GLOUCESTERSHIRE TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION
Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Gloucestershire County Veterans Table Tennis Team

The Vets 1st Table Tennis Team gained promotion to the Premier Division following the last two games played this Sunday at Cirencester Deer Park against Berkshires’ 1st team and Kent 2nd team.

Going into the last two matches the county side were unbeaten, as they had won their last five encounters. As a result of this promotion appeared to be a certainty, however in reality, this was far from the truth.

The first match, against Berkshire 1st team, was a tense affair which Gloucestershire needed to win as the second placed side (Dorset, whom had been well beaten by the county in an earlier round of matches), had now gained a superior sets advantage, which meant that another drawn game would not be enough for promotion.

At 4 - 3 down, the prognosis did not look good, however the county rallied and went into the last game with a 5 - 4 lead needing to win the last game, which was a mixed doubles, contested by the home sides Dave Adamson & Julie Taylor.

In a real nail biting, cliff hangar of a match the score was level at 2 games all and 8 all in the final game. Gloucestershire went 10 - 8 up and then 10-9 before they eventually won 11-9 much to the relief of the whole side.
The coolness of Dave & Julie under the most strenuous of pressures, was unbelievable

The second match played against Kent 2nd resulted in a 5 - 5 drawn encounter which was marred by the fact of two sustained injuries to the Kent team, forcing one person to withdraw from the last singles (having previously sustained a head injury by falling headlong into a brick wall) and the second injury was sustained by the Kent no 1 player who suffered a very bad bruise to his hand when he smashed same accidentally on the corner of the table whist playing Dave Harvey.

Representing Gloucestershire were Dave Harvey, Darren Griffin, Dave Adamson, Julie Taylor & Jacque Carver and all contributed well to the success of the team. Judy Morley (the county Vets no 1 who had previously won a lot of key games) and Bill Dawe (who again won several important matches), were the other players who helped secure promotion for the first side

Darren was distinguished as winning all 14 singles and Dave Harvey lost just the one from 14 games.

Veterans Division 1B
County P W D L F A PTS
Gloucestershire 1 7 6 1 0 49 21 13
Dorset 7 6 0 1 49 21 12
Essex 1 7 3 1 3 34 36 7
Worcestershire 1 7 3 1 3 31 39 7
Oxfordshire 1 7 2 2 3 37 33 6
Kent 2 7 3 0 4 36 34 6
Berkshire 1 7 2 1 4 35 35 5
Essex 4 7 0 0 7 9 61 0

Lesley Dewick

Lesley Dewick
Press Officer
Gloucester Table Tennis Association
lesleyjdewick@blueyonder.co.uk

[Return to Top of page]