Week 8 Captains report - Home versus NMCC

Patience is a virtue…or lessons in spotting the lesser-spotted Robinson

Week eight rolls around, and with it come some monumental changes. Firstly we were handicapped by the absence of Coach Walls for what would be our final home game of the season versus NMCC. Opinion was sharply divided as to whether this is, in fact, a handicap – the “yes” vote took it, swayed by the fact that someone else would have to pay for the sandwiches i.e. me.

The second change was that we would not be scrambling around for players. The recruitment drive initiated by my understudy to the role of vice-under-committee-sub-uber-budg-captain Lee “grinder” Greenwood had borne fruit. Earlier in the week he confirmed the recruitment of two of Thames Valley’s finest, Messrs Dave “Junior” Greenwood and Ben “Kylie” Keighly-Kiely, one of the famous Kailee brothers.

Six players and I was cock-a-hoop. We were playing against NMCC, whom avid readers will remember as the team we played against with four players and still managed to scrape a 7-5 victory…

“How many players have you got this week!?” asked the away vice-captain.

“We have six this time, but can I leave sixth place blank as we have another player on the way?”

He looks around at our team…

“Of course, no worries. At least we don’t have to play against the man, the legend Brad Robinson!!”

Ahem…

Six players available meant didn’t even need Brad…which was ironic, because it was this week of weeks that he had choosen to make his first appearance of the season.

So our opponents relief at not having to go toe-to-toe with Brad was short lived as I revealed that actually, the player we were waiting on was Mr Robinson!

The place – racks bar

The time – 7:59PM

The decision – who goes first

Having made the decision to drop John Young in favour of Mr Robinson, I needed a leadoff man. JY had played with Junior Greenwood before and assured me he was as good-a first place player as anyone, so in he went.

He proceeded to play like a man on the payroll of a Chinese betting syndicate. It was the kind of frame where afterwards you struggle to convince your teammates that you were actually trying to win the game. Unfortunately Stefan, Dave’s opponent, realised too late that the Nobel prize for pool philanthropy was canned years ago, and when he went in off for the second time in the frame Dave was left with a dot-to-dot finish he polished off. 1-0.

I was up next, and continued the riding luck theme. I debuted my new break off by throwing the white off the table and into the ladies toilets. Luckily Ray, one of three Dawsons in the opposition, couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo for the first five shots and I thought I was in for an easy ride. Then somebody flicked his switch, and a new ray Dawson appeared, one who couldn’t miss a fly’s arse twitch in a headwind at 200 yards! Needless to say I didn’t like the new Dawson as he proceeded to clear up. Luckily for me he got the last ball blues and let me in at my final red and a thin snick on the black. Nice finish for 2-0.

Third place Ben made a mockery of two of my statements from earlier that evening – firstly that he was any good and secondly that Dave and I had used up all our luck in the first two frames. His opponent left a half ball cut on the black that he stunned-in instead of rolling and promptly went in-off. 3-0.

Neil played his usual solid game and frankly it was a relief to see someone win without having to rely on an in-off. 4-0

Lee was up fifth, and made an interminable game 20 minutes longer than it should have been by pinning the black so close to his final red over the bag that he had to start potting his opponents balls before he got a chance at his own. Jim wasn’t having it and potted the red when trying to free the black. 5-0.

Then finally came Brad’s debut game of the season. I would say it was worth the wait but that would be a lie. However he didn’t really break a sweat to win his game. 6-0.

So 6-0 looks convincing on paper, but with a bit more luck (and I am writing this knowing our opposition are reading this at some point) it could easily have been 3-3.

Second half was a bit of a damp squib. Ben secured the win (7-0) and after that the only interest remaining was the sandwiches. Once Brad made a meal of them (literally – no one else had any) Dave went on and gave NMCC a deserved frame on the board. 7-1.

JY returned to the fold in position nine and returned with an instantly forgettable win. 8-1.

I played my winter league teammate Jim “pretty-boy” Floyd and secured my second frame of the evening with a lovely little finish. Sweet! 9-1

Frames eleven and twelve were the most interesting of the evening. Brad was up in eleventh spot and played like we were 9-1 up and half the team had disappeared. His opponent got to the black while Brad was still wondering which end of the cue to chalk. By his fourth attempt at potting it his teammates had realised that he had a chance of making NMCC history. He showed plenty of nerve but no nerves at all to not only win the game but also do it in style and double the black in. Cue much applause from his teammates and a new photo on the wall next to the table at NMCC. 9-2.

The magic was up last, and one again showed that not only does he deserve his nickname, but also he is one of the best last frame players around.

With the black in the middle of the “d” cushion, the white in the jaws of one of the d-end pockets and his final red over the opposite corner I was convinced a shot of touch and finesse was required. Neil was convinced otherwise and showed perfect cueing and amazing cue-power to pot the red and screw the entire length of the table to leave him perfect on the black. A fantastic shot that deserved a bigger audience. It would be an insult to call it pointless, so I shall award it vice-under-committee-sub-uber-budg-captain “not pointless” flair shot of the week. 10-2.

Two more games to go, but no Keith next week. Subject to a league update by the committee I believe we have secured the league title and can start looking forward to the quarter finals.

K&K.