We had what could only be described as a sub-optimal match in the league last week where we lost 8-1. And next up was the top division team the King’s Head, so my aspiration was to try and not to 8-1 again. There’s nothing like a bit of optimism to start the night, so I focused on having a light and functional Schöfferhofer.
The Sublime from Floc, a tropical edge and a bit of citrus. There’s Luke the Lion practising in the background, we thought we’d get there early in the hope of only losing 7-2 if we upped our game from last week. Marginal gains and all that.
Then the draw with Graham from the King’s Head, we were ready to roll. I liked their cards which had their players on the other side.
I was drawn last in both the singles and doubles, the latter always gives the challenge of it potentially being the deciding match. This is the sort of pressure that elite athletes train for. I mostly cope by looking concerned, eating crisps and pretending that I have a plan.
Off we go, promptly losing the first match.
Kirsty pulled it back for us and the thought of losing 9-0 subsidised. This was positive as there are only so many character-building experiences one team should be expected to endure in two weeks.
The snacks then appeared. Some teams rely on coaching, tactics and psychological resilience. We rely quite heavily on crisps.
To cheer me up a bit, as we were losing 3-1 at this point, I went for the Peach Me Up from Woodland Brewing, a gentle and not overly tart sour which went well with the M&Ms.
Then PJ played a robust and confident game, which is exactly the sort of thing we needed, not least because some of us had already begun quietly calculating how bad the final score might look on paper. I decided to referee this one to distract me from doing too many of those calculations.
And then it was my game. Channelling everything that Zak and Nathan have taught me, or what I’ve learned when refereeing, my back cushion game actually worked, with 5 balls in the 100 pocket and 1 ball in the 200 pocket that I actually aimed for rather than just fell in by mistake. This was unusually decadent play for me and likely won’t be repeated all year….. And it was enough for it to be 3-3 at the end of the singles.
Luke the Lion treated me to a Flump for scoring over 1,000, which is precisely the sort of vice-captaincy that builds morale. He is definitely becoming the best vice-captain in the league, and I say this not just because he brings sweets, although that is clearly a major part of modern leadership.
Ivan came along to say nice things to me, although he disappointed me by telling me that the CAMRA coach trip I’m on with him on Friday night isn’t going to the Ber Strete Gates.
Kirsty and PJ had a dilemma towards the end of their game as Kirsty would need to get the ball into the 200 and then also hit the final ball in the 200. And she only went and bloody did it, one of the best doubles games that I’ve seen. Positively optimal. Then more delights came for our team, with Luke and Vaughan taking the pressure of Terri and myself by winning their doubles match.
We very nearly won the final game as Terri got the 200 final shot in, but the peg wobbled and fell over. But Ivan was the true star of the show, nearly collapsing the table while refereeing. I liked his style. Not necessarily in a safety-conscious way, but certainly in an entertainment sense.
And 5-4 in what was a great game, although quite stressful for me once again when it was close. The King’s Head are a lovely team and it was all very close. We were one of the first cup matches to be played, so it might be a while for the draw for the next round giving us plenty of time to become overconfident and then immediately regret it.
And my usual rule is that if we win, then I go to the King’s Head after the match which was particularly appropriate this evening. Thanks to PJ, Ivan and Julian for coming along, a very lovely night and many thanks to the King’s Head for a fun match.