Melbourn won 18-8

The 2nds picked up their first win in three matches as they saw off Division 3’s bottom side Frank Lee 1sts… but only just, the 18-8 win going down to a deciding game in the final string on court before breaking Melbourn’s way.

Things started well for the hosts, ever improving teenager Will Bradshaw (4) making light work of a very experienced county league player Mat Williams. Will won 15-4, 15-9, 17-15, initially overpowering Mat and then riding things out when the Frank Lee player got his great attacking boasts going in the third.

However Frank Lee struck back as Sean Hamilton (5) ran out of gas when two games up against Liam Stubbington. Liam didn’t really have the shots to trouble Sean on the attack, but he defended well and as Sean’s legs tired he started to attempt to force, making mistakes where he had previously been clean. Sean even had a match ball in the fourth, but having not converted saw the match escape him 16-14, 15-10, 7-15, 15-17, 13-15.

Next on court was Moises Estrelles Navarro (3) in an all-Spanish affair against Nick Balon. This pairing upset Moises as it meant to he couldn’t swear as much as he wanted too… not that it turned out he needed to as Moises speed around court was just too much for Nick to cope with, the Melbourn player rattling out a rapid 15-3, 15-7, 15-6 win.

The next match on court was Jan Brynjolffssen (1) against Dan Foster. The first game saw Jan struggling to cope with Dan’s attacking play, but a step up court to be more dynamic and go for his shots before his opponent could saw Jan turn things around to win the next two. The fourth was nip and tuck, with a touch of controversy thrown in, with Jan ahead late on in the game but finding himself leaving the court regretting tinning what should have been two simple backhand drop shots at 12-11 and 13-12. He lost the game, and then couldn’t re-assert himself in the fourth, going down 11-15, 15-5, 15-10, 14-16, 13-15.

This meant it was all up to Matt Walker (2) and James Hustwayte, though the players didn’t know this as they started. Matt got off to a flier, but then lost his way and looked in trouble as James, by far the younger man, built a two games to one lead. However Matt is a cussed dog, plus he was also enjoying the challenge of playing second string for once, and he dug in to take it to a decider. By now I think the players knew it was all on their shoulders; Matt handled the pressure better, seeing out the game and letting out a roar of victory. Both his and the teams. Matt’s game scores were 15-9, 8-15, 7-15, 15-10, 15-8.

The win kept the 2nds nicely ensconced in fifth place in the Division 3 table – the middle spot, but on points way closer to the top of the standings (leaders Cambridge 3s have 99 to our 81) than the bottom two places (St. Ivo 2s, who are in 8th are on 41 points, i.e. 4 behind us).