away west herts

occasional match reports here

WHERE		WHO	WHEN	WHAT

Uxbridge II	vs	Sobell I	Thurs 6 Oct	L 0-5
Sobell I	vs	Paddington III	Wed 12 Oct	W 4-1
West Herts III	vs	Sobell I	Wed 19 Oct	L 1-4
Portobello Green I	vs	Sobell I	Tues 25 Oct	W 4-1
Sobell I	vs	Coolhurst IV	Wed 9 Nov	W 3-2
Sobell I	vs	Cumberland III	Wed 16 Nov	W 3-2
Cottons Mixed	vs	Sobell I	Fri 25 Nov	L 1-4
Sobell I	vs	Ealing II	Wed 25 Jan	W 5-0
Coolhurst IV	vs	Sobell I	Thur 12 Jan	L 2-3
Paddington III	vs	Sobell I	Wed 18 Jan	W 4-1
Sobell I	vs	Uxbridge II	Wed 8 Feb	W 3-2
Sobell I	vs	Portobello Green I	Wed 15 Feb	0-0
Ealing II	vs	Sobell I	Wed 22 Feb	W 4-1
Sobell I	vs	West Herts III	Wed 29 Feb	W 3-2
Sobell I	vs	Cottons Mixed	Wed 7 Mar	L 1-4
Cumberland III	vs	Sobell I	Thurs 29 Mar	W 4-1

Away vs Cumberland. Thurs 29th March. Won 4-1

Last night saw Team Sobell trek west to Cumberland to have a final crack at getting promoted up to Division 3.

First on court at no.3 was Tomas. The warm temps (relatively speaking, of course. Being an Aussie, I can assure you that court temps can get hotter) meant lots of bouncy balls and sweat. Tomas's opponent liked to rally and there were plenty of those, especially long ones. Most of the games were tight but Tomas eventually out-splitted his opponent in his usual wince-inducing style and won 10-9 in the 4th.

On the next court Tim at no.5 was playing a large n' loud Kiwi. The game was not a pretty one, let me tell you, with the Kiwi employing rugby-style movement and random shot selection, and as a result, took the first 2 games. After some undoubtedly golden advice from yours truly, Tim settled into the game as much as was possible and eventually won in 5.

Hernan then went on at no.2 playing the same young guy as last meeting with Cumberland, who he lost to in 4. Like Tomas's match, there were epically long rallies, so much so that I managed to fit a (comfortable) win in 3 into 2 of his games! So after a couple of tight games in the middle, and the possibility of passing out from all that running around, Hernan won in 5. Nice job for hanging in there and surviving, especially after the minimal amount of squash he's been playing lately!

Last on court was Glen playing someone who can only be described as an ass. Sorry to end the report on such a note, but Glen's opponent for some reason thought we had flipped the team, with Glen playing too high up in the order. Tt's entirely unclear why he thought such a thing after losing the first game...and also after a snide comment to Glen on court, it was pretty clear that this was not a nice match to be playing. So Glen, sorry you had to put up with that. (Glen lost in 4, but only because the opponent was the aforementioned.) We did have a word with him afterwards but he refused to apologise.

To finish up our 4-1 trouncing, Tomas got drunk on 2 ciders and the loud Kiwi told us his stag do stories. The no.1 continued to be an ass.

Home vs Cottons. Weds 7th March. Lost 1-4

Last week we played Cottons Mixed.

Some great squash was played, not all by our team and none by me. Hence a rather slow match report.

I went on first at #5 against Tolu, who sometimes comes down on a Saturday with Rosa. I was a bit out of sorts from a busy day and started very badly. Tolu is a decent player, but he was beatable if I could just stop hitting the tin. Unfortunately I couldn't. I made a late and rather pointless comeback in the third, but still failed to win. 0-3.

Eva went on at the same time against a barrel-chested Italian. This guy had sublime touch, but he wasn't very into running. His serves and his drops were very good, but Eva's all round game was too much for him. Eva won 3-1.

