Fourth win in N.Z. table tennis titles unlikely

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33929, 23 August 1975, Page 4

Fourth win in N.Z. table tennis titles unlikely

(By

BOB SCHUMACHER)

The last occasion that the national table tennis championships were held in Christchurch was memorable for the ('anterbury men’s and women’s teams.

For the first time in the championships. Canterbury won the men's Kean Shield and the women completed a successful year for the province by claiming the Teagle Memorial Shield. That was in 1972 and the Canterbury men have since rounded off a hat-trick of wins in the Kean Shield Even with that impressive record, however. Canterbury will start at prohibitive odds in its quest to win its fourth successive teams championship in Cowles Stadium tomorrow evening The Canterbury women are likely to fair better than their male counterparts, but they might have to settle for second behind the formidable Auckland combination. Canterbury’s Kean Shield challenge will be spearheaded by Ling Nan Ming — a national representative last year and fourth-ranked in the countrv — and Maurice Burrowes. Ling only played the first two rounds of the

inter-club competition this winter before opting to concentrate on junior coaching. Although he has also foregone all provincial tournaments, his representative appearances proved that he has lost none of his attacking flair. Ling gave a masterly display to beat the South Island champion. Bryan Foster, in the South Island quadrangular tournament in June. He lost his second encounter with the Otago No I in the annual Jarvis Rose Bowl fixture last month, mainly because Foster adopted better and more positive tactics. Ling has been a vital link in the Canterbury Kean Shield team for the last eight years in which

time he has won 62 of his 94 singles. His performances in Canterbury’s three triumphant years have been outstanding. He has lost only nine of 23 contests. Burrowes, too, has made a grand contribution to Canterbury’s rise to prominence in the men’s championship. His debut in 1971 was unspectacular — three wins, six losses — but after missing selection the following year, he returned with vengeance in 1973, winning eight of his 10 matches. Last year, Canterbury had the services of the New Zealand champion, Richard Lee, and the nationally-ranked Wayne Adamson as well as Ling.

Burrowes was required for only four matches, and he won them all decisively. The 19-year-old Avonside member has been the dominant player in Canterbury this season, winning the Canterbury Easter open, the provincial closed championship and winning 39 of his 42 singles in the A grade club competition. Canterbury’s troubles might start with the selec- . tion of the third member as Ling and Burrowes will almost certainly be required for every game. Three other players — John Armstrong, Yee Chow Boi and Harry Redmond — have been named. Armstrong has the best credentials on form this season, but Yee, who will make his South Island debut in the inter-island contest tomorrow afternoon, might be preferred in the third position. Armstrong has proved fallible against the county’s top attackers and his Kean Shield record in recent years has been unimpressive. He won his three singles at his last appearance for the province in the competition in 1972, but from 1969 to 1971 he was successful in only nine of his 38 matches. Yee, runner-up to Burrowes in the Easter open, is a resourceful attacking player whose pen-grip style could upset his northern opponents. But he, too, has his weaknesses. On numerous occasions he has established sizable leads but has been unable to press home the advantage.

Auckland will be the popular choice to win the Kean Shield for the first time since 1971. Lee, unbeaten in 12 matches for Canterbury last year, should be a decided asset. The Lassen brothers are grand value in doubles and the four-times national champion, Alan Tomlinson, will be remembered for his brilliant feat — he won the maximum 1,5 singles — in Christchurch three years ago. Northland will also command respect with the New Zealalnd representative, James Morris, who was the conqueror of Lee on four successive occasions this season, the North Island veteran, Gary Frew, and tfoe national under 18 champion, Kerry Palmer. It will be a major surprise if Auckland does not regain the Teagle Shield which it lost to Hamilton At Wanganui last year. Ann Stonestreet, national champion from 1971 to 1973, and the present titleholder, Yvonne Fogarty, give Auckland the whip hand. Jan Morris, Phillipa Marks and Barbara Taylor should ensure that Canterbury finishes in a high position. Miss Morris outplayed Miss Fogarty in the final of the South Island championship, and has accounted for Miss Stonestreet on previous occasions.