Flamstead 1st    3 - 7   Adeyfield 1st

Another title for Adeyfield.  Adeyfield collected the eight points needed to clinch the League Championship, our 24th in the last 34 years, and the second part of an incredible ‘double’, having won the SHAW title for the 3rd time, only 7 days ago. 

While the SHAW success was mainly due to the consistent form shown by Angela Smith, who played in every match, Flamstead’s golden girl was doing her utmost to prevent her SHAW team-mates from celebrating winning the title, in this match. Although Angela won a hat-trick, earning her an 8th ‘Player of the Match’ award, it was not enough. 

Angela faced her nemesis, Akash Shah, first. Although she had stopped a losing eight set run against him, in September, it looked like the same old story, as Akash raced to a big first game lead, which he just hung on to, to win. However, that was the end of his dominance, really, emphasised by Angela clawing her way back from an 4-9 deficit in the 4th

to take game and set with her usual fast attacking play. Mark York and I watched on with gloomy expressions, mentally counting the number of times we had beaten her between us, precisely zero, and which stayed that way with straight game defeats for the two of us.

But we all showed resilience and fortitude to come through the remaining 7 sets unscathed, though with some close shaves at times. Opponents Marc Brent and Nick Denney couldn’t quite get their timing right on the slow Flamstead table and Marc was guilty of serving off the table too many times at crucial stages when going for that extra spin. Nick took Akash to 5 games but the closest set of the night was Nick’s battle against me. I appeared to be coasting to victory when leading 2 games to 1 and 7-3 in the 4th when I got (another?) lucky edge, the ball clipping the side near to umpire Marc. I apologised and Marc called the score at 8-3. However Nick was adamant that my shot missed and the point should have been his, with a friendly discussion following. Nick was enraged by Marc sticking to his original call but he channelled his anger into some brilliant, positive play which brought him level at 8-8, in no time at all. Game on once again, and I was lucky to sneak home 11-9 in the 5th, which was the same score the last time we met.

As the evening grew longer the floor started to sweat, most noticeable nearest the walls, and this became a growing hazard for us players. By the time the doubles came around it was getting dangerous and several returns which would normally have been ‘chased down’ were given up as winners. However, in these surreal conditions Mark and I brought home the win over Angela & Nick which secured the League title. Always a good result against this pairing who have some major scalps to their name, and were responsible for inflicting our (Mark & I) last ever doubles defeat (February 2016).