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Sunraysia Table Tennis Winter Pennant round 10: –
PENNANT ONE:
– Fishers IGA 6 (Wayne Carmichael, Kevin Johns 2, Leon Brown 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Joel Thomas 3, Bernadette Fitzpatrick 1)
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Shane Carmichael 2) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Andrew Cannard 2, Shannon Bowen, Arthur Paar 1)
– Mallee Bearings 6 (Mark Ljubic, Kate Carmichael 2, Matt Ljubic 1) d Tankard Dental 5 (Mark Dorman 3, Nick Dorman 1)
PENNANT TWO:
– Spanline 6 (Geoff Wright 2, Andrew Jones, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Max Miller Carpets 5, Ashley Morrison, Cole Keegan 2, Aidan Moore 1)
– Fishers IGA 6 (Aidan Moore, Leon Brown 3) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Glen Bell, Cole Keegan, Terry Martin 1)
– Weightmans Packaging 8 (Sony Sefer 3, Arnold Jago 2, Tony Malycha 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Ross Humphreys 2, Josh Carmichael 1)
PENNANT THREE:
– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Rachel Fitzpatrick, Peter Edwards, Paul Fitzpatrick 2) d Fishers IGA 5 (Jeremy Corrin 3)
– Weightmans Packaging 9 (Rod Healy 3, Alan Erskine, Jai Green 2) d Dunkley Scales 2 (Karly Leach 2)
– Bishop Builders 8 (Peter Kelly 3, Mick Bacon, Jeff Hards 2) d Mallee Bearings 3 (Peter Mikhaeil, Sabrina Fitzpatrick 1)
PENNANT FOUR:
– Fishers IGA 8 (Cambell McKenzie 3, Ben Hosking, Soyel Zahidi 2) d Sunny Daily 3 (Paulo Reyes 2)
– Miller Carpets 6 (Kumail Jaffry, John Fitzpatrick 2, Sonya Shalliker 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Quentin Clark 3, Kim Avers 1)
Shane Carmichael was on fire early in Rnd 10 action taking out Shannon Bowen in a very entertaining 5 set match. Shane rattled off both forehand and backhand smashes to come from behind and help place Max Miller Carpets back into the top four.
PENNANT ONE:
After winning seven matches on the trot and getting to top position on the Sunraysia Table tennis pennant one ladder “Dream team” Dunkley Scales have suffered their third defeat of the season at the hands of fifth placed Max Miller Carpets who played their best match of the season to win 7-4 on the stage court. Shane Carmichael was a key player for the victors winning two singles as well as partnering brother Gavin in the first doubles.
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Shane Carmichael 2) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Andrew Cannard 2, Shannon Bowen, Arthur Paar 1)
The first match of the night was a vital victory for the 
Carpeters when Shane Carmichael won a hard fought five setter against the more fancied Shannon Bowen 6-11 11-9 7-11 11-7 11-9, a top match. With victory in both doubles and Gavin Carmichael winning three singles the Carpeters at one stage enjoyed a 7-2 lead before Dunkley Scales won the final two rubbers.
This win enabled Max Miller Carpets to move back into the top four in what is an even season.
After briefly dropping from top position on the ladder last round Fishers IGA this round with an exciting 6-5 victory over Weightmans Packaging on centre court regained the ladder leadership. A solid even team performance saw victory come narrowly with both Wayne Carmichael and Kevin Johns winning two singles while Leon Brown filling in from pennant two, won an important singles when the scores were locked at five rubbers all. This is the third round in succession that Brown has played a key role for the team he was filling in for. He also teamed up with Wayne Carmichael in the second doubles and again this was vital for Fishers. After trailing one game to two against Joel Thomas and Bernadette Fitzpatrick the Fishers combination fought back to win 11-5 7-11 8-11 11-7 11-8.
