LAST season Kingsmith F finished third in Division III and were deservedly promoted – but how would they fare?
It is self evident the standard improves as one rises through the ranks.
It shows itself in many ways, the points being harder fought and probably lasting longer, and you will not necessarily win the point with your first big hit. It all too often is returned and you cannot afford to give away easy points.
Playing this season as the Kingsmith Terriers, the former Kingsmith F squad, still only 16 years old or less, had their first league encounter against Marsh Cons D and it couldn’t have been a more difficult baptism of fire.
There will not be a more varied selection of styles to encounter.
The brick wall defence of Neil Dawson, and the patience to go with it, the suddenness of Ed Bailes’ punched power to any remotely careless returns and the left-handed unorthodoxy of John Schofield’s side spin returns – and occasional back handed pile-driver hits.
For a while they didn’t do too well, as they lost the first four sets. They were careless in execution, and they served off the table or into the net in excess of a dozen times.
You cannot afford to give away so many points.
At times they were tentative, stroking the ball instead of hitting it. On other occasions they went for the quick fix instead of working for the point.
All these were problems of youth and their journey into the unknown.
Then things changed – they won four of the next six games, showing the form which might have drawn or won them the game
Jack Woodhead (16) and Oliver Shaw (15) won the doubles against Dawson and Bailes in three straight. Finding the courage to take the game to their opponents, they dictated the tactics and more than matched the Marsh pair when hitting and counter-hitting.
Woodhead followed up this doubles victory with a comfortable win over Schofield by three, nine and two respectively, while 14 year-old Dominic Lodge, though losing in straight games to both Dawson and Bailes, took John Schofield to a magnificent five games before losing out by 11-2, 9-11, 14-12, 5-11, 8-11.
As ever Oliver Shaw turned in a sterling performance. Though hesitant in his first outing against Dawson, which he narrowly lost by 6-11, 9-11, 10-12, he rallied to beat John Schofield in three by nine, five and three, and finally in the best set he overcame Bailes by 12-10, 11-6, 11-6. He showed all the urgency and power which had been lacking when he played Dawson.
On the wider front, with almost 70% of results to hand, the outstanding performance of the week must be that of Mohammed Ali who, by winning three, defeated Neil Crosland, Russell Senior and Tim Dyson. Definitely performance of the week.
