Popps Hounded 8-1 in ruff encounter
At the earlier fixture, Old Town Hounds beat us 5-4, after your correspondent squandered what looked like a winning lead which would have clinched it our way. However, we had the experienced Derek playing that night, so our match tonight will be a challenge, unless of course Popps ‘B’ manages to play out of its socks. We always like to welcome our country cousins to the sophisticated HT centre where they are often bemused by things like electricity and running water. Will they be initially dazzled by the bright lights of the centre, after playing to old lanterns up in the old Chapel at New Town? We would find out soon. Popps Team: Terry Wassall, Joan Bottomley & Robin Thomas. (Tom still struggling with health issues—we hope he can return to playing).
OTH fielded the veteran Don Coneron, his powerfully-built son, Neil and the ever fragrant Rose Tipton, still wearing the brilliant white top, revealed at a critical stage to distract Popps younger male players. Rose attempted to get to grips with the new-fangled scoring machine and had to be helped by our techno-savvy Joan with her advanced IT background. Joan touched a few buttons, and Hey Presto, the gleaming machine leapt into action, lights flashing like the Hong Kong waterfront after dark. Rose put her abacus back into her handbag, a rough contraption made of pig skin and wattle.
Neil needed to get away early, so matches were played out of order. Your correspondent kicked off against Neil, the beauty being that few notes could be taken with a bat in one’s hand. Neil won 8-11, 8-11 and 6-11, with a much more consistent and steady game and he was unhindered by the occasional flashing forehand from Robin. Terry then took on Don and in G1, Terry had to try to find his form, distended with curry and champagne, after a heavy fortnight of celebrating his 65th birthday. Terry won some good smashes, but Don played safely to win 11-7. Terry retaliated with a vengeance in G2 as Don lost his touch. Terry, like Mubarek, was in charge and won 11-1. Don missed the table in G3; Terry missed a smash, but was marching on relentlessly to win 11-2. Don raised his game in G4 as Terry started to fall apart. At 10-10, Don could have extended the set, but Terry wrapped it up with a useful couple of shots. However, this was as good as it gets as Hounds reeled of a series of wins.
Set 3 saw Joan against Rose, whilst your correspondent’s eyes strayed to a tall female playing on another table. They returned to the matter in hand as Rose’s steady game, mainly back hand pushes, took her to 11-3. In G2, rallies became longer as Joan diligently returned shots, but could not win the eventual point. 11-6. Rose’s serve still looks a bit like a conjurer’s trick as the ball mysteriously appears from somewhere, although I don’t suppose it influenced the result. She moved ahead smoothly but Joan concentrated on returns to level at 9-9! High hopes were premature as Rose settled matters at 14-12, but Joan continues to improve and tries to work out successful strategies.
Terry then embarked on what turned out to be a 5-game set against the younger Coneron. Neil moved into an early lead as Terry failed to deal with his forehand attacks. Terry tried tossing up the ball, but to no avail as Neil achieved a useful fluke. Terry’s final failed smash led to 11-9 to Neil. In G2, Terry was still trying to get his game together, but stayed in touch. Neil messed up his serve, missing the ball completely, his Specs Saver moment, and Terry finished off with a spectacular smash. 12-10 to Terry. Neil then won a marathon in G3, eventually clinching it at 18-16. Both smashed well, both fought hard and there were a couple of flukes. Terry took G4 with some trademark smashes at 11-7, setting us up for a final shoot-out. Terry is not a man to opt for safety and he produced a mix of winning smashes and spectacular failures, but not enough success to threaten Neil, who established a lead and kept it, to win at 11-7.
Neil stayed on the table to facilitate his early departure. Why did he want to get away, after all what could be more fun than witnessing the humiliation of the Popps’B’ table tennis team? Did he have a job as a security man at a rough pub in Old Town? Was he required to hunt the fells for a lost sheep or had he been given an Asbo with a curfew? We could see no tell tale electronic tag on his ankle, so we will never know. Neil moved into a lead at 6-2, but Joan retaliated with some steady returns and got within one point at 9-8. But Neil held it together to clinch at 11-8. A similar pattern emerged in G2, although Joan was engaging in longer rallies, only to lose the final point. Neil won this at 11-8. By this time Don was having his own Specs Saver moment as he struggled to reads the letters on the electronic display. Next time, we will line up one of those cuddly Labradors to help him. Joan produced a dogged display in G3 and with some excellent forehands, won at 11-8. However, Neil was not to be denied in G4 and moved smoothly to 11-4, before departing into the cold night on some nefarious adventure, no doubt.
Neil’s concentration of games meant that your correspondent had been sitting in the cold without a game for what seemed like a couple of hours and had to burst into life against the energetic Rose. She won the first game 11-6 and allowed Robin back into the set to win G2 11-7. She then reeled off 11-4 and 11-7 as he won the odd point with a mad flash at the ball, but generally hit the floor or the net.
Joan then won her first game against Don. She started with steady play as they traded point for point, but she edged ahead to win 11-8. Don missed some early shots, but stayed close and a Joan miss helped him to move ahead to win 11-6. Joan fought like a terrier against the hounds as the game lurched one way and another. Eventually, Don reached 15-13 to win. He won G4 11-9, to take the set, muttering to Joan as he left the table: “You have made a happy man very old”.
Terry lost the first game against Rose at 11-9, but made a better start in G2 with some very effective smashes. Rose placed a number of shots out of Terry’s reach, but he was able to pull away to win 11-6. In G3, Terry was not holding his game together and had his Specs Saver moment when he missed the ball completely. Rose established a useful lead as Terry attempted a mini-recovery. However, a Terry miss let her win at 11-6. However, Terry was not ready to lie down and won G4 at 11-9, finished with a flashing back hand smash. But he was disappointing in G5, as Rose controlled the game with her trademark back hand push. Terry over-hit and the smashes didn’t work as she won the game at 11-4.
The final set between Don and Robin passed swiftly, like an out of control meteorite scudding through the heavens, as Robin, desirous of having his supper to appease his severe hunger pains, hit anything that moved, even winning one game with a succession of hard hit shots. But Don was steady throughout and used his serve intelligently to prevent or immobilise attacks. The result was not recorded as your correspondent collected the money, tidied up the paperwork and escaped into the crisp night air. Don won 3 at around 11-6 and Robin won one at around 11-7. Check out the official report when it comes out.
So, if anything Popps have gone down hill since their last encounter with the Hounds up on the icy slopes of the Pennines. Terry has been unable to practice to recover his bus depot excellence of the past and Robin does not have the defensive game to compete. Nor does he have a consistent attacking game.
Joan alone (sounds like a film title) continues to improve. Hounds had Neil to strengthen their side, while Don & Rose seem to be continually improving. As ever, the match was played with good humour and at the end, the Hounds barked their goodbyes, called in at the nearest lamp post then surged in a wild yapping pack back to their kennels in the hills, for a big steaming plate of PAL. It certainly seems to work for Don.
