Archive for October, 2005

This was always going to be a tricky tie and a real team effort was going to be required to pull off a victory.

First on court first were Kai and Simon, again playing respectively at 4 and 5.

Kai showing the sharpness around the court that had won him the invite to join the ranks of the Stamford 1 team cruised comfortably to a 9/4 9/3 9/2 victory against Chez Alenanno. Kai’s clear enthusiasm for the game must be causing some concern for his very pregnant wife at the moment. Not only is the young man constantly out playing for every Stamford team in the Peterborough leagues but he is clearly spending all of the nappy fund on flashy new bats and go faster hair highlights.

Kai’s solid performance was followed by an equally masterful display by Glyn Williams who comfortably dispensed with his opponent Martin Meadows 9/1 9/0 9/2.

Meanwhile Simon Richardson was battling hard for what proved to be the pivotal tie. His opponent Dave Reweder tested Simon with a closely fought first game which Simon just managed to squeeze 10/8. Some great squash ensued, good hard length broken up with delicate finishes from both players. Dave took the 2nd 9/6 and whilst the next two games were closely contested Simon (who can always pull something special out of the bag when the pressure is on) held it together taking the last two 9/6 9/4.

Three matches having been won the victory was in hand with only Alastair and Jonathan Oakley left to play.

A number of supporters had turned up to watch the evening’s play – none more interested in the outcome of the next match than Lawrence and Dave (having been left out of this week’s line up).

The captain dragged himself onto court barely recovered from a weekend spent on the large white (well more aubergine) porcelain telephone whilst the vultures gathered eagerly on the balcony. What followed, to the eye of the knowledgeable squash follower, was a tear jerking tragedy. The usual display of powerful penetrating squash just wasn’t there. Whilst bravely fought and distracted by the cries of “drop him” from Dave “ten bellies” Spooner the result was inevitable as Edd Hale snatched a 9/1 9/5 9/5 victory.

The two Jonathans were left then to educate and demonstrate their court prowess. For the first game, at least, the older looking of the two (Mr Oakley) looked like having a sniff of a chance and top spun dropped his way to a 9/6 opening game victory. The next couple of games were coloured a little – JO, shielding his embarrassment at being constantly wrong footed in front of a packed house, bitched like an old woman. The petulant display, normally associated with teenage spottiness, however did nothing to improve his game (the under sized ladies shorts can’t have helped either). Increasingly tired the old timer could do nothing to hold back the tide as Jonathan (the younger) closed out the remaining three games in decisive fashion 9/3 9/4 9/3.

The team retired to the Green Man for a well earned celebratory pint allowing Mr Hand to eat his third dinner of evening and Mr Oakley to whinge about the unfairness of being expected to thank his sponsor by wearing the team shirt.