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Sunraysia Table Tennis Summer Pennant results Round 11: –
PENNANT ONE:
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Mark Dorman, Matt Ljubic, Kevin Johns 2 ) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 4 (Joel Thomas 3)
– Weightmans Packaging 9 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Kate Carmichael, Matt Avers 2) d Tankard Dental 2 (Mark Ljubic 2)
– Mallee Bearings 6(Rick McMeekin 2, Jackson Tung, Michael Hogarth 1) d Fishers IGA 5 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Leslie Ncube 2)
PENNANT TWO:
– Weightmans Packaging 9 (Lee Thomas, Connor Lavery 3, Geoff Peters 1) d Mallee Meats 2 (Ashley Morrison, Cambell McKenzie 1)
– Fishers IGA 6 (John Gray 2, Seval Fuat, Brendan Alderton 1) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Peter Midgley 3, Cole Keegan 2)
– Mallee Bearings 8 (Andrew Alderton 3, Reece Kurrle 2, Peter Edwards 1) d Bishop Builders 3 (Peter Bishop 2, Jeremy Corrin 1)
– Tankard Dental 8 (Arthur Paar 3, Tony Malycha 2, Rod Healy 1) d MJM Automotive 3 (Geoff Wright 2, Paul Fitzpatrick 1)
PENNANT THREE:
– Fishers IGA 9 (Kerry Wallace 3, Ben Hosking, Stefan Ljubic 2) d MJM Automotive 2 (John Fitzpatrick, Anthony Sergi 1)
– Mallee Meats 8 (Quentin Clark 3, Sam Hensgen 2, David Sergi 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Michael Hensgen 2, Claire Ljubic 1)
– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Huseyin Ismail, Karly Leach 2, Daniel Griffiths 1) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick 3, Kim Avers 1)
Rnd 11 saw a Richie Carmichael led Weightmans regain top spot, after taking out Tankard Dental 9-2. With 4 rounds to go and a solid Country Week hitout behind them, Richie is building another Premiership charge.
PENNANT ONE:
After a successful Country Championships campaign at the weekend where three teams returned with shields it was back to normal on Wednesday with a further round of table tennis providing some interesting results. The feature of round eleven matches was that for the first time this season fifth placed Max Miller Carpets have managed two wins in succession when they were able to account for Exposed Signage/Apparel 7-4 on the grandstand court.
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Mark Dorman, Matt Ljubic, Kevin Johns 2 ) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 4 (Joel Thomas 3)
This win places the Carpeters one win away from fourth position which is occupied by their opponents from this round with four rounds to play, finals are now a possibility. The Carpeters trio of Mark Dorman, Matt Ljubic and
Kevin Johns won two singles each to cap off their best performance of the season. Three five sets matches all went the way of the Carpeters in what was an important result. The first doubles was a highlight when Mark Dorman and Matt Ljubic recovered from an early deficit to win against Joel Thomas and Ed Hung 11-4 8-11 8-11 11-8 11-9.
Joel Thomas continued his excellent season despite his team going down to again win his three singles to remain undefeated in thirty three matches.
– Mallee Bearings 6(Rick McMeekin 2, Jackson Tung, Michael Hogarth 1) d Fishers IGA 5 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Leslie Ncube 2)
Mallee Bearings returned to the winners circle this round defeating top team Fishers IGA in a close result 6-5 despite Wayne Carmichael and Leslie Ncube winning three and two singles respectively for Fishers IGA.
It was the all-important doubles which were both won in five sets by Mallee Bearings which tipped the scales in their favour. The first doubles resulted in Rick McMeekin and Jackson Tung recovering from a two games to love deficit to go on and win 4-11 4-11 15-13 11-9 11-7 against Wayne Carmichael and Leslie Ncube.
The highlight match was the customary five setter between the skippers Wayne Carmichael and Rick McMeekin which contained many fine rallies of top spin looping. These two have a great rivalry going and usually do not disappoint the spectators. McMeekin trailing 2-7 in the fifth looked out of the match however he gave
Carmichael a real scare before the latter was able to steady and win 11-7 7-11 11-8 4-11 13-11 in what was a real treat for those watching on the stage court.
– Weightmans Packaging Gavin Carmichael 3, Kate Carmichael, Matt Avers 2) d Tankard Dental 2 (Mark Ljubic 2)
On centre court second placed Weightmans Packaging proved too good for Tankard Dental winning 9-2 in a strong performance. This win and the loss by Fishers has enabled Weightmans to go to the top of the ladder albeit by percentage only. The Weightmans team Gavin Carmichael Kate Carmichael and Matt Avers won three, two and two singles respectively.
After Tankards captain Mark Ljubic accounted for Matt Avers in four sets in the first game of the night, Tankards had to wait another eight matches before they tasted success again when this time Ljubic defeated Kate Carmichael in four sets.
Along the way Weightmans were able to win both doubles which is always important. Although Gavin Carmichael was to win three singles he had two matches which could have gone either way. The first was against Mark Ljubic and won in four 11-9 8-11 12-10 17-15 a close tussle all the way. Later he had to recover from a one-two deficit to defeat the hardworking Nicholas Dorman 6-11 11-6 10-12 11-1 11-7. When they last met young Dorman also troubled Carmichael and some of his big hitting again was a highlight.
Again Kate Carmichael played steady table tennis in her singles as well as standing out in the first doubles with her unorthodox back hand, Team mate Matt Avers after a quiet two weeks played well to win two singles and his results will go along way to deciding Weightmans fate over the season.
PENNANT TWO:
The closest game in this round featured teams first and seventh on the ladder, Pinnacle Packers pushing winners Fishers IGA most of the way. Tankard Dental continue their surge to the finals with a big win over MJM Automotive; Mallee Bearings after a couple of disappointing weeks, get back on the winners list against Bishop Builders, and Weightmans Packaging displaced Mallee Meats to take fourth on the ladder.
The top of the aggregate ladder is becoming a little crowded; there are seven players covered by only four games. Reece Kurrle currently leads on 27 games, one clear of Lee Thomas, who is one clear of Ashley Morrison, two clear of John Gray and Peter Midgley, and three clear of Peter Bishop and a fast finishing Arthur Paar.
– Fishers IGA 6 (John Gray 2, Seval Fuat, Brendan Alderton 1) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Peter Midgley 3, Cole Keegan 2)
With three wins and two wins to Peter Midgley and Cole Keegan respectively in singles play, Pinnacle Packers gave themselves a big chance to topple ladder leaders Fishers IGA.
For only the second time this season,
Midgley has been able to claim three singles wins. The one that was always going to be in question, that is, against John Gray, went to the bounce of the ball in the fifth set, Midgley winning 13-11.
Cole Keegan subbed for Ross Humphreys in this game and likewise, won the games expected. Against his opposite number, Seval Fuat, Keegan had little trouble, winning in three; it was against this season’s big improver Brendan Alderton he experienced a little more trouble. Alderton took the first two sets against Keegan, and Keegan squeaked home in the fifth 11-9.
That was the extent of the scoring for the Packers, though.
Fishers, whilst not dominant in the singles, took the other four. Gray defeated both Keegan and Peter Fitzpatrick in three sets, likewise Fuat and Alderton over Fitzpatrick.
As always, the doubles can turn a game. In this case the game probably turned on the second doubles rubber. Gray and Alderton went head to head with Midgley and Fitzpatrick. The sets went with the same end, the Cardross end being the favoured one on this night. Fishers took the first, change, the Packers the next, change, Fishers, change, then the Packers. So when Pinnacle Packers led 5-3 at the change in the fifth set, having garnered those points at the Irymple end, hopes were raised that now they were at the “good” end, the Cardross end, victory would be theirs. Not to be. Gray and Alderton took eight of the next ten points to win the fifth 11-7. This win added to their three set win in the first doubles gave Fishers enough for the four premiership points.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 23 games to 17.
– Tankard Dental 8 (Arthur Paar 3, Tony Malycha 2, Rod Healy 1) d MJM Automotive 3 (Geoff Wright 2, Paul Fitzpatrick 1)
Tankard Dental continued their strong run to the finals in this game against MJM Automotive.
Tankard Dental, led by Arthur Paar took three singles wins for the third straight week. It was not a walk in the park, however. After a v-e-r-y slow start against opposite number one, Geoff Wright, Paar settled and the two captains put on a top-notch display. Wright, the more patient of the two, with crashing forehands, and Paar, always looking for an early end to a point, really had to sometimes look for other ways to win a point. 
Paar won the final point, the one that counts, with a scoreline 1-11, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11, 18-16.
Paar’s number two Tony Malycha took two rubbers, and was once again a threat to make it three. Malycha pushed Geoff Wright all the way to go down in the fifth set 12-14.
With a win by Rod Healy over Terry Martin, Tankard Dental had the win in the bag with singles rubbers. They added to their score in the doubles: Paar and Malycha winning in a game which was really anybody’s, against Wright and Martin 12-10, 11-7, 10-12, 14-16, 13-11 – another great contest featuring Paar and Wright. The second doubles was Tankard’s too: Paar and Healy downing Wright and Paul Fitzpatrick in three sets.
Wright took his remaining two singles rubbers, his number two Terry Martin, still not fully fit, could not help his captain. However, fill-in Paul Fitzpatrick justified his inclusion, when he defeated Rod Healy in a great five setter. The two traded sets, with Fitzpatrick taking the last 11-6.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 28 games to 18.
– Mallee Bearings 8 (Andrew Alderton 3, Reece Kurrle 2, Peter Edwards 1) d Bishop Builders 3 (Peter Bishop 2, Jeremy Corrin 1)
After a strong first half of the season, Mallee Bearings have stumbled in the last couple of rounds. Losses to Fishers IGA and MJM Automotive have taken the sting out of their game, leaving them third on the ladder, and vulnerable to Mallee Meats and Weightmans Packaging for the last two spots in the finals.
So Mallee Bearings were happy to take this win, even if it was against bottom of the ladder team Bishop Builders.
Mallee Bearings number two Andrew Jones outshone his captain Reece Kurrle in this match. 
Jones took three singles wins – in straight sets against opposing captain Peter Bishop, but a more focussed Josh Carmichael took Jones to five sets, Andrew winning the last 11-8.
With Kurrle taking two wins and Peter Edwards belting Carmichael in the very first rubber before Josh had his coat off, Mallee Bearings gave themselves some confidence.
This confidence carried into the doubles: Kurrle and Jones begrudgingly conceded a set to Bishop and Carmichael in their 11-2, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6 four set win, and later Kurrle and Edwards held their nerve against Bishop and Jeremy Corrin over five sets, winning 11-9 in the fifth.
For Bishop Builders, only Peter Bishop with two singles wins, and Jeremy Corrin a win over Peter Edwards could offer resistance to Mallee Bearings.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 26 games to 14.
– Weightmans Packaging 9 (Lee Thomas, Connor Lavery 3, Geoff Peters 1) d Mallee Meats 2 (Ashley Morrison, Cambell McKenzie 1)
These teams were fourth (Mallee Meats) and fifth (Weightmans Packaging) on the ladder before this game. Both teams had won an identical number of rubbers (56) and had conceded the same number (54)!! Sadly, this was a very one-sided affair.
Both Lee Thomas and Connor Lavery took advantage of a. Ashley Morrison’s current poor form, and b. Arnold Jago’s loss of form to help themselves to three singles wins. Lee ripped through Morrison and Jago in three sets apiece, and it was left to Mallee Meats number three Cambell McKenzie to take a set from her. That was the only set she dropped in the entire night.
Lavery did better than his captain. Connor, who got better as the night went on did not drop a set; conceded 25 points to McKenzie, 18 to Mallee Meats captain Morrison, and just 16 to Jago. Truly, a player in form.
Geoff Peters, subbing for Andrew Alderton picked up a win, against Arnold Jago in five sets. After giving Arnold a two-set start, 3-11, 6-11, Geoff put his head down, and eventually wore Arnold down to take the last three sets 15-13, 13-11, 11-8.
Weightmans took both doubles with little effort; both were over in three sets; they conceded 11 points in the first and 24 in the second.
This match was so one-sided that only two rubbers went beyond three sets, and one of them was four.
Final scores: 9 rubbers to 2 and 27 games to 9.
PENNANT THREE:
This week fifth-placed Weightmans Packaging upset second-placed Dunkley Scales; Mallee Meats extended their lead by a further game; and Fishers IGA took third spot on the ladder as MJM Automotive plunged two spots to fifth.
– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Huseyin Ismail, Karly Leach 2, Daniel Griffiths 1) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick 3, Kim Avers 1)
Weightmans Packaging have promised much this year; led by consistent Karly Leach, Huseyin Ismail and Daniel Griffiths have shown glimpses of their true potential, but their form has been patchy. This week their form was “On” and they defeated second-placed Dunkley Scales, and in the process moved to fourth on the ladder, up one spot from fifth.
