A -3 team runs a -10 team close. Very close!

18/8/2020

We welcomed Roehampton to our lawns on Sunday for the semi-final of the GC Inter-club Championship. This is the top level club competition for GC and one we have never before participated in. As a result of a Covid-reduced field and a good win over our neighbours, Watford, we found ourselves one step away from the final!

Roehampton’s team were daunting, with a total handicap of -10, against ours of -3! This included Harry Fisher, ranked 9 in the UK. In a baptism of fire, our doubles pair of Duncan Reeve and Keith Pound were astonished in their first game against Harry Fisher (-4) and Mark Van Loon (-3), at their opponent’s exceptional level. With barely a shot less than perfect, the opponents were clearing balls from 25 yards and running hoop after hoop from 15, 20 yards. Duncan and Keith did little wrong but lost the game 0-7! Meanwhile, on lawn 2, Stephen Wright and Richard Peperell were also both a game down against Dan Pearson (-1) and Tim Russell (-2). We were down, but not out.

On lawn 1, Duncan and Keith scored the first hoop in game 2 and then Keith ran his own 25 yard hoop. The confidence of Fisher/Van Loon wilted just a bit and it was game on. Good teamwork pushed us to a 13th hoop victory and another close game in the third. In a tight battle at the 12th we just missed out and went down 5-7. Stephen now started to find his straight shooting form and powered through 7-2, 7-3 to win in 3. Richard wasn’t able to stop his strong opponent from victory and so it was a 1-2 deficit at lunch.

We tried to remain positive but knew that victory would probably have to come from Stephen and Richard both winning and one of Duncan and Keith. A very tall order. Harry, wearing his Great Britain shirt, maintained unbeatable form and despite Duncan’s best efforts, won 7-4, 7-3. Stephen also maintained his consistent clearing from the morning and won again, 7-5, 7-3. Match score 2-3.

Keith shared the first two games against Mark 7-3, 3-7 and a crucial decider was set up. 4-6 down, Keith managed to score the 11th and had a chance at the 12th. With his opponent’s balls in front of the hoop, he squeezed past them to the hoop. Unfortunately his other ball was blocking the hoop from behind, but this did not stop him from running the hoop, to Mark’s surprise. 6 all. 13th hoop, Mark now played the perfect approach to a yard past, ready to run an easy hoop. Sadly, both Keith’s balls were wired from the 13th. Freeing one with the other he had one chance to clear Mark’s ball from 25 yards, but he missed. 2-4 and the match had slipped away.

Somehow at this point Richard had only just finished his first game against Dan. He had sneaked it 7-6 and, doing his bit for the team, displayed dominating skills more worthy of a -1 than +1 to win his second 7-3. So the match ended 3-4, hingeing in the end on one 13th hoop. We wonder, for their peace of mind, whether Roehampton will try to forget how close the -3 team came to beating the -10? Well done everyone.

Keith Pound