Peter Eccles made a flying start to the new season for Fastbats C in their Bradford Table Tennis League Division Three fixture against Hermits B.

Eccles was part of the Division Four Fastbats X team which carried off the Tony Theobould Trophy last season, and he quickly adjusted to the step up with a fine individual performance in which he dropped only two games in winning his three singles against the experienced Hermits trio of Martin Jackson, Les Packer and Terry Halliday.

Mick Holt added two for Fastbats and was just pipped by Jackson at 12-10 in the fifth and, with Fastbats leading 5-4, Jackson and Halliday rescued a point for Hermits with the doubles.

In Division Four, Hermits D produced a great fightback to share the spoils at Highdale D.

Allen Miles-Turner, Bob Underwood and Steve Miles-Turner got Highdale off to a great start by taking the first three singles but Roger Swithenbank and Chris Town dragged Hermits back into contention by winning two each, and they completed Hermits’ recovery by adding the doubles for a deserved draw.

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