Another long drive and sitting in traffic on the M25, our team finally managed to arrive at the Dome on the busiest shopping Saturday before Christmas!  Such thoughtful planning!  The opposition were gracious and aware of the difficulties we had getting to them and presented us with some very good refreshments, with special note on the sausage rolls and coffee sponge cake.

With our ‘new man’ making his second appearance we were hoping for a better result than the last time we met.  The team shook off the cold but otherwise very good playing conditions and put in some good effort.  The match started with us losing our first two men’s games but picking up a ladies’ doubles.  This was a 3-1 lead to Middlesex but after our third men’s’ pairing of Martin & James and ladies pair of Gill and Janet, both taking their respective games, evened up the score line to 3-3.  With only the mixed to play, all was on these to secure the match.  In the first mixed,  Pam & myself took on first pair and my tournament partner Richard Fischer and his partner, Monica Flashman.  After losing both mens’ doubles I was determined not to let him have a clean sheet.  We took total control of their first end winning comfortably but sat back in the second end, letting them take the lead, but with Pam’s steady serves and net reactions, had more than enough to win the second end as well.  This was now 4-3 in our favour and the other two games being three setters.  Unfortunately, our second pairing, Gill & James just lost their third end 19-21 thus making the scores now 4-4.  Once more the ‘Worthing Wanderers’, Martin and Janet held their own and took the final end 21-15, concluding a win for Sussex.  A great Christmas present for the team after a bumpy start to the season.  (Shame we had the drive home via the M25!)