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| Report: | The 4th string match saw Howard, one of our fellow ‘Thursday’ crew, turning out for the opposition. After a warm up that lasted longer than the first two games combined, Howard started to find his feet and extend the rallies to better effect, taking a close 3rd by employing his short game to good effect. The fourth was closely contested, with serve alternating after each point until 8 all when Wesley went clear, taking the last point on a stroke.
Clearly Dan & Adam are twins separated at birth, as they both stepped on court wearing matching outfits. The only obvious means of the marker telling them apart being the Basil Fawlty moustache Dan was sporting. Adam raced in to a 5-0 lead in the first before Dan worked out he was playing for Barnham. The Penny having dropped, he reeled off 8 points in a row, eventually closing out the game.
Adam went 8-1 up in the second, and despite another brief mini resurgence took the second at a canter. The third saw both players vying for dominance until 6-6, until Dan mustered another 5 point run to go 2-1 up. The fourth saw Adam exert control from the start, with Dan in contention until the mid-point before fading in the latter stages. Again in the decider both players struggled gain a foothold until Adam finally went 3 points clear. Dan struck back to within 1 point, only for Adam to claim victory in a very well contested match.
At 2, Paul and Phil’s first game saw them exchange the lead several times. Paul made the early running only for Phil to win 6 of seven points in the mid stage to go three points clear. Turning the tables, Paul won 6 of the last 8 to bag the first, Taking this momentum in to the second Paul maintained a narrow lead before Phil took 3 points on the trot to level at 8-8. Paul responded in kind to go 2 up. Again, the third saw neither player opening up a significant lead, with Phil starting well only for Paul to claw his way back ahead by the mid point and moving to match point. Phil dug deep to counter, taking the game to a tie break and then having 3 game balls rebuffed in enthralling and very competitive encounter.
In the 1st string pairing Sutton the Elder burst out of the blocks, taking advantage of the home courts while his opponent found his feet. A lack f physical prowess once again showed itself in the second, with another fast start waning by mid-game as Chris started to feel more comfortable dealing with a ‘leftie’. At 8-8 it was anyone’s game, with Sutton clinging on to take it.
Recognising an opportunity to kick an old man while he was floundering, Chris carved out a lead in 2 point flurries, with only1 point responses seeing the 3rd go his way with some ease. Recognising the impending prospect of a fifth set, Sutton hit the throttle at 3-3 in the fourth to take the next 6 points without reply. At 10-4 an attempt to seal the match with a flourish backfired , so it was back to basics for Sutton to see off the young pretender.
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| Author: | Stuart Sutton |
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