|
10/05/2004
The Final - a purely personal view
Having managed this website (162 reports posted this season) without seeing a single ball struck, Steve Cubbins finally gets to see a match ...
Having run the National League website, like forever, I finally got to
see a match.
And it was the final.
I’ve seen, corrected, updated, arranged, reports from Howard Harding
and all the National League managers over the seasons. 162 stories on
the National League site this season alone (163 now), and I’ve read
them all. Since I was there, I thought it might be time to do one of my
own.
Of course I was busy taking photos and scurrying back to my laptop (in
a corner of the bar, quite some distance from the court) in between
games to update the scoreboard, so I didn’t see every rally of every
match. And anyway, describing squash matches isn't my strongest point.
So I thought I’d tell the story my own way ...
THE FINAL
The National League final was always going to be a close, tense affair.
Most pundits, both managers and all the journalists thought it was
going to be 3-2. But 3-2 to who?
Fitz-Gerald v Perry
Sarah Fitz-Gerald gave Edgbaston the opener, displaying amazing pace
and control for a 35-year old who retired almost two years ago. And
this was against the World number 16. “I didn’t do anything wrong,”
Madeline told her coach after the first game had disappeared 0-9.
The Irish woman found a few points in the second, but Fitz-Gerald’s
threatened smashing of her racket in annoyance after a rare error told
us that the Australian was in no mood to let this one slip. She’s never
lost playing for Edgbaston Priory, and she wasn’t going to start losing
now.
The second was claimed 9-4, and that accustomed superiority resumed in
the third as another 9-0 gave Edgbaston the first point.
“I think Madeline thought she might do well against me,” Fitz-Gerald
said after the match. “But I made sure we played the game at my pace
and it seemed like it was a bit too fast for her. And playing on the
glass court probably fazed her a little too.”
Rumours abounded about Fitz-Gerald’s retirement from all competitive
squash, but presenter Andy Nickeas managed to extract a promise to put
herself forward for the Australian team in the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne, Sarah’s home city.
“If the selectors will have me,” she said, to a round of laughter from
the audience. Imagine the headline: FITZ LEFT ON THE SIDELINES BY
SELECTORS. As if.
Fitz may not be taking it as seriously as she used to, but she’s still
awesome. But in the days (sorry, years) when she was world number one
we didn’t see her sipping a pint of lager courtside as she supported
the rest of the team. Yes, it was AFTER she’d played. Yes, I’ve got it
on video. No, you can’t see it. I promised.
Berrett v Barker
This was on the side court, which was packed, but not with many people
(the viewing area is small), so I didn’t get to see any of this match.
But from what I heard it sounds like the experienced hand Berrett, this
year’s BSPA Grand Prix Champion, took a game to suss out the style of
Edgbaston’s younger Barker, and then proceeded to take him apart for a
comprehensive win.
I can believe that. Marcus won the Proctor Memorial at my club,
Tynemouth, to start the BSPA season off back in October, beating Nick
Taylor and Peter Genever in the semis and final. He’s class.
Taylor v Harris
So it was one-all when Nick Taylor and Del Harris went on to the glass
court.
“I always thought that Nick’s match was the critical one,” said
Manchester-Pontefract manager Yawar Abbas. “But I didn’t dare tell Nick
that,” he added. “I didn’t want to put any pressure on him.” (as soon
as I saw Yawar I said to him “you just HAVE to come up with a shorter
title for the team next year!")
The pair were relaxed before going onto court, joking about being the
‘old fogeys’ of the team. Del has been a loyal servant to Edgbaston and
was playing his 27th consecutive match. He asked himself “how old
are you?” after one injudicious shot, and then gave us the answer. 39.
You’d think he’d know by now that black socks don’t look good on a
squash court.
Nick’s not as old as Del, but the word in Sheffield was that having
retired from the PSA circuit late last year he was thinking about this
being his last competitive match. He’s working as a coach in the
Manchester set-up, and more opportunities might arise for him there.
If it was his last match, it was a good one to go out on.
Yawar might not have told Nick how crucial his match was, but it looked
like Nick knew anyway. And Del certainly did. Both players were
flinging themselves aroud the court with gay abandon, and the young lad
with the towel was called onto court every other rally. Well, a lot,
anyway.
The ref was involved just as much. Nothing nasty, just a lot of
decisions to be made. Oh, and a conduct stroke (no warning) awarded
against Del. For saying ‘arse’.
At one point Del slipped at full speed and slid from the ‘T’ into the
back right corner of the court, back first, sitting up. On his arse, in
fact. Right in front of me. It gave the court one hell of a whack. Wish
I’d had the video running on that one!
But that’s how they played. It was hell-for-leather stuff, with no
quarter given or asked for. Nick squandered a lead in the first. Won
the second. Sneaked the third. Lost another lead in the fourth. But he
started the fifth strongly, and with Del stretching his back after most
points it was soon over.
2-1 to Manchester-Pontefract. Or maybe 1-1-1 to Manchester,
Edgbaston, Pontefract.
Whatever, Yawar was looking happier. Not because he’d thought of a
snappy new title for the team (Yawar, do it. Please!), but because he
had James Willstrop on next, and could imagine his hands on that trophy.
