Jagger doesn’t get what he wants

CROSBY B (94pts) returned to the top of the First Division of the Southport and District Table Tennis League, after a comfortable maximum win over their C team, who apart from acting captain Stefan Schober Thomson, were totally dependable on players from their third division teams.

Crosby A without a match are now second on 91pts, whilst Waddington A (88pts) and Argyle A (85pts) remain in third and fourth place after good wins over Southport A and Holy Trinity B respectively.

Waddington B (45pts) put a little more daylight between themselves and second bottom Argyle C (39pts) with a good away win over them. Crosby C remain rooted on 26pts.

Argyle was the destination for our feature match, to see the mid table clash between their B team and Holy Trinity A.

Home captain Mark Jagger was up first to face Barry Davis, which indeed set the the standard for the match ahead.

A great start from Mark, getting his defence strategy just about perfect in taking the first game 11-8.

There was a good reply from Barry as he took the second 9-11, before again that defence from Mark took control of the third, putting him 10-5 up. Has to be 2-1, doesn’t it?

Not sure what exactly then changed, but it did as Barry edged slowly back, winning seven points in succession to take it 10-12.

Same scoreline in the fourth, close throughout, 10-12 Barry and Holy Trinity were off and running. Chris Parkes then made it 1-1, after a superb win against Mal Kent in four games, where Chris’s remarkable retrieving just got the better of Mal’s nonchalant wicked backhand.

Mike McCormack then put Argyle 2-1 up with a three straight win over Susie Hughes. Another great contest brought Holy Trinity level, the two number ones Chris and Barry, putting on a masterful display.

Pity it only went to four games, 11-13, 5-11, 11-7, 7-11, to Barry.

Paul Lunan versus Mal was next, and again, controlled push and heavy loop versus that immense backhand, made a wonderful watch, Mal took it in three straight, to put his team ahead, but much closer.

Holy Trinity’s lead was then increased to 2-4 by captain Brian Crolly who rolled back the years in a four game win over Mike, which included an epic 14-16 success in levelling up the contest.

Doubles can have a big influence on some matches, and this one proved the point exactly. First Paul and Mike just lost out to Barry and Susie in four cracking games, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, which made it 2-5 for the visitors.

Second doubles pairings of Chris and Mark against Mal and Brian then put on a classic which seemed to go on forever. This one was a rollercoaster of emotions.

Argyle led after three games,11-4, 5-11, 11-8, and the need to win this one was so evident. A tense fourth finished 11-13 to Holy Trinity. A calf injury for Brian didn’t help matters.

A few short delays during the fifth game extended the overall match time to nearly three and a half hours.

An impaired Brian with the help of Mal just

about hung onto that decisive victory, 10-12 in the fifth, which also gave Holy Trinity the it seemed much win at 2-6.

You had a sense that Brian was not going to play his last singles, so could Paul make that scoreline even more respectable when he faced Susie?

Another great contest in which the styles of the players complimented each other. Heavy loop from Paul, counter block and hit from Susie, a wonderful encounter to finish with, and with five games to boot, a 13-15, 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-5 win to Paul made it 4-6 Holy Trinity A, and to think if Brian had been able to play, then we would have seen an after midnight finish.

With second division leaders Crosby E without a match, Waddington D had the chance to recapture top spot.

This they did, but were made to fight all the way by their E team.

Where E team wins from Josh Taylor, Brian Haslam and Derek Aitken were more than matched by two wins apiece from Ray Hibbs and Gordon Wood along with a single success from Joe Brolly.

Sharing the doubles at the end proved decisive in the 4-6 victory, which put them back in pole position on 94pts, five ahead of Crosby E. Argyle D (73pts) moved up to third place, after another fine win, this time over Holy Trinity C (72pts) who now have dropped to fifth.

Waddington C also on 73pts are now fourth, after an all square ding dong battle against Southport B.

Luck has certainly deserted the two bottom sides Holy Trinity D (27pts) and Crosby F (18pts), for after this week’s defeats 31pts separate them from third bottom Crosby D.

Third Division leaders Waterloo B (95pts) stayed in top spot, after a stuttering win over Southport B, where Jordan Shandley and Dai Davies were responsible for those four Southport points, whilst a full quota of wins from Nathan Jago ensured that home victory.

Waterloo A’s convincing win at Southport C kept them in second place on 91pts.

Argyle H (also on 91pts) could well have hit that second berth, if not for North Meols’ Les Rimmer, who helped himself to a full quota of wins.

Great to see you back Les, although I doubt Argyle would agree.

Para’s (87pts) are still fourth after overcoming the ever improving Crosby H.

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