– Fishers IGA 6 (Wayne Carmichael, Kevin Johns 2, Leon Brown 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Joel Thomas 3, Bernadette Fitzpatrick 1)
The much awaited singles match between Weightmans Joel Thomas and Fishers Wayne Carmichael did not disappoint. This was a contest between Sunraysia’s two best players and early in the match Carmichael gained an early advantage before Thomas steadied to go on and win 11-9 9-11 6-11 11-7 11-8. This result leaves Carmichael one clear in the singles aggregate race given Thomas missed one week of play due to unavailablity. 
Thomas now is undefeated in thirty singles matches indicating what a class player he is after missing five seasons of table tennis.
– Mallee Bearings 6 (Mark Ljubic, Kate Carmichael 2, Matt Ljubic 1) d Tankard Dental 5 (Mark Dorman 3, Nick Dorman 1)
In the remaining match Mallee Bearings scored an important victory when they defeated Tankard Dental in a close one 6-5 on the grand stand court. In this match there were six five set matches with four going the way of Mallee Bearings. Both doubles went to five and were shared. For Mallee Bearings both Mark Ljubic and Kate Carmichael won two singles while team mate Matt Ljubic won one which was a five setter over a game Lee Thomas when the scores were locked at five rubbers all.
For Tankard Dental skipper Mark Dorman lead the way winning three singles which included a five set victory over opposing skipper Mark Ljubic 11-9 15-17 11-2 9-11 11-5.
PENNANT TWO:
The game of most interest in this round was the Spanline v. Max Miller Carpets confrontation. Going into the match, Spanline were one game ahead on the ladder of their opposition, and were keen to make it two games – the Carpeters of course, wanted to be equal on points …
– Spanline 6 (Geoff Wright 2, Andrew Jones, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Max Miller Carpets 5, Ashley Morrison, Cole Keegan 2, Aidan Moore 1)
Spanline bolted to a four rubbers to love lead in this match to set up victory.
Three set wins to Peter Fitzpatrick over Cole Keegan, Andrew Jones over Aidan Moore and Geoff Wright over Ashley Morrison, followed by the first doubles when Wright and Fitzpatrick saw off Morrison and Moore in five, had some people wondering by how much Spanline would win.
Max Miller’s stopped the flood of games going against them, when Keegan beat Jones in five 11-13, 7-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-8 in a rubber where Keegan got better (and got the better of Jones) the longer it went on … a good win. Morrison followed this up with a three set win over Fitzpatrick.
The next two rubbers gave the match to Spanline – Wright dropping only one set to Aidan Moore, and Wright and Jones steeling themselves in the second doubles to get the sixth rubber when they got away with the win over Morrison and Cole 6-11, 14-12, 6-11, 13-11, 11-8.
It was just as well that Spanline won that second doubles, because they did not win any of the final round of singles. Andrew Jones had his chances against Morrison in an entertaining five setter. The game ebbed and flowed, each player at times seemingly to have the game in their taking, only for their opponent to try something a little different and change things. 
Morrison took the win 9-11, 13-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6. Next up Spanline captain Geoff Wright played Cole Keegan. Wright was sent to the table to ensure a win, to show Spanline’s dominance in this match. But Wright did not, and could not. He struggled against Keegan the whole time; where Wright’s number three Fitzpatrick saw Keegan off in three sets, Wright lost in five. Keegan was a worthy winner 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6. Fitzpatrick had even less luck with Aidan Moore, being thrashed in three sets.
So, although Spanline had the match wrapped up after eight rubbers, in the end they really struggled to that win, the final round of singles certainly unconvincing.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 24 games to 20.
– Fishers IGA 6 (Aidan Moore, Leon Brown 3) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Glen Bell, Cole Keegan, Terry Martin 1)
Of the six regular players in these two teams, three were away for this clash.
Pinnacle Packers captain Peter Midgley had Cole Keegan subbing for him; Fishers IGA had two players absent – Seval Fuat had Aidan Moore playing for him, and Geoff Peters was covered by Colin Moore. Keegan and Moore, team-mates in the Spanline-Max Miller match, were doing double duty here, but playing against each other. And just to add another twist, Fishers captain Leon Brown was doing double duty too, subbing in Pennant One !!
