MALLEE Bearings took out the Sunraysia Table Tennis Pennant grand final with a strong display over Regional Taxation Services.
The scoreline of 6-2 did not reflect how these teams had matched up through the season when they shared the spoils with a 6-5 win each.
But two crucial early wins for Bearings proved to be the difference as they surged to a well-deserved premiership.
RTS got off to the ideal start through Leon Brown, who overcame a strong challenge early from Quentin Clark. Clark’s forehand was on fire but Brown settled to take the first 17-15 before motoring away to win the second 15-4.
As expected, Bearings’ skipper Wayne Carmichael then defeated Ash Morrison to level the scores.
The next two matches then shaped the grand final result and they both involved Mallee Bearings’ number two Reece Kurrle. He first took to the table against RTS skipper Jackson Tung, who finished second in the singles aggregate for the season. Kurrle, who finished fourth in the aggregate, had his forehand working, but Tung, being the master of defence, continued to retrieve shots and produce his own powerful drives. In a top class match, Kurrle remained composed to prevail 17-15, 15-13.
Kurrle then teamed up with experienced doubles performer Carmichael. These two had performed well during the season, however they had not defeated the RTS pair of Tung and Brown, who had won the doubles aggregate with a win-loss record of 9-2 for the season.
The RTS pair were shell shocked in the first set with Carmichael and Kurrle motoring away to win 15-5 and stamp their ascendancy on the game. Tung and Brown fought hard in the second but the Mallee Bearings pair held firm to win 15-12 and give their team a 3-1 lead.
Carmichael then took to the table against Brown, and while this match contained some fine rallies, he always looked in control, winning 15-8, 15-12.
Spectators witnessed the shot of the grand final in this match when Brown, in a long rally, was under fire from Carmichael but was able to make several difficult retrieves. Carmichael then played an outstanding forehand swinging deep to the Brown back hand side and Brown somehow stretched out wide and the ball slowly curled back high. As Carmichael looked toward the ceiling he was surprised to see the ball drop on to the baseline — stunned by this amazing return he was unable to put away the winner.
The next two matches went as expected with Tung defeating Clark, before Kurrle secured a straight sets victory over Morrison to give his team a 5-2 lead.
Carmichael and Clark then put the icing on the cake, winning the second doubles over Tung and Morrison 15-9. 15-12.
Grand final results:
PENNANT 1: Mallee Bearings 6 (Wayne Carmichael, Reece Kurrle 2) d Regional Taxation Services 2 (Jackson Tung, Leon Brown 1).
PENNANT 2: Pinnacle Packers 6 (Daniel Jansen 2, Rasin Bhuiyan, David Sergi 1) d Weightmans Packaging 2 (Jeremy Corrin 2).
PENNANT 3: Exposed Signage/Apparel 6 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Wendy Simpson 2, Steve Parker 1) d Weightmans Packaging 1 (Karly Leach 1).
PENNANT 4: Dunkley Scales 6 (Katrina Clifford, Brandt Dolic 2) d Tankard Dental 2 (Curtis Crabtree, Nathan Beard 1).
