Braintree League Divisions Two and Three: Black Notley B, the Juniors, and the Forgotten Numbers

Opening: When 86 per cent and 60 per cent appear in the same team

An 86 per cent win rate rarely appears in any ITTF or WTT ranking table. It appears in the internal records of the Braintree Table Tennis League, a club league based in Essex, England. But it is telling a clear story about the promotion race in the new season.

Last season Rev Matthews won 86 per cent of his matches in division two. Neil Freeman played in division one and still recorded a 60 per cent win rate. When those two numbers appear in the same squad, little explanation is needed: Black Notley B are the number-one contenders in division two. Every title begins with a forgotten number. In Braintree, 60 per cent and 86 per cent are the starting point of a season to watch.

Table tennis, however, is not a sport made only of percentages. A high win rate is a signal, not a verdict. A team can have outstanding individuals and still fail if the line-up is unbalanced, the fixture list is heavy, or the young players are not ready for a higher division. This article looks at divisions two and three and the names likely to shape the Braintree League season.

Context: A community league with real competition

The Braintree Table Tennis League sits inside the system governed by Table Tennis England. There is no WTT ranking points, no major prize money and no national television coverage. Yet the league performs a vital role: it keeps the local game alive and provides a real competitive environment for both senior players and developing juniors.

In leagues like this, promotion and relegation create the competitive frame. A relegated team does not simply disappear. They return to the division below, keep their core players and often become immediate favourites. A familiar phrase in English table tennis is that a relegated team can always be regarded as potential champions. Black Notley B are exactly that kind of team.

The league also has its own rhythm. Teams rarely use a fixed line-up every week. Some players appear on an occasional basis, some are rotated, and some juniors are moved into higher divisions midway through the season. That means pre-season predictions are only relative. Having followed club-level table tennis in England for many years, I have learned that the team which handles fixture variability and player availability best is usually the team lifting the trophy.

Division two: Black Notley B are expected to lead, Sudbury Strollers can dream

Black Notley B are described as the most formidable side in division two. Neil Freeman played in division one and won 60 per cent of his matches. Rev Matthews produced 86 per cent in division two last season. In addition, Steve Kerns, a former men’s singles champion, will appear in about half of the team’s matches. If those three combine regularly, Black Notley B have one of the most experienced trios in the league.

The word “if” is important. Steve Kerns is not available for the whole season. That means Neil Freeman and Rev Matthews must become permanent anchors, carrying more match load and scoring responsibility. If either of them misses matches for personal reasons, the depth of Black Notley B will be tested. Rev Matthews’ 86 per cent was produced in division two, but repeating a similar figure when the team are labelled favourites is a different challenge.

Sudbury Strollers are the clearest challengers. They finished second last season and possess Dave Fiddeman, who won 92 per cent of his matches. John Colvin also recorded 75 per cent. But Sudbury’s weakness is not the quality of their leading players; it is their depth. Their fate may depend on who supports Fiddeman and Colvin, and how often those supporting players appear. In a league season lasting several months, a team with only two reliable performers carries serious risk.

A relegated team always has a psychological edge. They have tasted pressure in a higher division and they know the cost of complacency. Black Notley B have not only individual quality; they also have a recovery motive. That makes them difficult to beat in the early phase. But in table tennis, one unexpected defeat can change the whole mood. The division two race is therefore not simply about whether Black Notley B go up; it is about how they respond to their first shock.

Division three: Finchingfield B, Black Notley F and the Nolan-Bradford change

Division three receives less attention than division two, but it contains more interesting variables. Finchingfield B finished second last season and had Lucien Nolan-Bradford, a player who was almost unbeatable at that level. Lucien lost only one match, and that defeat came in a fifth game by 16-14 against Ben Southgate. The 16-14 scoreline is not just a number; it suggests Southgate handled the decisive moments better.

Ben Southgate finished the season with an 87 per cent win rate before being promoted to division two. This is an important milestone. A player who wins 87 per cent in division three can move up with confidence, but the level of opposition will be different. In division two, every match contains players who have competed in division one or won individual titles. The question is whether Southgate can stay consistent under constant pressure.

Finchingfield B have lost Lucien Nolan-Bradford but have not necessarily lost their strength. Dave Punt moves down from division two, adding experience and solidity. Their line-up is still considered strong. However, the real threat may come from a new team: Black Notley F, who impressed in their early matches. A new team from the same large club often benefits from spirit and cohesion, because the players already know each other through training.

