It was scheduled to be a busy weekend starting on Saturday with Boy’s 16 & Under at home to David Lloyd Southampton at 12:30 and Mixed Aces starting their match at home to VA Hampshire Club at 14:00 (not Lymington as I predicted last week - yeah I know but if no one tells me and when is Lymington anyway?)and Mixed Bros away to David Lloyd. Sunday Men’s Dees was due to be at home to Bassett D, the Men’s Bees away to Totton & Eling and Ladies Alpha to Salisbury. Photo: League winners Boy’s 16s on Saturday.
Straight to the action before the rain starts. We expected a week team from David Lloyd 16s and this proved to be the case. James Blair mauled the opposition 6-0, 6-0 as did Joseph Henbury 6-0, 6-0. Leon Chatterton cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win while Freddie Swain played Sam Ardley (acting as a DLS 4th player – non-counting) and lost 4-6, 6-3, 7-10. In the doubles James and Joe continued their level of play and won 6-0, 6-0. Leon & Freddie won a friendly one – set match against their #3 and Sam and won 6-4. So that was it: unbeaten in three matches and in some style
The visit of VA Hampshire Club certainly increased the population in the Pavilion but once they started to play it was Shaun Ritchie & Abby Whatley who returned to the kennel first with a comfortable 6-2, 6-0 win. Meanwhile Mark Wellby & Liezl Edom had a slightly tougher encounter but emerged winners 6-4, 6-3. After devouring the ten gallons of home-made carrot & coriander soup the return doubles found Mark & Liezl enjoying a 6-0, 6-0 win so had to wait while Shaun & Abby fought out a 7-6 first set and then cruising to a 6-2 win in the second set completing a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfactory afternoon chez nous. One more match and who knows this lot could be into Division 1 next September: does that mean they will have to play Brighton or Newcastle?
So that was the home front: in the morning, on the battlefront at David Lloyd, the Mixed Bros did not have such a happy time. Roger Travers & Julie Kelly struggled to a 3-6, 1-6 win while Helen Haigh & Steve Thomson were disappointed to lose their first set 6-7, which took the momentum away as they lost the second set 2-6. The reverse doubles found some success with Roger & Julie winning a tight firsts et 7-6 and then taking the rubber with a 6-3 second set. Helen & Steve had a real ding dong losing the first set 5-7 and the second 4-6 – good result that! So overall a 1-3 loss in rubbers.
The weather forecast was not great for Sunday and out of three matches two were postponed and only one went ahead which was a shame really as the real weather didn’t arrive until later. The survivor was the Men’s Boyz match at Totton & Eling where the players dodged showers to finish satisfactorily for Thornden. Kees de Groot & Tom Flynn showed no mercy in their first rubber winning 6-1, 6-0. Matt Pitman & Phil Lawrence were almost equally merciless in winning 6-1, 6-2 and Pete Colling & Ian Ballard destroyed their #1 pair 6-1, 6-0. By the second round of rubbers Totton started a fight back, Kees & Tom halving 6-3, 2-6 but Matt & Phil muscled their way to a 6-3, 6-1 win and Pete & Ian continued where they left off with a 6-2, 6-0 win to leave Thornden well on top 5.5: 0.5. To close the fixture Kees & Tom won 6-4, 6-0, Matt & Phil halved 0-6, 7-6 (too many cakes or tea in the change-over I guess) and Pete & Ian completed a thoroughly dominant shift with a 6-0, 6-0 win to close out a 8-1 win.
Next week EOE: Saturday Mixed Aces at home to Warsash, Mixed 10s at Bassett and 14 & Under scheduled at Portsmouth TA. Sunday Men’s Cees at home to Bassett and Girl’s 16s are scheduled at home to Avondale.
So that is it. Great Men’s finals in Australia provided some interest in a dull damp dog-walk: what a change from Djoko & Andy slugging it out. Quite refreshing really.
Title: Hello, Hello recorded by “Sopwith Camel” in 1967: link is Gordon Kaye star of Allo, Allo, who passed away this week.