TIGERS have charged to the top of the Mid-Cheshire Table Tennis League this week.

They did so with a convincing 9-1 win over Sparks, who dropped to fourth.

Winston Duff, Craig Lee and Miles Benjamin were all in top form, winning all nine singles matches, with their only loss coming in the doubles.

The Butchers moved up to second place with a 7-3 win at home to Victoria Club One, who slipped down to third.

Brian Johns was unchallenged and George Abbott also won three and paired up with Johns to take the doubles.

The Victorians’ three points came at the expense of the valiant substitute, Garry Owen.

Raptors enjoyed a narrow 6-4 win over Wreckers, but it was Wreckers’ John Jestin who stole the show – winning all his matches, with their only other point coming from Helena Dennett’s close five-set win over Chris Snape.

Simon Lafferty and Alan Darlington both won two, and Snape one.

Lafferty and Snape then combined to take the doubles.

At the foot of the table, Lemmings’ 8-2 away win kept Winsford firmly rooted to the bottom.

Steve Stockton and Dave Etchells both scored three wins each for the Lemmings.

With table-topping Cobras having a free week in Division Two, the Bears missed out on a chance to move above them – beaten 7-3 at home by Daresbury Lab Rats, who closed the gap in third place.

The Lab Rats’ Allan Brown was in tip-top shape with three wins, including a five-setter over Andy Edwards.

Martin Roberts added two wins, and Norbert Collomb one.

Roberts and Brown took the doubles over the pairing of Edwards and Paul Curley, 11-9 in the fifth, to complete the victory.

Vikings eased to a 7-3 win over Sticklebacks with Neil McGrath and Steven Buffey both taking maximums and combining for the doubles.

This was a closer match than the scoreline suggests, with five matches going to five sets, and Vikings winning four of them.

In the final match of the division, Manweb enjoyed the third 7-3 result of the week – over Hawks.

Dave Nelson was the star of the show with three wins, including a 3-2 triumph over Michael Farr.

Nelson was supported by Alf Perry with two wins and Andy Woodyatt with one.

In Division Three, Wolves moved off the bottom of the table with a 6-4 win at Rangers, with Piers McLeish, Salvador Dias and Mark Hayes all taking two wins.

Rangers were 4-2 ahead before losing the last four matches.

Elsewhere, Kinetics moved to a 7-3 win over Victoria Club Two, with George Berry, Ciprian Mihalache and Martin Selby all taking two wins.

Alan Lenton was outstanding for the losing Holmes Chapel outfit, winning all three of his singles, with his victory over the previously undefeated Selby leaving him the only unbeaten player in the division.