Northland Is Leading Table Tennis Province

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31769, 28 August 1968, Page 18

Northland Is Leading Table Tennis Province

Northland is the premier table tennis province in New Zealand. After the last day of the inter-association matches at Cowles Stadium yesterday its men’s and women’s A grade teams were unbeaten.

It is the first time that Northland has won the men’s A grade title, but it has won the women’s title six times, the last in 1966. The promotion-relegation matches among the grades were played last evening and the national individual events will begin today. South Canterbury won the men’s B grade title and Franklin won the women’s B grade, both also unbeaten. Otago had a good chance of winning the B grade women but when it went into the fifth round against Franklin without Miss M. J. Fogarty its chances of victory diminished.

Manawatu won the section 1 of the men’s C grade and Southland won section 2. The two women’s sections were together for the last day and South Taranaki was the victor.

Promotion Games

Franklin won its way into the women’s A grade when it beat the bottom team in the A grade, Auckland, 6-2, but South Canterbury, last in the women’s B grade, withstood South Taranaki’s challenge. Hutt Valley, last in the men’s A grade, kept its position when it beat South Canterbury, 6-0, but Manawatu beat Franklin to win promotion to B grade, and Southland beat North Taranaki to be in section I of C grade. B. A. Foster (Otago) lost to A. R. Tomlinson and G. V. Wilkinson, of Auckland, in the morning, and T. J. O’Carroll (Northland) in the afternoon. Foster took both Wilkinson and O’Carroll to three games but his hitting showed signs of wear and he lacked his usual consistency. Against Tomlinson, he had no answer. Although he has now had four losses at the championships, Foster is certain to be a much tougher opponent in the individual events. H. J. Waterhouse (Wellington) came back into the reckoning for the men’s singles title when he beat Tomlinson and Wilkinson, who were both previously unbeaten. Waterhouse beat Tomlinson, 24-22, 21-12, and Borlase beat Wilkinson during the same contest in the evening. Waterhouse hit with his usual zest to keep Tomlinson struggling and his ability to hit early and force Tomlinson away from the table gave him victory.. He led 20-18, but an edge from Tomlinson and a mistake by Waterhouse levelled the first game at 20 20. After winning, 24-22, Waterhouse gave Tomlinson no chance to settle in the second. He led 10-3 and Tomlinson did not recover.

Only One Unbeaten

Mrs N. Traill (Northland) is the only player unbeaten since the tournament began on Saturday evening. She was not extended to three games in any of her inter-association singles and on occasions did not allow her opponent to 10. The Canterbury men gave a sterling performance to test last year’s champion, Wellington. Canterbury lost, 5-6, and in the afternoon registered its only win when it beat Hutt Valley, 8-3. It finished fifth.

Canterbury was down 3-5 against Wellington but won two of the last three singles and R. Mitchell forced F. R. Foster (Wellington) to three games, after having taken Borlase to three earlier.

J. Armstrong (Canterbury), seeded No. 6 in the men’s singles, continued to show imRrovement when he beat the o. 4 seed, Borlase, 21-15, 11-21, 21-16, but Borlase beat Ling Nan Ming in straight games for the first time this season.

Armstrong kept at Waterhouse and extended him to 22-20 in the second and beat B. T. Cross (Hutt Valley) surprisingly easily later. Ung Nan Ming beat Cross, who is seeded No. 8 in the men's singles, 21-17, 22-20.

The Canterbury women did well to finish third in the A grade. They lost to Hutt Valley in the morning but atoned for this in the evening, beating Hamilton.

Canterbury had three wins, the same number as the second team, Hutt Valley, but because

Canterbury lost to Hutt Valley it was placed third on the count-back.

Mrs T. May (Canterbury) had a grand win when she beat the No. 6 seed for the women’s singles, Miss V. M. Rolston (Hamilton), 22-20, 19-21, 21-17, but for the second time at the tournament she lost to Miss j E. Brown (Hutt Valley). Miss Brown is probably playing better than Miss Wade and Mrs C. E. Ta dem a (Hamilton), who are both seeded ahead of her in the women's singles. North Taranaki, which seemed destined to finish last in the women’s A grade after the first day, beat Auckland, 7-4, and tested Northland, 6-5. in the afternoon.

Miss C. Sole beat the 1967 national women’s singles titleholder, Miss D. L. Wade (Auckland), 21-19, 16-21, 21-10. This surprise result typified the fighting spirit displayed by North Taranaki on the last day. Final placings in the A grades were:—Men: Northland 1, Wellington 2, Auckland 3. Otago 4, Canterbury 5, Hutt Valley 6. Women: Northland 1, Hutt Valley 2, Canterbury 3, Hamilton 4, North Taranaki 5, Auckland 6. Results were:— MEN ' A Grade Fourth Round.—Wellington 6, Canterbury 5; Northland 10. Hutt Valley 1; Auckland 9, Otago 2. Fifth Round.—Canterbury 8, Hutt Valley 3; Northland 6, Otago 5; Wellington 6. Auckland 5. B Grade Fourth Round.—Wanganui 6, Hamilton 5; Waitemata 6, North Shore 5; South Canterbury 7, Franklin 4. Fifth Round.—Hamilton 9, Franklin 2; South Canterbury 7, North Shore 4; Waitemata 7, Wanganui 4. C Grade Section 1.-—Fifth Round: Manawatu 6 Nelson 5; East Waikato 10, North Taranaki 1; South Taranaki 7, Marlborough 4. Fifth Round: Marlborough 7, Nelson 4; Manawatu 10, Taranaki 1; South Taranaki 11, East Waikato 0. Section 2.—Fourth Round: Central Waikato 6, Wairarapa 5; Poverty Bay 8, West Coast 3; Southland had a bye. Fifth Round: Wairarapa 8, West Coast 3; Southland 10, Poverty Bay 1; Central Waikato had a bye. WOMEN A Grade Fourth Round.—Northland 7, Hamilton 4; Hutt’Valley 8, Canterbury 3; North Taranaki 7, Auckland 4. Fifth Round.—Hutt Valley 6, Auckland 5; Northland 6, North Taranaki 5; Canterbury 6, Hamilton 5. B Grade Fourth Round. —Franklin 6. Nelson 5; Otago 8, Wellington 2; Wanganui 7, South Canterbury 4. Fifth Round.—Welling-

ton 7, South Canterbury 4; Franklin 8, Otago 3; Nelson 8, Wanganui 3. C Grade Fourth Round.— Manawatu 6, Central Waikato 5: South Tara- . naki 10, Wairarapa 1; Marlborough 9, Southland 2; Hawke’s Bay 10, West Coast I.' Fifth Round.—South Taranaki 6. Central Waikato 5; Hawke’s Bay 8. Southland 3: Manawatu 8. Wairarapa 3; Marlborough 11, West Coast 0.