Where has 2009 gone!

Posted 11:40 20 January 2010 in Weekends.......What are they?

After the big Hertfordshire comeback, I suffered from some elbow and shoulder pain. Was it linked to the previous shoulder problems or something new? I thought it was tennis elbow, as Herts was the first full day of smashing I had suffered since March.

I limped my way to the Restricted – 3 weeks later, dosed up on painkillers and a tennis elbow strap.

My partner Trevor Darlington was on fire for a man of 41, with me struggling to hit any power, we slide through the Men’s doubles draw. After 3 games 2 of which going to three sets (that helped the arm) we were in the final. Again another 3 setter, I was really struggling with power…clearing to the back of the court and smashing. We won in three sets, but the arm really hurt. After a shower and more pain killers, we started the mixed. I was playing with Kelly Holdway, who’d been having some really good tournaments results at the end of last season and start of this one. She’d also just won the ladies doubles, our first match was playing some juniors, I spent a vast amount of time at the front of the court, with Kelly using her strength at the back. We got through this in 2 sets, but my arm was not working properly, I couldn’t clear past mid-court.

Next up we played two second team players, they were playing well and although we took a set, I was powerless in the 3rd end, with them walking in and taking my drop shots (that’s all I could play overhead) off the tape! Dumped out of the mixed, in the quarters and wondering when I’d next be on court due to my arm.

 

I went to county practice the following Wednesday but only managed 8 shots before pain set in and I could only drop shot. I started to see an Osteopath recommended by my Mum and a friend. He diagnosed that the elbow was affected by problems in my shoulder, but was confident he could sort it…..but no badders for a little bit. County nominations went up, I wasn’t nominated, no 1st team, no 2nd team….apparently I was informed the selectors were worried whether I would not be able to play all season and would cause them a fine. I was in a similar boat…..worried when I would next play, but the fact no one spoke to me to find out where things were at and how my arm was…..makes me think that the later bonus reason…was that our 2nd’s had lost a couple of players in the summer and needed reinforcements, so the plan was for me to play in both 1st’s and also 2nd’s for as long as poss.

 

I managed to get fit and playing with a little pain for the 8th November…..back on court within 6 weeks. The Osteo did wonders…..for my arm, and his bank account!

I played a second team match and it was very nice, winning all 3 of my matches…..compared to Prem A last few seasons….wins were far and few between! I managed to prove my fitness and form and was then picked for Prem B weekend the following week. Played men’s doubles only, with Matt Corby, recently joined from Devon. We won 2 out of 3, beating Dorset 1st MD, losing to Herts 1st MD and then beating Bucks 1st MD of Manfred Tripp and Matt’s brother Dan……scraping through 22-20 in the 3rd end. Hampshire finished the weekend in top spot…..awesome!

 

My 3rd tournament of the season, was the Hampshire open (I’d pulled out of the Bournemouth), wasn’t really sure how this was going to go. Had I lost all form and ability? were the youngsters much improved and Adam and I would lose early?

Hampshire went well, we got through the early rounds pretty well, we met Adam Porter and Geoff Ball from Avon in Semis. County pride and usual desire to win meant Adam was well up for it! I was definitely up for it, the last time we had met we won in Wimbledon….but a couple of years ago we had lost to them in the semis at Hampshire. Revenge was taken, three long tough sets, some noise, some aggro…..but an enjoyable game….even better we won. After having got very pumped up to get through the semi, I knew I couldn’t keep that level of intensity, it would effect my game, I needed to be calmer and focus on doing the right things as our final opponents were Graham Hurrell and Matt Sprake. Wasn’t a good performance and lost in two reasonable bad sets.

Losing in the final was very disappointing; however after a shower and some reflection….I was pleased to have got to the final……3 tournaments this season so far….Restricted….MD win, Herts MD semi, Hampshire MD runner-up.

 

The end of 2009 was the final Prem B weekend, I was picked for this at 1st men’s doubles again with Matt, and we had a tougher weekend this time round. First match out was Worcestershire and Simon Archer and James Lauder. We blitzed the 1st set winning to about 12 or 14. Then they got more into the second set, taking a close game 21-16. The third was another battle, but one which Archer managed to control near the end and they took the match….again pleased with the performance, but disappointed to have lost that 2nd set.

The afternoon match was against Surrey 2nd’s the team performed well won 8-2, Matt and I won our match…very pleased.

Sunday was against Leicestershire, we were both battling for top spot, with Lanarkshire closing up behind. We were 2 points ahead going into the tie, so even a 5all would leave us top of the league into the last weekend. Singles was tied, Men’s went the way of Leics and Ladies went the way of Hants. Onto Doubles, Matt and I lost in 3 sets to Tom Armstrong and Carl Jennings…..with a disappointing 21-12 in the 3rd end, well that’s what I thought. This weekend Matt had been playing mixed as well, but his arm was causing him problems and in the 3rd set of our men’s he couldn’t hit anything hard (sounds familiar!). He saw the physio, but pulled out of the mixed, so the Hampshire selectors asked if we could sub out Matt and sub me in…….Leics agreed…..Matt was playing with Jo Dix against Tom and Liz Brett….arguably one of the best mixed pairs in both Premier divisions. Jo and I have played before many times for our club, but the standard was very different and my mixed hadn’t been good for a while.

Then came the inspirational, motivational team talk from one of our elders. “Chris, Matt is pulling out, so you’ll have to play (whilst walking off!)”….needless to say this didn’t get taken too well…..with the organisers resigned to me losing…..Jo and I lost the 1st set to 12, but were getting into it, won the 2nd to 16, surprising the opposition to take it to a decider. Then came some of my best badminton in a long long time…..kept things calm, even with provocation from Tom (he knows how to wind me up, but I didn’t bite on this occasion)…..I think we were up 19-15 and they came back to 19 all, but we held it together and won 21-19…..an awesome win, one of my best at county level!

Sadly we lost the match 6-4, which put Leicestershire top of the league (level on points, but they won the tie between us) and Lanarkshire are 1 point behind us both.

 

Christmas and New Year was good, I was planning on hitting the training hard, but I got a trapped nerve in my neck and couldn’t sort it out till a visit to the osteo after New Year. So training is now starting belatedly. Its difficult reminding myself, that exercise every day means, the legs continually ache…..don’t remember it being this bad a few years ago….but then a few years ago I wasn’t approaching 30 and not played much competitive badders over the last 12 months!

 

Devon is coming up for Men’s Doubles at the end of Jan, followed by the great experience of the Nationals on the 5th Feb…….onto more training tonight!!!!