The ‘Poison Pen’s Assistant’ writes: Chamber Exiles vs ‘the Clever Boys … and girl’
Match 1: Peter Filmore vs Roy (the guy Big G beat last year thanks to some very dubious calls by marker Diggers). Roy really gave Pete F the run around and had a deadly back hand boast which bewildered Pete on many occasions. Pete F managed to take the first 17 - 15 and although we got the message to Pete to play him on his forehand, Pete mis-interpreted that Roy was ‘good’ on his forehand, so kept playing his back hand with disastrous consequences losing the next 2 games 12-15 and 8-15. However, fitness began to tell and Pete eventually won the next two 15-12 and 15-7. Result 3-2
Match 2: Pete Le Roux vs Sanjay This match started out very evenly matched, and we are not sure whether Sanjay played badly to start off and Pete played well, but as the match continued Pete lost confidence and Sanjay gained confidence, with Pete L eventually succumbing 13-15; 7-15; and 7-15. Result 0-3
Match 3 (the match of the evening). Big G vs Bongi. Now if you saw Bongi she was a 19 year old student, 4ft 8” tall and weighing 50kg … no, make that 65kg, who is obviously a product from the Geoff Hunt Academy, AND with attitude. Well, she won the warm up (by hitting 300 shots to herself, and giving me about 20 shots … probably didn’t want this 60+ year old, wearing 2 knee guards, to get too tired to give her a game). Well the match started and went point for point. First game 21 - 19 to the ‘old’ guy. Second match to Bongi 15-13 (she eventually got to counter the ‘midnight special’). By now these weary legs were beginning to wobble and so I had to resort to intimidation by querying vocally some ‘dubious’ umpiring decisions (sorry Pete L). This seemed to upset Bongi’s rhythm and I took the next 2 games 15-11 and 15-11. Result 3-1. Bongi is a wonderful player and I expect her to go far. This adds credence to the theory that ‘Age and deviousness will ALWAYS overcome youth and skill’
Well this left the state of the match at 6 all which put all the pressure on Graham V to bring home the spoils (although he didn’t inspire confidence saying the guy he was to play beat him 3 – 0 last time out).
Match 4: GV vs Mohammed. This was also a humdinger with some rallies lasting up to 100 shots or more (which will happen if you keep hitting the ball back to your opponent). GV lost the first 13-15 (playing drop shots to the forehand corner 2m above the tin didn’t help). So 7-6 down in games. Again, divine intervention was called for and GV’s superior fitness coupled with an opponent with a sore knee, saw GV taking the next 3 games 15-7; 15-6 and 18-16. Result 3-1
Retired to the Dros for Steak, egg and chips (and a few beers). Beeeaautiful!!!
Resuts:
No 1: Graham Vermaak vs Mohammed: 3-1
No 2: Peter Filmore vs Roy: 3-0
No 3: Peter Le Roux vs Sanjay: 0-3
No 4: Gavin Martin vs Bongi: 3-1
Match result : 12 - 7
