Post by arf on Jun 9, 2013 7:56:32 GMT
Vae Victis!
When coming up with a title for a match report your author gives careful consideration to it. Namely, should the title reflect something about the events taking place during the match? Or maybe it should reflect the relevant stage of the cycle? Or maybe it should be something relevant to Middlesex? Or maybe even something pertinent to Middlesex’s opponent?
In playing Kent in the SF the natural inclination was to create one relating to the notion Kent is considered the Garden of England, thus, although trite, ‘Kent cut down to size’ would be a starter for 10! However having been known as England’s Garden for the past 400 years after King Henry VIII appreciated a dish of cherries from the area, Kent loses the designation in 2006 due to the fact it is ‘overrun with railways, traffic jams and chavs’ (Kent loses its Garden of England title…The Guardian 1st June 2006). According to stated article the moniker ‘Garden of England’ apparently now resides in the North in North Yorkshire. So since there is a question as to where the Garden of England truly lies if it is no longer in Kent what would be a suitable headline for a SF contest between Kent vs. Middlesex?
On reviewing Kent’s history this interesting snippet of information came to light. On a monument in the churchyard of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church in Swanscombe you will be able to read the following inscription:
"Near this spot by ancient tradition the men of Kent and Kentish men carrying boughs on their shoulders and swords in their hands met the invader William Duke of Normandy. They offered peace if he would grant their ancient rights and liberties otherwise war and that most deadly. Their request was granted and from that day the motto of Kent has been INVICTA meaning Unconquered."
In becoming aware of this piece of Kent history your author who has readily acknowledged his links to Kent recognises that his fellows around the time of the Battle of Hastings were prepared to fight to death if necessary against William to maintain their independence but in agreeing terms were able to acquire the term INVICTA – the Unconquered! Overlooking the phoney war of the Regional Stage, having reached the SF of the National Stage it could be said Kent does deserve the title, especially if they got there having played a preliminary match. The rejection of nomination by Suffolk meant automatic passage to QF and with it a re-pairing of the draw. However the National Stage is the ‘real’ war and in facing defending Champions Middlesex can they remain Unconquered?
With your author once again on duty with the u180 he hands over the reins of captaincy to Nevil who may provide a comprehensive report informing of how match unfolded but suffice to say Middlesex lose a close encounter 7.5-8.5 so it seems the motto in this instance is well-deserved as in travelling to Kent for the second time in the cycle they used their earlier defeat as a clarion call to rally their troops and repel the Middle Saxons. Or was it more a case of hubris addling Middlesex’s minds, the memory of the comprehensive SCCU victory seducing them into thinking a second win was on the cards? In keeping with the spirit of the historical period, think King Harold who in defeating the Norsemen at Stamford Bridge becomes overconfident and marches south to Senlac Hill to take on Duke William instead of consolidating forces; overconfidence leads one to make mistakes. Notwithstanding the reasons for their loss Middlesex as the conquered pay the price of defeat and cede their right to be called National Champions – Vae Vicitis indeed, Woe to the conquered. Middlesex’s defeat means they are dethroned and will have to wait another year to see if they can achieve the SCCU/National Double.
In the initial observations of the Open draw it was stated, ‘If things go to plan then there should be a number of cracking matches including the preliminary, 2xQF, both SF’s and the F. Let’s see if this pans out.’ The revised QF draw after Suffolk did not accept nomination meant round was a complete wash out as there were 4 one-sided matches as exemplified by Middlesex’s 14-1 demolition of Warwickshire – the 3rd greatest margin of victory in County Championship history. Thus in order to ensure the Championship retained its’ credibility, F apart, the SF had to be a defining round of current cycle. The adage, ‘So close and yet so far’ is always apposite for the defeated semi-finalists as what really exacerbates the pain is knowing that in losing a close encounter had one thing gone ‘our’ way you’d be in the F rather than looking in from the outside in the cold. When looking at the SF participants it was only right and proper to have the expectation of close matches since between them they have amassed a total of 68 out of 93 titles (73%) so all are looking to add to their tally. Without having all the details to hand it seems as though the Kent vs. Middlesex contest fulfils the brief of being a cracking match with Kent edging Middlesex; could the Lancashire vs. Surrey match do likewise?
