LAST ROUND TO COUNT

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31319, 15 March 1967, Page 15

LAST ROUND TO COUNT

The final round of the summer table tennis competitions this evening promises to be an exciting climax to one of the most keenly contested competitions for several years. Last season’s winner and present leader, Linwood L has an extremely difficult task to beat the second equal team, Selwyn I. Although Linwood is currently playing better, it was beaten by Selwyn I in the ninth round. Hoon Hay should have no difficulty disposing of the lowly St. Johns combination. This would give Hoon Hay 30 points and would bring it equal to Linwood I and Selwyn I should Selwyn manage to win. One of the most successful players this summer. G. W.

Makinson, will lead the Linwood team, and will be well supported by the very experienced J. E. Kyle and the tenacious I. Urquhart. Probably the most consistent player in the competition, EL P. Holt will spearhead Selwyn’s challenge. He is not an aggressive player but his steady tight game is usually too reliable for his opponents. Mrs T. May and Miss V. E. Braumann make up the remainder of the Selwyn team. Since coming to Christchurch from Dunedin, Miss Braumann, once ranked third in New Zealand, has played competently without being outstanding. Mrs May has had some unexpected losses lately, usually to aggressive players, but her reliability in a crisis

could be sufficient to pull her team through. The young Hoon Hay team of G. R. Saunders, K. J. Ward and M. R. Spinks should win all of its matches against St Johns. With the addition of Ward halfway through the season, Hoon Hay has played attacking table tennis to beat Selwyn and Linwood in successive weeks.

It has shown great promise for the future, and only the loss of vital matches in the early stages of the competition has kept Hoon Hay below the first place in the points table. There will be a break after this evening’s games before the winter competitions begins. except for the Easter tournament.