Two weeks of the annual Bournemouth and District Table Tennis Association championships culminated in the Finals Night at the Grange School last Friday, with the New Milton Club’s players picking up six of the eighteen titles from their nine finals. Although the club’s entry of 20 players was slightly down on last year, the return was certainly up! New Milton were already assured of at least one title as the Junior Under 15’s finalists were both players from the club.

First up was indeed the Junior Under 15 final with fourteen year old Matthew Daish taking on fellow fourteen year old club member Kai Major. This was a reprise of their last year’s semi-final, and the outcome was the same as Daish retained his title in three straight se.  Pictured after their match, with clearly no hard feelings, are Kai (left) and Matthew on either side of their umpire Geoff Ware.

Daish then had a long wait to take on Ringwood’s Jacob Elliott in their Under 18 final, but Daish quickly warmed up to take the title very comfortably, again in three straight sets. Daish had a shorter wait for the flagship Premier final which was the concluding event of the evening in which he faced Matt Rogers from Bournemouth Sports. Daish who was knocked out in the semi-finals last year, lost the first set 9-11 but won the next three to claim the prestigious Premier title and a trio of trophies.

Kai Major’s other tilt at a title came in the Bournemouth Handicap final as he took on Keith Gillison from the Shamrock club. The much improved Gillison benefited from a generous 10 start which proved far too much for Major who lost in three straight sets.

Julie Smillie had an excellent evening as she beat Merton’s Christine Renaut in straight sets in the Ladies Singles final, and then helped fellow Milton player Shaun Newcomb to beat Winton YMCA’s Max De Kment & Linda Hales in the Mixed Doubles final.  Shown below, the height of concentration as Julie & Shaun prepare to receive serve (Shaun is on the left!).

Club Chairman Steve Hemmings took on Merton’s Norman Swift in the Bournemouth Open (Scratch) final but lost 1-3 after some very long exchanges, which didn’t do Hemming’s sore back any good.

England Veteran Brian Bickell lost 1-3 to Merton’s Kevan Smith in their Vets 60+ final, but made amends by beating Merton’s hard bat specialist Danny Allen in the Vets 70+ final in three straight sets.

The Club also helped with the running of the Finals Night as Club Secretary Bev Scott-Johns and committee member Andrew Daish, both County Umpires, did their share of the umpiring.

Matthew Daish’s three titles from Friday night got his weekend off to a very good start as he won the Hampshire Closed event at Testwood on Sunday. He also won the Under 15 Cadets and helped brother-in law Phil Daish-Handy to win the doubles for the second year running, as well as coming runner-up in the Hampshire Men’s Singles. All in all a good weekend for the teenager!