Under 14 Boys Finish 3rd (by Brendan Cox)

Under 14 Boys - Review (by Brendan Cox)

Croxley U14’s boys secured top spot in the Herts U14 Boys Summer League Grp A. and a play-off semi-final against the runners up of Group B – yet to be decided.

The boys under 14 team is a squad of 6 players – James Cox, Daniel Colman, Rohin Kotecha, Michael Bennett, Joe Lambert and a late addition to the squad of Jack Walker in his first season of competition.  

Herts LTA U14 Boys Summer League as @ 03/08/09  

The season started with a convincing 5-1 away victory over Radlett on the 13^th June.  The doubles pairing of James & Daniel got the match off to a winning start and with Rohin winning the 1^st singles rubber in a 3^rd set tiebreak, Croxley had a 2 nil lead.  Michael was unlucky having won the 1^st set 6-0 he let the 2^nd slip 4-6 and lost in a tie-break for the third.  Daniel and James both won their singles rubbers and with Michael and Rohin winning their doubles rubber a 5-1 victory kick started the season.

  Their second match, played on the 4^th July was a tougher encounter away at Harpenden.  Not only did the team have to play away but on clay a surface that only James had played on before and with Jack Walker making his debut it was always going to be a tough match.  James and Daniel both won their single rubbers, Daniel quite convincingly in the 2^nd set 6-2 after a tight 1^st set 7-5.  James had a tougher encounter winning the third set tie-breaker 10-5 against a higher ranked player.  Rohin and Jack, playing together for the fist time, fought hard but lost their doubles 6-2 to a more established Harpenden pairing whilst getting used to the clay.  Rohin was victorious in his singles rubber taking the 3^rd set 13-11 on a tie-breaker.  Debutant Jack played the last singles rubber and as time was getting on agreed to play this on grass, a strange surface for a debutant, but one that he took to well, but in the end succumbed to a stronger and more experienced player.  The match was poised at 3-2 to Croxley as the 1^st paring played their doubles rubber.  James and Daniel could not secure the victory which would have won the match, but went down 8-6 in a deciding set tie-breaker. The match was drawn at 3 rubbers each. 

The third match was a home encounter against Hertford played on 18^th July, a team that had beaten Croxley in the Spring league.  Hyped up for this and in need of a win to maintain their unbeaten run, the team was changed again.  Both double pairings of James & Daniel and Jack & Michael gave the team the ideal start, both winning to secure a 2 -0 lead before the singles rubbers.  James and Daniel both secured two set victories in their rubbers with Michael being piped in each set.  So with a score at 4-1 to Croxley Jack Walker played the last rubber.  Two close sets, 7-5, 6-7, meant it went to a championship tie-breaker. Jack’s determination and will to win settled a close encounter with a 10-3 tiebreak victory to give Croxley their 5-1 win.  

Croxley now placed 2^nd their group would need victory in their final game against David Lloyd Bushey to secure top stop.  The Venue changed on the morning of 1^st August as weather conditions could not guaranteed an outdoor match.  Rohin returned to the team for this match.  Both double rubbers were played first and both pairings – James & Daniel and Jack & Rohin secured a 2-0 lead with convincing victories.  With all 4 single rubbers being played concurrently is was anyone’s match.  James and Daniel secured the points with two early 2 set victories and this was followed shortly afterwards with Rohin also securing a two set victory.  This left the overall score in the hands of Jack.  Jack came back from a set down (6-2) to secure the second (2-6) and go on to secure the 6 nil rubber victory with a 10-8 Championship tie-break victory in the deciding set.