LEAGUE history was made and it was virtually all change at the Malvern Table Tennis League Individual Championships held last Sunday at the Malvern Theatres Complex, as most defending champions failed to retain their crowns.

The absence of ex-England player Max Crimmins meant that the main competitions were wide open. Clare Newns, ranked at 23 in the national women's list, took full advantage of this, taking the Lamberts & Wade Singles title against defending champion Dave White.

She is the first woman to have won this title in the league's history.

Clare, aged 22, a former England Junior player and Cheshire Ladies champion, said: "I did not think winning the main event was attainable, but after winning the Ladies Singles title and then the Mixed, I was very pleased when I went on to win the final at around 10pm that evening."

In her final year of teacher training at Worcester University, Clare said she was starting to get back towards her junior form and hoped to be pushing for a top 12 England Ladies ranking before long.

She said: "My form had slipped but I'm hoping to get back to international level and that is my aim now."

Clare and Pete Childs teamed up to win the Express TV Doubles, after having beaten the title holders in the semi-final and Clare also comfortably won the Ladies Singles.

The main features of Clare's game were lightning reactions, effective counter hitting against top spin and the ability to punish high returns.

In the Veteran's Singles final Alan Salisbury after a shaky start, recorded a fine win over defending champion Dave Woodyatt.

The Worcester Balloons Division One final was won by Pete Childs, while in the Ledbury Exhaust Division Two competition, Pete Griffiths, who had held the title for several years, yielded his crown to Nick Price. However Pete Griffiths had some consolation when he and Ken Hipwell won the Division Two doubles. Kevin Howard won the Division Three Singles title.

Juniors and Cadets were well represented in the day's events, holding their own in competition against regular league Division Three players. Joe Higgs won the Cadet Singles, and then teamed up with Matt Lang to record a very creditable win in the Division Three Doubles against more experienced opposition. The Junior Singles was won by Eak Sugkraroek for the third successive year, and the Junior Girls by defending champion Lucy Groves.

The League wishes to thank all its sponsors for their valuable support and thanks are also due to Countrywide Stores for the loan of a lorry for transporting tables to and from the venue.