16th April
2013 Bury and District Table Tennis
League
Sponsored by Glaisyers
Solicitors Ltd
FINALS NIGHT
Junior Final
Having played each other in the group stage of the championship eleven year old Daniel Olsberg from Maccabi Table Tennis Club was looking to repeat his fine win over fifteen year old Dominic Siddall from Ramsbottom Table Tennis Academy. Daniel fought his way back from a two game deficit in the group match to beat Dominic, the top ten winner this season for division five having lost just five matches all season. Daniel and Dominic won through the group stage and their respective semi-finals to prove that their numbers one and two seedings for the event were correct.
It was clear that Daniel was suffering some nerves as was to be expected for an eleven year old playing in front of an audience for the first time. Dominic appeared a lot more settled and was in to his attacking game straight away and soon had the first game tied up, winning it eleven three. Dominic continued his strategy of ‘getting in first’ in the second game to take time away from Daniel who looked more settled and was playing better table tennis with less errors. It was a close game but Dominic always had his nose ahead and took the second eleven points to eight.
Daniel had it all to do if he was to lift the junior title and he started the third game very positively. He held a lead until part way through the game when Dominic played a string of winning shots to just edge out Daniel to take the third game and junior title for the first time by eleven points to nine.
Singles Semi-Finals
Playing for Prestwich Table Tennis Club and for the first time in the Bury League this season current champion of the Oldham League Darren Lindley faced another new comer to the League. Jeff Craighill who played this season for Ramsbottom Town had a ‘flying start’ to his match in an error strewn first game for Darren. This wasn’t to be unexpected after his long journey from Yorkshire. Darren was delayed over an hour as a result of a road traffic accident en route to the venue. Jeff raced away to the first game winning it eleven points to four. Darren then found his game in the next taking it eleven points to five and continued his strong attacking play to close out the match comfortably wining the next two games eleven seven.
In the second semi-final current champion Mick Moir from Ramsbottom Town faced another new comer to the League, Paul King who plays in the same team as Darren at Prestwich. In two up and down games Mick managed to just ease past Paul taking them both eleven points to nine. Mick ‘lost his way’ in the next game when he made several mistakes plus Paul was winning some impressive points to close out the game eleven points to seven. Mick was always ahead in the fourth game and crossed the winning line by eleven points to eight and a place in his tenth final. This is one more than Graham Hoy managed in the 1970’s and 80’s.
Singles Final
Played over the best of seven games rather than the usual five the final promised to be the best standard of table tennis in the area where reigning Bury Champion Mick Moir was looking to break another record in winning his eight title. This would put him one ahead of Derek Hutchinson who won his seven in the 1950’s and 60’s. Mick’s opponent is the reigning Oldham Champion, Darren Lindley, a title that he won just last month. Having got over the traffic delays that hampered his semi-final match Darren got a fast start to his match taking the first game eleven points to six. There were some spectacular shots from both players whose attacking games sometime led to very short points. The longer points on both the forehand and backhand sides, again by both players showed their tremendous hitting skills off both wings. Mick kept his nose ahead in the second game, winning eleven points to nine to draw level. An even closer third game went the way of Mick twelve points to ten. Two one to Mick. Darren had plenty of chances in the next game to draw level in the match but Mick won it seventeen points to fifteen. Obviously annoyed at letting the last game slip Darren hit back and comfortably won eleven points to five. Mick had a very fast start to the sixth game and he could sense the winning line which he crossed comfortably eleven points to three to be Bury Champion for the eighth time.
Over 50’s Final
The current over 50’s champion Mark Ramsbottom from Ramsbottom Town having won the title on six occasions took on the 1996 and 2002 champion Phil Riley from Little Lever. Mark had the quickest start to his match taking the first game eleven points to six but Phil soon hit back by taking the second eleven seven. A very comfortable third game went Mark’s way eleven points to three. Could Phil mount a challenge again? It wasn’t to be and Mark rounded off the match by winning eleven seven and the title for the seventh time.
Over 60’s Final
Dennis Collier from Little Lever was able to reverse his result from last year’s final where he was runner up to three time previous champion Tommy Ryan who surprisingly lost to Dennis in the semi-final. Dennis took on the champion from 2009, Derek Watmough who plays for Coburg. Derek was unable to get into his usual game because Dennis, normally a defensive player went on the attack. Derek had trouble with the speed and consistently was pushing the ball long to give Dennis easy points. The match was over rather quickly when Dennis won four, four and three to take the title.
Doubles Final
Two new pairings faced each other in the final. From Ramsbottom Town Mark Ramsbottom joined team mate Jeff Craighill who had beaten another team mate, Mick Moir with his partner Dave Cain in the semi-final. Darren Lindley and Ian McLean from Prestwich Table Tennis Club beat 2010 and 2011 champions Tony Bates and Tony Smith in their semi-final match. The first game was very close with either pairing looking likely to win it and it was the Prestwich pair who just nicked it twelve points to ten. With the first game under their belt Darren and Ian seemed to flow a bit better and were always ahead in the next two games to take them relatively comfortably six and eight to win the title for the first time.
Prize Presentation
At the conclusion of all of the finals the League Chairman, Frank Green was assisted by Guest of Honour John Hilton, 1980 European Table Tennis Champion to present the prizes and trophies.
