The Spalding and District Table Tennis League held its annual competition for the Roy Gibson Memorial Rose Bowl last week.
In this event, each player starts on a handicap and plays to 31 points, best of three ends.
There were 23 entries who were divided into four groups, with one player seeded in each, the top two going through to the knockout stage. It turned out to be something of a handicapper’s dream or nightmare for only one group finished with a clear winner and runner-up.
Group A is, as yet, undecided as Reece Kerry (starting on 17) and Kelvin Preville (three) have both scored four out of four, and still have to play each other.
Tony Dorey (24) was third on 2/5, though one of two other players could have caught him.
Group B was the only group that was straightforward with Sam Wallis (21) and Guntars Briedes (15) both finishing with 4/5, followed by Jeremy Hitcham (17) with three.
Wallis qualifies in top spot as he won the tie with Briedes.
Group C caused the most ‘fun’ as Richard Matthews (19), Allan Lewis (22), Garry Wilkinson (17), Ping Wang (24) and Ionel Dumitrache (18) all ended with 3/5.
The first split is based on results between themselves but they each won two and lost two.
With players starting on a handicap it would be unfair to count points so ends won is the next count. This put Dumitrache through and eliminated Wilkinson, and Matthews had the best record in head-to-head of the remaining three.
Group D was slightly simpler with Tom Chesworth (21), the holder, winning with 4/4.
Behind him George Wallis (20), Andrew Hay (22) and Hannah Gilbert (22) all had 2/4.
With the head to heads evenly split it also came down to ends won and Hay went through.
The quarter-finals see Kerry or Preville meet Hay, Wallis plays Matthews, Dumitrache against Briedes and Chesworth or Preville or Kerry.
Earlier Outsiders and Mine’s a Pint concluded their league match by playing the doubles which Hay and Hitcham won for the latter, but still lost the match by 3-2.
