Deng Yaping uses a wooden SPOON to beat Benedict Cumberbatch at table tennis

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Ping pong legend Deng Yaping challenged actor to game at sports awards
Deng offers star a jumbo-sized bat to give him fighting chance during skit
Instead, she picks up a wooden spoon that 'my mother uses for cooking'
Actor jokes: 'You're going to beat me with it? My mother said that to me!'

Published: 09:32 EST, 16 April 2015 | Updated: 11:54 EST, 16 April 2015

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In his day job, he is well versed at telling his sidekick Watson just how 'elementary' things can be.

But Benedict Cumberbatch found the shoe was very much on the other foot when he tried his hand at table tennis yesterday.

The Sherlock star was challenged to a game by Chinese ping pong legend Deng Yaping while hosting the Laureus World Sports Awards in Shanghai, it was reported by People's Daily Online.

But despite using a wooden spoon to give the actor a fighting chance, Deng still won the match.

Here's how it's done, detective: Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is challenged to a table tennis match by Chinese ping pong legend Deng Yaping, who beat him despite playing with a wooden spoon

Cumberbatch is a huge celebrity in China because of the popularity of the Sherlock TV series and his skit with Deng went down a storm with the audience.

Opening the sketch, the star says: 'I'm getting a little nervous because I can't help noticing that there's a ping pong table behind us.'

Turning to Deng, he says: 'You want me to play you?'

She replies: 'How about that?' to which Cumberbatch gasps: 'Oh my God!'

Deng, one of the world's most successful players, at first offers the star a jumbo-sized paddle in an attempt to ease his nerves.

But politely declining, he says: 'I'm a bit better than that.'

The Sherlock Star was challenged to a game while hosting the Laureus World Sports Awards in Shanghai

Level playing field: Deng, one of the world's most successful players, eventually plays with a normal paddle

She then hands him a normal-sized paddle, but Cumberbatch still fears he will be beaten.

As a final option, she picks up a wooden spoon, adding: 'My mum uses this for cooking.'

The actor jokes: 'And you're going to beat me with it? That's what my mother used to say to me!'

The pair have three rallies which end with Cumberbatch hitting it into the net twice and shooting it long the third time.

They then have one final rally with Deng using a normal paddle, which she finishes with a smash, with the TV feed edited to show the ball bouncing out of the building and then back into his mouth.

Benedict Cumberbatch presents Laureus Sport Awards 2015