One notable feature of division three is the small difference in quality between the top and middle of the table. A few consecutive wins can lift a team from mid-table into promotion contention. That increases the value of direct matches, especially when sides like Finchingfield B and Black Notley F meet. Those matches reveal not only skill, but also the ability to manage a squad under real pressure.

Juniors: Ethan Collins, Sai Suresh, Aryaman Singh and JJ Calisin

The most attractive part of the Braintree League season preview is not the leading team; it is the junior group moving into adult divisions. Ethan Collins is only 12 years old yet already holds three cadets’ titles and one junior boys’ title. That is an impressive collection for a boy who is still in secondary school. The issue is not talent; it is durability against older, stronger and more experienced players.

Sai Suresh, aged 14, and Aryaman Singh, aged 13, are two names being watched by league coach Keith Martin. The word “baptism” in the season preview suggests this may be their first serious taste of adult competition. There is no better way to test a young player’s readiness than putting them on court. But whether they are protected properly, placed in suitable matches and allowed to learn from defeats is a coaching issue.

JJ Calisin, aged 18, is described as making impressive strides and is scheduled to move into division one at Christmas. This is a progressive challenge model: a young player is not kept in a safe environment forever, but pushed towards a tougher arena once ready. If Calisin maintains his form after that jump, his development ceiling will be much higher. If not, it will still be a valuable lesson in a long-term pathway.

The presence of Keith Martin as league coach shows that the Braintree League is not only for senior players keeping fit. It is also a local talent development system. Clubs such as Rayne and Netts are placing young players into division two and three line-ups, creating a competitive environment that no practice session can replace. The Braintree juniors may not yet produce national stars, but they are building an important foundation.

Contrarian view: Winning percentages do not automatically become points

Data never panics. Only the people reading it panic. In a season preview, a 92 per cent win rate for Dave Fiddeman or an 86 per cent rate for Rev Matthews can make people forget the conditions behind those numbers. A win rate is calculated from last season, at a specific level, with a specific team and a specific fixture list. If Black Notley B face a denser schedule or lose Steve Kerns for key matches, those numbers lose value.

Before believing in a team, believe in a long sequence of numbers. That is why I like the way local table tennis people think: they do not ask who is better; they ask who will show up consistently across the whole season. Sudbury Strollers may have two excellent players, but without a reliable third option they will drop points in midweek rounds. Black Notley B may have an experienced trio, but if Steve Kerns plays only half the matches, the burden on Freeman and Matthews grows.

In division three, Finchingfield B look stronger after adding Dave Punt, but the new Black Notley F side could surprise through internal cohesion. As for young talents like Ethan Collins, Sai Suresh and Aryaman Singh, success is not only measured by wins. It is measured by their ability to recover after a heavy defeat, to keep technique intact under pressure, and to understand that a season lasts far longer than one match.

This is why I always read previews with methodical scepticism. Not because the information is wrong, but because it is incomplete. A player with a 60 per cent record in division one is a strong signal. But if that signal is not accompanied by details about opponents, playing conditions, timing in the season and physical state, it is only part of the picture. Good decision-makers never chase the most obvious number; they look for the forgotten one.

Takeaway: Watch the first weeks

Black Notley B now have the chance to return to division one in their first season after relegation. Sudbury Strollers want to turn last season’s runners-up finish into another step forward. Finchingfield B and Black Notley F could make division three more open than expected. And below them, the 12, 13 and 14-year-olds are receiving deliberate investment from clubs and the league coach.

Nobody can identify the champion from a season preview alone. But it is possible to identify the most important questions. Do Black Notley B have enough squad strength to maintain their level all season? Can Sudbury Strollers find a reliable third player? Will Ben Southgate pass the division two test? Will Ethan Collins keep improving when he is no longer the only young talent in the spotlight? Can JJ Calisin stay stable when he moves up to division one at Christmas?

When a champion falls, I have seen the ghost of the data table three months earlier. In reverse, when a team rises, they also start from numbers that everyone else ignored. Record the numbers from the first week. Look at the Black Notley B line-up in their opening match. See who Sudbury Strollers use as their third player. Watch how Rayne D bring in Sai Suresh and Aryaman Singh. Those small details will tell more than any win rate from last season. The Braintree League season does not begin with a trophy. It begins with a long sequence of numbers, and only patient readers will fully understand the message.