MATCH REPORT: 09-12-2007 : Hurlingham Pigeons (Burroughs), Lost 4.5 : 2.5
This inaugural fixture, at the Burroughs Club on the Middlesex University campus in Hendon, was played in a good competitive spirit, particularly with the Chief Pigeon combining his role as Secretary of Old Tonbridgian Real Tennis, and Andrina Webb and Rachel Heslop playing for both sides following the late withdrawal of a young OT. Each match was played for 50 minutes on the bell to enable everyone to have at least two matches.
The first match was very tight with the game score at seven games all at the bell, but both pairs agreed to play out the decider and at 40-all Don Carse served a beauty to the OT Hon Sec to take the game and the match.
In the next match Corin Jenkins, in spite of giving a sizeable handicap, always had the better of Will Chawner.
In another tight finish Don Carse, this time with Andrina Webb, won the final game to halve their match with Mark Agate and Rachel Heslop.Jim Ludden lead Patrick Jenkins by 4-1 but Patrick's experience came through for him to win a good match by 8-6 at the bell.
With the overall win secured for the Pigeons, the Heslop mere et fille played confidently to beat the stationary Osmond-Evans and Andrina by 10-4 but the OTs came back to secure two good wins (and some honour) in the final doubles with some of the best tennis of the day. Altogether an excellent day out, with Ged Eden doing the marking throughout, resulting in a win for the Pigeons by 4 1/2 matches to 2 1/2.