Week 4 was a quiet one for the Club with four matches taking place.
Wednesday 8th October saw Team 5 travel to Bathgate where they faced West Lothian 6 in Division 4. Roscoe Cairney and Rachel Petrie were joined by newbie to the league Iain Caddell as they faced an experienced West Lothian side. Rachel and Iain lost their first matches of the night before two mammoth five-enders in games 3 and 4. Roscoe lost out 11-9 in the fifth to his opponent before Rachel got the visitors on the board with a 12-10 in the fifth win. Roscoe was back in action in Match 5, and he once again went the distance before losing out 11-8 in the fifth. At 5-1 down the visitors needed a win in the doubles but Rachel and Roscoe fell to a four-end defeat. Match 8 saw Roscoe once again battle away – another fifth end and another 11-8 loss. In the end a 9-1 victory for the hosts but the Midlothian side were much closer than that score suggests.
Team 6 were also in action on Wednesday night as they hosted West Lothian 9 in Division 5. Stuart Bennett, John Grant and Michael Daly faced a tricky match and when Stuart and Michael both lost their openers to a pair of talented youngsters there was trouble ahead for the hosts. John won his first ever league match to get the hosts on the board and when Stuart won Match 5 the deficit was cut to 3-2. John wasn’t able to halt young Leo Yuan’s attacking play and when the doubles was lost the hosts found themselves 5-2 down. Michael held his nerve brilliantly in Match 8 winning 12-10 in the fifth and when John then won his second match of the night it was suddenly 5-4 and a draw was a possibility. Stuart was last up and he had to play the best player on the night, young Yuan. The youngster had strolled through his previous matches and at least Stuart managed to push him to a 13-11 game in end 2, but ultimately, he was too strong as the Bathgate side pipped the hosts 6-4.
Team 6 were back in action on Friday night as they visited Edinburgh University 7. On this occasion Ian Miller, Tony Walker and Michael Daly took to the table. You never know what you’re going to come up against with the students, such is the wide variation in player’s abilities – Team 6 found the trio they faced to be far too good – only one match went beyond three ends and that was the doubles where Ian & Michael managed to extend the game to five ends. That was as good as it got, however, as the visitors fell to their second defeat of the week.
Team 3 also travelled to Edinburgh University on Friday night to take on University 3 in Division 2. Charlie Brindley, Kristian Skotzen and Craig Linton took to the table looking to build on their victory from the previous week. Craig was first in action and came back from 2-0 down to force a deciding fifth end – the momentum may have been with him, but the student responded well in the fifth to claim the victory. Charlie got the visitors on the board in Match 2 but a defeat for Kristian gave the students the advantage. The next round of singles matches effectively finished the match off as a contest – all three University players victorious as they took a 5-1 lead. When the doubles was comfortably won the match was over – 6-1 down and only pride to play for – the last round of singles matches was an almost exact mirror of the first three. Craig came back from 2-0 down but fell in the fifth, Kristian fell to a 3-0 defeat and Charlie provided the only bright spot as the Penicuik side fell to an 8-2 defeat.
And so, to our Player of the Week Award for Week 4. Hmm, not a great week for the Club and nobody had an undefeated week. Two players managed to get two wins on the board. In Div 2, Charlie led the way for Team 3 in their 8-2 loss whilst in Division 5, John recorded two wins in Team 6’s 6-4 defeat. How do we split them – they were very similar in terms of ends won and lost – Charlie won 7 whilst John won 6. But given the stage of their table tennis journeys, the award this week has to go to the newbie to league table tennis – well done to John – his first wins in the Edinburgh League.
In addition to the ELTTL this weekend saw our National League Team travel to Dundee for the first round of fixtures. Division 4 of the SNL is quite some standard and it was a relief that the team came away with one victory and one loss. The morning match against Knightswood should probably have been at least a draw but instead the side fell to a 4-2 defeat. That was followed by a 4-2 win in the afternoon. Another round of fixtures next month with the final round in February. The target for the Club is to try and avoid relegation. As per our email to Members if anyone is interested in playing let the Committee know.
