Match 2 - Woodford Wells Home
So for our second match we entertain Woodford Wells. Our 'reliable' skipper is available for selection again and there is some deliberation, well a couple of sarcastic emails actually, about whether to change a winning team. But as correctly pointed out by Colin, "we need a reliable #3 as the one last Monday was shite, he lost 3-0......" so we welcome Captain Fantastic back into the fold. After being beaten home and away last season by Woodford Wells the team are in determined mood to rectify those results but the night nearly starts off disastrously as Chris almost mows down Dave and myself in the car park.
Whilst waiting for our opposition to appear there is a surprise visit from club Chairman Bob Stone. Has he come down to support us? No, he's actually come down to hand out some team t-shirts. A very nice gesture. Although we later discover that he was just clearing out his garage and found them lying around! Woodford finally arrive in true London bus style - nothing for 20 minutes and then all five turn up at once.
First on court are the No.1's, Chris v Lee and the No.3's, Dave v Pat. We can tell from the warm up in the 1's match that it's going to be a long affair as the ball is displaying more tendencies of a racektball than that of a squash ball. It doesn't disappoint and after some good squash from both players, the match is finely poised at 2-2. Chris decides it's time to bring some extra quality to his play and changes into his new team T-shirt. Unfortunately it doesn't have the desired effect and he goes down 3-2. Meanwhile on the other court Dave is showing no signs of rustiness due to his golfing absence last week, and with the match delicately balanced at 1-1 he battles back gallantly from 8-1 down to take the 3rd 9-8. At this point it looks like he has the upper hand, but that vanishes almost immediately as he promptly goes on to lose the 4th 9-0. Maybe there is some rustiness in there after all! In a keenly fought decider, Dave can't quite find enough and the team are now 2-0 down.
Next on are the No.2's, Paul v David and the No.5's Marcus v Carolyn. Now Marcus doesn't have a particularly good record when it comes to playing against members of the fairer sex. In fact, it's probably fair to say he's been awful, especially when losing to those 12 year olds in the past! So you could sense an air of extra determination as he stepped on court and sure enough he cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win. In the other match the ball was flying around rapidly due to some heavy hitting from David. However, I always felt in control (Artistic licence - I'm allowed to write that!) and I also completed a 3-0 victory. Long overdue some might say.
So for the second week in a row, the match comes down to the final rubber. This time it's the No.4's, Colin v James. This encounter gets off to a frantic start with both players giving their all, resulting in some cracking rallies before Colin finally takes the 1st 9-7. There is talk on the balcony that this is the best he has ever played. Maybe the order is upside down after all! Colin is unrelenting in the next 2 games, and his pace and power (2 words I never thought I'd be writing in association with Colin!) prove too much and he clinches the match 3-0, and with it wraps up another fine win for the team.
No surprises on the dinner front this week as we are treated to our trusty buffet at the Legion. Colin and I don our new team T-shirts to celebrate our victory but surprisingly there is little talk of football. Instead the subject turns to cars and we are regaled with tales of Colin's misdemeanors in his youth and how he got done for speeding at 146mph in the 1960's!
Plans are then put in place for next week's trip to Maldon and confidence is high. Can our winning run continue?
Results:
Chris v Lee 2-3
Paul v David 3-0
Dave v Pat 2-3
Colin v James 3-0
Marcus v Carolyn 3-0
Clements beat Woodford Wells 18-6
Whilst waiting for our opposition to appear there is a surprise visit from club Chairman Bob Stone. Has he come down to support us? No, he's actually come down to hand out some team t-shirts. A very nice gesture. Although we later discover that he was just clearing out his garage and found them lying around! Woodford finally arrive in true London bus style - nothing for 20 minutes and then all five turn up at once.
First on court are the No.1's, Chris v Lee and the No.3's, Dave v Pat. We can tell from the warm up in the 1's match that it's going to be a long affair as the ball is displaying more tendencies of a racektball than that of a squash ball. It doesn't disappoint and after some good squash from both players, the match is finely poised at 2-2. Chris decides it's time to bring some extra quality to his play and changes into his new team T-shirt. Unfortunately it doesn't have the desired effect and he goes down 3-2. Meanwhile on the other court Dave is showing no signs of rustiness due to his golfing absence last week, and with the match delicately balanced at 1-1 he battles back gallantly from 8-1 down to take the 3rd 9-8. At this point it looks like he has the upper hand, but that vanishes almost immediately as he promptly goes on to lose the 4th 9-0. Maybe there is some rustiness in there after all! In a keenly fought decider, Dave can't quite find enough and the team are now 2-0 down.
Next on are the No.2's, Paul v David and the No.5's Marcus v Carolyn. Now Marcus doesn't have a particularly good record when it comes to playing against members of the fairer sex. In fact, it's probably fair to say he's been awful, especially when losing to those 12 year olds in the past! So you could sense an air of extra determination as he stepped on court and sure enough he cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win. In the other match the ball was flying around rapidly due to some heavy hitting from David. However, I always felt in control (Artistic licence - I'm allowed to write that!) and I also completed a 3-0 victory. Long overdue some might say.
So for the second week in a row, the match comes down to the final rubber. This time it's the No.4's, Colin v James. This encounter gets off to a frantic start with both players giving their all, resulting in some cracking rallies before Colin finally takes the 1st 9-7. There is talk on the balcony that this is the best he has ever played. Maybe the order is upside down after all! Colin is unrelenting in the next 2 games, and his pace and power (2 words I never thought I'd be writing in association with Colin!) prove too much and he clinches the match 3-0, and with it wraps up another fine win for the team.
No surprises on the dinner front this week as we are treated to our trusty buffet at the Legion. Colin and I don our new team T-shirts to celebrate our victory but surprisingly there is little talk of football. Instead the subject turns to cars and we are regaled with tales of Colin's misdemeanors in his youth and how he got done for speeding at 146mph in the 1960's!
Plans are then put in place for next week's trip to Maldon and confidence is high. Can our winning run continue?
Results:
Chris v Lee 2-3
Paul v David 3-0
Dave v Pat 2-3
Colin v James 3-0
Marcus v Carolyn 3-0
Clements beat Woodford Wells 18-6
posted by Hodgey at 11:22 AM
2 Comments:
Good report covering all the skills required for a 3-0 win(by me, Colin). By the way it was 1990 not 1960, I'll put that mistake down to a fat finger. Life without your reliable #4 next week, things could be difficult.
Apologies, it must have been a slip of the finger like you say!
I couldn't possibly have thought you were that old to be driving in the 60's! ;-)
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