Countbacks decide table tennis winners
Things could not have been much closer when the seventh round of Tarrant Cup table tennis was played in Blenheim on Thursday night.
For the first time in the competition, four of the five matches finished at six all, requiring a countback.
The current leaders, Triple Trouble, edged out Omaka 358 points to 349 after games were tied at 20-20. Ping Muanwong was in good touch, winning his three singles without the loss of a set. Jeremy Phipps and Peter Cowdrey won a single each with Muanwong and Phipps beating Jacqui Wood and John Diamanti in four sets in the last double of the night. Wood and Diamanti won two each for Omaka, with Dennis Burkhart claiming two doubles wins.
Three of a Kind continued their good form with an 8-4 win over Cowdreys Haszards. Alex Kennedy led the way with three comfortable wins. He has now won 47 out of 48 matches in the competition. Steve Rowsell picked up two wins and Rob Honour one. They both took Zac Cowdrey close, losing out in tight five-setters. For Omaka, fillin player Nathan Cross also got on the board and partnered Barbara Burkhart to a doubles win.
Peter Wells, playing at number three, beat Malcolm Honour in the last single of the night to give Simon Says a 23 games to 22 win on countback over Fonz Boys. Earlier he combined with Kylie Hurren for a win in the doubles. Hurren had a good night with two wins while Simon Bishell also won two and had a great game with the big-hitting Matt Pigou, losing 11-4 in the fifth. Pigou won five matches on the night with Hebberd beating Wells in the first match.
MJB beat Marion’s Muppets 26-23 on countback. Matt Willis won his three singles, including an 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9 win over Warriors team mate Ken Thompsett. Jeff Sawyer backed him up with two wins. Bjorn Cowdrey didn’t get a win but gained vital sets against Peter Welsh and Marion Wood. Thompsett won his two remaining singles, while Wood was undefeated in doubles.
David Foley and Ross Ward beat Josh Sim and Vanessa WoodLin 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 10-12, 11-9 to help Assassins beat Chelsea’s Children 23-20. Foley also won two singles for his team. Sim enhanced his reputation as a five set specialist as he beat both Ward and Jason Kennedy. Nathan Watson won his three singles, but he was taken to four sets by Kennedy.