Controversies? The Arena in Dundee was packed with top quality table tennis on Saturday and with that comes a lot of noise and disruption. 48 teams in action over 6 divisions across 24 tables. What was particularly noticeable was the noise levels coming from the “top teams” in tense matches – whilst across the board there was plenty of whooping and hollering, it did appear that the loudest noise and most frequent screams of delight (and dismay) came from Division 1. There was certainly one match which went to five ends where the screams were getting louder and louder, and it was difficult not to be “disrupted” by it. Nothing untoward we might add, just over exuberance coming from one side of the table – the contrast with the opponent was something to behold – whilst one player yelled at every shot he won, the opponent calmly went about his business not uttering a word nor showing any emotion. In a close fifth end it was the calmest man at the table who prevailed and whilst most of us would probably have given out an almighty scream or an aggressive fist pump (given how his opponent had been acting), he remained reserved, shook his opponent’s hand and walked off – classy to the end. It can probably be said that there is nothing wrong with exuberance and showing emotion – it's natural after all and it’s not snooker that we are playing. But let’s hope for the sake of the game that the youngsters look at the conduct of the “quiet man” on the table and try to follow in his footsteps (at least a little bit). As we’ve said many times, there’s nothing wrong with showing emotion when it’s merited but after every point goes just too far in our view.
The only other controversial moment related to service – that old chestnut. One of our opponents played a very fast tempo game and hardly paused between points – this led to him grabbing the ball and effectively in one motion throwing it in the air without pausing. It had to be pointed out to him that a lack of movement is required in the service – Law 2.6.1 states: “Service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand...”
The key to what was happening here was that the free hand was never stationary and when it’s not stationary it tends not to be “open palmed” either. In fairness to the player in question, he took on board the concerns raised, and you could the see him making a conscious effort to pause in a stationary position before the ball toss. And it didn’t affect his game – he was undefeated against us!
Handicap Cup this week coming – always a good source for controversial moments – normally even before a ball is hit!
Wednesday 8th October saw Team 5 travel to Bathgate where they faced West Lothian 6 in Division 4. Roscoe Cairney and Rachel Petrie were joined by newbie to the league Iain Caddell as they faced an experienced West Lothian side. Rachel and Iain lost their first matches of the night before two mammoth five-enders in games 3 and 4. Roscoe lost out 11-9 in the fifth to his opponent before Rachel got the visitors on the board with a 12-10 in the fifth win. Roscoe was back in action in Match 5, and he once again went the distance before losing out 11-8 in the fifth. At 5-1 down the visitors needed a win in the doubles but Rachel and Roscoe fell to a four-end defeat. Match 8 saw Roscoe once again battle away – another fifth end and another 11-8 loss. In the end a 9-1 victory for the hosts but the Midlothian side were much closer than that score suggests.
Team 6 were also in action on Wednesday night as they hosted West Lothian 9 in Division 5. Stuart Bennett, John Grant and Michael Daly faced a tricky match and when Stuart and Michael both lost their openers to a pair of talented youngsters there was trouble ahead for the hosts. John won his first ever league match to get the hosts on the board and when Stuart won Match 5 the deficit was cut to 3-2. John wasn’t able to halt young Leo Yuan’s attacking play and when the doubles was lost the hosts found themselves 5-2 down. Michael held his nerve brilliantly in Match 8 winning 12-10 in the fifth and when John then won his second match of the night it was suddenly 5-4 and a draw was a possibility. Stuart was last up and he had to play the best player on the night, young Yuan. The youngster had strolled through his previous matches and at least Stuart managed to push him to a 13-11 game in end 2, but ultimately, he was too strong as the Bathgate side pipped the hosts 6-4.
Team 6 were back in action on Friday night as they visited Edinburgh University 7. On this occasion Ian Miller, Tony Walker and Michael Daly took to the table. You never know what you’re going to come up against with the students, such is the wide variation in player’s abilities – Team 6 found the trio they faced to be far too good – only one match went beyond three ends and that was the doubles where Ian & Michael managed to extend the game to five ends. That was as good as it got, however, as the visitors fell to their second defeat of the week.
