TABLE TENNIS TEAM

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32660, 16 July 1971, Page 10

TABLE TENNIS TEAM

The Canterbury table tennis selectors (Messrs A. B. McCallum, R. G. Hart, and T. R. D. Flint) have retained the same representative team, which twice beat Otago earlier in the year, for the fixtures against Wellington and Hutt Valley at

The team is:— Men: Ling Nan Ming, Loke Sim Wong (university), J. Armstrong (Kiccarton), and M. W. Burrowes (Avonside). Women: Mrs T. May (Avonside), Miss B. A. Taylor (Linwood), Miss P. A. Marks (Kiccarton), and Miss J. Morris (Selwyn). Last year Canterbury regained the Clapshaw Trophy from Wellington by overwhelming the northern province, 23-s—the most convincing win by either province since Wellington’s 24/4 triumph in 1948. Wellington will be strengthened by the inclusion of a former Canterbury representative, G. R. Saunders, who mastered two leading Canterbury players, M. R. Spinks and V. N. Brightwell, in winning the Marlborough men’s open singles title in June.

However, Canterbury appears to have greater depth in both the men’s and women’s section, and its Winning margin could well approach last years score. The contest against Hutt Valley on Sunday for the Brightwell Trophy—held by Canterbury—promise? to be an evenlycontested spectacle.

Two of its members, W. N. Evans and M. W. Borlase, are seeded eight and ninth, respectively, on the national ranking list, while D. T. Thomer, and H. M. Ridley—a former Australian representative—are both experienced and capable players.

The women’s division, led by the fourth New Zealand seed, Miss G. M. Kemp, might hold the advantage over the Canterbury team. Partnering Miss Kemp in the top half of the draw will be Miss J. Brown, who reached the semi-finals of the North Island women’s singles earlier this month, and combined with Miss Kemp to make the women’s doubles final.

If the final outcome depends on the mixed doubles results, the northern team might have the edge. Canterbury’s top pair— Ling and Miss Taylor—succumbed in three straight games to a Hutt Valley pair, B. T. Cross and Miss Brown, in a semi-final match at the North Island championships.