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Sunraysia Table Tennis Winter Pennant semi finals: –
PENNANT ONE:
Second Semi Final
– Fishers IGA 6 (Wayne Carmichael 3, John Gray 1) d Dunkley Scales 3 (Shannon Bowen 2, Andrew Cannard 1)
First Semi Final
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Joel Thomas 3, Michael Hogarth, Bernadette Fitzpatrick 1) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Gavin Carmichael 2, Ed Hung 1)
PENNANT TWO: –
– Second Semi Final
– Weightmans Packaging 6(Sony Sefer, Tony Malycha 2, Arnold Jago 1) d Pinnacle Packers 2 (Terry Martin 1)
First Semi Final
– Spanline 6 (Matthew Burns 3, Geoff Wright 2) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Cole Keegan 2, Ashley Morrison 1)
PENNANT THREE: –
– Second Semi Final
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Rod Healy, Jai Green 2) d Pinnacle Packers 2 (Rachel Fitzpatrick, Peter Edwards 1)
– First Semi Final
– Dunkley Scales 6 (Karly Leach, Sam Hensgen 2, Colin Moore 1) d Bishop Builders 0
PENNANT FOUR: –
Second Semi Final
– Fishers IGA 6 (Cambell McKenzie, Ben Hosking 2) d Sunny Daily 4 (Paul Reyes 3)
– First semi final
– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Kumail Jaffry, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Weightmans Packaging 2 (Kim Avers, Quentin Clark 1)
Wayne ‘Ball on a String’ Carmichael hit solid form in the 2nd Semi advancing Fishers IGA to the GF.
PENNANT ONE:
Second Semi Final
– Fishers IGA 6 (Wayne Carmichael 3, John Gray 1) d Dunkley Scales 3 (Shannon Bowen 2, Andrew Cannard 1
After occupying top position on the ladder for the majority of the year, Fishers IGA have advanced to the 2014 Sunraysia Table Tennis pennant one grand final after a convincing 6-3 defeat of second placed Dunkley’s Scales in the second semi final.
This was a satisfying result for the Fishers trio of Wayne Carmichael, John Gray and Kevin Johns as it was only four weeks earlier they had been humiliated 8-3 by Dunkley’s. On that occasion Fishers number one Wayne Carmichael had lost to both Andrew Cannard and Shannon Bowen.
In this match Carmichael was on fire winning three singles as well as participating in both doubles victories. He defeated both Cannard and Bowen in four sets in a top display.
Dunkley’s were able to start well taking a two rubbers to one lead however it was their inability to win a doubles and this meant they would struggle. Dunkley’s have had a good year and they will look to bounce back this week in the preliminary final.
First Semi Final
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Joel Thomas 3, Michael Hogarth, Bernadette Fitzpatrick 1) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Gavin Carmichael 2, Ed Hung 1)
Third placed Max Miller Carpets lined up against fourth team Weightmans Packaging in the knock out semi final. Going in to the finals both teams had won eight matches and lost seven. This was to be a match of two halves as Max Miller Carpets were out of the blocks early and amazingly took a four rubbers to one lead. The first match of the night was a beauty when Carpeters Ed Hung recovered from a 3-6 deficit in the fifth to defeat Michael Hogarth 7-11 11-8 7-11 12-10 11-8.
With the score line at 2-4 first year player
Bernadette Fitzpatrick came out against the experienced Shane Carmichael and played her most important match for the season. She took command right from the start and despite Carmichael trying to fight back young Fitzpatrick won in four 11-6 11-8 17-19 15-13. In the second doubles she teamed with skipper Joel Thomas and again she played extremely well and they defeated Gavin Carmichael and Ed Hung in four sets to level the match.
Joel Thomas then accounted for Gavin Carmichael and when Michael Hogarth held on to defeat Shane Carmichael in an excellent five set contest Weightmans had rattled off five matches in succession to win 6-4 and stay alive in the finals race. This victory will have the remaining teams left a little nervous as Joel Thomas has his team firing at the right time of the season.
PENNANT TWO:
First Semi Final
– Spanline 6 (Matthew Burns 3, Geoff Wright 2) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Cole Keegan 2, Ashley Morrison 1)
Oh, what a difference a week makes !!
These two sides met in the final round of competition, only last week, with Max Miller Carpets completing their strong finish to the season, and Spanline going in the other direction, disappointing from week to week.