The game was a beauty, decided in the eleventh rubber.
Fishers IGA grabbed their win with two perfect scores to captain Brown and Aidan Moore.
Brown’s first win was over the Packers number three Glen Bell, and whilst he won in three sets, boy, did Glen make him work for it. With set points against him in the first two sets, Brown could have so easily been looking at a three set defeat. As it was, he got away with this game, 12-10, 20-18, 11-9. Keegan could not really match Brown, although he did take a set from him in Brown’s 11-5, 11-3, 2-11, 12-10 win. Brown finished off a good night with a three set win over Terry Martin, 6, 6, and 10.
Aidan Moore found the sweet spot in this game, too – he lamented that whilst he could get three singles wins here, he could not do the same in the match where they really counted for the aggregate. Be that as it may, he defeated his team-mate Keegan in four sets 11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, followed up by a strong five set victory over Terry Martin, who is immediately ahead of him on the aggregate, although three games ahead. In this game, though, Aidan took a good win 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 4-11, 13-11 in a see-sawing game. His final 11-8, 11-1, 8-11, 13-11 win against Glen Bell was a little easier.
Pinnacle Packers kept themselves in the game with wins to each player over Colin Moore, plus victories in both doubles.
Martin and Bell played two even sets against Brown and Colin Moore, with a win apiece 15-13, 10-12, and then motored away with the game with 11-2, 11-6 scores in the third and fourth.
The stronger pairing of Martin and Keegan were much too good for Brown and Aidan Moore, winning that one in three sets 8, 7 and 8.
Final scores: 6 games to 5 and 19 games to 20.
– Weightmans Packaging 8 (Sony Sefer 3, Arnold Jago 2, Tony Malycha 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Ross Humphreys 2, Josh Carmichael 1)
In a confidence (and percentage) boosting win, Weightmans Packaging were much too strong for Ross Humphreys’ Tankard Dental side.
Now one game clear at the head of the table, the Weightmans Packaging side is playing well, this week adding both doubles to their tally of singles wins.
Weightmans Captain Sony Sefer won all his singles rubbers, but had to play a lot of table tennis to do so. His “easiest” match was with Matt Avers – Avers pushed Sefer all the way, but Sony had a bit too much experience in the 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 win. Josh Carmichael was a different proposition, though. 
Sefer took the first two sets 11-8, 11-7, only for Josh to talk himself back into the game. Carmichael played a cracking game in the third set, completely outplaying Sefer to take that set 11-4. He followed that up with a win the next set 12-10 to give himself a big chance of an upset win. And he certainly was not disgraced with a 9-11 loss in the fifth set. Sefer then had two wins, and had to meet Tankard’s captain Ross Humphries in the last round of singles. Only one game separates these two on the aggregate, so the game was always going to be close, and so it proved to be. A high standard game, in which neither could get control of the game, Sefer won 11-7, 7-11, 11-13, 11-8, 14-12.
Arnold Jago, who has been in sparkling form in the last two rounds, took another two wins here, against Carmichael in four, and Avers in five, after being two sets to love up.
Tony Malycha returned this week, after a couple of weeks away, and chipped with one win, against Avers.
As mentioned, both doubles went to the victors: Sefer and Jago downing Humphries and Carmichael in four sets, and Sefer and Malycha in a game of extremes, defeated Humphries and Avers 11-4, 11-4, 5-11, 4-11, 11-8.
For Tankard Dental, only Ross Humphries with two wins (over Malycha 5-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-9, 11-4 and another five setter against Jago 6-11, 4-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-3 in a come-back-from-the-dead performance), and Josh Carmichael (five sets too over Malycha 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9) with one could stop this dominant performance.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 30 games to 21.
PENNANT THREE:
Bishop Builders looked like the side to beat after three rounds of this competition, having won each round and sitting at the top of the table. But it has taken them until this round to register their fourth win – in the meantime they have slid to fifth on the ladder, equal on points with the team in sixth, but ahead on percentage.
– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Rachel Fitzpatrick, Peter Edwards, Paul Fitzpatrick 2) d Fishers IGA 5 (Jeremy Corrin 3)
This match was really between Rachel Fitzpatrick, Peter Edwards and Paul Fitzpatrick for Pinnacle Packers against Jeremy Corrin for Fishers IGA.
The Packers came away with the win, but Corrin did his darndest to get the win for his side. Not that his team-mates were not trying, just that they could not crack it for a win in any of the singles rubbers they played.
Corrin won everything he could for Fishers – three singles, and with his team-mates, both doubles. Jeremy defeated the Packers captain, Rachel Fitzpatrick, fairly easily, in three sets 5, 4 and 7. Paul Fitzpatrick surprised Jeremy in the first set of their match, taking it 11-1. The match came to life after that, it was close, but Jeremy held Paul off to take the next three sets 12-10, 11-8, 11-6. His third rubber against Peter Edwards also was close. Corrin was playing too well, though, and saw the match out 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10.
The first doubles was a beauty: Corrin and Tom Douglas against the two Fitzpatrick’s. The Fishers pair took the first two sets 14-12, 11-9, but the Fitzy’s struck back in the next two, taking them 11-8, 12-10 to take the game to the fifth set. In a close fifth set, Corrin and Douglas got home 11-8 to, at that time square the scores at 2 all. Corrin did a similar recovery job for his team in the second doubles. Here he teamed with Michael Hensgen against Rachel Fitzpatrick and Peter Edwards. Down 4 rubbers to 3, he and Michael Hensgen, after losing the first set 11-13 stuck tenaciously to their task to take the next three sets 13-11, 11-8, 18-16.
That was the story for the losers, and it must be said that the Packers trio did play well. They accumulated their six wins by each defeating Michael Hensgen and Tom Douglas. One loss and the match was gone. Inevitably it came down to the final rubber for a decision. Michael Hensgen fronted up to play Paul Fitzpatrick, and not for the first time this season, Paul got his team home, this time a four set victory 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 23 games to 20.
– Bishop Builders 8 (Peter Kelly 3, Mick Bacon, Jeff Hards 2) d Mallee Bearings 3 (Peter Mikhaeil, Sabrina Fitzpatrick 1)
It has been a long time between drinks for Bishop Builders, seven rounds, in fact !!
After taking the first three rounds, and leading the field, the team has had endure six successive defeats. However, they bounced back in style in this match.
Captain for Bishop Builders, Peter Kelly, led from the front in taking three singles wins for his team. That was a good feat, considering this is only his fourth match for the entire year. He defeated Helen Frania in three sets, and had only a little more trouble against Peter Mikhaeil and Sabrina Fitzpatrick, winning against them in four sets. In what was a good night for the Builders, both Mick Bacon and Jeff Hards scored two wins apiece – Bacon defeating Frania in three and Sabrina in four; and Hards having a real ding-donger against Peter Mikhaeil. 
These two slugged it out, for Hards to win 14-16, 11-9, 15-13, 13-11. In the final rubber he got up against Helen Frania, who also made him work for his 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 win.
The Builders took the second doubles, courtesy of their number two and three, Mick Bacon and Jeff Hards. Bacon and Hards easily defeated Mikhaeil and Frania in three sets 4, 7 and 5.
For Mallee Bearings, wins were certainly thin on the ground, although when they did come, they came in quick succession. The fourth, fifth and seventh rubbers were victories for the Mallee Bearings side, and at that stage they trailed three rubbers to four. Unfortunately that was as much scoring as the team was deemed to do. In the first doubles against Kelly and Bacon, Mikhaeil and Fitzpatrick zipped through the first two sets 11-3, 11-4. It was then that their opposition came to life, taking the third 15-13. It was a matter of too little too late, though, because Mikhaeil and Fitzpatrick had the momentum, and took the fourth 12-10 to wrap up the rubber. Mikhaeil and Bacon then played, and apart from dropping the second set 13-15 to Bacon, Mikhaeil was in command of the encounter, taking the other three sets 2, 7 and 2. The final rubber came in the Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Jeff Hards match, Sabrina winning 7, 6 and 7.
