Battle for finals heats up

Close encounters in round six table tennis action

Round 6 of Mount Gambier Table Tennis Club’s Winter season saw many close encounters across all grades as the battle for finals spots begins to heat up.

Both A Grade matches were considerably one-sided, firstly with Leigh Barry leading the Free Ballers to a comfortable victory over Sirinat Sweet’s Wobblies. After Sweet started strongly, accounting for Free Baller Ward Freeman in three games, Barry took care of Aravind Bablu just as easily.

The trend continued early on until the Ballers broke clear late in the night thanks to the unwavering Barry, supported well by Freeman and Justin Hutchesson. Sweet’s seesawing 5-game victory over Hutchesson was arguably the highlight of the match, the Wobblies star eventually clinching the decider 17 points to 15.

Ultimately though the Hutchesson’s Free Ballers had the last laugh, running away with a 7-4 victory. The second A Grade clash was even more lopsided, the Three Stooges reduced to two, up against the Top Three who also became two. Stooges player Kevin Patzel was the star of the night, this time outshining teammate Travis Sweet. Patzel kept his singles sheet clean as the Stooges romped to a 4-1 victory. The only positive on an otherwise gloomy night for the Top Three was Felix Owusu’s stunning boilover victory over Sweet.

David Harris-Jones led the Net Ninjas from the front as they locked horns with Mark Bachmann’s I’ll Be Bach in their B1 battle. HarrisJones kept his singles sheet clean as the two teams remained even throughout the early stages, but a late surge of four consecutive victories for I’ll Be Bach gave them a slender 6-5 win.

Meanwhile in the other B1 encounter, Johnny McBain and Nathan Schubert both posted clean sheets as McHallebert cruised past Cameron Beal’s We Was ‘Ere with an 8-3 rout.

Both B2 matches were close affairs, Allan Withers’ Jams narrowly staving off the Willies despite an unblemished singles night by Will Parker, the Jams prevailing 6-5.

The second B2 clash also came down to the wire, the end result not decided until the final rubber between The Richards player Kylie Boston and The Falcons’ Joel Schafer. Schafer won convincingly in the end, giving his Falcons team a 6-5 overall victory.

Spin Kraft started promisingly in their C Grade match against Bellissimo, young rising start John Malicdem overcoming a 2-1 deficit to defeat Anneleise Holtz in 5 thrilling games.

Malicdem’s team mate Mark Devaney then extended Spin Kraft’s advantage with victory over Falcons newcomer Kobi Gilbertson. Pier Varraso kickstarted Bellissimo’s night with a win over Heather McGregor, teams then going toeto-toe for much of the remainder of the match. Varraso’s victory over Malicdem clinched victory for Bellissimo, meaning Devaney’s win over Holtz in the final rubber was of mere consolation, Bellissimo claiming a 6-5 win.

The second C Grade match of the night delivered a much more decisive outcome, Doug Megaw and Jarrah Schafer continuing their strong form for JAD’s Army as they comprehensively accounted for Tracey Rawlings’ Beware B Nice.

The first three singles rubbers of the night all went the distance to 5 games, all in favour of the Army. Angus Billing started sluggishly in his battle with Rawlings, dropping the first game comfortably.

He fought back in the second, Rawlings having to sweat to the very end to claim a 16-14 win. At 2 games down and with his back firmly on the canvas, Billing gritted his teeth and drew on his remarkable determination, clawing his way back to claim the third game and then carry his momentum through the fourth, setting up an unlikely deciding fifth. After Billing started strongly, Rawlings pegged the lead back and the two combatants traded blows and astonishing rallies, team mates cheering from the sidelines. With the scores locked at 10 points apiece, neither player was able to seize the advantage as the pressure mounted, causing unforced errors on both sides of the net. Finally, at 13-12 in Billing’s favour, the players engaged in yet another brilliant rally, trying to push each other from side to side until Rawlings had Billing stretched wide and wrong footed. The Beware B Nice player had the whole table to put the ball away, but pushed it long over the end, Billing releasing a thunderous scream as his teammates cheered and clapped his 14-12 victory. Overall, JAD’s Army went on to claim an 8-3 win.

3-rubber winners:

• A Grade: Kevin Patzel (Three Stooges); Leigh Barry (Free Ballers).
• B1 Grade: David Harris-Jones (Net Ninjas); Johnny McBain, Nathan Schubert (McHallebert)
• B2 Grade: Joel Schafer (Falcons); Will Parker (Willies)
• C Grade: Doug Megaw, Jarrah Schafer (JAD’s Army); Pier Varraso (Bellissimo)