THE final Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis League match of 2009 produced one of the closest cup ties on record as Backhanders hosted Sharks in the semi-final of the Knockout Doubles.

THE final Star Paving Services North Norfolk Table Tennis League match of 2009 produced one of the closest cup ties on record as Backhanders hosted Sharks in the semi-final of the Knockout Doubles.

Backhanders were represented by Chris Marshall, Teucer Wilson and Rod Goffin, while Keith Register, Peter Betts and Phil Baker lined up for Sharks.

The first three battles were won in four sets as Backhanders won the opener, Sharks levelled and then Backhanders moved ahead again.

Wilson and Goffin won 12-10, 11-5, 10-12, 9-11, 11-6 against Register and Baker as the hosts moved 3-1 ahead. Sharks closed the gap with a four-set win and then the match was levelled at 3-3 as Betts and Baker defeated Marshall and Wilson in five.

Register and Betts then put Sharks in the lead for the first time in the contest with a 13-11, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10 win over Wilson and Goffin - the visitors had gone from 3-1 down in the contest to a win away from a place in the final at 4-3 up.

However, Marshall and Wilson sent the semi-final to a deciding match with a 13-11, 11-3, 13-11 win over Register and Baker - the only straight-sets encounter of the night - tighter than it looked.

The ninth deciding battle was between the pairings of Marshall and Goffin for Backhanders and the Sharks duo of Betts and Baker and again was another close battle - Sharks took a close first set 12-10, Backhanders responded by taking the second 11-3.

The third set was a repeat of the first with Sharks taking it 12-10, but again Backhanders levelled as the hosts took the fourth set 11-9. The deciding match had gone to a deciding set which Backhanders won comfortably 11-5 to seal the match 5-4 and book a place in the final.