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 | Fixture Details | |  | | |
Home | Return to Division Fixtures
| Nom | Home Player | Nom | Away Player | Result | Games |
| 1-1 | Guy Olby | 2-1 | Toby Mortimer | 3 | 0 | 9-6, 9-1, 9-3 | | 1-2 | Lee Greenwood | 2-4 | Fergus Burnett | 0 | 3 | 4-9, 3-9, 4-9 | | 1-3 | Oliver Noye | 2-5 | Ray Bushell | 3 | 2 | 9-6, 4-9, 9-6, 4-9, 9-5 | | 1-4 | Matt Gill | 2-6 | Andy Davies | 3 | 1 | 7-9, 9-7, 9-4, 9-2 | | 2-1 | Simon Joyce | 2-8 | Sam Weatherhead | 1 | 3 | 3-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-1 | | | | | | | | | | | Games: | 10 | 9 | |
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| | | Bonus: | 5 | 0 | |
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| | | Result: | 15 | 9 | |
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| Report: | Grudge match number two of the season and Si's last game for 6 months (travelling round the world for a bit in case you want to know, enjoy winter!).
Beckenham have been decimated in recent weeks in terms of availability and has resulted in the loss of the second team, the club morale needed a boost and it got one in a tight encounter. A facebook bet between Toby and Si as to who would wear the ginger Scottish wig in the bar could only add to the tension, in a way.
Beckenham were pretty much at full strength for the first time in living memory and all knew that every match was going to be key.
First on were Matt and Andy, Matt convinced they'd played twice before, Andy unsure whether he'd just chosen to forget them. A very tight first saw Andy edge it from 7-5 down before Matt, in very good form amd fitness, started turning the screw and prolonging the points. Andy got to 7 first in the second but Matt sneaked it and the fitness told in the 3rd and 4th.
Next on Si and Sam and at times it really was a battle of the no.5's, Sam not on court much of late and Si in his typical "Jekyl and Hyde" form. Quality was lacking on both sides early on but both got into their groove and I'm told it was quite entertaining to watch at times. Ultimately, Sam hit some great winners at times and Si kept tinning point winning shots having done the hard work. A deserved win for Sam.
Guy and Toby had gone on by this point and for some reason the crowd had chosen to watch them rather than Sam/Si and Fergus/Lee. Toby was giving Ollie a hard time in the marking chair [unsurprisingly] and trying to get the gamesmanship going as much as possible. He put in a great effort in the first and a potential stroke decision to him saw merely a let called at 6-7, from there Guy showed no mercy. I didn't see the rest of this as I was marking but Toby said he nearly killed himself on two points in the second, hence the comfortable scores from there on. On the plus side, Si was safe from the wig.
Fergus and Lee on the other court and, well, it wasn't a classic. Fergus was the epitome of steady tonight, refusing to let Lee up the game to the pace that he likes to play as. Real credit to Fergus for dominating the game and coming out a deservedly comfortable winner, but it wasn't half dull to watch!! ;-)
2-2 and all to play for with Ollie and Ray. Ollie not played much recently and struggling for fitness even before that against Ray who has always been able to grind wins out. Ollie with some very good natural talent but likely to drift in and out of matches against the ever consistent Ray. In hindsight it had a 5 setter written all over it.
Ollie took the first, Ray pegged it back. Ollie looked knackered but sneaked the third. Toby was hiding the wig. Ray dominated the 4th to send it to the decider and Ollie looked almost finished. I'd like to claim credit for a final rallying call before the 5th but Ollie has it all for himself, some really good squash and great winning shots took him to 8-1 up, all over. But no. Ray started pulling it back point by point until Ollie finally secured the 4th match ball before it got really nerve-wracking. Out came the wig.
A great, if rather late, end to a cracking match. A great contest that really could have gone either way. Would say I'm looking forward to the second half but I'll be in Australia, or Asia somewhere, maybe New Zealand. I'm not sure, ho hum.... |
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| Author: | Si |
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