Still no sign of Teams 1 or 2 this week but our four remaining teams were all in action. Three of our sides were in action on Wednesday evening with Teams 4 and 6 at home whilst Team 3 travelled to take on Murrayfield.
Team 4 had a cracking win in Week 1 and were looking to build on that as the faced Edinburgh University 5 in Division 3. Aidan Craig, Ian Hislop and Jay Jayalath kept their places in an unchanged line-up. The first two matches of the night were to prove crucial, both going the distance as first Ian secured a five-end win, followed by a five-end win for Aidan. When Jay won his first singles it was a perfect start for the hosts. It got better with Aidan and Ian not dropping another end in singles play and combining for a four end doubles victory. An 8-2 win for the hosts to follow up their 9-1 victory from Week 1 – a terrific start to the season.
Team 6 had the worst start possible with a 10-0 defeat in Week 1 and were hoping for any positive signs as they faced Heriot Watt 4 in Division 5. Ian Millar, Tony Walker and Stuart Bennett took to the table against the students. When Ian lost match 1 there was trepidation about what was to follow, but a five-end win for Stuart in match 2 and a four-end win for Tony in match 3 gave the home side a 2-1 advantage after the first round of singles matches. That was matched in the next round, this time Stuart winning in four and Tony winning in five – 4-2 and a point was within their grasp. The doubles were left to the end and by the time it was played the match was secured for the hosts with two further singles wins. To round off a cracking night for Team 6 Stuart and Tony combined for a fifth end 12-10 win, the winning point being secured by a brilliant backhand winner from Tony (or so he tells us). A 7-3 win was a fantastic return for our newest team to the league.
Away from home on Wednesday Team 3 played their first match of the season as Kristian Skotzen, Charlie Brindley and Bob Porteous took on Murrayfield 7 in Division 2. The visitors found themselves 2-1 down after the first round of singles, Charlie winning his opener. Two wins out of the next three for the visitors levelled the score at 3-3 going into the doubles. A 3-0 loss for Charlie and Bob was followed by Kristian’s defeat in match 8 and the Penicuik side found themselves 5-3 down. Bob won match 9 to set up a grandstand finish between the two undefeated players on the night, Graham Muir v Charlie. Talk about awkward players, would their styles cancel each other out? The match was a cracker – 11-2 in the first end to Graham and Charlie looked in real trouble. The second end also went Graham’s way (11-8), but the signs were there that Charlie was working out how to combat Graham’s style. 11-8 and 11-5 in the third and fourth ends to Charlie set up a fifth end decider and with the momentum in his favour it was Charlie who prevailed to secure a 5-5 draw.
On Thursday evening Team 5 called on the services of John Grant from Team 6 as he joined Roscoe Cairney and Rachel Petrie in their trip to take on Heriot Watt 3 in Division 4. They were looking to build on their 5-5 draw from week 1 but found the students to be difficult opponents. Only Rachel managed to pick up an end in the first round of singles matches and only Roscoe managed that in the next three singles. Match over in rapid time as the students took a 6-0 lead going into the doubles. Rachel and Roscoe combined well but fell in five ends. A whitewash was on the cards but match 9 saw Roscoe pick up the visitors only win of the night as Team 5 fell to a 9-1 defeat.
And so, to our Player of the Week Award for Week 2. This is tricky! We had a fantastic night for Aidan and Ian for Team 4, a brilliant performance under pressure from Charlie undefeated in a 5-5 draw for Team 3 and how can we ignore Stuart and Tony who were both undefeated for Team 6 in their 7-3 victory. OK we’re going to have to be ruthless – even though according to Charlie his doubles loss was all Bob’s fault, he’s out on the basis that the other four all won the doubles! So, a straight fight between Ian, Aidan, Stuart and Tony! How do we split them? Ends won and lost? Including doubles Ian won 12 lost 3, Aidan won 12 lost 3, Stuart won 12 lost 6 and Tony won 12 lost 5. So, Stuart, great to have you back but you're out the running. Now on that basis Tony should also be out – but hold on. New to League table tennis this season, only his second competitive match of TT, he hit some cracking winners including a brilliant backhand to win the doubles? Terrific play from Aidan and Ian but this weeks' winner must be Tony – well done to him.
Turning to our controversy of the week section, we’re a little taken aback by how quiet a start to the season we’ve had – mind you neither James nor Colin have been in action yet! Our “fun” controversy this week comes from Mat who wasn’t even playing – he questioned how many years one of the Heriot Watt students had been at Uni! Surely, he should have moved on by now! Young Thomas Ruffhead is only in 3rd year Mat – all our players were impressed by how much he has improved since they first played him in the 23-24 season so well done Thomas.
Team 6’s match had one of our most senior club members watching on as our esteemed Club Secretary Brian Bailey, helped with the newbies. Never one to be too far away from controversy, Brian took on some umpiring duties, and if we ignore his failing eyesight, his partial deafness and his elderly confusion, he can still do a decent umpiring job (at times)! Once he had remembered that games aren’t up to 21 anymore and you only get two serves, he sprang into action as he pulled up an opponent for illegal serves by not throwing the ball up sufficiently and serving straight out of the hand – he didn’t do a “Roger Thomas” and just give the point to the opponent but raised the issue with the player – he's going soft in his old age! His view, like ours as a Club, is that it doesn’t matter what level you’re playing at, you’ve got to play within the rules and that includes service.
And finally, can we have another quote of the week section! Apparently, Brian has been watching Grumpy Old Men. When trying to explain the rule about service, not to the opponents, but to our own team he quoted a famous line from the film that he could have starred in:
“I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right.”