The match was close, with the advantage going from one side to the other during the course of the contest.
Matt Burns, who had a miserable night in the previous meeting between these sides, started the night well with a three set win over Aidan Moore. Not an easy win by any means, but 11-4, 11-7, 17-15 got the job done.
Ashley Morrison unsurprisingly defeated Peter Fitzpatrick 6, 5 and 8, and the next rubber provided what was one of the highlights of the game. Cole Keegan, playing at number two for Max Miller’s met Geoff Wright, number one for Spanline. These two players finished only one game apart on the aggregate (Wright 27 to Keegan 26) so this was sure to be a good contest, and we were not disappointed. Both players, especially Keegan, like to hit the ball hard, and that is how the game went. Wright crept over the line to take the first 12-10, with Keegan in control in the next two taking them 11-6, 13-11. Wright rallied in the fourth to square up at 11-9, but Keegan had his measure and took the fifth 11-8.
Spanline needed the first doubles to keep themselves in the contest, and Wright and Burns did the job against Morrison and Keegan, winning 11-6, 12-10, 11-7. Two all.
Matt Burns made it three appearances for three wins when he met Ashley Morrison in the very next game. Burns has become a permanent member of Spanline in the last five games of the year, and has continued to return to his previous good form. It must be said that not too many expected him to win here, but he did. He let Morrison know his intentions with a 12-10 win in the first set – Morrison struck back in the next two sets 11-8, 11-3 though, to take the advantage, only for Burns to lift his game with an 11-5 win in the fourth. With everything to play for, the fifth set was close, with Burns just edging Morrison 12-10.
Geoff Wright continued on good work with a measured 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 win over Aidan Moore to give his side a four rubbers to two lead.
Cole Keegan immediately brought that back to four to three with a win over Fitzpatrick, and it became four all when Morrison and Moore after two even sets, proved much too strong for Wright and Fitzpatrick in the second doubles, taking the win 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 11-5.
Three rubbers to go, and both sides needing two of them to win.
The two number ones met next – Ashley Morrison and Geoff Wright. Wright looked the winner after two sets having kept Morrison at bay with scores of 11-8, 12-10. Morrison was not finished yet, though, and came back strongly in the next two 11-9, 11-5 to take the game to the fifth set. Wright hung on though, and made it 5-4 with an 11-6 win in the last.
Next up was Cole Keegan and Matt Burns. Burns has had plenty of long games this year, and this turned out to be another one. He got off to a good start against Keegan, taking the first set 11-8. Keegan refused to give in, and squared at one all with a 15-13 scoreline in the second set. He then easily took the third 11-5 to seemingly have control of the match. Burns, then, rallied and blunted Keegan’s attack to take the fourth 11-9 and set the match for five sets. The fifth set was close all the way through, with neither player being able to get a two point buffer. The nail-biting finished at 12-10, with a winner to Burns over Keegan.
So, Spanline eventually found some form, thanks in no small measure to Matt Burns three wins, and will now go into the Preliminary Final next week.
Second Semi Final
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Sony Sefer, Tony Malycha 2, Arnold Jago 1) d Pinnacle Packers 2 (Terry Martin 1)
Weightmans Packaging have had an indifferent finish to the year, while their opponents here, Pinnacle Packers have been consistent.
Weightmans lifted a notch in this contest, however, and ran out easy winners.
The surprise in this game was that aggregate winner and Pinnacle Packers captain Peter Midgley did not take a singles win. 
In the first round of singles he was outplayed by opposing captain Sony Sefer, and conceded the contest in just three sets 7, 9 and 8. Things were even worse in the second round of singles, when, with the game score then at four – two, and needing a win to stay in the match, Tony Malycha ripped through Midgley 11-5, 11-9, 11-5.
The game looked poised at two rubbers all after the first doubles – to that point Terry Martin, after a slow start, dominated his game with Arnold Jago 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 to give the Packers the early lead. Weightmans squared up with Sefer’s win over Midgley; Tony Malycha took a hard fought five set win against Glen Bell and Midgley and Martin made it two all after their three set 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 victory over Sefer and Malycha.
