Riccarton holds narrow lead in table tennis

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 17

Riccarton holds narrow lead in table tennis

■ - A 124) thrashing of Avonside HI enabled Riccarton I to hold On to a one-point lead after the penultimate round of the A grade table tennis competition at the Selwyn Street hall on Wednesday evening. With a 7-5 win over Linwood In a postponed seventh round match on Tuesday evening, Riccarton I edged ahead of Avonside I. setting the scene for an exciting: final round next Wednesday. when the top two sides meet, i . '.

During the season, the pair have gradually increased their advantage over the other four sides to such an extent that the third-placed team, Linwood, trails Avonside I by a massive 10 points. ' The Riccarton trio of Stuart Armstrong, Peter de Boer and Simeon Cairns, did not concede a game against the veteran •Avonside HI team of Trevor Flint, Neville Brightwell and Barry Radford. . Avonside I beat Linwood, 8-4, with the surprise being the two losses suffered.- by ; Michael Hamel, Linwood’s top player. His loss to Maurice Burrowes in his second to the determined Avonside player in the space of seven days — the other being in the semi-finals of the A grade championships. Bill Scott dropped the first game to’ Hamel, but recovered to win the next two. John-Richards also suffered two defeats, being beaten by. the.improving Michael Prisk and Hamel.

Riccarton II beat Avonside n, 9-3, losing only one singles, when Bert Tnompson beat Colin Tipper in straight games. Thompson should have beaten Graham Lamb, holding a 20-16 advantage in the final game, only to go down, 25-27. Points: Riccarton I 25, Avonside I 24, Linwood 14, Riccarton II 11, Avonside n 5, Avonside in 3.

Avonside I 8, Linwood I 4 Singles.—M. Burrowes beat S. Dixon, 21-10. 21-15; beat M. Hamel, 15-21, 21-12, 21-15; beat M. Frisk, 21-15, 21-10. W. Scott beat Hamel, 13-21, 21-11. 23-21; lost to Prisk, 14-21, 10-21; beat Dixon, 21-16, 21-3. J. Richards lost to Prisk, 14-21; 6-21; beat Dixon, 21-17. 21-19; lost to Hamel, 21-16 18-21, 10-21. Doubles.—Burrowes and Richards beat Prisk and Hamel, 21-9, 21-19; Scott and Richards lost to Dixon and Hamel, 21-23. 19-21; Scott: and Burrowes beat Dixon and Prisk. 21-18, 19-21, 21-19. Riccarton I 12, Avonside in 0 Singles. — S. Armstrong beat N. Brightwell, 21-12, 21-13; beat B. Radford, 21-16, 21-10; beat T Flint, 21-6. 21-13. S. Cairns beat Flint, 21-16,’ 21-9; beat Brightwell, 21-8;.2I-8; beat Radford, 21-8. 21-6. P. .de Boer beat Radford, 21-7 21-6; beat. Flint. 21-13. 21-14; beat Brightwell, 21-19, 21-13. Doubles. — Cairns and Armstrong beat Flint and Radford, 21-13, 21-15; de. Boer and Armstrong beat ; Brightwell and Flint; 16-21, 21-14, 21-14; de Boer and Cairns beat Radford and Brightwell. 21-13, 21-15.

Riccarton II 9, Avonside II 3 Singles.—J. Armstrong beat B. Wilson, 17-21, 21-15, 21-19; beat B. Thompson, 20-22, 21-13, 21-17; beat M. Kelly, 21-9, 21-13. C. Tipper lost to Thompson, 9-21, 17-21; beat Kelly, 21-18,. 21-17; beat Wilson. 22-20, 23-21. G. Lamb beat Kelly, 21-19. 21-17; beat Wilson, 22-20, 18-21, 21-19; beat Thompson, 21-12. 16-21, 27-25. Doubles. — Tipper and Lamb lost to Wilson and Thompson, 16-21, 19-21; Armstrong and Lamb lost to Kelly and Thompson, 21-23, 13-21; Armstrong and Tipper beat Kelly and Wilson, 21-17,. 21-18.