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Sunraysia Table Tennis Winter Pennant Preliminary Finals:-
PENNANT ONE:
PreliminaryFinal
– Dunkley Scales 6 (Shannon Bowen, Andrew Cannard 2, Arthur Paar 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Joel Thomas 3)
GF: Fishers IGA v Dunkley Scales
PENNANT TWO: –
Peliminary Final
– Spanline 6 (Geoff Wright 3, Matthew Burns 2) d Pinnacle Packers 3 (Peter Midgley, Terry Martin 1)
GF: Weightmans Packaging v Spanline
PENNANT THREE: –
Preliminary Final
Pinnacle Packers 6 (Rachel Fitzpatrick, Peter Edwards, Paul Fitzpatrick 2) dDunkley Scales 3 (Colin Moore 1)
GF: Weightmans Packaging v Pinnacle Packers
PENNANT FOUR: –
Preliminary Final
– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Kumail Jaffry 3, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Sunny Daily 4 (Paul Reyes 2, Shirley Whitecross 1)
GF: Fishers IGA v Max Miller Carpets
“King Arthur” Paar had reason to celebrate after contributing a vital first round singles win over Mick Hogarth. Trailing by 2 sets to 0 and down 9 – 5 in the 3rd, Paar made a stunning comeback to win in 5 and help guide Dunkley Scales to a GF match against Fishers IGA.
PENNANT ONE:
PreliminaryFinal
– Dunkley Scales 6 (Shannon Bowen, Andrew Cannard 2, Arthur Paar 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Joel Thomas 3)
GF: Fishers IGA v Dunkley Scales
Dunkley’s Scales, after occupying second position on the pennant one ladder for the majority of the Sunraysia Table Tennis winter competition, have advanced to the 2014 grand final with a 6-4 victory over a brave Weightmans Packaging.
Going into the preliminary the Joel Thomas led Weightmans Packaging actually held a two games to one lead in their head to head matches this season. All had been close and this final was expected to be no different.
The very first match of the night was going to be crucial to both teams and what a match it was between Dunkley’s veteran Arthur Paar and his opponent Michael Hogarth. 
It was Paar who was out of the blocks early taking a two games to nil lead, then it was Hogarth’s turn to control the match and he took the third and fourth setting up an exciting fifth set. Hogarth then was able to take the ascendancy in the fifth and when he took a 9-5 lead it looked like he was home, however Paar did not surrender and suddenly the momentum changed with Paar playing some fine forehands to come back and steal the match 12-10 11-8 12-14 11-6 11-9. Paar had given Dunkley’s the ideal start.
Dunkley’s went into the first doubles with a 2-1 lead and this doubles was also going to be another vital match for both teams. Weightmans went with skipper Joel Thomas partnering Bernadette Fitzpatrick as Hogarth had injured his back in the five set marathon against Paar. Dunkley’s combination of Shannon Bowen and Andrew Cannard started slowly however they were able to steady and win7-11 11-8 11-7 11-9.
Shannon Bowen then defeated a game Michael Hogarth in a five set slog even though it was obvious Hogarth was struggling with his back. Bowen at one stage trailed one game to two and 1-4 in the fourth before he steadied to win 12-14 11-4 9-11 11-6 11-5.
Weightmans now trailed 1-4 as they did in the semi final the previous week however despite 
Joel Thomas winning three singles and teaming up with Michael Hogarth to win the second doubles there would be no comeback in this match as Dunkley’s proved too steady. The Thomas Bowen singles match was a real highlight with the match going to four and Bowen attempting to meet fire with fire. Some of the rallies were outstanding and a credit to both players. This would have been one of the best matches of the season and entertained the spectators and players from other grades who appreciated the show these talented players had put on.
Both Bowen and Andrew Cannard won two singles for the victors while Arthur Paar had chipped in with the important match at the beginning of the night. The scene is now set for an entertaining grand final with Dunkley’s Scales Shannon Bowen, Andrew Cannard and Arthur Paar matched up against the Fishers IGA combination of Wayne Carmichael, John Gray and Kevin Johns. Head to head this season the results are two wins each and this final could go right to the wire.
