English Nationals - Bolton Aug 2021

It’s been 23 months since I played at the English Open Pickleball Tournament in Nottingham 2019, and 23 months is a long long time. The English Nationals in Bolton were a welcomed arrival to reignite the enthusiasm of the pickleball community, and bring some joy to reconnect with pickleball friends from across the UK.

For myself and Neil, this time was different. Like everyone else lockdown was a long period of time for our little pickleball group. But like every other group, we made the best of a bad situation by resuming some kind of play outside on old gravel tennis courts, roping people in to make a committee, and finally made the group into a newly formed club.

We were not going to the English Nationals in Bolton alone, but now as part of a newly formed club with 9 players representing the club had joined us up on the journey, although I wasn’t playing (due to old age), I was excitedly looking forward to watch everyone else play.

Bolton Arena was an amazing facility, that on entry seduced you to swing by the café to grab a cappuccino, before tip toeing up the steel stairs to the viewing gallery. And might I add the best viewing gallery I have seen to watch pickleball!

Standing still, all of the 16 courts were easily available to me on a 360 degree swivel on the foot. But like my dad armed with the remote control to 50 channels, I found myself spinning greedily from one match to another, to get my pickleball fix.

Friday- Singles Competition Day

This saw Kevin McCarthy and Mark Johnson, enter their age specific, and skill specific categories. The first time for Kevin in the singles, and even though he hadn’t had the opportunities back home to practice for this, he was more than capable to step up to the challenge. The Llanfoist dynamo covered the court heroically keeping his games closely fought to the end. Although at times he became frustrated with his gameplay, his dogged determination made sure he came away with a few wins under his belt and lots of positives to build on his singles game going forward.

Next was the mercurial Mark, finding the singles competition more to his liking. Unlike the doubles game, Mark was getting plenty of regular shots, that helped him ease into his natural game quickly. Using his strategic head to move his opponents about with his trademark parry’s, fades and slices, meant he was in his element.

Mark eventually chipped away the opposition and came up trumps for a delightful bronze.

Another Welsh club player in the singles, was John ‘Thee Slice’ Killick playing in the 60+ 3.5 category. The left handed marksman from Cwmbran Celts Pickleball Club, expertly dispatched his opponents with cold precision on his way to a hard fought gold medal match in the singles.

I will never forget the one competitor when enquiring to who he was playing in the final. When I mentioned it was John, the look of dejection quickly appeared on the guys face and he said,’ damn that’s my nemesis.’ He knew it was going to be a long match!

Saturday - Doubles Competition Day

Today was a crazy day! even with the amazing 360 viewing gallery, there were so many matches of interest happening, that I just could not get around to see, and pay them my full attention. The likes of all the doubles teams at Cwmbran Celts Pickleball Club, Llantrisant Pickleball Club, Bristol, Benllech and others, I had to find out from second hand information of their results to keep myself updated.

At least one match I knew I could avoid, was actually one that I was really interested in, and involving my partner. I was sternly ordered by the better half Marie, to not watch her matches as being there made her more nervous and sick. This isn’t a warning sign I ever ignore, so I went covert behind the curtain to watch, but don’t tell her!

Marie and Karen, their first tournament, nerves running high, and my thoughts are with them both. After three nervous matches, swiping at imaginary flies, and heavily hitting the ball with a bat made from lead, the ladies became more relaxed and composed, and was able to play their power game without being over awed by the occasion. They did extremely well against some excellent ladies doubles teams, where they had some closely fought matches. But although challenging it was, they still notched a few wins under their belts to take a positive result from their first tournament.

The men’s Doubles area was a well represented category for BG Pickleball Club. In the men’s Doubles 3.5 50+ category we had doubles teams Mark and Kevin, Neil Vincent and Neil Hopkins, Greg Shearman and assigned partner, and randomly Rob Greenland.

Rob, aka ‘The Treasurer’ had made the journey up to support the club and hope to be inspired to play in the next tournament by his experience. Unbeknown to him, fate was working its magic.

Whilst watching from the balcony of the teams warming up, he was asked if he could help out and play where a player had dropped out really last minute. With a smile on his face, borrowing Marks spare shorts, and using Greg’s antique spare paddle, with a good luck tap on the back he excitedly bounded to his first game and first tournament experience.

All these players and other Welsh club teams in this category, Rob Shenton and Andy Horrell, all featured in what was named the group of death. Apart from two of the teams out of seven, everyone had played one another recreationally in Wales, so it was going to be touch and go.

After a very tight round robin of group matches, Greg Shearman with his Hollywood smile and sublime forehand chop, was thriving under the bright lights of the arena and triumphantly came away with two wins from his first ever event at 3.5 level. Rob unprepared and jumping straight into the deep end, came away with great tournament experience and inspiration for the next one. And two BG Pickleball teams amazingly moved into the semi-finals. Team Neils, and Team Mevin.

It showed how tight the group matches were though, with two teams equal on overall points after six gruelling matches and needing to be separated by points difference. But only one morsel point difference separated the teams for that last semi-final place, and unfortunately Rob and Andy sadly missed out after playing some great flashes of pickleball. Hopefully that will only motivate them for the next tournament.

