PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL LOVEDER

Whisper it quietly, but BATTS aren’t out of the Senior British League Club Premier Division title race just yet. The Harlow-based outfit were winners again as they churned out an impressive 6-1 victory over a tough Fusion outfit.

Having lost to Brighton and Ormesby in the opening half of the season, they realistically need to win every game from here to have a chance of landing the crown. However, that’s not beyond their capabilities and that was on show here as they picked up an impressive win over the Londoners.

It’s hard not to feel for Fusion this season. It has very much been a case of what might have been on several occasions this season and even though the scoreline here suggests they weren’t in it, that was anything but the case. Four games went to a fifth, they lost them all. On another day, this could have ended up much differently.

As it is, they now must turn their attention to avoiding relegation. They are currently level on points with Drumchapel Glasgow and North Ayrshire at the foot of the table, though there’s enough evidence to suggest they’ll be OK. But they’ll feel they should be much more comfortable than they are. It’s worth remembering they lost to BATTS earlier in the season despite being 3-0 ahead.

Shayan Siraj got BATTS up and running as he came through Larry Trumpauskas 3-1. A tight game at first, Larry fired back to level the game with a 12-10 triumph in the second. But Siraj responded excellently, winning the next 11-4 before finishing it off in four.

The first crucial game of the contest took place on the adjacent table. Not for the first time, Haotian Chen took a while to settle as he was resoundingly dispatched of in the first end against Lorestas Trumpauskas, losing 11-2. However, he responded excellently as he upped his work-rate and found his range to go 2-1 up. Lorestas then showed tremendous composure to keep the game alive, winning the fourth 14-12. However, he couldn’t replicate that big effort in the fifth as Chen ran out a comfortable winner.

At that point, the doubles already felt important to Fusion’s hopes but the Trumpauskas duo had no answer to Chen and Siraj, who took the game out in straight ends.

Fusion would eventually get on the board as, for a second time this season, Shaquille Webb-Dixon produced a sensational performance to defeat Chris Doran. The first battle went the distance; this was in straight ends. A remarkable display.

However, the hosts would see off any attempts at a fightback, though not without having to work almightily hard to do so. The final three matches all went to a decider.

Chen would beat Larry Trumpauskas in a titanic tussle. Nothing separated them throughout as they went back and forth, Larry twice pegging Chen back to go to a fifth. Chen would eventually prevail with his forehand just slightly more consistent than Trumpauskas.

The final two games took place at the same time. On one table, Shayan Siraj was being given a particularly tough time by Webb-Dixon, squeezing through the second to level the game before fighting back from 6-2 down in the third to go up. Webb-Dixon didn’t pass up the same opportunity in the fourth as he took it to a decider, but it was Siraj who prevailed with an excellent effort in the fifth.

That left Doran and Lorestas to finish proceedings, who, get this, had a battle that lasted 51 minutes! A hugely enjoyable contest saw every end decided by two points and long exchanges almost every point. Trumpauskas won the first, Doran the second and third before Trumpauskas gave everyone what they wanted, a decider. Ironically, the final two points were wrapped up in three shots, Trumpauskas twice firing long with his backhand, but it didn’t take the gloss off a fantastic game.

BATTS remain third, four points behind leaders, Ormesby.