Broadberry Sports

Well I was thinking if we play really well and everything goes our way we could get a 3-2 out of this! However we didn’t take into account the Newlands Foreign Legion that travelled up to bolster the ranks. I said to the Newlands team manager and head honcho “Were you a bit worried about us Alan?”

To see David Lloyd Renfrew match reports click here

To see David Lloyd West End match reports click here

First up was Kev (Moran) against Peter O’Harrow (!) at No.1 – Was this going to be the year that Kev would make deeper inroads into Peter’s game? Unfortunately not, as Peter won the match 3-0 with some tight play to the back and the trade mark rocket to the front. I arrived at the end of the 2nd game and I thought that Kev let Peter dictate the pace a bit too much giving him a little too much to hit especially at the front of the court. Still all good experience and many have visited Newlands and come off second best to Mr O’Hara.

Ewen Urquhart went on next against Paul Bell from Carlisle at No.3 (yup, that’s right Paul Bell at No.3!) and he never really got into his stride. Paul was a little too experienced and Ewen was soon 2-0 down. Paul had an altercation with the marker in the 3rd game as he was expecting the call to be “Stroke to Newlands!” and was amazed when he didn’t get it. So in pique he started battering the ball as hard as possible; well like an alarm clock this woke Ewen up and he responded by also walloping everything at 200mph; suddenly the game came to life and Ewen was staging a comeback. Unfortunately it was a little too late and Paul’s lead meant that he was able to get the last couple of points needed, leaving Ewen high and dry; and I was left wondering if the clobberfest had started in the 1st game, would it have been a tighter game and how would Paul have responded??

Next up was me against Mark Ford at No.4 (I know – I wonder when the last time Mark played at No.4!). Anyway no surprises to hear that I got chopped 3-0 although I played quite well at times. I thought my length shots were working well and I volleyed well to boot. But when Mark realised that he’d have to get out of 3rd gear, he did and 7-7 became 11-7 in the 1st – I didn’t even get a sniff at the ball in the 2nd as Mark was almost trying at times and consistently sent me the wrong way – then in the 3rd he once again forgot that I could still hit the odd good shot and I almost sneaked a game, but it wasn’t to be and all I was left with was a strained Achilles on the down side and two pints of Erdinger on the up side!

Next on at No.2 was new Harrow signing Dougie (Kempsell) against England U19 No.4 Tom Ford all the way from Gloucester. Dougie had played Tom last year and been beaten 3-0 (in a Scotland v England Test Match) so it was going to take a gargantuan effort to turn that around; and a gargantuan effort is exactly what we got……………… from both players. Dougie took a very physical, tight 1st game, but Tom came back and took an exhausting 2nd and a lung-busting 3rd. Dougie won the 4th more easily and both players looked very tired going into the 5th, but none-the-less the match continued with its high quality shots and high-octane speed. Dougie was going cross-court from the front left too often for my liking (I know I’m a fine one to talk) and then having to do a lot of chasing to make up for losing the ‘T’. It was becoming a match about who could chase to the end and unfortunately although both players gave 100% it was Tom who prevailed and closed out the match 3-2.

Last up was Sean (Norris) against Malky Watt at No.5 (!). Bit of a tough one for Sean and 3-0 was tempered by the fact that he played well in the 1st to get 9 (ish) points, but it was always going to be a tall order to get a game, and a tall anything is not Sean’s strongest suit! Good effort though and anyway we discovered that (according to AP) Newlands weren’t really playing us tonight – they were competing against Giffnock! Ho hum.

I know it’s a bit vain to laugh at your own jokes and quote yourself, but then again I am vain, so with that in mind QOTN (quote of the night) was either:

No.1 from Tom Ford “The reason I took so long to get ready after every match is because I have to stretch and also have a couple of rehydrating drinks otherwise I suffer the next day.”

Reply from me “That’s very interesting as I also have to have a couple if rehydrating pints after my match!”

Or

No.2 from Alan (Newlands) Pearson “I remember once when we were celebrating a great victory we all went into that student Club in town, what’s it called? Oh yes Bamboo – and they let an old fart like me in, I couldn’t believe it.” Reply also from me “The only reason they let you in Bamboo Alan, is because you look like a Panda.”