Published 27/04/2024 13:08 by Michael Howard.
A lengthy match with half the sets going to the final leg. The evening started off with a clash of styles as James Molloy played Mike Howard. Having exchanged the opening two legs, the third was very close, which James took11-9 . Mike forced a final leg, which was nip and tuck before a stunning forehand return by James from a firm smash from Mike sealed the win. Tony Ardis then showed his best form of the season agaisnt Darren Ward, which he won after 5 very entertaining and hard-hitting 5 legs. Sue Lewis then confounded Rob McPheat in 3 legs to give the away side the match lead. This was followed up by a 5 set doubles which the reliable pairing of Sue and Tony won in a nail-biting final legby 11-9, after strangely one-sided affairs in legs 3 and 4. Darren boosted the home side by beating Mike in 3 close legs, before Sue took centre stage in a 5 leg marathon against James. Sue took the first leg comfortably, but struggled to contain James's serves and third-ball attack but still managed to take the second leg 15-13. James saved 2 match points in the third leg before winning it 13-11 and he easily won the 4th to force a deciding leg, which Sue won 12-10 to inflict only a fifth defeat of the season for James. Tony then beat Rob in 3 legs to give Vantage a 5-2 lead, their best points-haul of the season. Sue maintained her concentration to beat Darren, who clearly struggled against her pimpled rubbers, to secure a first win of the season for Vantage and a personal maximum. Rob and Mike then played another 5 leg set, each looking for a personal win on the night. It was a close match, with both players returning smashes as well as scoring from them. The set was decided by two unstoppable shots from Rob, first with a backhand and then a forehand, to take the final points and win 11-7. The final set, between James and Tony, was a bit of a damp squib after the earlier fireworks, with James winning in 3 surprisingly easy legs. A very good match, played in an excellent spirit. A great night for Sue Lewis, with 3 wins against players much higher in the averages-player of the night and a clear candidate for player of the week!