With Lancashire playing Surrey once again they were hoping to extend their 10-3 winning record but was unable to as Surrey secure a comfortable 10-6 victory. Once again a one-sided match results as Lancashire were unable to field a representative team as their XVI were heavily reliant on their u180 squad to complete line-up. So the Final on the 13th July sees a 24th all-Union (18th all-SCCU) encounter however it is between Kent and Surrey (Surrey lead 1-0) rather than Middlesex and Surrey, cue the gripes about why 2 SCCU counties for a 3rd consecutive year have to travel to the Midlands to contest the National Final!
Middlesex’s campaign is brought to an end. Defeat is always one of the bitterest pills to swallow. Although tough it could be argued defeat would have been acceptable if the ‘heathen Northerners’ had vanquished Middlesex but having to be forced to swallow one because a fellow SCCU rival, one by the way put magnificently to the sword at the beginning of the cycle, is victorious makes one want to hang their head in shame! The Open defeat coupled with the u180 defeat means that the following prospects are lost:
Open and u180 - cannot achieve Double Double;
Open - With Surrey making it to the final it cannot be one to have the same participants in successive finals; it would have been the first since 1984-85 & 1985-86 (Kent vs. Middlesex).
The squad now has an enforced break after a long and tough cycle one which sees Middlesex regain the Shannon Trophy after nigh on 25years. The break though will mean we can recharge our batteries to launch a concerted effort to both retain the Shannon Trophy and regain the Lowënthal Trophy in 2013-14.
With the 2013-14 Cycle in mind the fixtures for the Open matches have been finalised. Traditionally they are available in May however they were delayed due to the ECF Skype meeting of Union reps to discuss the NCCU proposal to change the format of County matches. The meeting went ahead as planned but would you believe the proposers were absent! The NCCU who wanted change for whatever unspecified reason failed to attend - poor showing. Those who participated were in agreement and were all at a loss as to what NCCU wanted and how to progress as a result! Needless to say due to consensus between attendees the status quo remains however it is suspected the coup launched by NCCU will be attempted once again in near future.
With the issue resolved it was possible for the County Controller to publish the 2013-14 Open fixture dates.
The dates for diary are:
5th Oct 2013 Kent Home
9th Nov 2013 Sussex Away usually Hassocks
18th Jan 2014 Essex Away usually Wanstead House Wanstead
8th Feb 2014 Hertfordshire Home
15th Mar 2014 Surrey Away tbc
In essence it is the 2012-13 fixtures reversed so let’s hope that ‘snow’ does not disrupt the Essex vs. Middlesex fixture in January!
Please note: Over the past cycle Middlesex’s home matches have been played at either The Pilot in Chiswick or the Willesden Working Mens’ Club in Willesden. The intention is to continue having our home matches at the Pilot unless:
1) There is preference for matches to be played at Working Mens’ Club
2) The Open and u160 or u120 teams both have matches on same day and are drawn at home if so Working Mens’ Club will be home venue.
Martin Blaine Best Performance Cup
Defeat to Kent sees the culmination of the MB competition. Throughout the cycle Andrew Stone has been far and away the best performer. Over the past few matches things began to look a little tight as pushes by Simon Spivack and Bob Eames looked as though the award would be snatched from Andrew’s grasp. Had the team secured victory Andrew’s unavailability for the Final would have seen him lose the lead. The defeat therefore is a blessing for him as he wins the trophy with a score of 41points. Congratulations!
Final positions:
1. Andrew Stone – 41points
2. Simon Spivack – 40
3. Rick McMichael – 39
4. Mark Davey – 38
Well that’s it for now. Irrespective of what your plans are chess-wise do enjoy your break and come back refreshed ready to launch a successful bid for the 2013-14 cycle.
Go on the Middlesex!