Glen played at #2, against the guy who played #1 in the away leg. This guy played good clever squash and won the first two games. Glen realized he needed to play more shots off the back wall or from between his legs. That worked. Glen's style and some slightly dodgy calls from the marker (me), disturbed his opponent. Glen won the next two. However, his opponent was too experienced to let a match go. He brought his A-game to the final set and Glen lost 2-3.

Olly played at #1 against a fit, tidy, proper squash player. Olly's flair was too much for his opponent in the first game, but Olly couldn't keep up that level of intensity and lost 1-3.

Tomas played at #3 against a young, fit, but apparently very experienced lady player. She was very good and played what Tomas likes to call 'Proper Squash'. Long rallies, full of tight shots and amazing pick ups. After an hour it was 2-2. And they kept going. With me outside begging the 10 O'Clock booking to use another court, they continued the high standard. At the end of a really high quality match Tomas lost 2-3. It was probably the best match I've seen Tomas play and he finally found someone who could tire him out. I have never seen a happier loser ;)

We lost 1-4 in the end, but it was a good night - great squash, great food and great fun.

Home vs West Herts. Weds 29th Feb. Won 3-2

We played top-of-the table West Herts last night and they came with a strong team.

Hernan went on first against their #3. He was an experienced and effective player and the game swung back and forth. It went to 5 games, but Hernan wasn't quite on top form and went down 2-3.

I (Adam) played at #5 against a tall, thin guy with great reach and pick up. However his only really dangerous shot was a good attacking boast. I started badly and he won the first comfortably. I improved in the second and won a hard fought game, with some long rallies. I wasn't sure I had the legs to see the game out. I realized that if I couldn't run faster I would just have to hit the ball better. I played tight in the last two games, forced mistakes and punished them. 3-1

Olly played their skillful and fast #1. Olly played his normal 'Egyptian-style' flair and attacking game. It was a good contest. Olly narrowly lost the first two games and then blew up a bit in the third to go down 0-3.

Glen played a nationally ranked kid at #2. The boy could run all day and played really wonderful, well-disguised shots. Initially Glen was just too canny for him. Glen slowed the game down, chose almost every shot perfectly and picked up outrageous kill shots. Glen won the first 2 games. The first rule of winning is when you opponent is hurting, keep up the pressure and finish them off - that a bit harder to do if your opponent is a 14 year old boy and his Mum is watching! The young guy played really well to take the 3rd, but Glen reasserted his dominance to win 3-1.

Tomas's opponent at #4 just tried to hit the ball as hard as possible at every opportunity. This threw Tomas off to start with and he almost lost the first game. In the end Tomas fought back to win 10-8. From then on there was only 1 winner. Tomas found his rhythm, played tight and move nicely. He won 3-0.

Another great win against very difficult opponents. The league tables haven't been updated for several weeks, so we can't see our exact progress. But that doesn't matter, our plan is really simple - win every match.

Next week is our last home game of the season against Cottons - Rosa's team and Eva's former club. Please come down and watch if you can.

Away vs Ealing. Weds 22nd Feb. Won 4-1

A slightly tardy match report this might be, but I will attempt to make up for it with amazing tales the likes of which you've never read. So grab a stiff drink, sit back, and read on...

Last Weds found Team Sobell playing Ealing, who we had actually taken to the cleaners 5-0 a couple of weeks ago. This time we were on their turf as opposed to Fortress Sobell but that was neither here nor there, as it was still a tidy victory with us showing why we're a damn good squash team home and now away.

Gavin was on court first playing at no.5. His opponent's tactic was to try and destroy the ball through whacking the beheezus out of it. Gavin's a smart lad though (yes!) and didn't attempt to out-whack, instead waiting for his opponent to implode. The first couple of games were tight, both going to 10, but the 3rd and 4th were just too easy and Gav trotted home quite nicely thank-you.

Your erstwhile match reporter (Eva) was next up at no.4 and I'm afraid I have some disturbing news to reveal here: Sobell has a mole. Last Sobell v Ealing match my opponent played Tomas and if you refer back to that match report, Tomas's easy victory was due, in large part, to the opponent not moving at all. Clearly he had gotten a hold of said match report and rectified the issue because against me he was moving around the court no problems at all! So while I won the first game 9-1, he then picked up, I put down and before I knew it, I had lost in 4. Bad, bad match reporter. But of more concern is the mole, so any please keep an eye out for any suspicious email-forwarding related activity.