That was as good as it got for Pinnacle Packers, because from then on Weightmans Packaging closed out the match with a run of four wins. Sefer defeated the impressive Martin in four 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, Arnold Jago clicked up a win over Glen Bell in three, Malycha demolished Midgley and Sefer and Jago celebrated with a win in the second doubles over Midgley and Bell 11-9, 11-7, 4-11, 11-4 to have the game wrapped up at six rubbers to two.
Had Midgley been on his game, this contest could have looked so much different at that point. Had it been four all, a not altogether unreasonable proposition, the last three rubbers would have had a much different feel to them. But it wasn’t, and they weren’t !!
With this win Weightmans have booked a spot for themselves in the Grand Final in two weeks, and the Packers will take on the stop-start Spanline side next week.
PENNANT THREE:
– First Semi Final
– Dunkley Scales 6 (Karly Leach, Sam Hensgen 2, Colin Moore 1) d Bishop Builders 0
This match, between teams which finished third and fourth on the ladder turned out to be a very one-sided affair.
Bishop Builders had a good second half to the season, and just missed second spot on the ladder. Dunkley Scales had never really threatened the teams above them, although they had previously beaten this team, and finished fourth.
Both sides fielded fill-ins: Colin Moore played for the absent Leonie Dunkley, and Jeremy Corrin captained Bishop Builders, in the absence of Peter Kelly.
Sam Hensgen met Jeff Hards, in the match of the number three’s, in the first rubber. The match was close, but Hards could not get quite close enough to Hensgen, with the match going to Hensgen 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 to give Dunkley Scales first blood.
Colin Moore met Jeremy Corrin in the next rubber. Corrin, who finished second on the aggregate ladder, was expected to win here, and get the Builders on the board. The opposite happened though, Moore had little trouble, if any, in winning 11-2, 12-10, 11-5 to make in 2-0.
Karly Leach accounted for Mick Bacon 4, 5 and 6 to make it 3 nil going into the first doubles.
The doubles was a closer match. Leach and Hensgen were up against Corrin and Bacon. The Dunkley Scales pair took the first 13-11 and were ready for a big match. However, they took the second quite easily 11-5. Corrin and Bacon tried hard in the third, but it was too late, as Leach and Hensgen were in control to take the set 11-9. Four nil.
Hensgen really had his tail up now, and Corrin had his between his legs, and they had to meet in the next rubber. Sam sensed this game could be finished quickly, and of course Corrin knew if his team was to win, it was going to be a long night.
Corrin started well in taking the first set 11-8; Sam responded in the second to take it 11-9. Corrin fought back in the third with an 11-7 win, and nearly took the match in the fourth. Hensgen was full of fight, however, and refused to give in, squaring the match after taking the fourth 13-11. The last set was close, but a lot of the fight had now gone out of Corrin, and Hensgen was able to motor home 11-7 to put his side within one rubber of victory.
Karly Leach and Jeff Hards met in the next – Karly who loves a fight, and Jeff, who has improved greatly this season. The first set could have gone either way, but Karly held on to take it 16-14. Hards was not giving up, and made Leach work hard for every point. There were some great rallies, but eventually Karly took the next two sets 11-8, 11-9 to give her side the win, and a berth in next week’s Preliminary Final.
– Second Semi Final
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Rod Healy, Jai Green 2) d Pinnacle Packers 2 (Rachel Fitzpatrick, Peter Edwards 1)
Weightmans Packaging once again proved too strong for their opposition in this match, and moved into this season’s Grand Final.
Pinnacle Packers are one of only two teams to have defeated this side, and the Packers captain, Rachel Fitzpatrick, the only one to have taken a rubber from rampaging Rod Healy. Both these attributes, however, did not show their heads here.
Although Weightmans Packaging won comfortably, this was by no means a one-sided match.
Peter Edwards took first blood for the Packers with a four set 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 win over Jol Peters.
Rod Healy met Paul Fitzpatrick in the next rubber; and Paul was not disgraced, as he took a set from Healy, but Healy was in control of the match, winning 11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 to make it one-all.
Rachel Fitzpatrick then met Jai Green, who was full of confidence after his win in the Super Eights only two nights before. Green took the first set 11-7, and when Fitzpatrick took the second 12-10, knew he had to be careful. He ground out the third 12-10 and was comfortably home in the fourth 11-6 to give his side the lead.
Healy and Green met Fitzpatrick and Edward then in the first doubles, and proved to be the better combination with an 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8 win.
