Sport
17 August, 2026
Premiers to be crowned next week
ORFORD and District Table Tennis Association will host its grand final matches next week.
This week’s preliminary finals saw both Koroit teams featured; one with success and the other will remember their achievements for the season.
In A grade, Koroit went down to minor premiers Warrnambool Warriors, while Tower Hill lives to fight the B grade grand final.
Both grand finals will be played at the Orford Hall next Wednesday, August 19 from 7.30pm.
All past and present players are welcome to attend – please take a plate to share.
Presentation night will be held at the Kirkstall Hall on September 2 from 7pm. All welcome.
A reminder that a final is over when a team wins six rubbers – the rest of the match isn’t played.
Results from this week’s preliminary finals:
A grade – Warrnambool Warriors defeated Koroit 6.20-3.10.
With three of the rubbers extended and a few long games, this was not an easy win.
Koroit’s Fergus Monsborough opened the night, winning 12-10, 11-5 and 12-10 over the Warriors’ David Cranwell.
Peter Owen and Neil Ford (Warriors) won the first doubles against Fergus and Ray Young 5-11, 11-6, 11-8 and 12-10.
Koroit reversed the story in the second doubles when Fergus and Tony Storer defeated Peter and David Cranwell 11-3, 11-6, 11-7 and 11-7.
Fergus defeated Peter in the highest scoring rubbers of the night 11-7, 11-9, 9-11 and 13-11.
Fergus won two rubbers for the night, as did Peter Owen and Neil Ford for Warriors.
B grade – Tower Hill defeated Broadwater 6.18-2.9.
Tower Hill was able to win both the doubles to win this final.
Both Darren Smith and Gavin Rowbottom (Tower Hill) won two singles rubbers.
Gavin had a tussle with Broadwater’s Peter Drendel, finally winning in five 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 and 11-7.
Darren and Gavin combined to win the first doubles 11-4, 5-11, 11-3 and 11-4 against Andrea and Peter Drendel (Broadwater).
Gavin teamed with David Rowbottom in the second doubles to win 11-7, 11-1 and 12-10 against Peter and Leah Drendel.
Best for Broadwater was Peter and Andrea who each won a singles.
Next week’s grand finals:
A grade – St Helens v Warrnambool Warriors.
Last year’s B grade winner St Helens (then named Myndarra) has seen a marked improvement in the young players which won them a place in this final.
Ally Rowbottom’s defeats of both David Cranwell and Neil Ford (Warriors) took the pressure off dad, Aaron Rowbottom, in the first semi-final.
St Helens will need to repeat the semi-final play to win this grand final.
The Warriors’ David Cranwell, Neil Ford and Peter Owen will certainly have a different result in mind.
They won both matches against St Helens during the year, finishing on top after losing only one match for the pennant season.
The older, cooler heads of the Warriors might just have sway with less nerves than the St Helens team -but both are used to playing grand finals.
Spectators can expect to see a close, high standard and entertaining A grade match.
B grade – Orford v Tower Hill.
Orford’s Russell Hussey has the ability to defeat both Darren Smith and Gavin Rowbottom (as he did in the first semi-final) and this may be the lynch pin to this match.
Both Darren and Gavin had wins during the year; the other decider will be the doubles.
Often winning the doubles wins the night.
Tower Hill finished higher on the ladder, just missing A grade by seven games over the year, but Orford has come home strong at the right end of the season.
This looks set to be another exciting grand final.
