout Cup final.

Sam Millar proved the difference in the sides on the night in a closely-contested final, having got the B side off to a perfect start by outwitting Ben Graham over three legs in the opening rubber.

Graham, playing off a plus four handicap head start, made the most of his advantage to grab the first leg 21-16 but this setback appeared to inspire Millar, who proceeded to play near-faultless table tennis in the next two legs which he took to 15 and 13.

Tom Cherry then overcame the talented Jamie Blair in a nail-biting two setter – 23-21, 22-20 – for 2-0 to the B side, after which the C team fought back to level it at two apiece as Brad Burroughs got the measure of Lily Cherry before Graham defeated Tom Cherry.

Lily then called on all of the big-match experience she had gained of late to outwit Blair in a cliffhanger that she edged 21-18 in the third set and, despite Lily’s later defeat to Graham, Millar kept his cool to overcome both Burroughs and Blair, so that the B team could reach the magic five rubbers and so complete the double with Budmouth’s first knockout cup success since 2010. 

* The WDTTL has been rocked by the sad news that it has lost one of its greatest and most popular servants in Rob Taylor.

Despite being very ill over the last year, Taylor had continued to show great interest in table tennis, league results and, in particular, the development of the sport at youth level.

In November, the league were pleased to invite him to one of their school coaching sessions at All Saints, where he picked up a bat and joined in with the ETTA coaches.

He also made a very generous donation to the WDTTL last year and was delighted to help fund all of the schools work they have carried out this year and this donation will continue to fund work in the future.