Some inspiration was needed to kick off the 2012 league season and was forthcoming from a ‘mystery’ source during the week (the secrecy surrounding the identity of said scribe was shattered later in the evening by whispering George and the whole of Doppio’s now knows who penned those words of divine influence). I must take umbrage with one phrase from the clandestine author though – he (or she) professed that their team “are the shinning lights of Chamber Exiles”… Taking poetic license in hand and assuming that lights can indeed shin, I would argue that team 6 B’s lights shin brightest of all. For the first league game of the season anyway. On to the meat and potatoes of the report, we started off as underdogs against the erroneously highly rated 6th A team in an attempt to see whether the beer and braais of the off-season had improved our prowess.
No. 1 Phil vs Gerhard: Finding himself in the top spot for the season opener, Phil quickly proved himself worthy by racing to take the first game. Then, realising that this level of performance could see him entrenched at No. 1, he changed tack and lost the next three games with increasing vigour. Not having seen any of this game, I apologise to Gerhard if I don’t furnish him with enough credit. Lost 1-3: 15-9, 12-15, 10-15, 5-15
No. 2 Bruce vs Gavin: Three Oceans Bruce (because he run that much) had to take on Gavin. First two games were peppered with errors from Gavin while Bruce took about 2mm off the bottom of his shoes purely by distance travelled. Gavin sharpened up in the third, but not in time to trouble the champ who made certain of victory in the fourth. Won 3-1: 15-12, 15-11, 10-15, 15-12
No. 3 Nigel vs Louis: Another four games following an identical pattern. Louis made some uncharacteristic errors in games 1 & 2 and I thought it was Christmas. It was uh-oh time in the third game as he started hitting a good length and by lungs caught fire. Apparently sitting on the couch catching up on Total Wipeout wasn’t good training for squash after all… Louis was in control of the fourth game too, but his mind seemed to go adrift at the sharp end of the game and I was gifted a few tinned shots to take the match. Won 3-1: 15-8, 15-8, 11-15, 16-14
No. 4 Brennan vs Jacques: The was the match of the night and Jacques made us wait for it – he arrived about 35 seconds before forfeiting. Phil was reffing and the dividends of the marking course were clearly evident as Sven’s protégé kept tight control of the game. Brennan’s first league game back since the dawn of league last year when he broke his wrist. Now, with steel plate in place, the Bionic Man showed that he’d kept up his fitness. Low risk squash and plenty of running kept him slightly ahead in the initial stages. A wobble in the third game and Jacque started to assert himself, but Brennan held his nerve to close it out in four. Won 3-1: 15-12, 15-13, 13-15, 15-13
Dinner at the Dop was a fitting end to proceedings, where we solved the usual problems of world peace, decreasing oil reserves and climate change. All this over a couple of pizzas and some lager. And we get to laud it over the ‘A’ side for another 4 months – cue, applause. Woohoo.
Overall result: Won 13-6
