|
|
 | Fixture Details | |  | | |
Home | Return to Division Fixtures
| Nom | Home Player | Nom | Away Player | Result | Games |
| 1 | P Nicol | 1 | T Garner | 3 | 2 | 9/5 9/0 5/9 2/9 9/3 | | 2 | J Wilde | 2 | C Du Toit | 3 | 1 | 9/2 5/9 9/5 9/5 | | 7 | A Martin | 4 | A Moore | 2 | 3 | 9/5 9/10 3/9 9/2 5/9 | | 11 | P James | 5 | W Brownsdon | 1 | 3 | 0/9 3/9 9/3 6/9 | | 14 | D Lark | 7 | D Marlow | 0 | 3 | 4/9 2/9 8/10 | | | | | | | | | | | Games: | 9 | 12 | |
|---|
| | | Bonus: | 0 | 5 | |
|---|
| | | Result: | 9 | 17 | |
|---|
| Report: | Yes, that’s right. The Peter Nicol you see above this match report is the Peter Nicol. Not Peter Parker Nicol, not Peter Purvis Nicol and not Peter Shilton Nicol. It is the one and only Peter Nicol who has been at the pinnacle of squash for the last decade. And he plays for Amida.
There was a buzz in the air at Amida as fans crammed themselves in front of court 3 to see Peter play Tim. Unfortunately for them, no one told them that they would have to sit through the rest of the matches before witnessing the former world number 1 in action.
The first match on the show court was the second seeding pair, Jamie and Clive. The rallies kicked off fast and furious. Jamie cracked the ball hard and began to impose himself early particularly on the forehand side where he slammed several low winners into the front corner. Clive looked like he was being beaten for pace and speed and lost the first. But come the second game, he played more patiently, waiting for Jamie to make errors – which he duly did. Jamie’s frustration built quickly and Clive held his composure to seal the second. Jamie re-established dominance in the third and imposed himself on the T, once again making Clive do the extra work. There were some gasps from the crowd as Jamie pulled out a couple of stupefying retrievals and having taken the third he never looked back, winning 3-1.
Meanwhile on another court, Alex el Kunto Martin, Amida’s number 3 was in full flight against Dulwich’s Andrew. Your author (Disco Cowboy) did not see this game as I was busy marking Jamie’s match. But I was told that in the first he rolled off several winners at will. The match apparently looked all but over – so much so that Dulwich’s number 5 said he was off to get changed for the following match. But Andrew fought back in the second. There was some amazing shot making from both, drawing shouts from the Dulwich fans as the match got closer. It went to fifth and el Kunto’s lack of fitness from his recent injury and lack of ankle ligaments told in the end as Andrew went out the winner 3-2.
Next up was Disco Cowboy on the show court against Dulwich’s Will. The rallies were quite cautious early on in the first as Will took a lead. There didn’t appear to be much in it at first but slowly and surely Will established dominance with great retrieving and tight play. He finished the game strongly with a 9-0 win. It might have appeared that the occasion had gotten to Disco but this wasn’t the case. Despite still feeling quite relaxed Disco struggled to turn any advantages in rallies into points and it wasn’t until 7-0 down in the second that he managed to win a point – to great applause. After dropping the second, Disco began to step up the pressure in the third, playing higher up the court and trying to manoeuvre Will to the back with using the volley. The strategy appeared to work as Disco took the third. Will look slightly tired as was Disco, but momentum was with him. Pain is failure leaving the body, someone once said, and Disco, despite the pain, started brightly in the opening exchanges. Just as it looked like Disco might gain an edge a string went. Whilst putting a new grip on the racket, Disco sought advice from Peter. ‘What should I do, I’m trying to play higher up the court is that right?’ asked Disco. ‘Well, when you get an opening just let the wrist go and pop it in there. Do you see what I mean?’ Blank look from Disco, ‘Sort of’. Peter walked off. Disco went back on court and lost the fourth!!
Unfortunately Disco did not see Dan ‘Kung Fu’ Lark’s match – or perhaps fortunately. He lost to Dulwich’s Duncan 3-0. So I’ll get straight to the main event.
Peter and Tim, as many of you readers will know are good friends, but Amida desperately needed the points so the pressure was on Peter to deliver. This must have been the biggest pressure he has ever faced in his long career. But he did not disappoint. Neither player hit the ball hard but what was striking was the control Peter had. He appeared to have so much time, never seemed really to be in a rush and often seemed to have Tim scrambling in the corners. Peter took the ball incredibly early – volleys, half-volleys and played so many hanging lobs that had Tim jumping high first then crouching down in the front corner next after Peter’s following shot. The first two games were a bit of a lesson as Peter made light work of the match to go 2-0 up. But Tim, who looked as though he had been putting himself under pressure, perhaps under the expectation that he could possibly win the match, relaxed a little. Peter began to take his foot off the gas and Tim began to move Peter about far more than he had done in the first two games. Quickly Tim began to retain some dominance and took the third and fourth. Peter came out in the fifth with more purpose, despite having fallen a couple of times earlier on, and looking a little tentative in terms of movement. He quickly established control with some beautifully controlled shots, scraping the ball of the wall, hitting topspin drops, moving Tim about at will, eventually winning the fifth.
The crowd really appreciated the spectacle and applauded enthusiastically. The evening raised some £500 for the British Heart Foundation and everyone looked as though they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Mike Harding had done some superb refereeing, twice telling Peter to ‘get on with it’ having made errors in the scoring, whilst a special mention must go to Grant Webhead Seedy who organised the whole event. We owe you a beer or two! |
|---|
| Author: | Disco Cowboy |
|---|
| |  |  |  |
|
