It's lucky 13 for Salem in Bradford Table Tennis League (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

It's lucky 13 for Salem in Bradford Table Tennis League

5:00pm Wednesday 6th February 2013 in Sport By Richard Priestley, Table tennis correspondent

Salem were rewarded for their perseverance and patience in the Bradford Table Tennis League when they registered their first Division Five victory at the 13th attempt.

Fellow strugglers Baildon D had got off the mark a week earlier, and Salem followed their example with a hard-fought victory over Hermits K.

There was a marked age difference in the two line-ups, with the Salem trio of Colin Waddington, Ronnie Wright, and Maurice Smithies totalling over 200 years, while Hermits included George Raine and Daniel Lister, who added up to just 24 years between them.

Salem were behind three times as Daniel won all his three singles, while George defeated Ronnie Wright.

But Salem did not flag and finished the stronger, with Smithies and Waddington taking the last two singles – and they clinched victory when Wright and Smithies took the doubles 11-7 in the fifth game.

Laisterdyke A have slipped into the relegation places in Division Two and have missed the services of the injured Peter Holbrook and the unavailable Mann Younis.

Fazal Hussain has soldiered on valiantly and he won their two singles in an 8-2 reverse against Hermits A.

This result puts them below both Hermits and Yeadon A and they face a difficult task to climb out of trouble.

Results - Division One: Unity B 0, Highdale B 10; Unity A 9, Unity C 1; Division Two: Yeadon A 6, Pudsey A 4; Highdale C 5, Unity D 5; Laisterdyke A 2, Hermits A 8. Division Three: Hermits C 3, Hermits E 7; Laisterdyke C 0, Fasbats C 10; Laisterdyke B 5, Unity E 5. Division Four: Hermits H 7, Highdale D 3; Unity F 3, Hermits G 7. Division Five: Hermits I 7, Thornbury 3; Salem 6, Hermits K 4; Baildon B 8, Hermits L 2; Hermits J 6, Baildon D 4.