BATTS finished the opening weekend of the Senior British Clubs League Premier Division at the top of the table after winning all four matches, with Isaac Kingham contributing seven victories from eight individual matches. Table Tennis England reported that BATTS led closest rivals Ormesby on ‘sets for’ difference after a weekend in which the hosts recorded three 7-0 wins and one tighter 4-3 success.
The early position does not decide the title race, with further weekends and fixtures still to come, but it gives BATTS the strongest possible start in a division which their non-playing captain, Cliff Carder, described as containing eight leading teams. Carder also said that Ormesby, last season’s champions, were among the difficult opponents BATTS would face later in the campaign.
Four wins put BATTS ahead of Ormesby
BATTS began their home weekend with a 7-0 victory over Nottingham. Kingham said the opening fixture helped the team settle into the venue, although he had to come through his first match against Adam Dennison by a 3-2 score before feeling more comfortable.
The second tie was substantially closer. BATTS beat eBaTT 4-3, having established a 4-0 advantage early in the match. Kingham said the side had taken its opportunities at the start of the contest, which proved important when eBaTT reduced the margin.
Sunday brought two more 7-0 results, against North Ayrshire and Fusion. Kingham said the Fusion scoreline included a number of close individual games, but BATTS had stayed clinical in the decisive moments.
That sequence explains the advantage at the summit. Table Tennis England said BATTS led Ormesby on ‘sets for’ difference. BATTS’ three clean-sweep results supplied a strong ‘sets for’ return, while the 4-3 win ensured the side completed the weekend unbeaten.
- Nottingham: BATTS won 7-0.
- eBaTT: BATTS won 4-3.
- North Ayrshire: BATTS won 7-0.
- Fusion: BATTS won 7-0.
Kingham delivers seven wins from eight
For Kingham, who is in only his second Premier Division season, the weekend produced seven wins from eight matches. Table Tennis England identified him as an England junior international and U21 national champion, and reported that he had arrived after competing in Belgium following a period focused on training and working on his game.
Kingham said he had enjoyed returning to a BATTS side with a strong team spirit. He added that new BATTS player Edouard Valenet, described by Carder as a Philippines national team player, had quickly fitted into the group on his first weekend for the club.
Carder said the 2026/27 BATTS squad comprised Kingham, Abraham Sellado, Josh Bennett, Ralph Pattison and Valenet. He said selections were made collectively and that the club’s approach centred on players trying their best and enjoying matches.
Kingham said BATTS experimented with doubles combinations after Valenet’s arrival. He also said his partnership with Sellado had prior experience from National and European Youth Championships, helping them work effectively together.
Kingham and Sellado have a longer shared history than this season’s line-up. Kingham told Table Tennis England that he had known Sellado since he was about 12 and had lived with him for two years while they were at the Charles Read and Grantham College Academy. He said they had also played doubles together at national and European youth events. That experience offered an established pairing as BATTS tried other combinations with Valenet.
The competition has moved to a centralised-venue format rather than home-and-away fixtures, according to Carder. He said this had improved the player experience, Carder said the weekend featured many junior competitors and that several non-English players had helped increase the standard. BATTS’ next weekend is due to be in Scotland, where Carder said the team would seek to maintain its solid start.