Home advantage proved crucial in the Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s Handicap Knock-Out Cup.

All four home teams – each representing a different club – won their quarter-final matches.

Division one champions Brotherhood A took an early 3-1 lead in their four-hour thriller against division two side Windsor Hawks.

The Hawks hit back to take the next three matches before the pendulum finally swung back to Brotherhood, who took the match 5-4.

Four matches went close in five, with Windsor’s Andy Vincent (+1) beating John Andrews (-5) 14-12 in the decider and team-mate John Barton (+1) defeating Andrews (-6) 11-7 in the fifth.

In the doubles, Vincent and Dave Austin (+1) edged out Andrews and Alan Burgess (-5) 7-11, 12-14, 11-9, 12-10, 14-12, while Brotherhood’s Greg Green (-6) scraped past Austin (+1) 11-9 in the decider.

In their semi-final, Brotherhood A, who last won the cup five years ago, have a mouth-watering tie against division one title rivals Windsor Roosters, cup winners in 2008 and 2010.

The Roosters had a 5-1 win over division two side Nomads Lions, but the score belied a much tighter match, with three of the Roosters’ wins coming close in five.

Gary Cattermole (-10) defeated John Hatley (+2) 11-8 in the fifth, James Denyer and Mark Smith (-8) beat Hatley and John Weller (+1) 11-6 in the decider and Cattermole (-6) sealed the win with a 13-11 in the fifth victory against Weller (+1).

Nomads Jaguars made it through to the semi-finals the hard way, coming back from 4-3 down against fellow division one side Brotherhood B to emerge 5-4 victors in a typical see-saw tie.

Nomads’ Colin Beaumont won both his singles and shared a doubles success, while team-mate Terry Kirby took one singles and two doubles.

In the semi-finals, the Jaguars will meet division two leaders Walton D, who won 5-1 against division two’s bottom team, Nomads Lynx.

George Kalli stayed unbeaten for Walton.

For a full league round-up, see this week's Gazette.