The semi-finals were a mixed bag of results. Team Neils dispatched their semi-final opponents with German efficiency, as their strategy of playing the percentages drew frustration and unforced errors from the opposition, which helped them to a convincing win and proceed through to the finals.

For team Mark and Kevin (Team Mevin), they had a very strong opponent who fought doggedly to the end. The winner had to win by at least 2 points and when the game got to 15 - 16 with Team Mevin losing, your hand was subconsciously drawn to your mouth! On Kevin’s serve to try and take it to 16 all, a long 31 shot rally started to form. During this tense probing rally, Kevin was drawn into an unbalanced position and popped the ball up inviting for a put away. Got to be a winning shot……. but miraculously he recovered the ball off his toes from his opponents with Matrix like reflexes. This resulted in him back pedalling for safety at the back of the court, where he bunkered down for a full scale heavy artillery attack.

Once, twice, three times, four times, five times, six times…… Like strafing bullets hitting the ground in a relentless attack, he coolly repelled anything being fired his way. As his opponents tired hitting boomer after boomer, he slowly but steadily sank a few third shot drops and gingerly creeped his team back up to the net. Finally, being toe to toe with his opponents, his opportunity came. He dispatched it with aplomb and to the roar of delight from his teammate Mark, and from all the emotionally exhausted spectators watching from around the balcony!

Their opponents were rocked and didn’t really recover from that crushing point. Mark and Kevin clawed back the game at the death eventually running out winners 20 - 18. A truly exhilarating match to witness as a spectator, with both teams should feel proud with the quality and drama that they produced.

Wow the final of the men’s doubles 50+ 3.5 final, best of two games. Team Neils versus Team Mevin, two BG Pickleball teams representing the Welsh contingent.

Thinking that this game was riding on fumes after the emotional roller coaster of Team Mevin’s semi-final triumph, was brushed aside, as Team Mevin cruised into a dominant 8 - 3 lead in game one. Team Neil’s being dictated to play in difficult areas of the court by the magic of Marks paddle as he commanded the kitchen line.

But like a German football team against England, although you wanted Team Mevin to hold out, you knew Team Neils were going to come back. Asserting their presence on the game, they over turned their difficult position to win the first game, and continued that dominance in to the second game to take the gold in quite a relaxed atmosphere for a final.

It was an exhaustingly long day, but amazing performances from all the guys in the final. A lot of food was consumed that night let me tell you!

Medals were coming thick and fast, and this time it was the turn of ‘Big John’ Smale to take a gold medal. Having being assigned a partner, and being posted on courts furthest away from the viewing gallery, he progressed silently as he established a very strong team with Alex Jeffries.

John, cool as a cucumber, unnerved by the arena and the event, got straight into his style of playing by putting his opponents to the sword by dominating the court and the kitchen line. The team breezed into the final, to the delight of Johns partner Joanne, who only realised that her husband was actually pretty good at this sport he’s been talking about all the time at home.

In the final, John and Alex made very light work of an opponent who struggled to break free and get a run of points together. With the opposing presence of John and Alex on the kitchen line, their opponents had no answer to being pinned back submissively at the base line, and couldn’t work their way free. A 2-0 win for John and Alex was a fair result, and they were worthy winners of the gold.

Other successes to mention from South Wales Pickleball Clubs and friends. Cwmbran Celts Pamela Simpson and Teresa Saunders winning silver medals in the Women’s Doubles 65+ 3.0, Steve Lillygreen and Paul Jenkins winning silver medals in the Men’s Doubles 60+ 3.0, Pamela Simpson and Richard Welsford winning silver medals in the Mixed Doubles 65+ 3.0, and Llantrisant’s Alyson Davies winning a bronze medal in the Woman’s Doubles 19+ 3.5.

In Wales, the game of pickleball is picking up momentum and building from the North to the South. And to believe me, you only have to see the motivation of large groups of people, playing pickleball outdoors on old gravel tennis courts in Welsh weather, just to understand how much they enjoy the game and the camaraderie it brings.

I can’t wait to see the Welsh representation for the next tournament, and hope I can be more sensible next time to make the Sunday to watch the mixed doubles.

A really big thank you to Pickleball England’s Sam, Karen, Frank and Chris along with all of the volunteers who helped, for a professionally run tournament; from the tech updating every one of the scores, to the management of the courts and front desk, all the way to deciding to use an amazing first class venue.

A huge bright light for so many who have found the last year to be so dark, a fantastic tournament, that has invigorated peoples joy of the sport, and moistened the taste buds of anticipation for next year’s National event.

Medal Winners

John Smale (third from left) - Gold Mens Doubles 3.5 19+
Watch The Final
John Killick (center) - Gold Mens Singles 3.0 60+
Mark Johnson (right) - Bronze Mens Singles 3.5 50+
Paul Jenkins (left) & Steve Lillygreen (second from left) - Silver Mens Doubles 3.0 60+
Neil Hopkins (third from left) & Neil Vincent (fourth from left) Gold Mens Doubles 3.5 50+
Mark Johnson (right) & Kevin McCarthy (second from right) Silver Mens Doubles 3.5 50+
Watch The Final
Pamela Simpson (left) & Teresa Saunders (second from left) - Silver Womens Doubles 3.0 60+
Pamela Simpson (left) & Richard Welsford (second from left) - Silver Mixed Doubles 3.5 65+

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