by TYRONE EVELYN

DESPITE THE HEROICS of former national champion Carl Sealy, his team Diamonds International Henry's Lane were edged out by Charades in a Division 2 encounter at the Table Tennis Centre on Tuesday night.

Sealy easily won his two singles matches but Charades had more firepower as they emerged 4-3 winners in a hard-fought match which went the full seven games.

Sealy started off on a winning note by beating Kirk Moore at 5, 6 and 5 in the opening set to give Henry's Lane an early 1-0 lead.

Charades then drew level when Rawle Husbands slammed past Tara Burrowes 11-1, 11-3, 6-11, 11-9, and shortly after they took a 2-1 lead as Gregory Prosper stopped Koryn Steinbok at 5, 10 and 7.

Henry's Lane pulled back a set to level the score 2-2 when their pair of Sealy and Shane Norville defeated Moore and Prosper in the doubles, 11-5, 11-7, 14-16, 11-4.

Sealy then sent Henry's Lane into a 3-2 lead by dismissing Husbands at 2, 8 and 8.

But that was as far as Henry's Lane got, as Charades went on to win the next two sets and the match.

Moore quickly disposed of Steinbok 11-5, 11-9, 11-9, while Prosper routed Burrowes at 2, 5 and 7.

In the two other matches played, Fast Loopers and Barbados Light & Power routed Central Bank and Barbados Union of Teachers 4-0.

In the Fast Loopers/Central Bank match-up, Paul Vaughn defeated David Bowen after a hard-fought and tense five games, 5-11, 12-10, 12-10, 13-11; Dario Murray stopped Joel Best 11-4, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6; Nicole Alleyne was pressed all the way before she overcame Julian Haynes 5-11, 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 11-3; and in the doubles, Murray and Alleyne got the better of Bowen and Jones 11-4, 13-15, 12-10, 11-4.