Dodd sweeps the board to line up 'Green' slot

GARRY DODD is not 17 until April but on another day to make Guernsey table tennis proud, he lifted the CI Top 12 Championship Trophy for the first time on Saturday. Dodd, who whitewashed the six-strong visiting contingent on top of his Guernsey leg win, becomes the third name on the trophy which was inaugurated in 2000.

Jersey's Eugene Ellis won it that year and, now at 47, admitted he's starting to feel the heat of the Guernsey kids, none more so than fellow left-hander Dodd who swept past him in straight legs in the deciding match of Saturday's tournament.

Ellis, who had earlier been beaten by Scott Romeril and dropped a set to Alice Loveridge, came into the sixth and deciding round knowing a win could possibly still land him the overall title on countback.

Dodd thought he was in with a chance after winning the Guernsey section but, by his own admission, didn't think he could beat all the Jersey players on one day, one after the other.

'Playing Paul Marshall was a struggle. I was one down and also 10-8 down in the fourth but clawed it back to win 3-1,' he said afterwards.

'It's definitely my best win,' he added.

Ellis paid tribute to the Guernsey set-up.

'Not because I'm going to be 48 in April, but Guernsey are much better in depth and there are no easy warm-ups.

'My first game today was against a former Channel Islands champion in Peter Bretel.'

By midday the Island Games doubles champion had defeated Bretel, beaten Phil Hunkin in straight games and also Phil Ogier, five-times winner of the CI Top 12, in five.

But to finish and ultimately guarantee triumph, he had to overcome the trio of Loveridge, Romeril and Dodd.

In playing Loveridge in round four, Ellis soon discovered what all the fuss was about.

The 12-year-old took the first 11-9 before Ellis used his power and guile to take the next three and stay in the tournament.

But Ellis had seen enough.

'It's astonishing how good she is as a player, both physically and mentally. Guernsey should be proud to have produced a player like her.

'This time I overpowered her, but in six months I think she will be too good for me.'

Romeril had the measure of Ellis, however, winning in four and keeping his own hopes alive.

It was now all down to the Ellis-Dodd encounter and things might have been different had the veteran Jerseyman taken the first which went well past deuce.

Having saved set points at 8-10 and 10-11, Ellis had his own at 13-12 but could not force home the advantage.

Dodd kept his nerve and having sneaked the set 16-14 with a superb backhand clincher, never looked like losing the next two.

Ellis said that Guernsey had stolen a march on the Caesareans in one important area.

'What Guernsey are very good at is serving. We are not so good overall in serving.'

Ellis was not despondent, though, and believes Jersey's new development officer Craig Gascoyne is already making a big difference at the Geoff Reed Centre at the FB Fields.

'Jersey have done much better this year among the juniors and since Craig has taken on the job, there has been a big improvement.'

Proof of that came in the results. While Ollie Langlois took the overall title and Guernsey juniors filled the top three spots, Jersey had two in the top six and there had not been the green-and-white slaughter of 2005.

Indeed, Josh Band, Jersey's top junior, made Langlois work for his final win that put the icing on his Junior Top 12 success.

Band took the second 13-11 and led 5-4 in the third, but with the third under his belt, Langlois sailed away with the fourth to finish the day with a perfect record.