Division 2 fixture played on 01/11/2020
Last week Tring 2nd team travelled to Radlet but they were missing one of their more experienced players the result was a disappointing 1-4 defeat with only Steve
Malduca doing enough to earn Tring a point.
This week saw Harpenden visit Tring and back to full strength Tring were confident of a better performance. The match got off to an encouraging start with Martin
Harding winning the opening game 3-0. The game was characterised by long rallies and solid hitting.
James Armstrong was drawn against a very experienced player who gave away nearly 30 years. There are very few sports today where two players with such an age difference can be so competitive. James got off to flyer taking the first game 15-12. The match was a fascinating contrast of styles energy and bustle verses experience and accuracy. Unfortunately for Tring it was to be experience and accuracy that prevailed losing 1-3 in the end.
The third game featured Miles Wood in a left hander’s duel. Miles started at a frantic pace and it took a mix up with the scorer in the first game to settle the nerves.
From that point on Tring got stronger and stronger as the game progressed and was finally won 3-0
Steve Malduca last week’s only winner had the opportunity to put the match away in the fourth game and started well taking the game 15-5. The game was a complete contrast to the other matches so far, a game of cat and mouse cunning with short rallies as both players continually went for winning strokes. Tring lost the second in a tight game 13-15. Steve looked to have wrestled back control in the third only to let his concentration slip in the last few points to lose 11-15. The fourth game followed the same pattern with Tring in control for large parts of the game but errors letting Harpenden back into the game. Tring had a chance to win the game at 13-12 but it was not to be and lost the fourth 15-17
At 2-2 in the match the final game would decide who arrived in the club house smiling the most. Charlie Yerrell the youngest of the squad playing at one found it hard to impose himself on the game and despite some spectacular retrieving Harpenden proved too strong and won the final game 0-3 and the match’s bragging rites.