PENNANT TWO: –
Peliminary Final
– Spanline 6 (Geoff Wright 3, Matthew Burns 2) d Pinnacle Packers 3 (Peter Midgley, Terry Martin 1)
GF: Weightmans Packaging v Spanline
These two teams were only separated by one game at the conclusion of the home-and-away games, with very similar for-and-against. Pinnacle Packers finished second, Spanline fourth.
Pinnacle Packers had the aggregate winner in their team, Peter Midgley, and this week his team were hoping for a return to form for him, after he was kept winless in their defeat in the Second Semi-Final last week against Minor Premiers Weightmans Packaging.
Spanline, who had a very ordinary second half of the season, winning just two of the last seven, scored an impressive hard-fought win against third-placed Max Miller Carpets last week to put them into this match.
The story of this game was that Midgley’s poor form continued, and Spanline continued to shine. In this finals series, the Pinnacle Packers captain, who had a strike of 93% during the year, plunged to 20%, with just one win from five rubbers.
Matt Burns, who came into this side fairly late in the season, is probably back to his form from a couple of years ago, and in the last two matches has been instrumental in Spanline winning. In this game he took two wins, against Glen Bell in three, and in the second round of singles claimed the scalp of the hapless Peter Midgley. Midgley led easily two sets to love 11-5, 11-5, and nearly took the rubber in the third, but Burns held on to take it 14-12. It had taken Burns that long to work Midgley out, but once he did, the flood-gates opened, and the last two sets were his 11-4, 11-3 to turn this game in Spanline’s favour. At that point Spanline led 3-2.
Spanline captain Geoff Wright took the next rubber to make it 4-2, and in the match which preceded the second doubles,
Terry Martin for the Packers defeated Peter Fitzpatrick in three to reduce the deficit to 4-3.
The combatants in the second doubles have only met once this year, with honours going to Pinnacle Packers. On that occasion Midgley and Bell won in straight sets over Wright and Fitzpatrick, who have only won their doubles twice all year. 
The Spanline shrugged off that poor form here, with a strong showing, after losing the first set 7-11, they played steady table tennis in the next three to take the rubber 8, 8 and 5.
That pushed the score out to 5-3, and Spanline were looking good.
The two captains met in the next rubber, Geoff Wright and Peter Midgley. Midgley was on the back foot the whole time, and Wright was in command after the first two, taking them 11-9, 11-6. Midgley briefly got his game together to take the third 11-8, but as quickly as his game came, it left him, with Wright taking the last 11-4 to take the set and match, and put Spanline into the Grand Final.
PENNANT THREE: –
Preliminary Final
Pinnacle Packers 6 (Rachel Fitzpatrick, Peter Edwards, Paul Fitzpatrick 2)d Dunkley Scales 3 (Colin Moore 1)
GF: Weightmans Packaging v Pinnacle Packers
Pinnacle Packers earned the vacant 2014 Grand Final spot with a measured, committed performance over Dunkley Scales.
Pinnacle Packers put their loss last week to minor premiers Weightmans Packaging behind them, and identified their main opponent in this game, Dunkley Scales captain Karly Leach to be the threat to their path to the Grand Final. And how well did they concentrate on Karly !! In a most rare occurrence, all three Packers players defeated her, and in so doing set up their win after the ninth rubber.
Rachel Fitzpatrick, Pinnacle Packers captain got her side off to a good start with a sound four set win over Ajay Chowdrey. Ajay took the first 12-10, but after that he hardly got a look in, losing the next three 5, 6 and 4.
Colin Moore made it one-all in his defeat of Peter Edwards 11-5, 14-12, 11-7.
Then the first of the “Karly” matches. Paul Fitzpatrick was drawn to play her in the third rubber. On the three occasions they have met this year, Karly has been victorious every time. Twice she won in five sets, and on the last occasion, in three. Those losses apparently made Paul more determined this time round. Trailing two sets to one down he refused to concede that he would lose, and took the last two sets 11-8, 11-8 to record a great, unexpected win.
