IN a titanic clash, top seeds NMMU A cemented their place at the top of the Nelson Mandela Bay table tennis premier league with a close 7-4 win over Aryan A.
In a tight affair, seven of the 11 matches went to three sets and the encounter could have gone either way. In the end, the fitness and tenacity of the varsity side prevailed.
The first match set up the exciting pattern of play as Pranev Naidu edged Ridaa Hendricks 11-8 8-11 16-14. With the varsity leading 5-3, Dipal Bhana (NMMU) sealed the win when he defeated Rajesh Bhana 11-6 11-7.
In another close match, Booysens Pride shaded Callies A 7-4. Despite Robert Kuscus (Callies) winning all his matches, Booysens Pride showed they were a force to be reckoned with in the competition.
In the third match, Monde Cola and Nceba Ngcingwane (Ivan Peter) led their side to a 9-2 win over NMMU B.
In the first league, the Despatch-Livvie Alumni A clash was keenly contested. Although Despatch won 9-2, the margin was not a true reflection of the game, with Elton Bloementjie (Livvie Alumni) winning all his matches.
Callies B had an easy 11-0 win over NMMU E, with Sureshan Norman, Kanen Vandayar and Anton Human all showing good form.