Premier Match Report

Kings stun Sasaki to maintain 100% record in 2019……

One from one still counts as 100% right? 😁

It was a mixture of youth and experience for Sasaki, as James, Jamie and Mike kicked off 2019 for the top of the table, unbeaten Sasaki.

Fresh from their first foray into the MK cup, the Kings kept the trio of Matt Horrocks, Guy Sparrow and Nick Howard, 10 points adrift in second place.

If tonight was anything to go by, it is going to be one long season! After match 4 (the doubles), we had to play on two tables as it was already 9:35 - Despite starting promptly at 7:30!

The first match of the night was captain vs captain - The 2 “old timers” of each team, Nick and Mike.

Mike has been setting the league on fire this year - Fuelled by Brexit talk and no confidence votes, he’s been holding nothing back (on….. and off the table!)

Unlike Theresa May’s Brexit deal, he started very strongly against the Kings captain. He took the first 14-12, followed by a fine 12-10 win in the second. He looked on course for a 3-0 win when serving at 10-9 up in the 3rd, but somehow Howard dug in to sneak it 13-11.

The 4th was a formality at 11-6 to Howard, before he continued the momentum, and never gave Mike a chance in the 5th; sealing the deal 11-5.

James and Matt took over next, and continued the marathon first sets - Matt taking it 17-15 in the end.

James fought back to sneak the second 11-8, before Matt let a 10-6 lead slip in the 3rd, thanks to some fine play from James taking it 13-11.

You’d have placed a strong bet on this going to 5, but James was too consistent in the end, fighting his way to a 11-9 4th set victory.

Guy and Jamie followed with another epic 5 setter.

Guy came out firing, taking the first 2 sets relatively comfortably. Jamie wasn’t about to lie down though, and thanks to some strong counter play, fought back to 2-2.

The 5th was a topsy turvy affair, with Guy finally sneaking it with a fine 11-7 victory.

Needing to hurry the night along (it was already past 9pm), Nick and Guy took on Mike and James in the doubles.

Well….. Clearly no one had a home to go to, as Sasaki finally won there first set 15-13, before the Kings took the second 12-10.

Sasaki hit back with an 11-8, before the Kings trounced them in the 4th to take it to a decider.

It was one way traffic from here, as the Kings continued their excellent doubles record to take it 11-5.

So - Over to two tables!

Nick and James stayed on their table, whilst Guy and Mike battled out on the adjacent table.

James is improving at a rapid pace, and can feel slightly unlucky to have gone 2-0 down against the ageing Howard (babies have a habit of ageing you……).

He hit back well in the 3rd to take it 11-9, before having chances in the 4th to take it to a decider.

He couldn’t quite get over the line though, as Howard found some fine attacking shots to take the win.

Guy and Mike were just about to enter the 5th set by this point.

Mike taking the first 2, before Guy came storming back to level at 2-2 (I imagine Mike must have had some deja vu from his first match!)

However, he was in no mood to lose 2 X 5 setters in one evening, as he pulled one back for his Sasaki team.

Current score - 2-4.

Jamie took on Matt next, and was in fine form taking a comfortable 3-0 win, whilst James was in equally good form on the next table dismantling Guy for an equally comfortable 3-0 win.

Defeat from the jaws of victory springs to mind here…….

At 4-4, Sasaki could smell a victory.

Nick and Jamie played out the first match, which included some spectacular rallies.

Howard taking the first, before Hendy levelled. Howard took the 3rd, and it was nip and tuck in the 4th, before some booming forehands gave Howard his hat trick and secured at least a draw for the Kings.

By this point, Wilkins had just levelled the match at 1-1, before Horrocks took the 3rd 12-10.

By his own admission, Matt had been short of match practice (which showed against the 2 J’s), but he used all his wit and tactical awareness to put the icing on the cake for the Kings, and despatch Wilkins 11-9 in the fourth……. courtesy of a net and an edge!

A very enjoyable game all around, with some fantastic rallies.

The bar has been set very high for 2019.

Final Score

Sasaki 4 - 6 Kings