This win sees Bishop Builders move to fourth from fifth on the ladder, equal with Dunkley Scales, but ahead of them on percentage.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 26 games to 14.
– Weightmans Packaging 9 (Rod Healy 3, Alan Erskine, Jai Green 2) d Dunkley Scales 2 (Karly Leach 2)
Weightmans Packaging are so far ahead at the top of the ladder, they could forfeit all their home-and-away games til the end of the season, and still make the finals, such has been their dominance, and captain Rod Healy’s in particular.
This round saw another big win to them, with Healy picking up another three singles wins to add to the twenty six he already had !!
Healy was never in trouble; he defeated both Sam Hensgen and Leonie Dunkley in three sets (9, 6 and 10) and (6, 8 and 4) respectively. Karly Leach did manage to get a set out of him, but that was all that Healy was allowing. There were some great rallies in that rubber, with Karly constantly attempting forehand winners, only for Healy to stand back and lob the ball back onto the table … great stuff.
Jai Green and stand-in Alan Erskine, subbing for Jol Peters, both took two wins apiece to bolster their team’s score, both defeating Dunkley and Hensgen. Green won both his two in four sets, Erskine had to work much harder against Sam Hensgen to get a 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4 win, but against Dunkley a much more straightforward 13-11, 11-5, 11-4 victory.
Weightmans also helped themselves to both doubles: Healy and Green had a battle with Leach and Dunkley in the first doubles; the ladies led two sets to one, but could not finish the game off. The Weightmans pair took the win 10-12, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9. The second doubles fell easily to Healy and Erskine 11-3, 11-9, 13-11 against Leach and Hensgen.
The only contributor for Dunkley Scales was Karly Leach – Karly took wins against Erskine 12-10, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8 and later against Jai Green easily in three sets 6, 8 and 4.
Final scores: 9 rubbers to 2 and 29 games to 11.
PENNANT FOUR:
– Fishers IGA 8 (Cambell McKenzie 3, Ben Hosking, Soyel Zahidi 2) d Sunny Daily 3 (Paulo Reyes 2)
Fishers IGA continued on their winning way against second placed Sunny Daily recording an 8-3 victory although the Daily were unlucky losing the four five setters, two which were decided 12-10 in the fifth. 
For Fishers first season player Cambell McKenzie continued his fine season by winning three singles and maintaining a healthy lead in the singles aggregate. His five set victory over opposing number one Paulo Reyes was a beauty which is indicated by the score line: 8-11 11-7 11-8 6-11 11-7. Earlier in the first doubles another five setter took place when Cambell combined with Ben Hosking to defeat Paulo and Shirley Whitecross 11-7 6-11 8-11 11-9 12-10, a thriller. Shirley later took part in another five setter, thios time in a singles against Soyel Zahidi and after enjoying a two games to one lead she narrowly went down 11-9 11-7 4-11 3-11 10-12.
Fishers number two and three Ben Hosking and Soyel Zahidi both played well to win two singles each and this undefeated combination are firming as unbackable favourites.
– Miller Carpets 6 (Kumail Jaffry, John Fitzpatrick 2, Sonya Shalliker 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Quentin Clark 3, Kim Avers 1)
This was a topsy turvy match which went right to the wire with Max Miller Carpets narrowly taking the points against Weightmans Packaging 6-5. With the scores locked at five rubbers all, Sonya Shalliker was able to grab the points against Demi Green 11-7 11-9 11-3 to give Weightmans their second win of the season. Sonya later teamed up with Kumail Jaffry to win the second doubles in what was a successful night for her.
Victory came for the Carpeters despite Weightmans Quentin Clark continuing his fine season by winning three singles in this match. 
His four set victory over opposing number one Kumail Jaffry was a top win. In addition Quentin teamed up with skipper Kim Avers to win the first doubles however it wasn’t enough to bring victory for his team.
The Carpeters pair of Kumail Jaffry and junior fill in John Fitzpatrick played their role in victory with two singles wins each.
