ML-quet

Martin Luther King Day 2008 - Gravely Point 

By event's end even the hatted and gloved of us felt the cold. Dave and Justin's dedication to our sport was able to steel them against the weather. Two games were played under the crystal clear sky, shadowed regularly by aircraft departing Reagan.  In our effort to make sure that Bevington could not get a moments peace we attacked the plastic port-a-johns, the poor soul below was in the one at the far end.  This taxi driver took our 'lord of the flies' moment without a single protest. We all extend our apologies.

Game 1 was a non-traditional course woven into the stand of evergreens. The pineneedles covering the ground took a few strokes to understand. It is surprising how much they can suck the momentum out of the ball. Roarke opened the day by ricocheting out from the starting post.  It took him 3 turns to finally move onto the first wicket. The terrain didn't slow down the rest of the field. Bevington kept on his game and was first to poison. Bevington was also promptly killed by Dave with a send through the final single on Dave's return (see video below). Scott soon gave Dave his due and killed him 1 wicket from poison with a attack through the pine branches. Roarke slowplayed his way to poison. Scott killed Justin and Christi both after they passed wicket 9. The poison on posion endgame raced to the walkpath boundary. Roarke was unable to keep his ball inbounds and suicided his way to Scott's second win of the season. Scott deserved the point he wouldn't get. He played a very strong match.

Game two was between Scott, Chris, and Justin.  Scott's game stayed on during the second match. Justin's game was doubly so. He worked his away around the field like a man possessed. Only Chris was able to slow him up. Dave's skill with the short mallets last season has withered. He is getting closer and closer to using the The Warden.  Neither Roarke nor Christi were able to put up much of a fight either. Chris was distracted trying to kill Christi at the center wicket while Roarke crept back to the starting post. An opening was given Roarke that he closed on himself aptly. Scott got poison with Roarke sitting inches away for the easy kill. In the end Scott fought down to a poison on poison match. This time his foil was Justin. He should have had him but jumped on the killing shot. Justin did not make this mistake an took the second and final game of the day.

Thanks to everyone for coming out for the day! As an extra treat - here's a hurried video of Chris vs the Wicket. Bev hates the rule that poison can be played against. That makes us smile. We'd all tease him less if he would just stop playing so damned well.