Jason Fleming reports:
Weeks 3 & 4 of the Dumfries Table Tennis League 2023-24 saw a number of teams in action, as league leaders sought to rubber stamp their authority across the divisions, whilst other sides were seeking valuable points at the early stages of the season.
An unblemished performance from Top Bananas against Smashing Pumpkins saw them extend their lead at the top of Division 1; the duo of Dylan and Reuben De Silva dispatching their opponents Paul Dowson and Barry Kirkpatrick with aplomb in a comfortable 5-0 win. Elsewhere in the division, Kay Solaja and Brian Kirkpatrick of The Spinners bounced back from their early defeats this season with 5-0 and 4-1 wins against Apple Crumble and Smashing Pumpkins respectively. Of particular note against Apple Crumble was a close five tussle in the doubles which Kay and Brian were able to sneak through, enabling their perfect result. Against Smashing Pumpkins, Kay was in ruthless form as he won both his singles matches in straight sets. Paul rescued a consolation point for his side through a battling 3-1 victory against Brian. The epic father-son battle between Brian and Barry saw it go all the way to the fifth end, until age and experience was able to prevail with Brian winning. Barry ruing his chances afterwards – ‘I’ll get him one of these days!!!’ Iain Macleod and Craig Wilson of Apple Crumble were seeking to bounce back against Gordon Duff and Shona Morton of Netflicks, although it was the latter who managed to pull through with a 4-1 win. Their sole point coming through Iain’s straight sets win against Shona. Gaulty Towers will have a hectic schedule throughout December and early January as they play catch-up on a number of rearranged fixtures, in part due to injuries and paternity leave within the team (Congratulations from us all on the new arrival, Jason!). After these results, Top Bananas remain top of the table whilst Apple Crumble have the unfortunate position of sixth in the league.
The newcomers to the league, Cory Dawson and Isaac Ishmael of Two Slips and a Gully, continued their impressive start to the season in Division 2, with strong 4-1 and 5-0 wins against Watsonians and Hurricanes. Although finishing 4-1 in the end, their match with Gary and Mike Watson of Watsonians was a cracker, evidenced by three of the five matches going to a deciding set. Mike salvaged a point for his side with a battling win in the fifth against Isaac, whilst Cory excelled in winning both his singles matches. This form was sustained in their game against Iain Murray and Graeme Allison of Hurricanes, as they stormed to a 5-0 win. With TSG at the top of the table in Division 2, their closest rivals, Anne Borrowdale and James Hutchinson of Table Toppers, replied with a resounding 5-0 win against Steve Cussell and Raymond Pirrie of The Owd Coots. Although Steve and Ray came close in the doubles – losing out in the fifth set – Table Toppers took no chances in their other games. Steve offered a colourful description on how the games went for his team that I have chosen to omit for a good reason! The other two matches in this division both comprised Phil Jones and Colin McGlyn of Sultans of Spin: Firstly, a 4-1 win against Hurricanes which had plenty of close matches throughout. In the end, Phil and Colin’s five set wins against Iain and Graeme proving crucial. Hopes of replicating this result in their second match were dashed, as the Watsonians beat Sultans of Spin 4-1; Mike Watson winning both his singles and doubles matches to give his team an important win.
A quick glance at the Division 3 Table would indicate how relentless Blade Runners have been this season thus far as they already look strong contenders to claim the title. Full of confidence, Graeme and Finley Boyd dominated in both their games, first against Olivia Maxwell and Boyd Telfer of Double Trouble and then against Evan Robertson and Theuns Wiese of Titans, winning 5-0. Undeterred by this result, Double Trouble recovered with a strong 5-0 win against Falcons, despite a battling performance by Anne Beattie and Flora Howie in the doubles. Titans had a good performance in their other match against Chuckle Chums, winning 4-1. Elaine Colquhoun and Jean Campbell pushed their opponents all the way, with Elaine picking up a good win against Theuns. Nonetheless, Evan and Theuns were able to pull through with a solid performance to keep them within touching distance of second place.
Full results and tables on the league website
