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| Report: | A big night for the teams lying in 2nd and 3rd. Waterfronts consistency has been their strength getting them into 3rd and if it wasn’t for a strengthened BCC3 team they could be higher. This was a winner takes all match. Promotion was the prize.
After the pre match presentation to steve Pusey for captains player of the season I shook hands with Steve, waterfronts captain. I’d asked for the No1s to go on 1st only to find the ever improving olly had jump ship on this very important match. Leaving Steve who is in good form himself to face the our No1 the flamboyant “Disco” John Lane. Dressed in his normal jazzasize squash kit John started off slightly better. His long reach making is hard for Steve to get the ball past him. Steve, who’s in good shape after training and competing in triathlons this year didn’t stop trying and kept to his game plan and started to hit tighter lengths making it harder for John to use his trademark volley. With the 1st tied at 6-6 John lifted the pace and got the next 3 points to take the 1st. John as ever doesn’t stop between games. Smacking the ball about as Steve got his breath back. The 2nd steve started the better keeping the ball tight and playing the clever short disguised backhand boast. But Disco rallied himself and stared hitting harder and taking the ball earlier and took the 2nd 9-5. John again chose to stay on court and practice his hacking. The third got underway and Disco go off to a flyer. Hitting the ball a lot harder (he must have noticed the time and needed to get home to the babysitter). This caught steve a bit unaware and John bageled steve to clinch the match.
I didn’t get to see this match Keeley vs Ces so reporting on the conversation at dinner. Keeley got off to a good start, hitting her trademark tight lines and keeping the extra quick Ces behind her before chopping nice drop shots to take the points. She took the 1st 9-5. Keeley started the 2nd as she’d finished the 3rd and looked to be in control sprinting to a 8-2 lead. But the super quick Ces didn’t give up chasing every ball and slowly chipping into keels lead. After saving 5 match balls the game was back to 8-8. Keeley was 1st to get to 9 but Ces saves game ball again and took the points needed to win the 2nd. 1-1. The comeback in the 2nd must have got to Keeley as her patients eluded her and she started going for winners earlier and the mistakes creeped in where as Ces error rate dropped and he took the 3rd. The 4th was much the same as the previous game and even the legendary call from Jonny Johnson, “ERROR RATE DOWN,RALLY RATE UP KEELEY”. Couldn’t get Keels back on to her A game and Ces to the scalp of our champ 3-1.
On court at the same time was myself and the Simon. I have to say this was one of the toughest matches I’d ever played in. Simons style completely bamboozled me. I couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm. I’d hit what I thought was a good length, and would cover the drive only to be caught out by a very well disguised boast. Put that with a forehand kill that Ramy Ashor would be pleased with saw Simon take the 1st. I was instructed to keep it simple, play tight and go short when Simon was behind me. Then to drop it. It works in principle but when some one hits 5 balls in the tin then hits 7 winners it’s tough but with dogged determination it worked and I took the next 2 games. During the break I’d found out that Keels had lost. And Danny was one up. I told Danny play hard no taking your foot off the gas knowing our 4&5 were very strong. I went on for the forth and took my foot off the gas. Before I knew it I was 5-0 down. I tried to get back to the game that I had been playing but Simon hit some fantastic shots and won the game 10-8. 2-2. I saw Danny during the break and he told me he’d won 3-0. We were 2-1 up in matches one more to get. With heightened focus I went into the 5th and took a commanding lead. Simon made some in force errors and I took the game and we were up. A very tough match mentally as much as physically. Simon is a tough opponent as such a nice guy.
Danny vs john Danny in my opinion is the best No4/5 in the league. He has an array of shots that div 1 players would like. In the 1st half fixture he’d played Ces and fitness was the beating of him that day narrowly losing in the 5th. I’ve been told that Danny was on full attack mode. Hitting the ball sweetly to a good length and sending john The wrong way on numerous occasions. 1-0 Danny. I don’t know if his captains advice had any sway on the way he’d play this match but the showboat wasn’t anywhere to be seen and a focused Sweeny just kept hitting good hard, tight lengths. 2-0. The third game saw Danny stay focused and and apply maximum pressure to ???? Wanting to get off court ASAP he took the 3rd 9-1 and the match. What a great player he is to have in the team.
Last match on was “da terminator” Ian vs Richard. Ian was also in the mood to attack and get this game over with. Looking like he’s fully recovered from his removal 6th toe on both feet (it’s the water Eltham that does that) he was hitting the ball harder and had a look of determination in eyes. Richard could not handle the pace and accuracy of Ian. Although Richard did show signs of the range of shots in his bag sending Ian the wrong way on at least one occasion. This was a 27-1 match. Ian did say after he wasn’t going to get drawn in to an awkward game and knew Richard could be dangerous.
A great game against waterfront. Shame there No1 let them down. And let’s hope they get some red tape for the service line when the winter season begins.
Div3 and Poltwood 2 here we come. |
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| Author: | SH |
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