Monday 27 February 2012

Grange 4 vs David Lloyd 1 - or 'NOT Everybody Loves Raymond'

This week the match report is a little late. I thought it best to calm down before putting the proverbial pen to paper. As you can see from the title, this game wasn't quite the normal friendly game we have with David Lloyd ...

The team this week was Andy, Richard, Mike (me), Brian and Colin Williamson making a cameo appearance in Oscars week. First up were Colin and I.

Warming up, my opponent was joking about and commented that it was Division 4 after all - so a light hearted game was anticipated. WRONG. Yap, yap, yap , yap, yap. Every ball and every call was an argument with the ref. The first was nip and tuck to 5-5 before he put a little run together to close it out 5-9. In the second I went 6-0 up before being pegged back to 6-6 and then 7-8. I defended 3 game balls, mainly by running around like a madman before taking it to the tie-break. Another save at 8-9 and it was soon 9-9. At this point the game exploded. I hit a rubbish boast that he couldn't put away and I won the point to take the game. He argued a double hit (although only after the point was lost)but the ref was happy. He argued. And argued. And argued. Eventually I offered to play a let. He argued. I pointed out that I was being pretty fair playing a let when the ref had given me the game. He argued. I gave him a count-down to claiming the game. 3. He argued. 2. He argued. 1 - okay, he'd take the let. I won 10-9. The next 2 games I won 9-4, 9-6 mainly by ignoring him - apart from the time I asked him to stop talking as he was giving me a headache. As I came off, he went to remonstrate with the ref.

Meanwhile an epic encounter was on the other court. In the first, Colin was 0-5 down before pulling it back to 6-5 but losing 6-9. In the second, Colin tightened up and began to get some length for a 9-3. The third was nip and tuck to 6-6 before it slipped away 6-9 and the fourth seemed to be going the same way with Colin at 6-6 quickly finding himself 6-8 down for match point. But an excellent trademark forehand got back the serve and he brought up the tie-break which he won 10-8. Into the fifth. This was a tight game between two well-matched players and we saw 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7. With both players dead on their feet, the game slipped away 7-9 for a 2-3 loss. 1-1.

Next up was Brian playing an opponent who had beaten him 3-0 earlier in the season. In the first Brian was 6-3 up before a slip in concentration brought up 6-7. But order was restored and he closed it out 9-7. In the second Brian assumed control for a bagel and was 6-0 up in the third and looking for a double bagel. But his opponent had other ideas and it was soon 7-7. But Brian drew on all the coaching he's done with Mr Moran and held on for a 9-7 to make it 2-1 to Grange.

On the other court, Richard was also in an epic. The first two games were exchanged 9-3, 5-9 as both looked for a way to get on top. And the next two games followed a similar patter with Richard taking the third 9-5, before losing the 4th 4-9. Once again, into the fifth. This was tight at 0-0 for ages before Richard got himself into a 2-1 lead. But a run on 6 points on a single serve was just too much and the game was lost 4-9. Match score 2-2.

Last up was Andy claiming to be a bit rusty from lack of practice. He quickly got himself into a dominant position in the first and was 8-5 up. After losing 2 game points he began to move his opponent around the court and had a simple drop to win. Tin - would you believe it? But soon he had another game point and a simple overhead down the forehand - Tin - this is becoming a nasty habit. But being Mr Cool (or should we now call him Tin Man), Andy held on to take the first 9-6. In the second, the rust began to show and Andy was quickly 0-6 down before rallying brilliantly to 8-7. But the rusty bits came back and the game was lost 8-10. The next two games just weren't the Andy we know and the missed volleys and dropshots were just too much and the match was lost 6-9, 4-9.


So the game was lost 2-3, but a creditable 11 points (plus 2 ref points) should be enough to ensure the 4ths end the season mid-table. A special thanks to the guys at Accies for letting Andy's game finish - it was well past 10!

It was back to the Grange for the usual pizza fair and some excellent company.

7 comments:

Pete said...

Come on u 4444444444444444s!

Good job! shame the tin man rusted up. would have been a cracking one to win.

Which unlucky sod reffed your game?!

Raymond said...

Well hello again Mike, and so soon! I was "tipped off" by one of your clubmates that you had made full use of your (clearly) very fertile imagination in compiling your extremely biased, in your favour, "account" of our match. Disappointing that you didn't express any of these thoughts to me during or after the match?!

The truth is, the only people who didn't see the already mentioned "double hit", NOT a "rubbish boast", although there were more than a few of those which got you out of tight situations elsewhere in the match, was Brian, the referee, and yourself although you would have felt the second hit on the racket. My team-mates watching the match all saw it as a "double hit" also so not just my view!

In addition to seeking clarity from Brian on that point, which was particularly crucial in that game for yourself, I also asked about whether Brian had been happy with two serves which I thought had hit the lower service line and Brian hadn't been sure about one of these. I had won the point on that one so that required no further action.

Your account of the matters that you have noted is unbelievably exaggerated presumably to make your story just a bit more "tasty". Absolutely loved your tale of the imaginary "countdown" of 3-2-1 too! That would have been amusing for everyone present had it actually taken place!

Also, no mention of you deliberately colliding with my lower back on four separate occasions during the early part of the match, injuring my back, until I asked you to refrain from doing it and to ask the referee for a "let" instead if that was what you were concerned about rather than thumping into my back. I haven't been able to play since as a result of the impact of those collisions. You did stop doing so after I asked you not to but you shouldn't have needed to be asked in the first place! Squash is supposed to be a non contact sport in terms of it's rules!

No mention either of the 9/1 win for me in the 4th game, or of your un-necessarily unpleasant language on court on a number of occasions heard only by myself, quite deliberately done that way on your part.

I did also referee two matches after we played (Brian's and the latter two games of Colin's) without any moment in either of those requiring a "special mention".

Always best to get a balanced view of a situation rather than an unfairly biased and wrongly slanted one such as that which you sadly chose to post. I understand that your story possibly makes more interesting and amusing (perhaps) reading than the reality so appreciate why you have written it that way. However, I think my additional information, for those not present, now gives readers that necessary balance and fairness! None of this should have been necessary of course.

Take it easy big guy!

Another Battered Ref said...

Great match report - anyone in ESSA squash could have guessed your opponent's identity without the clue in the title, though!
:-)

DLL are one of the nicest teams around with one exception. It's a shame for the rest of the team but I think all of the other clubs recognize that they're not of the same ilk.

Anonymous said...

Ur right we are a nice team and thank you for saying that.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely, 80% a real pleasure!

Anonymous said...

It's not true that "anyone in ESSA squash" would know what was going on. I was very confused after looking up the scores between GRG4 and DLL 2s rather than DLL1s.

Maybe it was just me.

Raymond said...

@Another Battered Ref
Pots and kettles spring to mind here.
I've never even had a conduct stroke awarded against me so just a little irony involved in your comment then!?
Unlike another chap, who we both know as do others possibly reading this stuff, who had "conduct match" awarded against him by one of his own team-mates who was refereeing his match in an East League contest!
Hmmmm...........!
Anonymity too, pathetic!!!