As the season got underway for the Combined
2 team, newly promoted to Division 2, we welcomed Stocksbridge 2 to Tapton
School. It was a new side with Cat and Deepak making their debuts, and Steve
reappearing like a bad penny after 2.5 years away from his last combined match.
5 of the 7 different pairs that would play for Ranmoor tonight had never played
together before in combat. Would this tell?
British Fail lived up to its name once
again by making the Woolgar Express a late arrival, meaning our captain,
"Mr Proper Warm Up" made a late arrival, flustered and dishevelled. Deepak also ran in late, coughing and spluttering, and started the first game
with a minimal warm up. Things were not looking good...
Stocksbridge were likely to have very
strong men and weaker ladies due to the men playing for Jaguar in Div 1 and Div
2 and the ladies playing for Oxley ladies who finished bottom of their division
last season. This was how it proved with our ladies excelling and Cat winning
both her ladies games with partners Lesley and Jane. The men had a far harder
task given opponent Nigel, the ginger machine, plays in Division 1 for Jaguar
and he played in both mens games against Deepak and Steve, and Deepak and Dave
H, who were playing some really good stuff but succumbed in straight ends, no
match for the mixture of power, precision and almost total lack of errors.
Deepak and Steve were heard muttering that they were looking forward to a Mens
Division 3 standard next week when the mens second team pick up their campaign...
The mixed games now approached with the
score at 2-2, so whoever won 3 out of 5 would be the victor. Lesley and Dave
got us started with Jane and Steve following on the second court. The former
pair played a very traditional mixed pair who had lady front and man back, with
lot's of subtletly and strategy, poking the shuttle around the court. The other
pair played an almost unique style of level sides, with the lady happiest at
the back with a great smash defence, and the man the reverse, with a great net
kill and service return. This initially threw Jane and Steve who lost the first
end but they recovered by changing strategy to drop shots, this and Lesley and
Dave dropping an end too meant both games went into a tight third end. Lesley and
Dave emerged victorious whereas Jane and Steve were edged out in the third end.
Still level at 3-3 and all to play for.
To these pair's surprise, Cat and Deepak
had sneaked onto the far court to play their mixed game during a club night
lull, and had this finished at the same time. The pair excelled against Nigel
and Charlotte (a previous Ranmoor visitor) and Deepak picked up his first ever
win in combined. An extra point that could prove to be crucial in the end.
The final games saw a switch in opponents
for Lesley and Dave, and Steve and Jane. One more point was needed, Lesley and
Dave started first and had hoovered up their first game, with smashing at the
man the correct strategy, having to ignore Karen's advice to drop it to the lady, as
the drops were too often hitting the net. As the second end proceeded, Jane
and Steve took to the court and make light work of their opponents, Steve's
unique mixed strategy of reaching over the 'T' to serve to the lady then
dashing back, causing all kinds of chaos. As their second game started Dave and
Lesley finished off their game, and the match, with brilliant play, and an
equally brilliant hug at the finish! Victory to Ranmoor! Steve and Jane,
blaming distraction, adrenalin drop, and severe cramp for the RBC Player of the
Year, were edged in the second end and eased aside in the third, for a 5-4 win
to Ranmoor! They limped off court to join a victory celebration with a robotic
Mexican Wave by Richard and Karen followed by a six person "Dave
imitation" in fun of his response to a bad shot - see photo.
The Player of the Night has to be Cat on
her debut winning three out of three, though Lesley did the same despite jet
lag. Everyone else contributed, including Steve whose main role proved to be
serving the biscuits. He then sloped off to the pub muttering about how he
didn't concede a single point through service error, or through return of serve
all night. We think he is still there, grumbling to himself...