Healy then met Edwards in the next rubber, and had no trouble in winning, 7, 9 and 7 to extend the lead to four rubbers to one.
Fitzpatrick got a steadier for her side with a four set win over Jol Peters, and was looking for her brother Paul to do the same with Jai Green.
Paul certainly took the game right up to Green; he led two sets to one, but Green showed his Super Eights win was no fluke to take the match 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3.
The second doubles was next, and Weightmans only needed one for a win, and conversely the Packers were staring at defeat.
Healy and Peters played Rachel and Paul in this do-or-die game for the Packers. Both sides sensed the urgency of a win, and Peters lifted his game to keep the Pinnacle Packers pair at arms length. Neither side could dominate the other, and sets alternated to two-all, with the Weightmans pair running away with the fifth 11-5 to give them the win, and a berth in the Grand Final.
Pinnacle Packers will now have to regroup, with the Preliminary Final against Dunkley Scales their next appointment.
PENNANT FOUR:
Second Semi Final
– Fishers IGA 6 (Cambell McKenzie, Ben Hosking 2) d Sunny Daily 4 (Paul Reyes 3)
Fishers IGA have advanced to the 2014 grand final winning their match against Sunny Daily 6-4. Sunny Daily were brave in defeat and placed pressure on the top side who have now won sixteen on the trot.
Fishers took a two rubbers to love lead early after Soyel Zahidi defeated Shirley Whitecross in four sets. Cambell McKenzie then accounted for Sue Green in straight sets. Daily skipper Paulo Reyes then stopped the rot defeating Ben Hosking in three. Paulo then teamed up with Shirley Whitecross in the first doubles and in an excellent display they proved too good for Cambell McKenzie and Ben Hosking 11-7 10-12 7-11 11-9 11-6. Scores now two rubbers all.
Shirley Whitecross then put the pressure right on aggregate winner Cambell McKenzie and gave him a real fright. Cambell had to recover from a one – two game deficit before going on to win 11-6 11-13 7-11 11-8 11-4 great effort Shirley.
Paulo Reyes then levelled the match again when he defeated Soyel Zahidi 11-5 11-13 11-8 11-5. The score line was now three rubbers all. The next match featured Fishers
Ben Hosking and Sue Green and the ice man performed better than his beloved Crows winning 13-11 11-8 11-9. Sue had kept the pressure on however Ben prevailed.
The second doubles was now vital and both these combinations had performed well for their teams over the season. For Fishers, Cambell and Soyel stayed calm under pressure to defeat Paulo and Sue 11-13 11-7 11-9 11-8. Fishers now took a 5-3 lead.
In the battle of the skippers Paulo kept the match alive when he played well to defeat Cambell 11-9 11-5 11-5. Ben Hosking for Fishers then stepped up to the table against Shirley Whitecross. Hosking had fresh in his mind the Super 8’s two days earlier when Shirley had knocked him over in a lengthy five setter and when Shirley won the first in this match Ben was under the pump however he managed to win the second narrowly and from here he was able to take control and win 9-11 11-9 11-6 11-3 and take Fishers straight through to the Grand Final. This was their sixteenth win in succession however their past three matches have been tight and they know who ever they meet in the final it will be again a tough contest.
For Fishers both Cambell McKenzie and Ben Hosking won two singles while Sunny Daily Paulo Reyes was in good form winning three singles.
– First semi final
– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Kumail Jaffry, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Weightmans Packaging 2 (Kim Avers, Quentin Clark 1)
After winning only their third match for the season last week Max Miller Carpets bought that form into this match winning 6-2 against Weightmans Packaging. The score line looked one sided however if one of the doubles had gone the other way the last round of singles would have been interesting.
Victory in both doubles by the Carpeters was huge and both were in five. The first was a great struggle when Kumail Jaffry and John Fitzpatrick defeated a good combination of Kim Avers and Quentin Clark 11-8 9-11 12-14 11-6 11-6. The second doubles featured Kumail and Sonya Shalliker teaming up against Quentin Clark and Demi Green and again the Carpeters pair of Kumail and Sonya who took the points narrowly 4-11 12-10 12-10 10-12 11-8. For the winning team both Kumail Jaffry and
John Fitzpatrick won two singles each. The Carpeters now will play against Sunny Daily next week in the preliminary final and even though they finished five wins apart during the season this match will be close.
