Skillcentre ‘D’ Secure Gritty Home Victory in a Thriller Against Corinthians ‘E’
Skillcentre ‘D’ hosted Corinthians ‘E’ in Division 7 action on October 22, battling to a hard-earned 5½ to 3½ victory on home turf.
Ishan Weerakkody and Prasan Fernado were the undisputed anchors of the team, dominating the top of the order to pull in a massive 2.5 points. They were absolutely ruthless in their opening matchup against the visitors’ first string, cruising to a blistering 21-7, 21-4 straight-game victory. They followed that up with another comfortable sweep in round two before grinding out a crucial split against Corinthians’ formidable third pair to cap off a brilliant night.
Rob Kairys and James Elms alongside Adrian Farn and James Rose provided fantastic depth, each securing 1.5 points for the squad. Farn and Rose delivered a clinical 21-15, 21-12 sweep over the visitors’ top pair and fought hard for a split against the second string.
However, the undeniable match of the night belonged to Kairys and Elms during their second-round clash with Adam Paterson and Dave Preti. After dropping the first game 19-21, they found themselves locked in an absolute marathon in the second, pushing it to the absolute limit before narrowly falling in a staggering 29-30 finish. Despite that exhausting battle, they bounced back perfectly in the final round with a 21-12, 21-14 sweep to help seal the overall victory for Skillcentre ‘D’.
Round 1
- Weerakkody & Fernado vs. Mitchell & Saunders | 21-7, 21-4 | Points: 1 – 0
- Kairys & Elms vs. Baalham & Sheppard | 21-13, 18-21 | Points: ½ – ½
- Farn & Rose vs. Paterson & Preti | 19-21, 16-21 | Points: 0 – 1 Score: Skillcentre ‘D’ 1½ – 1½ Corinthians ‘E’
Round 2
- Weerakkody & Fernado vs. Baalham & Sheppard | 21-12, 21-14 | Points: 1 – 0
- Kairys & Elms vs. Paterson & Preti | 19-21, 29-30 | Points: 0 – 1
- Farn & Rose vs. Mitchell & Saunders | 21-15, 21-12 | Points: 1 – 0 Score: Skillcentre ‘D’ 3½ – 2½ Corinthians ‘E’
Round 3
- Weerakkody & Fernado vs. Paterson & Preti | 21-19, 19-21 | Points: ½ – ½
- Kairys & Elms vs. Mitchell & Saunders | 21-12, 21-14 | Points: 1 – 0
- Farn & Rose vs. Baalham & Sheppard | 21-12, 19-21 | Points: ½ – ½ Score: Skillcentre ‘D’ 5½ – 3½ Corinthians ‘E’