A very tough but enjoyable match where the final score really doesn’t reflect how close some of the games were. 

PRO could so easily have been 3-0 up and instead found themselves 2-1 down.

 John ‘s win over Terry was, we think, a first ever win but with three juices could so easily have gone the other way.

 Johnny then followed up with a win over Ronnie that possibly owed something to a net or two at vital points, two games down and five deuces already!

 Neil then played Jai who beat him twice last season but with perseverance Neil came from two nil down to win in five.

 A strange fact then started to become obvious, Castaways were losing the first leg in every game and sure enough John then took the first against Johnny but he then responded by winning the next three to put Castaways four – one up.

 In the next yet again PRO won the first leg but Terry also recovered though only managed ot win deuce in the fourth.

 Neil and Ronnie then tool to the table, another bogey player for Neil recently and sure enough Ronnie took the first and then  the third to go two one up. The fourth couldn’t have been closer with Ronnie missing out on a match point when Neil got a net to win it. The fifth was a massive battle with neither getting the upper hand until the final stages when Neil managed another win.

 What is it with these first legs, Johnny lost the first to Jai but then imposed himself and won comfortably in four.

 Neil and John then took to the table and this particular rivalry has swung both ways over the years as was reflected by what followed. Neil adopted a more attacking game and although John countered with his own aggression Neil won the first and then the second to twelve which was probably the leg that decided it. John got a great start in the third to take that very easily but then it was nip and tuck to deuce in the fourth where Neil managed to somehow win to eleven!

 That also included the first first leg win for Castaways.

 Meanwhile on the adjacent table Terry got his mojo together and beat Ronnie three straight.

 The formality of the doubles followed where Neil and Johnny kept their winning ways going, only one lost so far playing together.

 So a 9-1 result that really doesn’t tell the tale and as this was a rearranged match there will be some scores to settle in a couple of weeks when the teams face each other again!