THE Weymouth & District Table Tennis League’s Handicap Cup saw no fewer than seven teams from Division One fall at the first hurdle against sides from further down the league ladder.

YMCA suffered at the hands of Dorset Youth B of Division Three in a very closely-fought match that went all the way.

The contest was nip and tuck all the way with neither team able to open up more than a one-leg lead all night.

The deciding leg was a match up between Dorset Youth B’s Les Gardner and YMCA’s Andy Webb. Gardiner’s handicap ultimately proved too much for Webb to overcome and he sealed a 5-4 victory for his team.

That was the same scoreline in the game between All Saints, also of Division Three, and Wyke A.

All Saints battled back from 3-1 down only to find themselves 4-3 behind with two legs remaining.

Luke Dadds beat Shaun Beauchamp to level the match and then reigning Under-13 Weymouth schools’ champion Ben Hannigan inched past Mike Doyle to put them into round two.

After taking a 3-0 lead, Budmouth A also went down 5-4 to Division Two’s Springfield B.

Tom Cherry, Lily Cherry and Sam Millar all won their first legs in deciding sets to put Budmouth on their way.

But Chris Whitehead and Paul Manvell then pulled two legs back before Tom Cherry put Budmouth within a leg of victory.

Whitefield and Manvell levelled the match beating, Millar and Tom Cherry respectively, before Angela Smallbone sealed a great comeback by defeating Lily Cherry in straight sets.

Elsewhere, a good week for Springfield continued as their B team knocked out Red Triangle with a 5-3 victory.

Shipton Gorge A lost 5-0 to reigning champions Budmouth D with Colliton X also losing 5-1 on the same night to the girls of Budmouth E.

The only all-Division One clash saw Pilgrims A sneak by Wyke M with a 5-3 triumph.

A local derby between Preston C and Preston D wrapped up the cup’s opening week and it was the D team that came through against their counterparts.

Round two takes place during the week commencing December 15 with quarter-final places up for grabs.