DESPITE the inclement weather and windy conditions, 15 wild and windy players blew into the Oxley Hall to enjoy the comfortable conditions at the social table tennis competition on Monday night. Although numbers were down the non-stop, red-hot action at the tables saw players continually reaching for their water bottles and wiping the sweat from their brows. Ripping straight into gear, Richard Morgan and Paul Lawrence paired up against Phoebe Morgan and Neil Spurgeon in a whirlwind of power and purpose from the first point. Many miles were covered as all four players ran and jumped from, and to, all points of the compass in their earnest endeavour to win every point. So much noise and laughter added the the seemingly endless spectacle, but gee whiskers one pair won in a close shave. The bare-armed bandits, Cheryl Coad and Debbie Bruncken, appeared to have the wind at their backs when they took on 'let's play' Sharene Gervasoni and June Uebergang in a ding-dong game of oops and whoops from start to finish. While Cheryl and Debbie fired down strategically placed balls, Sharene and June answered with dogged determination on most occasions. With little separating the pairs for the majority of the game, it was Cheryl and Debbie who finally breezed home to win in a tight finish. It was obvious from the word go that King River boys, Ben and William Bonwick, had prepared well when they dished up their course of action against Gary 'stretch' Coad and Manni 'happy returns' Poulos. Keeping their plans under their beanies, before leashing their onslaught, the Bonwicks appeared to have the result in hand early in the game. However, throwing caution to the wind, Gary and Manni changed their direction of play and with power and precision restored, scores were equal at the halfway mark. From there it was point for point until one pair threw their hats into the air in a blow-away one point win. There were no signs of wear and tear when, after toughing out many games for the night, speedster Neil Brock and on the move Katie Woodberry faced wind-driven Mick Gervasoni and Debbie Bruncken in a full-blown spectacle of mental and physical talent. With each relying on their own strengths while complementing their partners', many strokes were played before every point was won or lost in a mighty marathon. While light, breezy shots mixed with gale-force placements saw spectators hanging onto their hats, they were finally blown away as final scores revealed a 25-23 victory by one point. Retiring after a fun-filled evening of social and physical enjoyment everyone tucked into a cuppa and baker's delights and promises of 'see ya next week'. Adults and secondary school students of all ages and abilities are welcome to join the group which meets at the Oxley Hall each Monday night beginning at 7pm. BYO bat, $2 entry and a small plate to share.
