YOUNG and fast-improving players Brandon Crouchman and Scott Dowsett were the stars of the 2015 M&G Investments Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Championships.

But the biggest shock of all was in the mixed doubles where Dawn Baldry and Ciaran Whelan beat top seeds and nine-times champions Julie Johnson and David Cole.

And Ryan Gooday, 15, had a great weekend by winning the under-16 singles, under-18 singles, senior handicap singles and senior handicap doubles.

The two men’s singles semi-finals which will take place on finals night on Monday, February 9, at the Old Chelmsfordians Club will feature top seed Rik James versus Brandon Crouchman and joint third seed Ben Warner versus the inform Scott Dowsett. James, the 1998 champion, fought his way past Simon Jacob (3-0) and Steve Kerns (3-1), while Crouchman defeated Adam Buxton (3-0), Graham Briggs (3-1) and then joint number three seed Gary Young 11-9, 11-8, 11-5.

The improving Graham Briggs beat Alastair Hill 11-2, 10-12, 16-14, 12-14, 12-10 in the closest match in this event.

Warner had 3-0 wins over Mike Johnston and Hamish Innes while Mike Johnston secured a fine 11-5, 11-9, 12-10 win over Simon Webber and Hamish Innes saw off another rising star, Sid Dorn, 11-5, 6-11, 11- 5, 11-9.

Warner will face the surprise package of the event, the hard-hitting Dowsett, who played so well on finals night last year to beat Brandon Crouchman in the U21 singles final.

Dowsett scored an excellent 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 victory over John Poysden and then an even bigger 11-9, 11- 9, 13-15, 6-11, 11-5 win over second seed and four times champ David Cole.

Julie Johnson will be bidding for her 23rd ladies singles title and she eased her way into the final with a 3-0 victory over Jacqueline Smith, who defeated Emily Wood 12-10, 11-4, 11-6 in the group stages.

Johnson will play Sarah Austin in the final. Austin scored a fine 8-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 win over Shirley Carroll before defeating second seed Dawn Baldry 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9.

Few would have bet against David Cole and Julie Johnson in the mixed doubles, but Ciaran Whelan and Dawn Baldry had not read the script. They beat Steve Siggs/Jacqueline Smith 3-0 and then Cole/Johnson in a thrilling match 11-7, 4-11, 16-14, 14-12.

Whelan and Baldry will face Steve Whiteley and Shirley Carroll on finals night. They beat Rik James/Emily Wood 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7 at the penultimate stage.

Shirley Carroll/Dawn Baldry became ladies’ doubles champions for the first time, beating Julie Johnson/Jacqueline Smith 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 to claim the title.

Brandon Crouchman and Scott Dowsett have fought their way through to the men’s doubles final for the first time. In an event marred by withdrawals the number three seeds produced an all-action display to beat the holders – Gary Young and Steve Kerns in the semi-final 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9.

They will face the six times former champions, Dave Cole and Rik James, in the final. Rik and Dave beat Simon Webber and Alistair Hill in the penultimate round 11-5, 9-11, 11-4,11-7.

The veterans singles went with the seedings and the four top-seeded players fought out the semi-finals. The final will be contested between the favourite and three-times winner Rik James and second seed and four times champion Dave Cole.

Waseem Qureshi produced the shock of the event by beating the seeded John Poysden 13-15, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 12-10 before missing out 7-11, 3-11, 11-5, 8-11 to Steve Kerns.

James beat Ian Whiteside 13-11, 11-6, 11-9, Peter Hayden 4-11, 11-9, 14-12, 11-5 after a real tussle and then Kerns 12-10, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5.

Dave Cole looked to be playing really well as he eased past Adam Buxton 12-10, 11-8, 11-8 then Hamish Innes 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 and then Gary Young 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-2.

Gary Young/Steve Kerns became the veterans doubles champions for a third successive year.

They beat Steve Siggs/Dave Moles (3-0) and then Steve Whiteley/Ian Whiteside (3-0) and they produced a fine controlled display to beat Dave Cole/Rik James 11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-3 in the final.

Dave and Rik beat Peter Hayden/Adam Buxton 11-5, 10-12, 12-10, 11-5 in a fast and furious semi-final encounter.

John Poysden won his first Chelmsford title by annexing the over-50s singles crown.

Dave Moles scored a real upset win when he beat Ian Whiteside 11-9, 11- 13, 11-8, 11-9 and he then held match-point against third seed Hamish Innes before succumbing 10-12, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 10-12.

Innes eventually missed out in four ends against Steve Kerns 5-11, 13-15, 11-7, 3-11 in the semi-final. In the other half of the draw John Poysden beat Charles Yeung 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 and then Chris Jacob 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5.

The final was a fluctuating affair but the fifth end became something of a procession as John Poysden ran away with it to defeat Steve Kerns 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-3 to claim the title.

Top-seeded John Holland became the over-60s champion for the fourth time.

Holland eased past Colin Barham (3-0), Chris Jacob (13-11, 11-8, 12-10) and he beat Steve Whiteley 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-1 in a widely fluctuating five-game final.

Steve Whiteley had beaten Hamish Innes 7-11, 13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7 in a very keenly-contested semi-final, the best match of this event. Chris Jacob had earlier defeated Ian Whiteside 3-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8.

The under21 singles final will be a repeat of last year’s final night encounter. Scott Dowsett will face his doubles partner Brandon Crouchman.

