Playing: PETER ‘Silver Streak’ MCMULLEN/JOHN ‘Pie Man’ TAYLOR/DAVID ‘Doggy Blanket’ MELBOURNE  v. Mick Curry/Dave Lewis/Brian Hanson

Set 1: PETER v Mick – result 11-3/5-11/12-10/10-12

Game 1: Tentative start from Mick with Peter achieving an apparently relaxed approach with good focus, maintained throughout the game to victory for Peter. Good start that promised well.

Game 2: Better start for Mick with Peter less consistent than in the first game. Mick was playing much more confidently, particularly with his wide game and soared ahead with Peter never able to catch up.

Game 3: Error strewn game from the start with a lot of frustration on display from both players. Peter’s smashes were wayward in this game and Mick just managed to get on top at the end.

Game 4: A cagey game with both players scoring on smashes. Score remained even up to 9-9 when Mick pushed home with his tricky serve.

Set 2: JOHN v Dave L. – result 4-11/8-11/7-11

Game 1: David L. consistent and unspectacular from the ‘off’ with John losing points across the board.

Game 2: Dave L. consistent again but John rallying to 8-8 with more careful play before the game slipping away.

Game 3: Even game until 6-6 when Dave L. pushed home accumulating lost points rather than winning shots.

Set 3: DAVID v Brian – result 9-11/5-11/10-12

Game 1: Dave on good edge of table balls, impassively moving the ball around, a closed book to his opponent. This was an even game decided at the last with neither player keen to give ground.

Game 2: Dave lost rhythm early on and never really recovered.

Game 3: A few excellent shots from Dave holding the score to 7-7 before inconsistency set in allowing the game to drift away. Dave recovered to 10-11 but finally let the last point pass him by.

Set 4: JOHN v Mick – result 12-10/11-9/6-11/5-11/5-11

Game 1: Solid start from John to 10-6 but then slipped back to 10-10 before pushing over the line: a good game for John.

Game 2: Mick more determined at the start with John losing focus a little until fighting back to 8-8 and then pushing home to lead 2 sets to 0.

Game 3: Mick pushed harder from the start and was much more aggressive, with John not quite in control of his game. Mick’s aggression paid off with a confident win.

Game 4: Mick now confidently in charge, working harder on every shot and easily moving to a winning margin.

Game 5: Both players tense at the start of the final game, with both trying too hard. Mick caught the luck of the bounce and worked hard, particularly with his tricky, twisting backhand serve and pushed to a comfortable victory.

Set 5: PETER v Brian – result 12-10/3-11/2-11/7-11

Game 1: Even start with Peter a bit careless but Brian not playing particularly well either. Brian was foxed by some of Peter’s wide shots but fought to a close finish and a narrow victory for Peter.

Game 2: Peter not in the game until 1-7 down by which time the match was effectively won.

Game 3: Brian gaining in confidence from the beginning of this game with too many over hit shots from Peter, giving an easy game to Brian.

Game 4: Good start from Brian and some misses from Peter put Brian in an unassailable lead. Peter not seeing the ball as well in this game. Fairly easy win for Brian.

Set 6: DAVID v Dave L. – result 5-11/2-11/6-11

Game 1: Evenly matched at the start but Dave L. edging it with greater consistency and with Dave pushing too many balls long.

Game 2: Dave seemed to lose focus and confidence in this game and had no answer to Dave L.’s deceptively easy style of play.

Game 3: Dave lost ground at the beginning and never really recovered against a laid back opponent.

Set 7: JOHN v Brian – result 4-11/4-12/10-12/5-11

Game 1: Brian was now playing very confidently and was more relaxed and in control in contrast to John who was now starting to look tired. The first game slipped away almost before it had begun.

Game 2: John held his own in this game, regaining lost confidence, brushing off his tiredness and pushed home to a tight victory.

Game 3: John competed all the way through, point for point, but was just pipped at the death.

Game 4: Brian rapidly moved through to 3-9 which simply left John with too much to do.

Set 8: DAVID v Mick – result 5-11/13-11/12-14/11-6/9-11

Game 1: Mick’s awkward twisting backhand serve to the fore again. Dave was moving around the table well but Mick’s consistency enabled him to win the game confidently.

Game 2: A well-matched game with Dave moving forward much more and managing to just squeeze out a victory.

Game 3: Similarly close game with more rallies, lucky and unlucky shots with Mick this time just making it first to the line.

Game 4: For no apparent reason, Mick lost focus in this game and Dave claimed a relatively comfortable win to bring the set to 2-2.

Game 5: Mick summoned all his effort in this last game with Dave trailing in his wake and losing narrowly by 9-11.

Set 9: PETER v Dave L. – result 7-11/10-12/7-11

Game 1: Despite Peter being very mobile and provoking errors from Dave L., the more confident player edged this one.

Game 2: Even start with more errors creeping into Dave L.’s game, but he pulled it around over the last two points.

Game 3: Dave L. always seemed to be playing within his limits and comfortably floated to victory.

DG

Final words:

Again, the consistency issue reared its head; lack of it resulting in losing a game also bleeds the confidence away. Not the great distance between the two teams that might have been expected looking at their very different positions in the League, top and second from bottom. The quality of much of our play was substantially improved over our early efforts in the season and the opposition also commented that they had had to work harder than they had expected. So, apparently dreadful 0-9 result but encouragement MUST be taken by ALL members of the team from the fact that we can now give anybody, including the top team in League 3, a much more competitive match. Well done, Silver Streak, Pie Man and Doggy Blanket!