Haverhill Table Tennis Club's first team captain Alex Horscroft wants to be best player in Cambridgeshire League
Haverhill Table Tennis Club’s first-team captain Alex Horscroft has said the team are adapting well to the ‘very, very good’ quality of Division One of the Cambridge League.
The 21-year-old has returned to the club’s fold this season, alongside twin Sam, after three years away from the Cambridge & District Table Tennis League while studying at Reading University.
But, alongside the talent of Gracjen Sen, who went the whole of last season unbeaten in Division Three, the two talented players have returned and are part of a team competing in the league’s top division.
And, with three wins and two losses under their belt, Alex said he has been ‘surprised’ by just how good the standard is.
“It might be a local league,” he said. “But there are some top players in it – James Ward (who plays for the Cam Parkside first team) is in the top 20 or 30 players in the nation.
“The standard is very, very good in the league, we knew it was high but I think it has surprised us a little with just how good.
“It has improved and changed a lot since we were away at university and the standard has risen, it’s really competitive now.
“So it is taking us a bit of time to adapt, it’s really fast.
“And Sam is also working on a developing a few shots he is missing. It’s the sort of level that you will get beaten if you don’t have a complete game.
“That’s great for us though and my aim is definitely to become one of the stronger players in the division.
“I want teams to be discussing how dangerous we are.”
They have taken some steps in becoming a force to be reckoned with in the division with back-to-back wins in their last two fixtures.
They followed up their 7-3 home win over Huntingdon II last Monday with a 6-4 away victory over Soham on Tuesday to climb to fifth in the table.
Sen opened the match with a straight sets win before the Horscroft bothers lost their first games in four-setters.
Sen took a second straight sets victory but lost in his third match, while Sam recorded victories in his next two.
Alex had a tough day, securing a win in only one of his three individual matches, but fought hard to secure the win across five sets in the doubles match alongside Sen.
They are next in action on Monday, at home to Cam Parkside II.
l Meanwhile, in Division Three, Haverhill II lost 6-4 at home to Impington III to leave them second-from-bottom in the division.
Colin Cushen, 80, stepped in for unavailable Pavel Rosa as the team fought hard but narrowly lost.
Andrew Driver won his three as well as the doubles match with Adam Kerby.
They are next away next time out at Ely on Friday, November 16.
