Whistlers snatch draw to deny closest rivals

WHISTLERS A fought back from 1-4 down against Lions A to snatch a thrilling draw and keep the table tennis title race wide open. When these two met earlier this season, they slogged out a 5-5. This was another cracking clash.

Lions sit one point ahead of their rivals, having played one game more.

They quickly established a 2-0 lead - Jez Powell beat Wayne Rihoy 3-0, then Phil Ogier saw off Phil Hunkin, also in straight sets.

Mark Pipet beat James Lesbirel to peg one back for Whistlers only for Ogier to re-establish the two-game cushion with a win over Rihoy.

The doubles was a key clash, Ogier and Powell against the previously unbeaten Pipet and Hunkin.

In a tight game, the Lions pair fought back from 2-1 down to snatch the vital doubles 3-2.

At 4-1, Lions were looking well set for the win.

Pipet against Powell and Hunkin versus Lesbirel saw victories for the Whistlers pair, both in straight sets, to reduce the deficit to 4-3.

And so there followed three crunch games which would decide the match, Pipet v. Ogier, Rihoy v. Lesbirel and Hunkin v. Powell.

Every time Pipet has played Ogier this season, it has been a top-class game, always to five sets, and so far this season Pipet has won.

This was no different, the more experienced man this time winning 11-7 in the fifth set of a closely contested game.

Rihoy raced into a 2-0 lead against Lesbirel, who is in the middle of an awful run at the moment, before fighting back well to win 3-2; this gave Lions a 5-4 lead.

And so the last game between Hunkin and Powell had huge significance for the direction of the title.

A Powell win would have given Lions a significant advantage; however, Hunkin dug in to win in four sets and the match ended up 5-5.

Honours again were shared.

In the other match, Whistlers B came up against their C team. Dawn Morgan was again in good form for the B, winning her three games.

She received solid support from Richard Veale who won two, but unfortunately they could not find the game that would give them the win.

There was another fine performance from Gary Willcocks who won two and there was a win each from Martin Gaudion and Derek Webb.

With Gaudion and Wilcocks taking the doubles, this match also ended 5-5.