The 2015 County Cup held in Hassocks was a great venue and was to be a great experience for the Under 12’s Boys team consisting of Archie Turner, Isaac Jochim, Freddie Dear and Luke Ralph.
Team training had been very successful and as Captain, I was looking forward to seeing the boys compete. Kent were on second round versus Sussex, which seemed to be a good omen as the temperatures were rising quickly which meant Kent could stay cool and keep in the shade while the other Counties took to the courts.
Archie was up first against Lui Maxted which was a straight set win for Lui, however Archie showed at times some great hitting from the back of the court and some clever defensive play. Luke beat Toby Bloomfield in a thrilling third set tiebreak which put Kent at one rubber each. Isaac lost a tight match four and two against Thomas Buettell Triggs but showed a great deal of composure and positivity. Kent went on to win the doubles but unfortunately lost the rubber on a shootout 10-8.
Second round saw Kent face the Hampshire team in a must win match as Sussex had already beaten them, which meant Kent, had to win to progress through to the semi finals. The Kent team did not disappoint. Archie won a third set tiebreak which was a fantastic response from his earlier loss. Luke quickly dispatched Alex Elise in record time as Kent went into the lead with a two rubber deficit. Isaac lost to Oli Fernandez but again showed a great deal of maturity for his age. The doubles pairing of Archie and Isaacs were triumphant also with a solid win and thus took Kent through to the semi finals against Dorset.
Kent were very upbeat against Dorset however the enthusiasm did not translate into the matches as all three players lost in quick succession to their counterparts .Luke Ralph had a slight opportunity to make his opponent work harder for his match but strong defensive play and some great shot making made it very difficult indeed. Even though Kent lost the tie, we were looking forward to making a mends against Sussex again to take third place in the competition.
Archie was rested for the Sussex tie which meant all players moved up the order. Luke lost a closely fought match to Lui Maxted but played tactically well throughout the match. Isaac rose to the challenge playing at no.2 with a good win over his opponent. Freddie Dear made his debut singles appearance against Beuttell Trigg in what was to be a tough match. Freddie served huge from start to finish and simply bossed his opponent for the duration of the match which resulted in a Kent win. Kent went on to lose the doubles which left the team at a draw but a well earned shootout for the deciding rubber. Freddie jumped at the chance to play the crucial match and soon Isaac followed suit. Freddie returned accurately and served ferociously with Isaac picking off easy volleys which saw Kent prevail 10-8 and to take third place!!
It was a fitting end to the tournament and to the weekend but without the support from Sam Smith who stepped up to Vice Captain at the last minute and from the support of the parents and players it would not have been possible. Thank you to all!!