The Cambs Senior IIIrd team kicked off the season with a roller-coaster ride away match against Middlesex IV.

With the match coming so early in the season, there was a rush to populate the team and a number of faces were new to the County, which owes a debt of gratitude to a high number of debutantes who turned out.

Middlesex IV fielded a strong team, and after hard-fought games, all the singles were lost, even though every single one had a game which ended in 18 or 19 points. Particularly impressive were Gemma McGuire and Yoong-Eun Kwon - both playing their first senior County singles matches.

It was in the level doubles where the rubber really hit the road, with some of the toughest battles being contested. All four mens doubles games went to a third game decider. Skipper Paul Martell and County returnee James Watkins beat the Middlesex first pair, but lost to the second including a 25-27 defeat in the second end. Geoff Green and University debutante Ben Aldred overcame the second pair, but were agonisingly pipped at the end against the first in an epic 29-30 final end!

The ladies also fought hard. Yoong-Eun teamed with another debutante and junior Klaudia Otoka, and won one game, but sadly lost their second in the third end. Gemma partnered the final debutante - Hurst's Leticia Mendez - but they found the Middlesex ladies too strong.

Finally in the mixed, Ben and Yoong-Eun demonstrated Cambs' usual strength in the discipline, and secured a comfortable win in straight sets. The scratch partnerships of Paul & Leticia and James and Klaudia however were overcome.

So the final score was a 4-11 loss, but the team can be proud of an epic performance, having never competed together before.

The team: Geoff Green, James Watkins, Yoong-Eun Kwon, Gemma McGuire, Ben Aldred, Paul Martell, Klaudia Otoka (j), Leticia Mendez.

More information about results of the Cambs III team is available on the Team Page.