Dowsett had the tougher semi-final. He was stretched to beat Sidney Dorn 11-8, 11-5, 9- 11, 11-6, while Crouchman raced through his two games seeing off Wiktor Delimat and Ryan Gooday both 3-0.

Gooday excelled to win the under-16s singles. He beat top seed Sidney Dorn 8-11, 11-2,12-14, 9-11, 11-7 in a thrilling and well contested final.

Both players had won their semi-final matches 3-0. Sidney Dorn beat James Hughes, while Ryan Gooday saw off Patrick Bugg.

Ryan Gooday made it a double cause for celebration on the Saturday by beating Peter Windley 11-4, 11-5, 13-11 to take the junior boys singles title.

Both players faced some anxious moments in their semi-final matches. Windley needed five games to beat Chris Denyer 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, while Ryan Gooday dropped an end against the very promising Cameron Gray before he won 11-6, 11- 6, 10-12, 11-7.

Matthew Elliott is the 2015 under-14 singles champion. He scored two well-executed wins after qualifying from his group.

He beat Harry Rogers 14-12, 13- 11, 11-6 and James Hughes in the final 11-6, 11-6, 11-6.

Hughes booked his final appearance by beating Tom Picton 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11 in the semi- final.

There was an upset of sorts in the junior doubles. Team-mates Peter Windley and Daniel Berry scored a fine four-games win in the final to beat top seeds Ryan Gooday and Sidney Dorn 11-7, 5-11, 11-4, 11-3.

They had required five ends to beat Cameron Gray/George Ashley 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-3 a round earlier.

Gooday/Dorn had beaten Chris Denyer/Jamie Brooks 3-0 at the same stage.

Sarah Austin – the star of the ladies singles became junior girls champion for the fifth time. She beat Emily Wood 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 in a well-contested final. Peter Windley added a second title to go with his junior doubles success by picking up the junior handicap singles.

He beat Tom Picton (3-1), Cameron Gray (3-2), Sidney Dorn (3-1) and in the final he defeated Sarah Austin (3-1). Austin knocked out Alex Headley (3-0), Daniel Berry (3-0) and James Brooks (3-1).

Sunday’s play was dominated by the four divisional singles competitions which included a much increased entry.

Top seed Waseem Qureshi retained his division two title and in the process became the first three time champion.

He had to do it the hard way by beating the very inform Ryan Gooday twice, in the group stages and in the final.

Group seven produced the closest finish in league history. Mike Johnston, Neil Freeman and Chris Hancox finished tied at one win apiece and Johnston emerged the winner on count-back with a points record of 93-92 with Hancox (94-94) placed second and the luckless Freeman (101-102) eliminated.

All-round player Qureshi stormed through to the final beating Chris Denyer (11-5, 11-4, 11-7) and Daniel Berry (11-8, 11-9, 12-10) and in the final he eclipsed Ryan Gooday 11-5, 3-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4.

Gooday impressed greatly. He beat Graham Briggs 15-13, 11-7, 11-9, then Tony Hallett 11-9, 15-13, 11-7 and second seed Steve Whiteley 11-9, 13-11, 2-11, 11-9.

Whitely complimented Gooday afterwards, saying: “He just never stopped going for his shots and the one he played at 10-8 was unbelievable.

“I thought I had won the rally at least three times.” With such an impressive showing in the division two singles you might have expected Ryan Gooday to dominate in the Division three event as well.

But it did not work out that way. Gooday ran into the ever determined figure of Tom Elder in the semi-final and Elder won 5-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8.

Another ace defender Brian Riedling dominated the other half of the draw. He beat David Gatherall (11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7), then Neil Gooday (11-5, 11-6, 11-7) and then Neil Freeman by a very tight 12-10, 11-8, 12-10 margin then claimed the title by beating Tom Elder 13-11, 11-8,11-7 in a well-contested final. The division four singles final was contested by the top two seeds – Colin Napper and Peter Windley, and it was second seed Windley who took the title.

He beat Steve Siggs (6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9) and Dave Moles (11-8, 13-11, 11-6) and in the semi-final he saw off Ciaran Whelan in five ends, 11-5, 8-11, 8-11, 13-11, 11-7.

The final was also a close-fought affair but Windley defeated Napper 12-10, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7 to be crowned champion. Daniel Richardson is the division five singles champion and he had to overcome three determined adversaries to win the event.

It took him four games to get the better of Adam Pitt (11-13, 11-5, 11-8, 11-2) and the full five games to get the better of Daniel Anderson (11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8).

And the final against George Ashley was also hard-fought. Daniel Richardson had to dig deep to win 11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 12-10.

What had already been a great weekend for Ryan Gooday took an upwards turn when he won two more titles on Sunday afternoon with successes in both senior handicap events.

In the senior handicap singles final his opponent was again Steve Whiteley and he won 21-13, 22-20 having beaten Ken Sheard 21-14, 21-17 in the penultimate round.

Whiteley defeated Chris Hancox by a last-gasp 14-21, 21-11, 22-20 at the same stage.

Gooday, paired with Colin Barham also won the Handicap Doubles title and they beat Paul Nicol/ Lee McHugh in the final.

They had to fight back in their semi-final to address a heavy first game defeat to beat Rod MacLennan/Colin Napper 10-21, 21-15, 21-17.

Nicol/McHugh beat Ciaran Whelan/David Gatherall 2-17, 21-17 at the same stage to book their final appearance.