Team 3 also travelled to Edinburgh University on Friday night to take on University 3 in Division 2. Charlie Brindley, Kristian Skotzen and Craig Linton took to the table looking to build on their victory from the previous week. Craig was first in action and came back from 2-0 down to force a deciding fifth end – the momentum may have been with him, but the student responded well in the fifth to claim the victory. Charlie got the visitors on the board in Match 2 but a defeat for Kristian gave the students the advantage. The next round of singles matches effectively finished the match off as a contest – all three University players victorious as they took a 5-1 lead. When the doubles was comfortably won the match was over – 6-1 down and only pride to play for – the last round of singles matches was an almost exact mirror of the first three. Craig came back from 2-0 down but fell in the fifth, Kristian fell to a 3-0 defeat and Charlie provided the only bright spot as the Penicuik side fell to an 8-2 defeat.
And so, to our Player of the Week Award for Week 4. Hmm, not a great week for the Club and nobody had an undefeated week. Two players managed to get two wins on the board. In Div 2, Charlie led the way for Team 3 in their 8-2 loss whilst in Division 5, John recorded two wins in Team 6’s 6-4 defeat. How do we split them – they were very similar in terms of ends won and lost – Charlie won 7 whilst John won 6. But given the stage of their table tennis journeys, the award this week has to go to the newbie to league table tennis – well done to John – his first wins in the Edinburgh League.
In addition to the ELTTL this weekend saw our National League Team travel to Dundee for the first round of fixtures. Division 4 of the SNL is quite some standard and it was a relief that the team came away with one victory and one loss. The morning match against Knightswood should probably have been at least a draw but instead the side fell to a 4-2 defeat. That was followed by a 4-2 win in the afternoon. Another round of fixtures next month with the final round in February. The target for the Club is to try and avoid relegation. As per our email to Members if anyone is interested in playing let the Committee know.
Controversies? The Arena in Dundee was packed with top quality table tennis on Saturday and with that comes a lot of noise and disruption. 48 teams in action over 6 divisions across 24 tables. What was particularly noticeable was the noise levels coming from the “top teams” in tense matches – whilst across the board there was plenty of whooping and hollering, it did appear that the loudest noise and most frequent screams of delight (and dismay) came from Division 1. There was certainly one match which went to five ends where the screams were getting louder and louder, and it was difficult not to be “disrupted” by it. Nothing untoward we might add, just over exuberance coming from one side of the table – the contrast with the opponent was something to behold – whilst one player yelled at every shot he won, the opponent calmly went about his business not uttering a word nor showing any emotion. In a close fifth end it was the calmest man at the table who prevailed and whilst most of us would probably have given out an almighty scream or an aggressive fist pump (given how his opponent had been acting), he remained reserved, shook his opponent’s hand and walked off – classy to the end. It can probably be said that there is nothing wrong with exuberance and showing emotion – it's natural after all and it’s not snooker that we are playing. But let’s hope for the sake of the game that the youngsters look at the conduct of the “quiet man” on the table and try to follow in his footsteps (at least a little bit). As we’ve said many times, there’s nothing wrong with showing emotion when it’s merited but after every point goes just too far in our view.
The only other controversial moment related to service – that old chestnut. One of our opponents played a very fast tempo game and hardly paused between points – this led to him grabbing the ball and effectively in one motion throwing it in the air without pausing. It had to be pointed out to him that a lack of movement is required in the service – Law 2.6.1 states: “Service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand...”
The key to what was happening here was that the free hand was never stationary and when it’s not stationary it tends not to be “open palmed” either. In fairness to the player in question, he took on board the concerns raised, and you could the see him making a conscious effort to pause in a stationary position before the ball toss. And it didn’t affect his game – he was undefeated against us!
Handicap Cup this week coming – always a good source for controversial moments – normally even before a ball is hit!
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