Moving swiftly along, I did finish in time to see our no.1 Olly down 2 games and 8-0 in the 3rd. Fortunately Olly chose at that point to pull his proverbial finger out and win that game (coming from 8-0 down!!). He took the 4th but in the 5th decided to put his finger back in and was 6-0 down before, you guessed it, finger out and a final win in 5. His opponent was not a bad player at all, but was clearly confused by Olly's slightly unorthodox approach to the match and couldn't put a game together when he was under pressure. Olly, you will be the death of us all, young man.

Glen at no.2 pitched up in some damn fine, brand spankin' new Reebok Classics. If you ever want to improve your game, I suggest getting a pair of those bad boys, as Glen was shufflin' round the court, returning everything his ever increasingly-exasperated opponent threw at him. (Average no. of backwall boasts per rally = 3.) The Reeboks took a game to warm up, as Glen lost the 1st, but after taking the 2nd, his opponent twanged something and retired from the match injured. Glen's theory, however, is that the twang was more a mental one as a result of being taken apart by the new Reeboks.

Final match was Tomas at no.3 playing a damned sprightly 65 year old who, despite taped-up knees, was clearly on a mission to impress his younger (by 20yrs!) lady-friend watching on. It was a tough game for both players, with Tomas doing his usual wince-inducing lunges and strecthes, to retrieve the veteran's deft backhand cross court drop shots. Fun to watch, with lots of long rallies up and down the length of the court, and Tomas eventually managed to take the match in 4.

This was all followed by a congenial dinner of bangers n mash with Sobell basking in yet another victory, taking us ever closer to a higher division. Finally, there was the roadtrip back to northeast London with Glen doing the driving honours and Olly telling lewd jokes. Ask him the one about the tiger next time you see him...

Home vs Uxbridge. Weds 8th Feb. Won 3-2

On Wednesday we beat Uxbridge 3-2. Let the charge up the table continue!

I (Adam) played first at #5. My opponent was effective and experienced, but beatable. I had a bit of a wobble in the first game and it was very tight. According to one 'pundit' my opponent was given a very generous let at a critical point - I couldn't possibly comment. I lost the first, but found my shots to take the 2nd and 3rd quite easily. I went 8-0 in the third, then lost serve. I then tried to win the game with perfect nicks, but ended up hitting the tin. I tried this three times and even Olly (the marker) looked concerned. Then I sorted it out to win 3-1.

Olly went on next playing at #1. His opponenthad good shots and lots of disguise. The first two games were tight. Olly lost the first but won the second. In the third Olly's range of attacking shots began to wear his opponent down. His opponent was fast, but he had to work very hard to dig out good winners in all 4 corners. Olly was gaining the upper hand at 7-4, when he stretched to far and (re)hurt his leg. Olly kept the game going, discarding his usual defensive and attritional approach and really going for it, but couldn't turn it round. He lost 1-3.

At the same time Hernan was playing Lisa at #3. Hernan was the better player, but Lisa wasn't going to give up without a fight. When she realized that she couldn't play better shots than Hernan or move better, she decided to try complaining, obstructing and asking for ridiculous lets. She was very good at this, at least. It was one of those games you don't want to play in (or mark.) Hernan dealt with everything well, as did the marker Eva. In the end Lisa left court midway through the 4th. 3-1 (I didn't see much of this game.)

Glen played at #2 against a very good opponent. Glen wasn't on great form and went down 0-3.

Eva played #4 against a very dangerous oppponent. This was a hard squash match between two good players. Eva's powerful, dominant play was too good in the end and she won 3-0.

Home vs Ealing. Weds 25th Jan. Won 5-0

Please stand by for a tale of amazing victories in which last night Sobell vanquished Ealing 5-0. Are you sitting down, for here it comes...

