Melbourn 2nds trekked to Peterborough to kick off the second half of the season.

Moises Estrelles Navarro and James Storer at string 4 and 5 respectively got going simultaneously, with Moises up against Joe Eggins and James taking on Pierre Caruso.

James had clearly upped his game over the last few weeks. Pierre was finding James' polished technique and style difficult to cope with while James was feeling the pressure from Pierre's determination and willingness to go for winners. James' energy, good footwork, positioning and variation was too much for Pierre in the first game and he took it 11-15. However, as the second game progressed, it was Pierre who was able to step it up, get ahead and frustrate James' game, taking it 15-9. With the momentum, Pierre dominated the third, James off the pace for some reason and a relatively easy win, 15-3. James competed well in the fourth but couldn't maintain it, Pierre was able to assert control and take it 15-8 along with the match 3-1, however a sense that a little more match-practice would have made a difference for James.

Moises meanwhile, has his hands full with Joe Eggins. Moises delivered a typical all action aggressive performance, with the always improving deft touches, boasts and specials that he is becoming known for. However on the night, Joe was a little bit more assertive and managed to get ahead at the right time, taking the first game 15-13. Moises was showing signs of being ever so slightly off the pace in the second game, having played very little over the holidays, and succumbed to a 15-9 loss. Facing a challenge to keep the match alive, Moises stormed into the third game, determined to leave his mark, however again just a few unforced errors due to some rustiness and the game slipped to Joe, again 15-13 like the first. Joe therefore taking the match 3-0.

Matthew Walker took to the court against Matt McGurk for the string 3 tie. The two Matt's were closely matched and produced a wonderfully entertaining match of the night. There was a sense that it could come down to a few mishits or lucky shots, and so it proved to be.

The first game was fought tooth and nail, both players playing excellently with hardly an unforced error throughout, the home player nicking it 16-14. Melbourn's Matt took the initiative in the second game and into an unassailable lead, holding on for a 10:15 win. Errors by both players were creeping in, probably due to the relentless nature of the match, but this made it all the more exciting. Matt McGurk was able to stretch ahead in the third game, his cross court kills in particular doing the damage, and took the game 15-10. Matt Walker started the fourth game in determined mood, getting ahead but didn’t sustain it, allowing the home player to stay in touch and crawl back into contention. Inevitably it was 14-14 and a combination of a little luck along with risk taking resulted in Matt McGurk taking the game 17-15 and the match 3-1.

Gareth Jones, at string 2, was looking for an element of revenge against Renzo Rozza Gonzalez who had narrowly one an epic contest in the first match of the season. As expected, the first game was nip and tuck, going to 13-13, and as in the other matches, the home player was able to close out the close game, taking it 15-13. Gareth stormed back, cutting out his errors, getting his drops tight and accurate, taking the second game 8-15 and looking like he was in control. But alas, the combination of Gareth's errors and Renzo fantastic retrieving meant a straight-forward 15-10 game for Renzo. Gareth fought hard in the fourth game, intent of making it another 5-setter. And at 14-14, he had his chances, but it was yet again the home player to take it 16-14 and the match 3-1.

The string 1 match had Colm O'Gorman taking on Tim Millington, Colm aiming to gather some points at least. Unusually, the first game was very one sided, with Colm varying his game, controlling exchanges and taking his opportunities and cruised to a 5-15 win. Tim however was showing glimpses of his capability towards the end of the game and continued to improve through the second game which he won convincingly 15-8. From then on it was a more closely fought battle. In the early stages of the third game, Colm managed to get into a lead, however Tim was able to peg it back and at 14-14 it was anybody's, again however the home player was able to nick it and take the game 17-15. The fourth game was similar to the third, Colm going ahead, but being pegged back and arriving at 14-14 yet again. Both players having opportunities to win the game, in both cases making unforced errors, and for the final time, the home player nicked it 18-16 and match 3-1.

Melbourn skipper Colm O'Gorman was none-the-less happy with the overall performance, and felt that 'the final points score of 20-3 to Peterborough' didn't fairly reflect how competitive the matches were.