Men’s A v Heath A
That’s right Vale fans, we are now Division 1 champions of the Cardiff District Badminton League, and boy does it feel very very good!
Initially, it seemed like a difficult mountain to climb, with 4 members of the team unsure if they could play the final match, and with a sure ‘no’ from Chris, it seemed like division 1 hopes were out the window. But with committed members from the A team (No, not Dirk Benedict), they were able to pull together, to make an attempt at Division 1 glory.
So it was our last match; against Heath A (who have now gained a respectable 3rd place), and we knew we were in for a fight – but let’s just say we were up for it too, (badminton style not the fighting kind).
The Vale team against Heath A consisted of:
- Barry ‘I hold the official CDBL record of broken Rackets’ Garnham (he even broke a racket at last night’s match)
- Martin ‘Going through a nervous breakdown’ Dix
- Darius ‘Smash Smash Smash’ Garnham
- Rob ‘One Pint and its over’ John
- Huw ‘Come join me in the shower’ John
- Dave ‘Play it safe’ Chartres
Enlisting the help of the Swansea league veterans, we made a valiant start in the title decider match, showing excitement during the matches that would put the excitement from mega-phobia to shame ;) (displaying menacing rallies, powerful smashes and consistent serves). After such exciting events, this helped take the Vale massive into a 3-0 lead, but Heath were not going to let us take the title without earning it, and they proved this, by taking some of the games to three sets.
Now, with Barry and Mart beating the 3rd pair, and bringing it to 4-0, we were relying on the fast duo of Darius and Rob to help alleviate the anxiety (mostly from me) of the night, and with a 3 setter extravaganza, Rob John managed to achieve an ace to bring victory for the Vale to win the 2010 Division One Cardiff League Cup. The final score was 7-2, with Heath’s 2nd pairing showing class and taking two well deserved rubbers.
A MASSIVE thanks to Vale Men’s A for their continued effort throughout the season, it was a tough ride but we managed to hold our own and show division one what we are made of. A big thanks to the rest of the Vale members for their support and playing up when needed, which proved to be a huge asset to the team.
Mart.
April 29th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
A cracking result that can only serve the club as a whole well. The final match was pure entertainment to watch (not always because of the badders!)Well done fellas!
I may even go to the award night now!!
Nige’