THE two promoted sides, Bidford Bears and Studley, are finding it tough going in Division One of the Evesham and District Table Tennis Association following their latest heavy defeats.

The Bears went down 10-0 when they visited Wyre Elite, Graham Jackson and Malcolm Dewsbury both lost 21-16 in the third to Rick Hartwell, while Jackson was also unlucky to lose to Mark Green 21-11, 11-13, 20-22.

Studley also finished up on the wrong end of a whitewash against Benge-worth Red.

Mick Kirwan went down to both Dot Macfarlane and Lynda Reid in the third while Derek Close also lost to Reid and Ken Southwell in three.

Derek Close beat Darrell Wiltshire 18-21, 21-17, 26-24 when Wyre Elite visited Studley but Wiltshire, Mark Green and Chris Gooderham won the other nine games to maintain Elite's unbeaten start.

Kington Bulldogs opened their season with a 7-3 victory over Bengeworth Blue with Paul Bruner unbeaten for the home side.

He beat Dave Simkin 21-18, 16-21, 21-8 with the Blues Mike Prior's 21-14, 6-21, 21-17 being the pick of the other games.

John Buxton, John Teare and Graham Briscombe all defeated Stuart Greene when Evesham Rowing Club entertained Bengeworth Tigers.

Grahame Brown and Bob Price, though, both won three singles each before claiming the doubles to take the match 7-3.

The Rowers bounced back to record their first win of the season with a 6-4 defeat of Bengeworth Blue.

The Blue had Aileen Berry playing up from Division Two and she did well to beat John Teare 22-20, 23-21 but narrowly lost to the in-form Graham Briscombe who was unbeaten on the night with a superb 21-7, 21-14 victory over Paul Beechey.

John Buxton also beat Beechey but lost to Dave Simkins 21-19 in the third.

Chas Lane beat Ron Keyte and former Nomads' teammate Lynda Reid for Wyre Livewyres when they entertained Bengeworth Red, who won the other eight games to maintain their challenge at the top of the section.