Top of the pack but only just

WEIGHTMAN’S Packaging have narrowly held onto top position after Sunraysia Table Tennis round 10 matches despite a 6-5 loss to third-placed Regional Taxation Services in an exciting encounter.

With finals starting this week, Weightman’s finished first by the barest of margins – registering just one more win than second-placed Mallee Bearings in a 110-match season.

RTS took control early to lead 5-2 when No.3 Jason Gifkins outlasted Russell Walder in an outstanding match 12-10, 13-15, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6.

Weightman’s then won the second doubles, before Weightman’s skipper Wayne Carmichael was challenged by Kate Carmichael in a tremendous five-set battle.

Wayne had been undefeated in his 29 singles matches to this point and, when Kate fought back from a one-game-to-two deficit to then lead 7-4 in the fifth, it looked like an upset was brewing.

But Wayne flicked the experience switch and won seven of the next eight points to win 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8 for an undefeated home-and-away season, a great achievement.

Weightman’s had reduced the contest to 5-4 and the pressure was on RTS No.2 Thanh Nguyen, who recovered from an early deficit to Russell Walder in another excellent five-set battle.

Mallee Bearings proved just too good for bottom team Choices Flooring Mildura, 6-5.

Choices skipper Reece Kurrle and teammate Leon Brown gave their team a good start by winning two and one singles, respectively, while also combining to defeat Bearings pair Jackson Tung and Liam Wood in the first doubles in four sets.

With the match on the line Mallee Bearings then steadied, winning three matches in succession, all in five sets.

Liam Wood defeated Daniel Jansen in a marathon, then in the second doubles Jackson Tung and Tom Morrison outlasted Kurrle and Jansen 11-5 in the fifth, while Tung slugged it out with Kurrle for a 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5 win, enabling Tung to finish second on the singles aggregate.

Wood secured the four points with a straight-sets victory over Brown.

In a topsy-turvy contest, fifth-placed Tankard Dental recovered from a 1-4 deficit against fourth-placed Cookes Pools & Spas to win 7-4, however they missed grabbing fourth by two rubbers.

Tankards won the first match of the night courtesy of Paul Kealley, however Cookes then strung together four wins in succession.

Cookes skipper Mark Dorman won the fourth match after recovering from a 1-2 deficit against fellow leftie Paul Kealley to win in five sets.

Tankard 15-year-old Jamie Kealley impressed, showing excellent maturity downing Ed Hung 11-5 in the fifth. Skipper Rohan Reimers then slugged it out with Dylan Wood to take the points 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7.

In a tactical switch, Tankard skipper Reimers threw father-and-son Paul and Jamie Kealley into the second doubles match against the experienced combination of Mark Dorman and Ed Hung, and it was the Kealley combination who came out on top 11-9, 12-10, 11-8. The match scores now 4-4.

Dorman then matched up against Jamie Kealley and, in an excellent display, the youngster proved too good with some powerful hitting to win in four sets.

Paul Kealley then outlasted Dylan Wood 11-9 in the fifth, an excellent finish to the season.

Tankard will be left frustrated knowing they could defeat any team in the close fought pennant.

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RESULTS – ROUND 10

PENNANT 1:

Tankard Dental 7 (Jamie Kealley, Paul Kealley, Rohan Reimers 2) Dunkley Scales Cookes Pools & Spas 4 (Mark Dorman 2, Dylan Wood 1);

Mallee Bearings 6 (Jackson Tung 3, Liam Wood 2) d Choices Flooring Mildura 5 (Reece Kurrle 2, Leon Brown, Daniel Jansen 1);

Regional Taxation Services 6 (Kate Carmichael, Thanh Nguyen 2, Jason Gifkins 1) d Weightman’s Packaging 5 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Lee Leeson 1).

PENNANT 2:

Mallee Meats 7 (John Fitzpatrick 3, Duy Truong 2, Riley Clemence 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 4 (Ashley Morrison 2, David Sergi 1);

Pinnacle Packers 6 (Rasin Bhuiyan 3, Ryan Peterson, Therese Fitzpatrick 1) d Weightman’s Packaging 5 (Harry Gujral 2, James Jarvis, Josh Arnold 1).

PENNANT 3:

Mallee Meats 9 (Karly Leach 3, Jenny Leach, Curtis Crabtree 2) d Regional Taxation Services 2 (Tom Gilmour 2);

Dunkley Scales 6 (Koby Grace 2, Hayden Wilson, Ildi Healy 1) d Weightman.s Packaging 5 (Nick Kiapekos 3, Maria Starikov 2);

Sammy’s Slammers 6 (Sam Campbell, Deegan Kerslake 2, Jakob Grzan 1) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 5 (Steve Parker, Ted Cleary 2)

PENNANT 1 LADDER

Weightman’s Packaging 28

Mallee Bearings 28

Regional Taxation Services 24

Cookes Pools & Spas 16

Tankard Dental 16

Choices Flooring Mildura 8