BATTS produced an extraordinary fightback to stun Fusion and get their Senior British Club League campaign off to a winning start as they clinched a dramatic 4-3 victory.

Fusion had roared into a 3-0 lead after a string of outstanding results but Ralph Pattison’s outstanding double helped them secure a victory that appeared highly unlikely just a few hours earlier.

When Larry Trumpauskas took a 2-0 lead over Chris Doran in the fifth set, Fusion were on the brink. But anyone who knows Doran well enough would not have been surprised to see him launch a stirring fightback, battling back to win in five ends. And that momentum continued as Josh Bennett and Pattison won their second singles matches to secure a massive win at the start of the season.

Trumpauskas’ stock continues to rise. Commentators on the YouTube livestream described him as relentless, a fitting description of a young talent that continues to hit new levels. He was outstanding as he took out Bennett in a performance full of energy and brilliant strokeplay. Bennett, for what it’s worth, played well.

And yet, he was outdone by teammate Shaquille Webb-Dixon. In an exceptional result, the Fusion favourite picked off one of the powerhouses of this division in Doran. The venue was rocking as Webb-Dixon produced a sublime display, attacking exceptionally on both sides. A 3-1 victory was a testament to his excellence, with the beating of his chest after an 11-7 fourth-end triumph showing just how much it meant.

A dream start turned into a sensational one as Fusion picked up the doubles too. Webb-Dixon, who was clearly loving the atmosphere being created by the home crowd, was grinning ear-to-ear as he and Tianyi Yu picked up the doubles too. Bennett and Ralph Pattison, who impressed in the Under 21 National Cup last week, were their victims, and just like that, it was 3-0.

By this point, Fusion were on the brink of victory, or so they thought. The issue was that BATTS had other ideas. Pattison launched the fightback as he eased past Yu in straight ends. Then it was Doran’s turn to produce one of the most pivotal wins of his British League career.

There was still plenty of work to do though. Bennett’s clash with Yu was another do-or-die outing but an environment that saw Bennett come to the fore. He raced into an early lead, crucially took the second 12-10 and after Yu fired back in the third, he clinched the fourth 11-8.

And so it came down to Webb-Dixon and Pattison, and what a game it was. With everything on the line, the two talents gave everything. There was, for the majority of the game, nothing to separate them. The first two ends were exchanged 11-9 either way in a game that featured extensive forehand battles before Webb-Dixon took the third 11-6.

But it was typical of BATTS’ session that they wouldn’t go away. Pattison showed incredible composure to save THREE match points in the fourth, even more impressive when you consider he was playing in a cauldron of a hall all vying for a home victory. Webb-Dixon, fired up, to say the least, launched everything at him, but Pattison prevailed 15-13 and then cemented a 6-2 lead in the fifth to take control, eventually winning 11-4.

For BATTS, some may consider this a let off but in reality, it’s a mightily impressive result in the circumstances for last year’s third-placed side. For Fusion though, this will be a tough pill to swallow but evidence that they are able to mix it up with the best teams in the competition.