Like the stock exchange, where numbers rise and fall on a weekly basis, so it was at the Oxley social table tennis competition, when after the previous week's 26 attendees battled it out, 17 players arrived at the Oxley hall with bats in their hands and complete positivity in their minds last Monday night.

Not wasting a moment, Ruth Shalders and June Uebergang put their minds and bodies together to give Neil Brock and Graham Stephens a 'run for their money' ($2, but worth $2000) in a game entrenched in the three Ds - desire, determination, and delivery — and sometimes 'not quite'.

With Ruth, Neil and Graham playing the well-placed long game, and June throwing everything, (including her bat) into the shorter game, it proved to be a great opportunity to get their hands in for the many games each would play during the night.

After a very enjoyable game, it was 'hip hip hooray' for Neil and Graham.

Bouncing around from the first point, 'up and at it' Manni Poulos, and back on deck after a long absence, Adam Besley, put their highly rated opponents, Hugh Spring and Jason Mullins, under the pump as they doused the early sparks of a blazing game that went on forever.

By the halfway mark of the game, each pair had sized the other up, and the contest became a battle of tactics.

And with the determination of all four players, the lead constantly changed until, after the scores reached 20 each, one pair finally waved their bats high, as they celebrated victory.

Ernie Menichelli was as 'fit as a fiddle' and raring to go, when he and another making her long-awaited re-appearance at the competition, Maria Mataresi, challenged the 'ladies in waiting', Debbie Brunken and Allison Stephens, in a full-blown test of talent and its application.

With Debbie and Allison quickly melding into a formidable force, while Ernie and Maria took a while to work out each other's game plusses, they wasted no time in getting off to an early lead, until Ernie and Maria found their feet, and from there on it was 'neck and neck', until the ladies fired down a couple of 'swifties' to finally 'bring home the goods'.

Octogenarian David Harris was at his usual 'rock till you drop' intensity, when he and his younger opponent, Jack Spring, threw themselves into one of the many games they had each already played, when they took on Jack's dad, Pete, and the bloke who tears the game apart, Neil Surgeon (oops, Spurgeon), with each pair determinedly working to disassemble their opponent's game plans from start to finish.

With all four well equipped to receive and return anything and everything thrown at them, it was a thunderous exchange of tactics and trajectories that resulted in each point taking many strokes to win or lose.

And as neither pair had any intentions of losing, the final score saw both pairs winning.

Richard Morgan was in top form when he and Adam Besley teamed up to set the hard questions to Ruth Shalders and Graham Stephens to 'catch us if you can'.

With everyone having had their share of victories in previous games, the mood and motivations were 'sky high'.

With everyone doing everything within their power to come out on top, including Graham whispering behind his bat, Ruth's 'ruthless slam dunking' of those long, low serves and drives, Adam's 'Stawell Gift' performances from one side of the table to the other, and Richard returning the unreturnables, it was anyone's game to win, and true to those words, everyone won by one point.

Following a night of 'giving your all', everyone tucked into a welcome cuppa and supper, while discussing the highly successful and enjoyable Bush Dance held in the hall on the previous Saturday night.

Adults and secondary school students are most welcome to join the group which meets at the Oxley hall each Monday night beginning at 7pm.

BYO bat, $2 entry, and a small plate to share.