Gavin played at no. 5 and won the first game as if he was having a casual stroll through a serene meadow. That stroll turned into a crawl on all fours up a rocky mountainside with lava flowing down it, as his movement slowed down and he started playing loose shots, and as a result, lost the next 2 games. But channeling the fighting spirit of Che Guevara that he must have picked up from his recent holiday to Cuba, he won the next two games in the same fashion as the first. 3-2 to Gavin "Che" Menezes in the end.

At the same time Olly was playing at no. 1. There were no witnesses to what must have been a delight of on court youthful exuberance as Olly won 3-1. And every match brings Olly closer to breaking Glen's record for the number of back-wall boasts in a match. Surely.

Speaking of which...Glen played at no.2 against a Middlesex over 50's county rep who is apparently going for his England cap! Better yet, he played a similar game to Glen, if such a thing is possible. Despite such formidable opposition, Glen out-flicked, out-counter-flicked, out-lobbed, out-counter-lobbed, out-dropped and out-counter-dropped him to gain a comfortable 2-0 lead. It was then that something struck- perhaps Glen remembered he had left the delicious chicken wings for our dinner in the oven, for he lost the next 2 games due to switching off. But despite the potentially disastrous chicken wing situation, Glen mentally rallied and won the 5th game at a trot, likely sealing his place in Middlesex county's over-50's team at the same time!

Tomas played at no.3 and again, there were minimal witnesses. This could have been due to the fact that it was over before it began, with a 3-0 pasting. I did gather something about the other guy not moving at all, which is an interesting approach to squash, but clearly one that needs to go back on the drawing board...dobro Tomas!

And then c'est moi, your erstwhile match reporter, played at no.4. It was an all-girl affair just to remind the boys how squash should be played i.e., in a skirt. It was an up-and-down match with both of us not playing our best squash, even though it could still be considered a technical masterclass ;) I won the 1st game fairly comfortably but then, perhaps sensing Glen's unease with the chicken wings, I switched off, she switched on, and I therefore lost the next 2 games. It was at this stage that our team psychologist Olly game me some tips on concentrating (yes, you read all of that correctly), and I won the next 2 games in OK fashion. It didn't feel pretty, but I sure as heck wasn't going to be the only loser on the night...

There was a final victory in the VIP room as Glen served up a damned tasty dinner complete with cake at the end! Sobell now climbs the ranks in that comp as well, with only Paddington's Thai meals in front of us.

Sobell are therefore sitting comfortably in the upper section of the table, looming over the top 3 like Sobell's staff looms over us in the VIP room around 11pm on a Weds night...

Away vs Paddington. Weds 18th Jan. Won 4-1

We got an important (and rare) away win last week.
Glen played great to win 3-1
Olly looked brilliant, dodgy then brilliant again to win 3-1
I (Adam) got quite easily beat by a decent player.
Gavin and Tim both insist that they played badly, but Gavin won 3-1 and Tim 3-0.

Away vs Coolhurst. Thurs 13th Jan. Lost 2-3

We narrowly lost to Coolhurst on Thursday.
Paul on first at #4, against Russell. Russell is an awkward and annoying opponent and Paul found it hard to get into the game. He fought hard but went down 0-3.
Kevin at #5, was playing a decent player and lost 1-3.
I played #3 against a fit, young guy who didn't really have any dangerous shots. I won the first, then the mince pies started to take their toll. He won the second, then the third. I was 7-4 down in the fourth and very tired. But the rest of the team up in the gallery encouraged / embarrassed me into running and I won the fourth and fifth.
Hernan at #2, played hard and tight. His opponent couldn't cope with the pressure and Hernan won 3-0.
Glen at #1 had another hard game against a very good player and lost 0-3.

Away vs Cottons Mixed. Fri 25th Nov. Lost 1-4

.Away games are hard.

