Mount Gambier Table Tennis Club continued its Winter season last week, with some of the usual suspects serving notice to the rest of the competition that they mean business.<\/p>\n
The first A Grade battle saw Sweet versus Sweet, with Three Stooges player Travis facing off against his mother Sirinat\u2019s Wobblies.<\/p>\n
The junior Sweet set the tone early with a 4-game win over Wobblies player Robin Pellen, and went on to keep his sheet clean including an anticlimactic triumph over Sirinat in the last rubber of the match.<\/p>\n
Travis\u2019 efforts ensured the Stooges marched to a convincing 7-4 victory, with Kevin Patzel also going undefeated on the night. The second of the A Grade contests was even more lopsided, Leigh Barry keeping his singles record intact to power his Freeballers team to a resounding demolition job of Chandler Jantosh\u2019s Wanderers by a scoreline of 9 rubbers to 2.<\/p>\n
Barry was well supported by teammates Ward Freeman and Justin Hitchesson who also had solid nights for the victors, whilst the only positive for the Wanderers was Rohan Hardcastle\u2019s gritty 5-game come-from-behind victory over Freeman.<\/p>\n
The first B1 match was a tight tussle between Johnny McBain\u2019s McHallebert and David HarrisJones\u2019 Net Ninjas. The contest seesawed all night, a string of three victories for the Ninjas through the middle section of the match was swiftly cancelled out by three to McHallebert, giving the latter an unassailable six wins.<\/p>\n
Net Ninjas player Harris-Jones scored a late consolation win over McBain in a dead rubber, making the scoreline appear closer than it really was, Ninjas taking it out 6-5. Harris-Jones was the only player of either team to post a clean sheet. Led by the formidable combination of Mark and Dale Bachmann, who both kept a clean sheet, I\u2019ll Be Bach had no such difficulty taking care of Gary Hocking\u2019s Late For Dinner in the second B2 match.<\/p>\n
Dale Bachmann didn\u2019t have it all his way in his encounter with Late For Dinner\u2019s Eoin McIluff, the two combatants going tit for tat throughout until Bachmann eventually prevailed 13-11 in the deciding fifth game.<\/p>\n
Ultimately I\u2019ll Be Bach scored a landside 9-2 victory. A brave Heather McGregor, usually playing in C Grade, dipped her toe into B2 competition when she was called on to fill in for the depleted Willies team for their match against Joel Shafer\u2019s Campers.<\/p>\n
McGregor looked like causing a major boilover at the very start, leading Campers player Lenny Van Der Linde by 2 games to nil. Van Der Linde regained his composure however, wresting momentum in the third to eventually wear his opponent down and score a relieving 5-game victory.<\/p>\n
Schafer went through the night undefeated as the Campers eventually posted a 7-4 win. Marga Steele was the best performer for the Willies. The final B Grade contest of the night saw Allan Withers\u2019 Jams lead from start to finish, running out comfortable 8-3 winners over Kylie Boston\u2019s The Richards.<\/p>\n
Jedda Hardcastle was the star of the night with a clean sheet for the victors, strongly supported by Withers, while Boston and Richard Horrigan fought valiantly for The Richards.<\/p>\n
A fired up and vocal Matthew Scott did his utmost to lift his Mixed Up team against Tracey Rawlings\u2019 Beware B Nice in their C Grade battle.<\/p>\n
With overall scores locked away at 5 rubbers apiece going into the final rubber, Scott and Rawlings stepped in to square off for their respective teams.<\/p>\n
Rawlings drew first blood, claiming the first game 11 points to 9, before Scott took control in the second, unsettling his opponent with his chaotic energy.<\/p>\n
The pressure situation overcame Rawlings as she regularly missed regulation shots, gifting Scott an easy 4-game victory.<\/p>\n
Bellissimo got off to the perfect start in their C Grade encounter with JAD\u2019s Army, Pier Varasso and Annaliese Holtz victorious in their respective opening singles rubbers.<\/p>\n
Holtz remarkably overcame a 2-0 deficit against the Army\u2019s Angus Billing, storming home to claim a 5-game thriller.<\/p>\n
Throughout the night just as one team appeared to gain the ascendency the other would fight back. Billing would be forced to play another 5-game energy sapper late in the piece, drawing on all his determination to overcome plucky newcomer Kobi Gilbertson. JAD\u2019s Army player Jarrah Schafer was the hero of the night, maintaining a clean sheet to inspire his team to a close 6-5 win.<\/p>\n