The new Sussex Women's ranking list contains one surprise.

German student Birgit Seiffert is in at No.5 and been chosen for the Sussex second team's visit to the Isle of Wight on December 1.

She is based at St Leonards and is studying general subjects at Hastings. She played almost unnoticed in the recent Sussex Open Grand Prix at Hastings recording a notable win over England No. 2 cadet Lauren Spink, of Lincolnshire.

The teenager pulled off a division one win over David Pickard, a former Hastings senior champion, playing in the Eastbourne league last week Her home city is Berlin and she is an attacking top spinner.

Promoted Sussex marked their return to the premier division of the veterans' county championships last weekend with a 6-3 win over Dorset, but lost 7-2 to Yorkshire and Surrey.

Richard Yule, chief executive of the English Table Tennis Association based in Hastings, continued his long association with Surrey who were unbeaten in three matches and top the table.

Yule, 51, won five out of six matches for Surrey, losing only to Barrie Gilbert of Sussex. Peter Bartram (Worthing), on his debut for Sussex, won three matches from six.

The newly created cadet's county championships opens on Saturday at a new venue, the Six Villages Sports Centre at Westergate, Fontwell, with two Sussex teams competing.