Guernsey dominant at both levels

GUERNSEY'S top table tennis player Phil Ogier lost his hold on the CI Top-Twelve Trophy at the weekend. The home island dominated the competition, which matches the top six juniors and seniors from each island against each other in a round-robin format.

Jersey's Paul Marshall was the only Caesarean success of the day - he won six of only nine victories the visitors enjoyed - but he beat Ogier in the last match of the afternoon session to take the cup, held by Ogier since 2001.

Both players, ranked at number one for their respective islands after the home fixtures, which took place in December, had dropped only two games all day when they met in the decisive match.

Marshall took the first game 11-7 but Ogier responded by the same scoreline. The third game was a convincing 11-3 victory for Marshall but again the Guernseyman hit back 11-6 to set up the winner-takes-all finale.

Ogier had a chance to seal victory at 10-8, but missed and Marshall clawed his way back to take the game 12-10 and the trophy.

It was only the Jerseyman's second appearance in the competition - he was runner-up last year - and he said he enjoyed the experience.

'It's a really good tournament. You are playing as an individual but there is this Guernsey-Jersey team rivalry too.'

Ogier was disappointed that he had not taken his chances to win.

'Paul played well, probably the best I've seen him play,' he said. 'I had my chances - at 10-8 up in the fifth I missed a relatively easy shot - but that's the way it goes sometimes.'

Guernsey players took the next four placings behind Marshall and Ogier. They went with local ranking - Pete Bretel third, Scott Romeril, the 15-year-old who sacrificed his chance of almost certain success in the junior competition to play at senior level, fourth, Jeremy Powell fifth and Phil Hunkin, who took two games off Marshall in their meeting, sixth.

Martin Sarre was just a point behind in ninth.

Apart from Marshall, Jersey won only three matches during the day, two to Trevor Lefebvre.

And Guernsey's domination of the event was even more stark in the junior section.

Gary Dodd, ranked only sixth in Guernsey, set the trend by defeating Jersey number one Chris Corfield 3-0 in the first match of the day. Jersey won just three matches and four Guernsey players, including Dodd, were unbeaten in their six.

Adam Langlois, son of former island cricketer Andy, took the trophy for the first time, just two-and-a-half years after taking up the sport. He dropped just one game at the weekend.

The Grammar student, 14, said his most difficult match was the home tie against Paul Hainsworth, from which he edged him out 3-2.

'Chris Corfield was a bit difficult to start with, but I worked him out. It was good to play the Jersey players; you don't really know their styles. Over here everybody knows each other's game.'

Adam's younger brother Oliver, just 11, placed third, and another 11-year-old, Matt Stubbington, was fifth.