Willstrop v Grant
After Taylor’s win, it seemed the tide had turned in
Manchester-Pontefract’s favour. James Willstrop v Adrian Grant was, in
most seasoned observer’s views, the most predictable of the men’s
matches. A Willstrop win to clinch the title was on the cards.
But last night (Saturday) saw a charity evening at Pontefract which
Malcolm Willstrop said that many long-standing members of the club
thought was the best night ever. “And we’ve had a few good ones,”
Malcolm added.
James was involved in the squash, and quite possibly in the bar too, so
maybe the foregone conclusion wasn’t quite so foregone.
Adrian led for most of the first, had game balls, but lost it 11-9. The
second went the way of Edgbaston, as Grant took it 9-7. Was Willstrop
looking just a little tired, just a little too keen to win the points
early? Was an upset really on the cards?
No. James was overwhelming in the last two games, although as he
clinched victory his rather muted celebrations did seem to suggest a
certain relief. Maybe he was suffering a little. Only the bar staff at
Pontefract can tell us that.
Anyway, as James went round the into the corridor at the back of the
court, I caught him for that fist-clenching photo that appeared on the
home page. Pity it was out of focus, but emotion’s better than
sharpness.
Malcolm came into view. “Well done James, that was good.”
“Thanks, Dad,” said James.
Lee Beachill wandered into the corridor on his way onto court for his
match with David Palmer, which was to be a best of three as the title
was already decided.
“And Lee likes you too,” added Malcolm.
“Like him?” said Lee. “I could s**g him!”
“And DON’T put that on the internet!” said Malcolm, quick as a flash.
Sorry, Malcolm.
Beachill v Palmer
It was a fun match.
I only caught the tail-end of the first, but another late arrival asked
if they were “messing around”. “No, they’re going for it, it’s good
stuff,” he was told, “but whoever wins the first is going to win the
second easily.” (best of three, remember).
So Palmer took the first on a tie-break. But Lee hadn’t read the
script. He took the second game quickly, and we were treated to a third
game. It wasn’t hard to bear, as both players were trying, really
trying, and it produced some great rallies.
Beachill, in particular, was running after things you would have
thought he’d not bother with. His team had already won, he became a
proud father last week (congrats, by the way, Lee!), and rumour was
that he was heavily involved in the celebrations at Pontefract the
night before.
And after each superhuman effort he would bend in half in the middle of
the court to recover.
But he kept going. He saved match balls. He proved all the pundits
wrong by making it 4-1. But then Lee’s a bit of a betting man, and was
probably thinking of all those poor bookmakers who would lose out if it
was 3-2, as predicted. By everyone.
And Finally
The presentations were chaotic. Well for me they were, anyway.
Lovely trophies, but as soon as the first ones were presented (to the
referees), all hell broke loose. There were people on the pitch ...
I stood in my usual back left corner, along with the video man and the
mystery photographer, waiting patiently for each winner to be
announced, walk on, be presented, take a pose for a photo and retire
gracefully to the side or the back of the court.
Just before Andy announced the first award, the video man (who had been
walking across the back of the court during the matches all night),
sidled across to the other side of the court.
The mystery photographer, who had been in the dugout behind the front
wall all night, decided to take up a position just by the court door.
And then, Andy decided to announce the runners-up not invividually, but
as a team.
Bedlam.
They come in, shake hands, get their trophy, look left, right, centre
at the various photographers. And by this time friends, family, pet
hamsters and all had come on to court to get shots of their loved ones.
I’d intended to capture a little video of Andy saying ... “and the
National League Champions for 2004 are ...” and then swing round to
capture the champions being crowned.
Nope.
I’d gone across to get a shot of the Edgbaston team, and while I was
doing that, Andy said ... “And the National ...”
BUGGER ! I managed to maneouvre my way back to base, catch what I
could, but the results aren’t great, I can tell you!
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I did capture Yawar’s speech on
video, and I did, eventually, persuade everyone to get together for a
group shot, but I tell you what - if Steve Line or Fritz Borchert had
been there there would have been trouble!
No really, Finally
So, Yawar’s team wins. Unbeaten in 13 matches. “We’ve hade a few 3-2’s,
but I feel we’ve been the best team, and it’s great to confirm it by
winning this showcase final,” he said. And they got there before
Arsene’s team. Remember that.
Hear Hear.
And you can ‘hear’ the full speech as soon as I get around to
converting it to a wmv ...
Contributor: Steve Cubbins
Club: NO CLUB
Link:
|
Latest NSL News:
NATIONAL LEAGUE SITE HAS MOVED
THE LOCAL DERBY
INSIDE ROUND ONE
GUILDFORD SUFFER IN WEEK ONE
DEPLETED NOTTINGHAM TAKE ON THE CHAMPIONS
WOLVERHAMPTON WIN 4-1
RESULTS FROM WEEK ONE
CHI CRUISE LOCAL DARBY (AND JOAN!)
CHAMPIONS STORM TO SUCCESSFUL OPENER
INSIDE ROUND ONE
THE SEASON STARTS HERE
INSIDE THE 2004/05 SEASON
NATIONAL LEAGUE OFF TO ANTIPODEAN START
|
