With the SHAW season well and truly done and dusted now, time for us (Flamstead 1st) to focus on trying to secure second spot in the Hemel League, and tonight's match against the Crown & Sceptre ‘A’ team was eagerly anticipated, not only three of the loveliest guys in the game, but as always offering tricky opposition, which in my eyes makes a nonsense of their League position. I personally have lost to all three players in the last couple of years, so this is one never to be taken lightly.

A great match to start us off with Ken storming to a very comfortable 11-2 win in the first leg against Biao. Ken again proved too strong in the second taking it 11-8, but Biao then started to find his range and managed to snatch the next two legs - both going to deuce. Nip and tuck in the 5th, with Ken managing to hold on to take it 11-9. Marc and Bill then contested 4 very close legs, with Mark managing to tighten up on his many unforced errors, to take it 3-1. I then managed to almost snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Richard. At 2-0 up I was comfortable, but Richard is never one to be written off and took full advantage of some rather passive play by myself to take it to a 5th, which I finally managed to sneak 15-13 for a much relieved win! Biao continued his fine hitting against Bill, winning comfortably. I then took on Ken in arguably the game of the night. Having lost very narrowly against Ken a few weeks previously I was very focussed and raced into a 11-6 11-3 lead. Comfortable in the third as well at 6-2, the tables turned somewhat after that, with Ken fighting back and saving two match points at 8-10 down in the third to take it 13-11. With Ken winning the 4th very comfortably, I managed to regroup to give it a really good go in the 5th, and again held leads at 5-3 and 8-6, but Ken being Ken, and the master of making you hit just one more shot with some absolutely brilliant retrievals, managed to take the deciding leg 11-8 to leave me very much with a feeling of what could have been. Richard and Marc then played out three very close legs, with Mark just about nicking each one for a 3-0 win. I then made sure that I gave Bill my full attention and managed to run out a fairly comfortable winner in 3. I then sat down to score Biao against Richard. If ever there was a match up where there would be absolutely no mention of the word expedite it was to be this, with the first three games all reaching 9-9 in double quick time with some amazing counter hitting and smashing. Biao managing to edge two of the three before finally finding his range in the 4th and hitting some unbelievable smashes. Marc and Ken finished off the singles with Mark outfoxing Ken in the 1st and hitting a number of unlikely winners. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to keep it going, with Ken taking the next three legs fairly comfortably. Myself and Biao then completed the victory with a comprehensive win in the doubles against Ken and Richard. Final match score Crown & Sceptre ‘A’  3 - 7  Flamstead 1st.