Hernan, playing #2, was on first. I didn't see his game, but I hear that his opponent was very talented, and fit. Hernan amazingly won the first game, but lost the next 3.
I played at #4 against an athletic and solid player. I was playing OK, working hard and annoying him with my drops and lobs. I won the first, but on the hot courts it took a lot out of me. I kept my opponent under pressure, but he won the next three.
Gavin played at #3 against an experienced opponent with a long reach. Gavin lost the first, but won the second. But, the old guy knew the courts too well and had too many winners. In the end Gavin went down 3-1.
Olly, at #1, started well against a very tidy opponent. He lost the first, but more importantly picked up an injury. He tried to run it off in the second game, but couldn't and he had to conceed.
Paul, at #5, was playing another young fit opponent. Paul lost the first narrowly, but kept fighting and stepped it up to win the second. From then on it was attritional on the hot courts. Paul kept his head, played well and worked very, very hard. Paul took the next two games to win 3-1.

Home vs Cumberland. Weds 16th Nov. Won 3-2

....report follows....maybe...

Home vs Coolhurst . Weds 9th Nov. Won 3-2

Thomas was on first against a tricky opponent, took him to pieces in the first 2 games then let the 3rd and 4th slip, however dominated the 5th and won 3-2. Brilliant game to watch with 100% effort from both players

Glen was on next in a very entertaining game that seemed to have the whole balcony laughing throughout the game. Outrageous shots by both players but his opponent slightly had the better of him and lost 3-0.

I was on next- went 6-0 down in the 1st but then the mistakes came and I didnt have to do anything from then. 3-0 win.

Eva was on the other court at the same time, didn't see much of the game but in a highly eventful game and apparently poorly marked game (Kevin), her opponent slightly had the better of her and won in an epic 5 game thriller

Gavin was on last against an exact match of him. Ridiculous pick ups and unreal pace! Went all the way to the 5th when the news came that this was the decider, but Gavin held his nerve and was much quicker than his opponent, cruising in the last to a 3-2 victory

Really nice bunch of lads turned out for a really nice match. Forward to next week lots of positives.

Away vs Portobello Green . Tues 25th Oct. Won 4-1

I (Adam) played first at #5. I started slowly on their slightly weird courts, but then my shots fell in to place and the game was mine to lose. I kept my nerve and kept running to win 3-1.

Tomas was playing at the same time at #3 against a good player. By the time I was finished Tomas was 2-0 up and his opponent was bleeding (literally). The third went to 9-9 before the home marker made a bullshit call to give the game to his friend. The (new) Tomas took that calmly and won the fourth 9-1, to win 3-1.

Gavin was playing an awkward, effective left-hander at #4 - like a better version of Kevin. Gavin played well, but this guy was very hard to beat on his own courts and Gavin lost 3-1.

At #1 Glen played a very talented shot-maker. Glen went 7-2 down, then fought back to 7-7. His opponent stepped it up. He played an perfect drop - Glen got to it. Followed by a fast, hard cross court - Glen ran the length of the court to play it off the back wall. His opponent finished the rally off with another perfect drop with Glen at the back ... but Glen got to this too and won that point. His opponent couldn't really believe it. To be honest he might as well have shaken hands with Glen right then and walked off court. He played on and Glen won 3-0.

Hernan, at #2, was playing the club professional. Great footwork, good shot selection and nice shots, but as it turns out not that fit. Hernan played him well, tired him out and won 3-1

Away vs West Herts . Weds 18th Oct. Lost 1-4

Eva went on first, against a wily old stager, he kept it tight, moved her around and killed it when it was loose, she was 2 down in no time, then she came back and won in the 3rd and he looked like he was tiring, but he upped it and took her out.

Olly was on at the same time, his opponent had the measure of his shots and won in three.

I was on against a vet who could move. I got a good start and got to 4 up and missed an easy drop for 5-1 and then is was one way traffic. In the 3rd a call went against him and he lost it for a minute and I closed the game out. That obviously riled him as he took me out 9-0 in the 4th.

Hernan was on at the same time as me, so I didn’t see his match, but I think he lost 3-1, he thought he should have done better.

Adam was playing Adam Pt II, in the last, big, slow but with drop shots to make you weep. Adam went 1 down after being 7-3, things looked up in 2 and 3 and he was looking good. His opponent rallied in the 4th and after me giving Adam a pep talk and his opponent losing it (he destroyed a racquet mid game). Adam got the job done in the 5th and his opponent calmly smashed his second racquet to pieces.

archive: