Arawa still leading competition

Arawa continue to lead the Marlborough A-grade table tennis competition following last week's matches at Simcox Stadium in Blenheim.

The title will come down to the September 16 matches when Arawa play Koromiko and Warriors take on Marlborough ASB.

Taine Swete was again in great touch for Arawa, winning his three singles, including an 11-8, 3-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6 win over Bamboo Garden's Ping Muanwong.

Jeff Sawyer gained two wins and Ray Herd one.

For Bamboo Garden, Muanwong won his two remaining singles, Kylie Hurren winning two doubles to make the score 7-5 to Arawa.

Warriors kept up the pressure on Arawa with an 8-4 win over Young Guns. Matt Willis was in good form and didn't drop a set in his singles matches. Nigel Shultz backed him up with two wins.

In a remarkable contest, consisting of 123 points, Schultz was pipped 12-10, 8-11, 11-13, 19-17, 12-10 by Sam Flaherty.

Sue Heagney won two doubles and came close in her singles matches, losing close five-set matches to Sam and Tom Flaherty. She also gained a set from Kali Stratford, who was filling in for Matt Pigou.

Marlborough ASB's Gary Mortimer kept his side in the title race, winning his three singles, including a straight sets win over Sigmund Sue to give his side a 7-5 win over Koromiko.

Mortimer was given a hard match by Darryl Jones, who managed to chop the ball low over the net in the first four sets before Mortimer got home in the fifth.

David Foley and Kath Gilchrist won a single each with ASB winning the doubles 2-1. Sue and Jones each won two singles and combined for a doubles win for Koromiko.

Wairau Valley beat MOM 7-5, Peter Wells to the fore for Valley. His match with Orm Collins was in the balance in the third set before Wells took it 13-11 and went on to take the fourth.

Peter Cowdrey had a good night with two singles wins.

Nathan Maunsell beat Martin Stephens. For MOM, Mike Mehlhopt claimed two wins and Collins one. Stephens was undefeated in doubles.

Points: Arawa 161, Warriors 153, Marlborough ASB 148, Bamboo Garden 120, Koromiko 113, Liquorland 109, Young Guns 92, Wairau Valley 79, MOM 48.

On the first night of the two-player B-grade competition, Brian Paton and Ollie Baker beat Lisa and Kadin Willis 5-0, with Morice Stratford and Brooke Swete recording the same score over Peter Blount and Ingrid O'Hagan.

Bonnie Aitchison and Paula Harborne scored 4-1 wins over Donald Greig and Nichcha Wararatansupa and by Clive and Grace Aitchison over Andy and Jack Lankshear.

- The Marlborough Express

Newest First

Oldest First