Whilst Leach and Huseyin could not defeat Dunkley Scales captain Sabrina Fitzpatrick, they took their remaining singles rubbers. Griffiths, for his part, took the important battle of the number three’s, taking a close three set win over Shirley Whitecross.
Both doubles matches went to Weightmans too. Leach and Huseyin, after a set each, ran away with their match against Fitzpatrick and Kim Avers 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 11-2. The second doubles was much tighter, but Leach and Griffiths played the better game to win that one 15-13, 11-8, 13-11 against Fitzpatrick and Whitecross.
Although defeated here, Dunkley Scales did not leave without some measure of success. 
Sabrina Fitzpatrick, for the sixth time this year, took three singles, and Kim Avers one, this against Daniel Griffiths.
Despite losing, Dunkley Scales retain second spot on the ladder, although only on percentage. They have won just one more game than third placed Fishers IGA (60 to 59) and conceded just a single game less (61 to 62). Worryingly for Dunkley Scales they have won just one of their last five games, whilst Fishers IGA have scored in four of the last five.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 15.
– Mallee Meats 8 (Quentin Clark 3, Sam Hensgen 2, David Sergi 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Michael Hensgen 2, Claire Ljubic 1)
In defeating Tankard Dental, Mallee Meats in this round racked up their tenth win from eleven starts.
Quentin Clark, has he has done on their two previous meetings, took three singles wins, to again go two games clear at the top of the aggregate from his number two Sam Hensgen. Clark was pretty much untroubled, conceding just one set in those three wins, and that was 11-13 in a four setter against Michael Hensgen.
Sam Hensgen picked up two singles wins, going down in the battle of the brothers. He and Michael had a great tussle in the final round of singles; Michael winning 10-12, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5. Mallee Meats number three David Sergi contributed too, taking the win over opposite number Andrew Edwards.
The Mallee Meats side were much too good in the doubles also. Clark and Sam Hensgen in a close match, defeated Michael Hensgen and Claire Ljubic 11-4, 13-11, 12-10. The second doubles was also three sets, Clark and David Sergi easily defeating Michael Hensgen and Andrew Edwards.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 26 games to 12.
– Fishers IGA 9 (Kerry Wallace 3, Ben Hosking, Stefan Ljubic 2) d MJM Automotive 2 (John Fitzpatrick, Anthony Sergi 1)
This match featured teams third (MJM Automotive) and fourth (Fishers IGA) on the ladder, separated only by percentage.
The result was a surprisingly huge win to Fishers IGA.
But for MJM Automotive’s John Fitzpatrick and Anthony Sergi it would have been an 11-0 whitewash, as up until the tenth rubber, Fishers IGA had taken the lot!!
Fishers IGA captain Kerry Wallace was again in good form, taking three singles wins, conceding just a single set to opposing captain Mick Bacon and another to John Fitzpatrick.
Team-mates Stefan Ljubic and Ben Hosking took two apiece; 
Ljubic in an impressive display trounced Bacon in just three sets 11-9, 11-7, 12-10. His win over John Fitzpatrick was closer, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8. Hosking for his part, defeated Anthony Sergi in a good four setter 14-12, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, and in the next round of singles out-lasted Mick Bacon, winning in five.
In amongst all these wins, Fishers IGA took both doubles: Wallace and Hosking in four sets against Bacon and Fitzpatrick, and Wallace and Ljubic in straight sets against Bacon and Sergi.
The MJM Automotive side had a miserable night, captain Mick Bacon not firing at all. As described, he lost in straight sets to Ljubic, in five to Hosking, and in four to opposing captain Wallace.
John Fitzpatrick took a set from Wallace, then another from Ljubic before coming up with a four set win against Ben Hosking. Anthony Sergi kept his head down for the night, although losing, he had that good four setter against Ben Hosking, went down in three against Wallace, but then surprised Ljubic in the final rubber winning it in four sets 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7.
This was a terrible result for MJM Automotive. Losses in their last three games have seen them tumble from second to fifth on the ladder. At the same time, Fishers IGA, with four wins from their last five, have risen to third spot.
Final scores: 9 rubbers to 2 and 29 games to 13.
