THIRD placed Weightman’s Packaging have earned a berth in this week’s Sunraysia Table Tennis winter pennant grand final after an exciting 6-5 victory over second placed Mallee Bearings.
Going into the finals series Mallee Bearings held a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head meetings during the season while both teams finished with a 9-6 win loss record over the fifteen round season.
This was an outstanding match containing some excellent individual achievements. Early in the match Weightman’s Packaging took a 3-1 lead courtesy of Weightman’s pair Shannon Bowen and Reece Kurrle winning the first doubles over Arhuang (Wong) Lau and Mark Dorman.
Bowen and Kurrle have been the dominant pair this season winning fourteen doubles matches on the trot. However, in this match Lau and Dorman started well winning the first game 11-9 and again in the second they played well to grab a game point but in a real tussle they could not secure the points and went down 14-16 , oh so close to a 2-0 lead.
Bowen and Kurrle then settled winning the third and fourth comfortably in what eventuated to be a crucial match.
Mallee Bearings then fought back. Knowing their season was on the line the Bearings trio took two of the next three singles. The score now 4-3 in favour of Weightmans.
The second doubles featured Lau and Tom Morrison for Mallee Bearings while Shannon Bowen and Lee Leeson were their opponents.
The Bearings pair started confidently winning the first before Bowen and Leeson narrowly grabbed the second, however, Lau and Morrison proved too steady winning 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4. The scoreline now stood at four rubbers each and the tension was building.
What followed next were three five set matches of top class.
The first featured Mallee Bearings skipper Arhuang Lau up against Shannon Bowen. They put on display of excellent table tennis. Both players possess a special ability of their own and Bowen was able to grab a two games to one lead in an attempt to score his first win against Lau for the season.
In the fourth, Lau mounted a comeback and levelled at two games all as the excellent rallies continued.
The fifth saw Lau take an early lead and despite Bowen giving his all it was Lau that enabled his team to forge ahead 5-4, Lau took the points 9-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6.
Mallee Bearings were now in sight of victory when Mark Dorman took an early two games to zero lead over opponent Reece Kurrle in the next match.
Dorman was able to blunt the normally aggressive Weightmans number two, however, Kurrle was able to lift in the third and fourth and in a complete turnaround the match was now level at two games all.
The fifth eventuated into an unbelievable game.
Kurrle took the initiative early and was able achieve an 8-3 lead and later looked home at 10-7 up, however, Dorman can never be discounted and suddenly he levelled at 10 points all.
Both sets of teammates were on edge, as Dorman had previously saved three match points however, he then was able to get three match points in succession of his own which would have took his team to the grand final but each time Kurrle stayed in the point.
Kurrle then had a couple of his own match points and eventually he would win 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 17-15 in an amazing finish. The score now stood at five rubbers all.
As is the case in all close matches the pressure finishes on the shoulders of the number three players and on this occasion, it was Mallee Bearings Tom Morrison up against the experienced Lee Leeson.
With a spot in the grand final on the line both players started nervously, and it was Leeson who proved the steadiest in the first two games.
The pressure was now on young Morrison as the match was slipping for Weightmans. The third and fourth were a real tussle with a mix of attacking forehands and defensive backhands from both players and to his credit Morrison was back in the match levelling at two games all.
Throughout the season these two players had met three times with three victories in favour of Morrison.
The tension was evident all around the stadium as both players prepared to decide the preliminary final.
With some big forehands Morrison had turned the match and he was able to take a healthy lead in the fifth of 7-4 before Leeson then mounted an excellent comeback to level at 9 points all, she then was able to remain calm and she took the last two points to win 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-9 an amazing finish.
What a match this had been between these two sides and in particular the last three singles which were top class, and all could have gone either way. With a 6-5 victory Weightmans Packaging have advanced to the grand final.
Victory came for Weightman’s despite Bearings number one Arhuang Lau winning three singles in fine style. For the victors Shannon Bowen and Reece Kurrle won two singles each as well as continuing their hot run in doubles play. The hero was Lee Leeson winning her singles when the pressure was at its greatest.
Bring on the grand final.
Sunraysia Table Tennis 2025 Winter Pennant results Preliminary Finals: –
PENNANT ONE: – Weightmans Packaging 6 (Shannon Bowen, Reece Kurrle 2, Lee Leeson 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Arhuang (Wong) Lau 3, Mark Dorman 1)
Regional Taxation Services vs Weightmans Packaging in Grand Final on Wednesday
PENNANT TWO: – Cookes Pools & Spas 6 (Quentin Clark, Duy Truong 2) d Choices Flooring Mildura 4 (Ashley Morrison 3, Terry Martin 1)
Mallee Meats vs Cookes Pools & Spas in Grand Final on Wednesday
PENNANT THREE: – Weightmans Packaging 5 (Steve Parker 3, Leo Parker 1) d Regional Taxation Services 4 (Sam Campbell, Hayden Wilson 2)
Exposed Signage/Apparel vs Weightmans Packaging in Grand Final on Wednesday
PENNANT FOUR: – Mallee Meats 6 (Curtis Crabtree 3, Nathan Beard 2) d Tankard Dental 4 (Ildi Healy 2, Jakob Grzan 1)
Weightmans Packaging vs Mallee Meats in Grand Final on Wednesday
For further information on Table Tennis contact Gavin Carmichael 0408 237 907.