The Scalers evened the score straight away with a win in the first doubles – Leach and Moore, after losing the first set to Rachel Fitzpatrick and Edwards, took the next three quite easily 1, 5 and 9.
Dunkley Scales’ fate though, was sealed in the next round of singles. Looking good at two all after those doubles, they plunged to 2-5 after failing to score in these three rubbers.
Peter Edwards led the way with a four set win over Chowdrey, followed by the second of the “Karly” matches – this time against Rachel Fitzpatrick. These two played to type, Rachel attacking all the time, Karly defending most of the time and attacking when able. And so the sets alternated, with Rachel taking the win 11-4 in the fifth.
The third rubber in this set of three was Paul Fitzpatrick against Colin Moore. The last time these two met, Moore won a five set thriller to give his team the win in Round 12, 6 rubbers to 5. 
Paul was having none of that this time and cleaned Colin up in three sets 7, 8 and 5.
The Packers almost decided the contest in the next rubber, the second doubles. The two Fitzpatricks played Leach and Chowdrey, but lost 11-8 in the fifth set, to give the Scalers the chance to take this contest at least one rubber further.
And the Packers only needed one more rubber. Peter Edwards, playing as well as ever, defeated Leach in straight sets 13-11, 12-10, 11-7 in a tight contest.
So, it was all over after nine rubbers, the Packers won all bar one of the singles rubbers, and the Scalers both doubles, plus one singles.
PENNANT FOUR: –
Preliminary Final
– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Kumail Jaffry 3, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Sunny Daily 4 (Paul Reyes 2, Shirley Whitecross 1)
GF: Fishers IGA v Max Miller Carpets
In an amazing turn around in form Max Miller Carpets have advanced to the pennant four grand final with a 6-4 win over Sunny Daily.
The Carpeters won three matches for the season, a victory in round one, ten and round fifteen. Now they have won two finals in succession and who knows what could happen next. They will play Fishers IGA who have won 16 matches straight and are undefeated however funny things can happen in big finals.
In this preliminary final they were off to a great start with John Fitzpatrick defeating Sue Green in four sets. As expected Sunny Daily skipper Paulo Reyes then accounted for Sonya Shalliker and in the next match the Carpeters took a 2-1 lead when
Kumail Jaffry outlasted Shirley Whitecross in four sets.
The first doubles now was important to both teams and it was the Jaffry Fitzpatrick combination who won 12-10 11-9 11-3 over Paulo and Sue Green. The Carpeters now took a lead of three rubbers to one.
The next block of singles went as thought with Paulo defeating a persistent John Fitzpatrick in four sets 11-3 11-5 7-11 11-4. Carpeters skipper Kumail then defeated Sue Green and then in a good game with many long rallies Shirley defeated Sonya Shalliker 11-5 16-14 11-5, the second game was a beauty.
Sunny Daily had fought back and the second doubles was crucial for them. Paulo and Shirley did not let the Daily down by proving too steady for Kumail and Sonya winning 9-11 11-7 11-8 11-8. The scores were four rubbers all now and Sunny Daily had fought back well after a slow start.
The next match featured both captains Paulo and Carpeters Kumail and this was a replay of the Super 8’s final of last week when Kumail had taken the points. This match was played under different pressure and was an excellent contest. Kumail took the first and Paulo the second narrowly. Kumail took the ascendancy in the third winning that comfortably and the fourth was a real struggle but again Kumail was able to hold a narrow lead and go on and win 11-8 10-12 11-4 11-9. The Carpeters were now up 5-4 and in sight of victory.
John Fitzpatrick then stepped up to the table against the experienced Shirley Whitecross and the first was close all the way with John winning by the barest margin. He then was able to control the second and in the third he again held a narrow lead going on to win 11-9 11-3 11-8. John had remained calm under pressure and his victory took Max Miller Carpeters to a hard earned 6-4 victory and a grand final berth. After a lacklustre season the Carpeters are getting their act together and the grand final may not be as one sided as some think.
