Derby Moor Fives Club, Littleover, Derby
Sunday, 25th June 2023
Bob Dolby reports: With the 12 pairings concocted by Lewis Keates, matches became closer and closer as the day progressed until we eventually concluded proceedings towards 6.00pm with a three-gamer. What more could we want for the 19th running of this friendly tournament first played in 2004? One substantial group of players came down from the City of Durham Club, Nick Geere and Keith Kennerley from the South West, Callum Yates and Oscar McIntyre from university in Manchester along with Val Fikhter from the Y Club, Simon Beattie from Nottingham University, Chris Davey from Berkhamsted, Mark Kiteley from Bedford, Chris Blakeley from London and Karen Hird from Repton, joining our own Derby Moor stalwarts for 8 hours of non-stop Fives. No Max Frost (injured), no Bally Singh (on holiday), no Aaron Wheatley (cricket), no Rob Whitehorn (elsewhere). Every year is different.
Four first round matches set up a pool for the 1st Plate, from which Cody Greaves & Stuart Kirby emerged victorious, Cody thereby winning his first Fives medal and the traditional engraved boule. The quarter-finals likewise produced a second pool from which Nick Geere and Keith Kennerley eventually took the honours, reversing a 9-15 pool defeat by Camille Beattie & Vishal Singh in a final which Nick & Keith won 15-11. If at first you don’t succeed, …
The two semi-finals in the main competition got underway after the post-lunch group photo was taken. Kristians Davins & Oscar McIntyre had had the match of the day in the previous round, beating Camille & Vishal in a scintillating three-gamer, but in multiple winner Anthony Goodwin and ever-improving Karen Hird they met their match in terms of sheer consistency: Karen hardly hit a ball down and Anthony got his hands to everything, no matter what Kristians & Oscar threw at them. in the other semi-final National U14 champion Val and National U25 champion Lewis just could not break down Richard and Simon’s defence. It all came down to one or two more errors in each game which Richard & Simon won 15-11, 15-13.
Somehow it was inevitable that the final also went to three games; perhaps also the bookies would have had their money on Anthony, who has won this event four times previously. What was a surprise was the start that Anthony & Karen got in the third game: 8-1 up very quickly — it was a lead that Simon and Richard could not claw back. So, for the second year in a row we have a Mixed pair winning this season-ending event, Camille & Lewis last year, Karen & Anthony this.
Huge thanks as always to Brian Kirk for running this tournament, with the help of Stuart and Lewis. Next year will be our 20th anniversary. We will make it special.
Scores
1st round: Mark Kiteley & Callum Yates bt Tony Hicks & Brian Kirk 16-14; Chris Davey & Adam Hicks bt Ed Hodges & Imogen Wright 15-4; Camille Beattie & Vishal Singh bt Cody Greaves & Stuart Kirby 15-8; Nick Geere & Keith Kennerley bt Chris Blakeley & Julie McIntyre 15-2
Quarter-finals: Val Fikhter & Lewis Keates bt Kiteley & Yates 11-0, 11-0; Simon Beattie & Richard Christie bt Davey & Hicks 11-2, 11-2; Kristians Davins & Oscar McIntyre bt Beattie & Singh 11-5, 9-11, 11-5; Anthony Goodwin & Karen Hird bt Geere & Kennerley 11-1, 11-5
Semi-finals: Beattie & Christie bt Fikhter & Keates 15-11; 15-13; Goodwin & Hird bt Davins & McIntyre 15-11, 15-11
Final: Anthony Goodwin & Karen Hird bt Simon Beattie & Richard Christie 15-9, 6-15, 15-7
3rd Place Play-off: Val Fikhter & Lewis Keates bt Kristians Davins & Oscar McIntyre 15-13
1st Plate: Cody Greaves & Stuart Kirby bt Ed Hodges & Imogen Wright 15-9
2nd Plate: Nick Geere & Keith Kennerley bt Camille Beattie & Vishal Singh 15-11
The assembled players
Anthony & Karen winners
The finalists
Cody & Stuart win the 1st Plate
Nick & Keith win the 2nd Plate
End of proceedings
Match of the quarter-finals
A selection of DMF’s trophies!