Smokin' smokin ' smokin'
My word , what a night !! I have been playing and watching squash for an eternity but rarely have I seen a group of players so focused on the job.
The task -- get 20 points. The hope, that others would drop away and the second spot in the league would be secured. And thus -- PROMOTION TO DIVISION 3 ASSURED ..
Job done -- but how !!!!!!!!.
There was a palpable enveloping sense of destiny and purpose that all but blew away our (very good) opponents. This was not a red hot emotional rampage but more a super dry dissection of the
unfortunate opposition. Their discussions on the balcony after their games said it all -- what could I do?? He got everything back; I couldn’t work out how to win a point, etc., etc…
So this is it in brief:
Pete v Tats: 9/2 9/2 9/2 .. and this guy is seriously good. No doubt the symmetry of numbers appealed to Pete’s sense of order.
David v John: 9/0 9/1 9/0 .. This guy probably thought he was a pretty good player till he was given this lesson in technique and accuracy.
James v Paul: 9/0 9/3 9/1 .. Best I have seen you play champ. The head was really screwed on tight!!
Niall v Dan: 9/4 9/3 9/0 .. and it would have looked even more impressive if more of those drops had hit the mark, but that observation is a mere detail on a night like this.. Well played..
I make that four matches with the loss of just 18 POINTS IN TOTAL..-- in double quick time.
After this stunning barrage it was inevitable that someone would want their money’s worth and keep the excited balcony on their toes. Maestro Mike provided the five set graft that kept us all thinking.. Had the last two games not slipped relatively (and it is all relative!!) in Mike’s direction, it could have been a spectacle indeed to see him carve out a closer win, indeed we may have seen squash in a new light -- a compelling blood sport -- not, of course, that of his opponent, but his own heart laid out on court. (This proved, fortunately, not to be required but it was looking to be a worrying possibility after the third game slipped ignominiously away). [10/9 6/9 6/9 9/3 9/1 btw].
We must all hope that, home games at least, attract the sort of adoring crowd that attended on Tuesday . Thanks for coming along ladies; there was undoubtedly a frisson of stimulation to the performances of your respective partners in particular and the whole team in general.
It is clear that Pete’s contribution makes this team worthy contenders in Division 3 and it is great that everybody is so enthused by the prospect. The healthy competition within the team will shortly reach its winter zenith in the club championships (semi-finals 11th March) which will be a great showcase for the best Knole can offer with the top four club players having reached their deserved spots..
The merging of Wildernesse and Knole has reaped obvious benefits for all and it is deserved and entirely appropriate that it has culminated in this team success. Very very well played all and I look forward with the rest of you to some great summer squash. Barry excelled himself in producing the Xmas dinner you desired and we should applaud our good fortune in having such a thoroughly convivial venue for our post match gatherings.
Stay healthy and enjoy the moment. Best wishes MJ.
[And by the way, our friends at Bexley kindly took the necessary 2 points off rivals Blackheath - in fact, they took 5! So Knole finished comfortably clear in 2nd place behind the runaway Park Club]