PLAYERS in the Kidderminster League tested their mettle in a handicap tournament.

With Division One players giving their opponent a headstart of nine in a game up to 11, even the best can falter.

And plenty did falter as the league’s oldest player, octogenarian Ted Dalton, progressed serenely through the rounds of this year’s tournament at Aggborough.

Dalton, who was also recovering from a cataract operation the week before, delighted in handing out beatings to a succession of top level players, even if he was bolstered by a huge handicap of plus 34.5 points.

Sadly Ted, who turned 87 on Friday, did not reach the final but a couple of his Bewdley Institute teammates did.

Ryan Cooksey and Russell Pallett will contest the handicap singles final at Aggborough Sports and Social Club on Monday, April 25.

The handicaps are calculated to within half a point by experienced committee member Alastair Kerr.

And with three matches in the knock-out section being decided by just a half a point, his calculations seem to be right.

There were nearly 40 players taking part in the handicap tournament and league committee members have been buoyed by the large entries to most of this year’s events.

There were similarly good turnouts for the Super Vets and Restricted events, which were also contested last week at Aggborough.

Some two dozen entrants battled it out in the Super Vets, for those aged 55 and above.

The final will be an all Harriers D affair between Chris Maiden and Steve Dorrell.

The restricted singles, for players outside the top division, saw veteran left-hander Eric Calver, from Harvington A, reach the final, where he will play Sam Albrow, from Droitwich Legion Inn.

Calver has the most wins and Albrow the fewest defeats in Division Two so it is fitting they should contest the final.

Wordsley A’s Kevin Walford was in great form all night and narrowly missed out on two final appearances. He made the semi-final stages of both the Handicap and Restricted events.

Players return to league action this week, with the next individual events – the open singles and men’s doubles – on March 21 at Aggborough.