Things changed on Wednesday and that's why I call it the 'First' Battle of Shoreditch. There will probably be more. Hopefully not involving us too many times.
It was always going to be an emotional occasion with Vi playing her last ever game as a regular (I'm crossing my fingers for the odd guest appearance) before see returns to Germany. We new it was going to happen but it all seemed to happen so quickly.
However, Alex had brought her Mum to watch so surely we were all going to behave ourselves?!
First up were the Really Awful Dodgers fresh from their first competitive win. Would they build on this achievement?
v Cojones
Looking at the league tables this was going to be the toughest fixture of the night.
The day leading up to the games was spent desperately trying to get a fourth girl to play and thankfully Rachael came up with the goods and Helen Potter answered the call to make her Dodgeball debut at late notice. When we usually approach girls to play the first questions they ask. Does it hurt if I get hit in the face? My usual answer is no and it happens very rarely.
This was to prove entirely false to Helen in the very first minute she received a fast flung ball straight in the head. Staggering around slightly dazed we reassured her that she wasn't out and lived to fight another day. A second ball thrown in her direction took care of that.
This was to set the tone for the match which Cojones took comfortably.
Result: RADs 0 Cojones 2
v The Honey Badgers
Confidence was higher for the first leg of this double header against a team that had yet to win a match.
Easy?!......not so.
It soon became apparent that one of their players was an extremely good catcher. His catching ability good that this match led to the shortest ever career for a ball boy for Honey Badgers. Mine.
Somewhat naively the Honey Badgers asked me to be a ball boy. A decision they were to regret as soon as they started to steer away from the rules. Rather than concentrate on the task in hand I decided to berate the player returning prematurely. I'm sure it was an honest mistake but it was enough for me to realise that it was impossible for me to be a neutral ball boy.
After repeated throws at the master catcher the team quickly sudsided despite there being signs that it was indeed a winnable game.
Result: RADs 0 Honey Badgers 2
v Honey Badgers
"OK guys...remember the tactics. Don't throw at the guy with the black t-shirt...he's third only good player"
So what happened? It was taken on board for at least one set....but otherwise.
Result RADs 1 Honey Badgers 2
It was over to the Awful Dodgers....but not before a crisis at the new venue. The
A swift trip to the off-license over the road soon fixed the problem. However, whilst other teams had the same idea and surepticiously snuck in bottles of San Miguel and Carlsberg (the beverages of choice of 'Bar Fridge' , Andy Davies waltzed in with a carrier bag of Fosters cans. Subtlety has never been his strong point!
The Awful Dodgers
v Schoolgirls & Ball-girls
In what now seems to be our weekly fixture against these guys we were determined to get off to a good start in what was definately the easiest of our fixtures and so it proved. Whereas last weeks game was a closer affair with a bit of early seson rustiness needing to be shaken off. This week proved that experience is a vastly under-rated. Nothing remarkable about this game. We left the excitement for later!
The Awful Dodgers 2 Schoolgirls & Ball-girls 0
v Ball Out War
Was last weeks victory against the reigning champions a fluke? Au contraire.
The Awful Dodgers 2 Ball Out War 0
v Busted Balls
This match was always going to be a tough game which in all honesty we expected to lose. Buoyed by the previous two wins the momentum was taken through to the first set and in a game that swayed to and fro a couple of lucky breaks sealed the game for us.
A set down and facing a shock defeat Busted Balls had clearly had their feathers ruffled. A couple of 'non-walkers' in the 2nd set led to a change in mood in the set. I decided to get up to my old tricks of 'if you can't beat them, join them' and decided to ignore a hit i knew the referee hadn't seen....Yes...i know its wrong...but!..
This only further enraged the opposition and meanwhile across court Alex was having her own personnel battle with a French bird (now to be forever know as Chuckles) who kept on giving her the bird....shocking stuff. Ultimately the set was lost but the red touch paper had been lit for the final set.
After realising that my presence on court wasn't going to help matters and that I was playing shocking Dodgeball due to the amount of alcohol consumed the decision was taken to withdraw myself from the action.
I'd like to think that the realisation that this was Vi's last ever set for us spurred us onto one of our best ever performances. Well if that's the case. We should have someone leave every week....oh, I think that's already been happening (last season!)
The final set of the evening was secured and Vi left us in a very healthy state TOP OF THE LEAGUE!!!
You'll be glad to know V ialso left with a bottle of Campari in her hand :-)
Awful Dodgers 2 Busted Balls 1
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