The Guernsey A and B teams: From left to right: Phil Ogier, Garry Dodd, Olly Langlois, Liam Robilliard, Matt Stubbington, Paul Hainsworth and Martin Sarre. Lawrence Stacey was unavailable for the picture. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0835335)

THE newly promoted Sportingbet Guernsey Table Tennis A team began their 2009 Senior British League Division One campaign with a promising victory over Brighton City 5-3.

The team also drew with Mossford 4-4, and narrowly lost out to both OLOP Impact and Kingfisher by a score of 5-3.

Team member Garry Dodd said life in Division One is going to be tough if the matches in Slough were anything to go by, but he was optimistic.

‘We got our first three points on the board, which is great for the team as we are coming up against some of the best players in the country.

‘But we still have to play against arguably the division’s strongest team, Greenhouse TTK, which has a top 10 British player,’ he said.

Dodd went on to say that the team, also including Phil Ogier, Oliver Langlois, and Paul Hainsworth, had found the first day tough but went on to their top form on Sunday.

The Guernsey B team, new to the Senior British Leagues, also had a good start with victory over Greenhouse Progress 6-2, and the British Legion Valley Royal 5-3 on the second day of play.