Week 3 here we come.
Team 4 had a cracking win in Week 1 and were looking to build on that as the faced Edinburgh University 5 in Division 3. Aidan Craig, Ian Hislop and Jay Jayalath kept their places in an unchanged line-up. The first two matches of the night were to prove crucial, both going the distance as first Ian secured a five-end win, followed by a five-end win for Aidan. When Jay won his first singles it was a perfect start for the hosts. It got better with Aidan and Ian not dropping another end in singles play and combining for a four end doubles victory. An 8-2 win for the hosts to follow up their 9-1 victory from Week 1 – a terrific start to the season.
Team 6 had the worst start possible with a 10-0 defeat in Week 1 and were hoping for any positive signs as they faced Heriot Watt 4 in Division 5. Ian Millar, Tony Walker and Stuart Bennett took to the table against the students. When Ian lost match 1 there was trepidation about what was to follow, but a five-end win for Stuart in match 2 and a four-end win for Tony in match 3 gave the home side a 2-1 advantage after the first round of singles matches. That was matched in the next round, this time Stuart winning in four and Tony winning in five – 4-2 and a point was within their grasp. The doubles were left to the end and by the time it was played the match was secured for the hosts with two further singles wins. To round off a cracking night for Team 6 Stuart and Tony combined for a fifth end 12-10 win, the winning point being secured by a brilliant backhand winner from Tony (or so he tells us). A 7-3 win was a fantastic return for our newest team to the league.
Away from home on Wednesday Team 3 played their first match of the season as Kristian Skotzen, Charlie Brindley and Bob Porteous took on Murrayfield 7 in Division 2. The visitors found themselves 2-1 down after the first round of singles, Charlie winning his opener. Two wins out of the next three for the visitors levelled the score at 3-3 going into the doubles. A 3-0 loss for Charlie and Bob was followed by Kristian’s defeat in match 8 and the Penicuik side found themselves 5-3 down. Bob won match 9 to set up a grandstand finish between the two undefeated players on the night, Graham Muir v Charlie. Talk about awkward players, would their styles cancel each other out? The match was a cracker – 11-2 in the first end to Graham and Charlie looked in real trouble. The second end also went Graham’s way (11-8), but the signs were there that Charlie was working out how to combat Graham’s style. 11-8 and 11-5 in the third and fourth ends to Charlie set up a fifth end decider and with the momentum in his favour it was Charlie who prevailed to secure a 5-5 draw.
On Thursday evening Team 5 called on the services of John Grant from Team 6 as he joined Roscoe Cairney and Rachel Petrie in their trip to take on Heriot Watt 3 in Division 4. They were looking to build on their 5-5 draw from week 1 but found the students to be difficult opponents. Only Rachel managed to pick up an end in the first round of singles matches and only Roscoe managed that in the next three singles. Match over in rapid time as the students took a 6-0 lead going into the doubles. Rachel and Roscoe combined well but fell in five ends. A whitewash was on the cards but match 9 saw Roscoe pick up the visitors only win of the night as Team 5 fell to a 9-1 defeat.
And so, to our Player of the Week Award for Week 2. This is tricky! We had a fantastic night for Aidan and Ian for Team 4, a brilliant performance under pressure from Charlie undefeated in a 5-5 draw for Team 3 and how can we ignore Stuart and Tony who were both undefeated for Team 6 in their 7-3 victory. OK we’re going to have to be ruthless – even though according to Charlie his doubles loss was all Bob’s fault, he’s out on the basis that the other four all won the doubles! So, a straight fight between Ian, Aidan, Stuart and Tony! How do we split them? Ends won and lost? Including doubles Ian won 12 lost 3, Aidan won 12 lost 3, Stuart won 12 lost 6 and Tony won 12 lost 5. So, Stuart, great to have you back but you're out the running. Now on that basis Tony should also be out – but hold on. New to League table tennis this season, only his second competitive match of TT, he hit some cracking winners including a brilliant backhand to win the doubles? Terrific play from Aidan and Ian but this weeks' winner must be Tony – well done to him.
Turning to our controversy of the week section, we’re a little taken aback by how quiet a start to the season we’ve had – mind you neither James nor Colin have been in action yet! Our “fun” controversy this week comes from Mat who wasn’t even playing – he questioned how many years one of the Heriot Watt students had been at Uni! Surely, he should have moved on by now! Young Thomas Ruffhead is only in 3rd year Mat – all our players were impressed by how much he has improved since they first played him in the 23-24 season so well done Thomas.
Team 6’s match had one of our most senior club members watching on as our esteemed Club Secretary Brian Bailey, helped with the newbies. Never one to be too far away from controversy, Brian took on some umpiring duties, and if we ignore his failing eyesight, his partial deafness and his elderly confusion, he can still do a decent umpiring job (at times)! Once he had remembered that games aren’t up to 21 anymore and you only get two serves, he sprang into action as he pulled up an opponent for illegal serves by not throwing the ball up sufficiently and serving straight out of the hand – he didn’t do a “Roger Thomas” and just give the point to the opponent but raised the issue with the player – he's going soft in his old age! His view, like ours as a Club, is that it doesn’t matter what level you’re playing at, you’ve got to play within the rules and that includes service.
And finally, can we have another quote of the week section! Apparently, Brian has been watching Grumpy Old Men. When trying to explain the rule about service, not to the opponents, but to our own team he quoted a famous line from the film that he could have starred in:
“I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right.”
Week 3 here we come.
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