Sycamore ended the third installment of Premier British League top of the division on games difference after their 6-2 win over Bournemouth Sports.
Despite another Sycamore victory, Ormesby’s 8-0 win over Barrow means that the two sides can only be separated by eight games of table tennis, a truly astonishing and rare occurrence.
Ultimately, a brief scare wasn’t enough to derail Sycamore against Bournemouth, who had staggeringly leveled the match at 2-2 when Hannah Hicks defeated Danny Lowe, but Sycamore claimed four unanswered sets to seal victory. Kenichi Matsubuchi was the star of the show with two dominant victories.
Sycamore perch nervously above Ormesby, who caught up ground on their title rivals with their 8-0 victory. There were scares on the way, Darius Knight, Helshan Weerasinghe and Tom Jarvis all being pushed the distance by Gavin Evans, Craig Bryant and Niall Cameron respectively, but they showcased the ability to grind out wins, the traits of a championship winning team.
Meanwhile, Kingfisher and Fusion battled to a 4-4 draw. Whilst Kingfisher valiantly gained a point from 4-2 down, the result is ultimately one that suits Fusion, who maintain their two point cushion above the relegation zone where Kingfisher currently lie. Fusion’s reliable duo of Michael O’Driscoll and Lorestas Trumpauskas pulled them through their game, winning two sets apiece, with O’Driscoll’s five game victory over Liam McTiernan another British League classic.
Finally, home side London Academy couldn’t give their fans anything to cheer about as they went down 5-3 to Drumchapel.
The Academy, which was very accommodating throughout the weekend, put up a brave effort against Drumchapel, but Xu Rui Feng’s obligatory double and two wins from Scot hotshot Chris Wheeler put the Scots in a strong position. Omar Khassal and Gabriel Achampong offered some resistance with victories over Chris Main whilst Dexter St Louis had previously overcome Craig Howieson impressively. However, Howieson defeated Achampong to secure victory.
Matthew Shaw
January 24, 2015