171014 | bsmttc

News Release - BSMTTC News 69

Dateline: 14 October 2017

It's A Knock-out

This week has seen the 1st Round of the respective Divisional Cup competitions. And it would be fair to say that it has not been the club's most successful cup week!

Each division of the L&DTTL has it's own cup competition, so all of the club's 8 teams take part, each in the competition for their own division. Matches are played exactly the same as a League match, the only difference being that the match stops once one team has crossed the winning line by winning 5 sets.

3 of the club's teams had byes in Round 1 but a brief report on the teams that did play follows.

Keith Dudley holding the Forrest Cup (Division 4 Cup) won last season by the Bath St E Team. But could the new E Team hold on to it.......?

The Rumjahn Cup (Division 2)

With 2 teams in Division 2 the first priority was ensuring they avoided each other in the Round 1 draw. The draw, conducted by the League, gave Brian Crolley's B Team a bye, however the A Team (captain Barry Davis) faced a difficult away match to a talented Cadwa side. It didn't help when captain Barry was forced to call in a substitute late on the match day, just as well Brian wasn't in action for his own team! There were perhaps 2 key moments in the match. In the second set Barry faced the home No.1, one of the top players in the 2nd Division. And after a titanic battle just lost out 11:9 in the fifth end. The other key moment was possibly the call for set 7, Barry giving preference to his team mates whereas had he called himself on against the home No.2 the result might have been different. Nevertheless, a very good match with the home team winning out 5:3.

The Forrest Cup (Division 4)

Keith Dudley's E Team are the current holders of the Division 4 Cup, but with a new team and facing QVC, the team currently topping the division, it would be a tough task to hang on to the trophy. And what a match this proved to be. The final match of the week but arguably the best. Every point was keenly contested and each set won by one side was matched by a win for the other team, so that after 8 sets honours were even at 4:4. This left Tony Bramham, for the E Team, with the unenviable task of winning his first set of the season if the E Team were to secure the match. For whatever reason, Tony has really struggled so far this season and in the end was just not able to build the confidence to take the decisive set. A great match nonetheless, with Andy Armstrong the hero for the E Team winning both his singles. Again, the score card tells it's own story.

The Hyde Cup (Division 3)

Again, with 2 teams in the Division, one obtained a bye, Dave Noden's C Team, whilst the other, Ian McElwee's D Team, received a home tie, against another Cadwa side, Cadwa A. The D Team have made a very good start in the league but found themselves facing very strong, experienced opponents and forced to bring in a substitute for the match. The match card tells it's own story, 4 crucial sets going to 5 ends, with only 1 going in favour of the home side. Just no luck at all. This match was all about opportunities missed, with first Andy, then Ian and finally Les missing chances to take sets which could have reversed the final score line. A great match, but a win for the visitors 2:5.

From a week of almost total disaster, there must be at least one good news story! Enter Captain Des Logan and his 'senior', in every respect, team of Barbara Alcock, Mary Delamere, Tom Bell, Steve McCormick and himself. They faced a visit to the unknown quantity of Greenbank. Played on two tables, a difficult match to manage, but credit to the 'seniors', they ran out winners 2:5! The only successful team of the week!

The Stamp Cup (Division 5)

In Division 5 both of the club's teams faced Round 1 matches, and both away from home. Keith Hardman leading his F Team to Arriva and Des Logan taking his G Team on the long trip across the city to Greenbank. It's never easy playing at Arriva and being a new team to Division 5 and having the first match of the week on Monday night added further pressure to the new boys. But, having watched the team in the league recently, when they visited Marine to play the G side in the league, Keith says that his team had a plan! As they say in the movies, 'I love it when a plan comes together'! Sadly, on this occasion the plan didn't come together and Keith's side of Stuart Reid, Tony Rimmer, Ian Brownrigg and Mark Benson were unable to trouble the scorers; the home siding marching through with a 5:0 win. Keith says however, the team remains upbeat. And surely, the plan will come together for this team at some stage.