Table tennis returns

Winter Season kicks off with four grades in action

The frosty chill did little to dampen the spirits of eager table tennis enthusiasts, as Mount Gambier Table Tennis Club kick started its Winter season last week with around 60 players competing in teams of 3 across three grades.

The first A Grade matchup saw a battle of the competition heavyweights, Travis Sweet’s “Three Stooges” took on Ben Newman’s “Top Three”. Sweet sounded a warning to the rest of the competition from the getgo, remaining undefeated on opening night, including a stirring come-from-behind 5-game win over Newman in the ultimate rubber of the evening. Sweet’s efforts were complimented by a strong performance by teammate Kevin Patzel, while Newman and Felix Owusu battled hard for Top Three. Ultimately the Stooges opened their Winter season with a comfortable 7-4 victory.

The second A Grade match told a similar story, Leigh Barry opening his season account with a clean sheet to guide his “Free Ballers” to a strong 7-4 win over Sirinat Sweet’s aptly named “Wobblies”. The match was highlighted by a thrilling 5-game marathon between Ballers player Ward Freeman and Wobblies’ Will Newlyn. After giving up the first two games, including an astonishing 17-15 second game, Newlyn fought his way back to claim the next two, sending the contest to a thrilling decider.

Freeman stepped up his game once again and Parker went with him, the 5th lasting the distance until the Ballers player eventually closed it out by 13 points to 11.

B Grade plays four matches each week this season. Mark Bachmann shone for team “I’ll Be Bach” against David HarrisJones’ “Net Ninjas”. Bachmann opened his season by winning all of his singles encounters, helping his team to a 7-4 triumph over the Ninjas.

“McHallibert” posted their first win of the season, on the back of Nathan Schubert’s perfect night, dismantling Cameron Beal’s “We Was Ere” to the tune of 9 rubbers to 2. After a seesawing opening to the battle between Mike Hosszu’s “Jams” and Will Parker’s “Willies”, a strong win by Allan Withers over Nathaniel Harris-Jones sparked a run of 5 wins for the Jams, who took a stranglehold on the contest and eventually ran away with a 7-4 victory.

The final B Grade match of the night was the closest, Deakin Lofthouse’s “The Falcons” going up against Kylie Boston’s “The Richards”.

Boston welcomed Lofthouse up into B Grade by handing him a rare defeat in the opening rubber, then Joel Schafer avenged his teammate’s defeat with victory over Richard Horrigan.

This set the tone for the early part of the night, until a run of four victories sealed the win for the Falcons.

Boston and Richard Van Der Linde, returning from an extensive injury layoff, scored wins to restore some respectability for the Richards, but it was too little too late as the Falcons posted a 6-5 win.

“JAD’s Army” player Angus Billing started his Winter campaign full of promise, upsetting the more fancied “Beware Be Nice” player Tracey Rawlings in 5 tight games in their opening C Grade encounter. Evergreen veteran Doug Megaw and junior star Jarrah Schafer played pivotal roles, both recording clean singles sheets on the night as the Army signalled their intentions with a commanding 9-2 triumph.

For “Beware Be Nice”, Ezekiel Coutts took full advantage of a wilting Billing in their 5-game tussle late in the night, overcoming a 2-game deficit to record victory in what is becoming a fierce rivalry between the two combatants.

The final C Grade match of opening night went down to the wire, Chris McGregor’s “Table Titans” and Matthew Scott’s “Spin Kraft” locked at 5 rubbers apiece as the two captains stepped up to face each other at the last.

McGregor’s experience won the day over a rusty Scott, the Titans player winning the bout in three games to hand his team the slender 6-5 overall victory.

3-rubber winners:

• A Grade: Leigh Barry (Free Ballers); Travis Sweet (Three Stooges).
• B1 Grade: Nathan Schubert (McHallebert); Mark Bachmann (I’ll Be Bach)
• B2 Grade: Mike Hosszu (Jams)
• C Grade: Chris McGregor (Table Titans); Jarrah Schafer, Doug Megaw (JAD’s Army).