MALLEE Bearings are the 2024 Sunraysia Table Tennis winter pennant 1 premiers after a 6-3 victory over opponents Choices Flooring Mildura.
In an outstanding season, the Bearings trio of Joel Thomas, Liam Wood and Daniel Jansen won 15 of the 17 matches they played.
The first block of three singles went the way of Choices Flooring two matches to one, however there was a struggle to get these wins as Mallee Bearings pair Daniel Jansen and Liam Wood, both took their more fancied opponents Leon Brown and Wayne Carmichael respectively, to five sets.
In the first match of the grand final Jansen started well taking a two games to one lead forcing Brown to work hard, before Choices Brown won 4-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7.
The third singles featured Wayne Carmichael for Choices playing Liam Wood, as expected Carmichael raced to a two games to nil lead and it was then, that Wood lifted in a big way placing Carmichael under extreme pressure winning the next two games, an outstanding comeback.
Carmichael needed to lift, and he gained the advantage in the fifth and eventually made the break to win 11-4, 11-5, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, a game effort by Wood.
The first doubles may have decided the final, as the Mallee Bearings pair of Joel Thomas and Liam Wood had an outstanding record throughout the season, losing only twice.
Their opponents in the grand final, Wayne Carmichael and Leon Brown, were one of the combinations to score a victory over the Bearings pair and this match was a thriller.
Thomas and Wood raced out of the blocks to take the first two games comfortably while Carmichael and Brown fought hard to take the third.
The next two games were close with the match levelled at two games all by the Choices pair. In what had been a great comeback, Carmichael and Brown scraped to a 10-8 lead holding two match points before Thomas and Wood were able to recover to win 11-6, 11-5, 11-13, 12-14, 12-10 in an outstanding match.
The next three singles went as expected with Bearings number one Joel Thomas defeating Leon Brown in four sets. Choices skipper Wayne Carmichael then won in straight sets against Daniel Jansen, while Liam Wood for Mallee Bearings defeated Ed Hung 11-9, 11-0, 11-6. With seven rubbers played Mallee Bearings now took a 4-3 lead.
The second doubles was now vital for the Choices pair of Wayne Carmichael and Ed Hung who stepped up against Joel Thomas and Daniel Jansen.
The latter pair grabbed the initiative early and took the first two games, with the grand final slipping away. the Choices pair of Carmichael and Hung fought back to take the third narrowly.
The fourth was an entertaining contest with Carmichael and Hung in a winning position before Thomas rattled off a couple of outstanding forehands and it was the Bearings pair who took the match 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 16-14.
Mallee Bearings were now leading 5-3 and one win away from victory.
With Bearings skipper Joel Thomas undefeated in 50 singles matches this season it was always going to be difficult for Wayne Carmichael to keep his team alive.
Thomas took the first two games but Carmichael was not going to give up without a fight and he drew on all his experience to take the third narrowly.
Despite Carmichael’s efforts it was Thomas who took the fourth winning 11-5, 11-4, 10-12, 11-7, giving Mallee Bearings a 6-3 victory for the premiership.
Joel Thomas, Liam Wood and Daniel Jansen were worthy premiers enjoying a successful season.
For Thomas, this was his fifth pennant 1 premiership, his first dating back to 2005.
For Wood and Jansen this was their first grand final success in this pennant, playing important roles in supporting Thomas. This was Jansen’s first winter pennant after being promoted from pennant 2.
Choices Flooring Mildura were brave in defeat and Wayne Carmichael, Leon Brown and Ed Hung had given their all and would be ruing the match points they squandered in the first doubles.
Despite this they had performed well throughout the season gaining a spot in the grand final after finishing fourth on the ladder.
Winter pennant grand final results:
PENNANT 1: Mallee Bearings 6 (Joel Thomas 3, Liam Wood 1) d Choices Flooring Mildura 3 (Wayne Carmichael 2, Leon Brown 1).
PENNANT 2: Cookes Pools & Spas 6 (Marcus Cimino, Josh Arnold 2, Tom Morrison 1) d Choices Flooring Mildura 5 (Jason Gifkins, Harry Gujral 2).
PENNANT 3: Weightman’s Packaging 6 (Ryan Peterson, Koby Grace 2) d Sammy’s Slammers 3 (James Jarvis 2, Nhat Dat 1).
PENNANT 4: Dunkley Scales 6 (Deegan Kerslake 3, Tom Gilmour 1) d Weightman’s Packaging 4 (Curtis Crabtree 2, Gary Leach, Raj Gujral 1).
