THE first week of the new Paperstation Malvern League started in Division Two with YMCA Vulcans, relegated last season, beating newcomers Poolbrook Panthers 10-0.

Ewan Gear managed to take a game off Beryl Shammon, but all the rest of the sets were straight-game wins for Shammon, Richard Bennett and John Cawthra.

The other relegated team, Manor Park Travellers, also had a three-point win against CSSC Nomads.

Martin Snee and Toby Wren won all their singles for Travellers, while Ken Hipwell won one and also the doubles alongside Snee.

Tony Hughes and Dave Hayes each won a game for Nomads.

The closest match of the opening week of action was between Abbeydowne and Crackpots ‘B’.

The first four sets went to five games and the next two went to four, with 12 other games being won by just two points.

The longest set of the evening was between Peter Denniss and Ted Cates in which the fourth game ended at 19-21 to Cates.

But Denniss managed to clinch the set in the fifth game at 11-9.

For Manor Park Crackpots, Stephen Lindner continued his good form of last season with two wins against Poolbrook Rangers.

Three of the sets went to a fourth game and one to five, but Richard Cullis won all his singles and paired up with Nick Haggar to win the doubles.

Haggar claimed two victories of his own, as did Geoff Burford.

A newly-formed team, Crackpots ‘D’, played Ripple and both James Palmer and Bob Rhodes won two singles contests.

Peter Quy and Pete Nash won two respectively for Ripple while Mark Davies won one. Elsewhere in the doubles, Davies and Pete Nash took the win to give their team the victory.

Results: Poolbrook Panthers 0 YMCA Vulcans 10; Manor Park Travellers 8 CSSC Nomads 2; Abbeydowne 4 Crackpots ‘B’ 6; Manor Park Crackpots 2 Poolbrook Rangers 8; Ripple 6 Crackpots ‘D’ 4; Malvern Tornados 1 Devils 9.