by Alex Hoad at the ExCeL Arena

Silver-medallist Will Bayley says the task of securing a Paralympic medal with his GB teammates is an even bigger match to him than his singles final was.

Bayley and Ross Wilson (pictured right) teamed-up to secure GB’s passage into the semi-finals of the table tennis Class 6-8 team event on Thursday morning at ExCeL.

The duo, from Tunbridge Wells and Sheppey respectively, were up early to see-off Italy 3-0 in the opening match of the day, infront of an unusually sparse crowd in North Arena 1.

Wilson, 17, was first-up, cruising to an 11-5, 11-9, 11-2 win over Davide Scazzieri before Bayley, 24, who claimed a silver medal in the Class 7 singles on Sunday, faced Raimondo Alecci.

Bayley made a slow start in surroundings unfamiliar from the cauldron his previous matches have been played in, but won the last five points of the first set to take it 11-7 and then saved two set points in the second before prevailing 12-10.

He however lost the third 11-4 against the ultra-defensive Italian, who frustrated Bayley into trying to force winners, before knuckling down to take the fourth 11-5 and put GB 2-0 up.

Wilson then took on Alecci and was also frustrated by the tricky player, losing the opener 11-5 and then falling behind in the second before finding a tactic that worked, power, which him win the next three 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 to seal GB’s passage into the semi-finals, against Poland at 7pm on Thursday.

Wilson admitted with a laugh: “I haven’t got up this early before, but it was good. You have to adapt to playing at an earlier time but once you get going it was alright.

“The atmosphere was a bit different but all our families are here so the support was good.”

Wilson said he didn’t mind which of Poland in the last four: “We’ve played them quite a few times.

“It will be a tough match but we’ll go out and do our best and hopefully we can get into the final.”

Bayley (pictured) admitted: “It was a little bit flat in the hall and I found it hard to get going,

“It’s nice to get that one out of the way. I wanted to leave a bit in the tank for tonight. It’s going to be a bruising encounter tonight. It’s going to be a great game. We’re definitely up for that.”

He added: “It’s the biggest match of my life tonight. I class it as a bigger match than my singles. I really want to get a medal in team.”