SMASHING WIN FOR DALLAM IN KO CUP

The 2013/2014 Kendal and District Table Tennis League season came to a close this week, as Dallam B were crowned Knock Out Cup champions at Burton Memorial Hall on Wednesday evening.

Top flight Dallam B arrived at the match looking to put a turbulent league season behind them as they faced second division side Natland D who finished their league season in mid-table.

Jon Cooper got Dallam off to a flying start with an 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7 victory against Richard San Jose, only for Natland to level courtesy of Rinaldo Colombi’s four set success against Craig James. Replacement James Neal put Dallam in front once again after edging Liam Hogan 11-7 in a dramatic fifth set, while Colombi kept Natland afloat at 2-2 thanks to his 11-9, 8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5 triumph against Cooper.

In the fifth singles encounter, Neal claimed a four set victory against San Jose, which saw Dallam take the lead for the third time, but Natland simply would not capitulate as Hogan eclipsed James in straight sets 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 to tie the score at 3-3.  The Milnthorpe side held the advantage for what would be the final time at 4-3 when James toppled the unbeaten Colombi 12-10, 9-11, 11-4, 12-10, meaning that Dallam only required one more point to bag the title.

In the crucial eighth match of the night Cooper faced Hogan in a match which would decide the destiny of the silverware. Cooper took the first set 11-8 and then scraped to victory in the pivotal second in a marathon 15-13 triumph. Dallam’s status as Knock Out Cup champions was confirmed when Cooper won the third set 11-8.  

Meanwhile in Division One of the league, Dalton CC A finished off their season in second position behind champions Natland A, despite losing their final match of the season 7-3 to Ibis. Dalton’s Ryan Smith and Keith Dymond beat Trevor Nicholson and then the same duo teamed up in the doubles to topple James McGrath and Steve Dixon. Dixon and McGrath though remained unbeaten in the singles matches with the former winning the individual averages for division one, having only lost one game.