David Lloyd Renfrew v Western 1 (match report 9th Dec ’09)

We were up against a very good team with strength in depth, so when Sean and John F went on first I feared the worst. John was playing a guy who has been at the top of squash for 20 plus years in both the West and National Leagues and John looked a bit intimidated by this, until Mat (Mackie) hit him in the face with his racket, then he just looked angry! John really troubled Mat in the first game and at 7-10 down he got a great run of points to take him to 11-10 game ball. Unfortunately this was as close as he got because Mat just piped him 13-15 in the first (it didn’t help that John didn’t know the rules at 10-10!) and after this Mat stepped it up to win the next two more comfortably. It was a good effort by John and had he just managed to get the first game he would definitely have been in line for MOTM.

Next on (and desperate to get away early due to his wife’s birthday celebrations – now that’s commitment to the team!) was Sean. He was also up against it as he was playing a very good player in Richard King. Richard moved the ball round with consummate ease and although Sean was in all the games to about 4-4 he also ended up losing them all. My highlight of the match was in the third game when Richard sent Sean the completely the wrong way. Despite this (and a taxi turning up outside the court!) Sean was looking for the stroke, but instead got ‘no let’. When Sean looked unbelievingly at the marker (their No.1) and asked why, Iain Logan said “Because you’ve got to have some idea of where the ball was going to get a let or stroke!” Classic!!! And Sean couldn’t argue because of all the crowd were laughing so loudly! So Richard ended up winning 3-0, but there was no problem in losing to a player of Richard’s calibre especially as Sean gave it his all.

I went on court shortly after and was up against Colin Stirrat, who I’ve had some real tussles over the past few years (winning and losing). I knew this would be a very tight one and I said to Paul S that I thought I may lose tonight as Colin was probably going to be too fit for me. I’d had a couple of heavy(ish) nights out over the weekend (one of them with Colin after the Western doubles tourney) and I was worried that this may go against the older bloke! However I was delighted to get into a winning position at 6-3 in the first game, although not so delighted at 6-6, but I managed to regain my composure to win the first 11-6. So I thought if I can just take the second, without expending too much energy, I’ve got a real chance! I lost the second 12-10 in a thoroughly knackering manner!!! This worried me! However I played well in the third and was always ahead and ended up winning 11-5, so I thought if I can just take the fourth, without expending too much energy I’ll win! I lost the fourth 12-10 in an even more thoroughly knackering manner!!! This worried me! And so to the fifth! Henry asked me how I felt before I went back on court and I said “Burst!” and at 4-1 down I wasn’t feeling much better. However in those first few points I managed to move Colin around significantly and I think this is where the momentum shifted. He began to look much more tired and buoyed by this I went on a great run of points. In fact I never lost the serve again and I won the game 11-4 and the match 3-2 and was absolutely delighted to beat someone of Colin’s standard and pick up 3 points for the team.

After me was Kevin against Iain Logan. I didn’t see the first two games, but Kev seemed to be in control from 6-5 in both and ended up winning 11-5 11-9. In the third Iain really clawed his way back into the game and Kev was frustrated by a few decisions. He was so bemused by a couple of calls that he asked the marker if his ‘lets’ and ‘strokes’ were based on the ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’ principal!!! Despite the ensuing hilarity Iain kept a good lead in this game and won it 11-7 and to underline his disgust Kev’s M140 racket went flying at the end of the game. However normal service was resumed in the fourth game as Kev moved Iain round much better in the early stages and reaped the benefit at the end of the game, as Iain had ‘run himself out’ to lose the game 11-6 and the match 3-1.

So is that the match finely poised at 2-2 again I hear you ask? Well it would have been if Henry had gone on last (and for the purposes of this report let’s just say he did!)

Henry matched up against Graham “the Grinch” Duns (another legend of West and National League squash over the past 20 years) and Henry battled well to stay in the first game all the way from 4-2 up, to 9-10 down. Unfortunately with Graham’s unfeasibly long reach and intimidating presence on court (thus the nickname) Henry couldn’t convert the first game. In the second and third games Graham took control and never let the pressure slip. Henry battled hard, but Graham ended up winning the next two 11-4 11-2 to win the match 3-0.

Afterwards, at the meal, I managed to talk myself into MOTM and my opponent, Colin, also got it for Western.

So a 15-6 loss for the team, but I reckon with Lyall back in second half we stand a real chance of turning this one around.

Cheers

Jason

PS – Anyone spot the blatent advert!!?!?! 😉

PPS – If you want to see this and other match reports have a look at my blog at http://broadberrysports.wordpress.com/ it’s under squash coaching and both the David Lloyd drop down menu.