Orkney Inter-County - Season 2003-2004

Contents:- -Away-|-Home-

Orkney rub salt into the wounds - 14/02/04 (Away)

We had a good flat trip over on the boat..... The match started nice and early..... The Games Hall was nice and clean, plenty of light but slightly cold..... We played both matches but got pretty much well beaten..... We had a good night out with plenty of hilarity and, I believe, a good feed in the Chinese..... Some had a good breakfast..... The boat back was like the journey over - apart from the fact most people slept the whole way.....

That's it really, nothing much to report, just the fact that Caithness had a few people missing and had to juggle the team about at the last minute.

A couple of things, though. Thanks to the juniors who travelled over at the last minute and played excellently for being so young and inexperienced. Thanks to the Orkney team for their hospitality.

C U next time..... End.....

'A' Team RESULT - CAITHNESS 1 (8) - (16) 11 ORKNEY

'B' Team RESULT - CAITHNESS 2 (10) - (14) 10 ORKNEY

Photos

'A' Team Orkney captain with trophy	'B' Team Orkney captain with trophy

Andy & Stephen (foreground) and Jane & Kirsty (background)

Graeme & Joanne

Ian & Jane (foreground) and Benji & Marina (background)

Sam & Casey (foreground) and Bird & Carole (background)

Sam & Bird (foreground) and Hilary & Marina (background)

Russell & Mark (foreground) and Joanne & Pauline (background)

Louis & Michael (foreground) and Freya & Debbie (background)

Casey and Carole

Stephen and Kirsty

Louis and Michelle

Russell & Bella (foreground) and Mark and Lindsey (background)

Pauline and Joanne

Russell Craigie and Mark Jones with Louis and Michelle playing in the background

Good wins for both Caithness teams - 05/12/03 (Home)

Both Caithness teams went into this encounter with Orkney just looking to come out of it with a sensible scoreline, as there had been a number of changes - both last minute and players playing in new positions. As far as the final result goes, I would say it was an excellent lead to carry over the Firth, next year.

The 'A' Team Ladies will be a touch disappointed that they didn't manage to secure, at least, one of the matches - but they were playing against tough opposition and the final scores could've gone in any direction.
The Men picked up full points in their matches and this included a good win by Benji and Ian, at 3rd Mens.
The Caithness pairings, in the mixed, dominated most of the matches but Sam and Casey just went down to their Orkney counterparts in the last set and Ian and Hilary struggled to keep up with the pace. But it's a learning period for the latter two and I'm sure they will handle it, at a later date.

The 'B' Team debutants of Andrew Falconer, Mark Jones, Ashley MacBeath and Louis Morrill, played out of their skins and produced performances of a lifetime to keep the 'B' Team in contention of picking up the trophy, again. Now I'm not saying that everyone else didn't but for their first time in the team, they showed no nervousness and all looked like proper 'pro's...???' - just like the rest of the team.
The 'B' Team captain, Pauline Gunn - was on a high and was in no mood for showing any mercy to her counterparts. This was finalised as she became triumphant in both her matches, for the first time, by playing some 'sexy, tight and neat' net shots - that nobody could handle. The crowd, and her partners for the night, only realised her joy - as she jumped and squealed, in a near climactic state, at the end of the match. On yersel', Paaauuuuline.
Unfortunately, there was a sour point to one of the matches, that nobody likes seeing. Marion McCoustra and Mark Jones were cruising through their match - but, a nasty fall for Marion proved to be more than was initially suspected. She was taken to the Local Hospital and diagnosed as having a ripped Achilles Tendon, which will place her in a cast for nine weeks. Everyone from the CBA and, Orkney, wishes her the best and hopes she will make a speedy recovery.

The Orkney Juniors were expecting an easy 'stroll in the park' few matches, against Caithness and then they would disappear and drink and eat, loads of pop and crisps - as reported from an Orkney team member. But, this was never going to be the case with the Caithness U18s only dropping one set, in all matches.

Thanks to everyone who organised the match, food, etc and to Bella Ratter for standing in and umpiring a couple of the 'B' Team games.

All the best to Ratter on his visit to Australia and 'isn't it ironic - don't you think' (song) - that one of those Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur - south-west asia bird) perched itself, at Ratters Farm, on the day he left. Marina if you're reading this, I thought those Dove's were bloody rare, we're seeing them up here all the time, ten to the penny. Sort it out.....

Finally, '8 Sinclair Street', is beginning to live up to it's household name - 'PEN*HOUSE'. Leave it at that.......

'A' Team RESULT - CAITHNESS 7 - 5 ORKNEY

'B' Team RESULT - CAITHNESS 8 - 4 ORKNEY

Photos

Calum & Ronald v Benji & Ian

Nibs & Moira v Jane & Bird

Sam & Bird v Fox & Calv

S Hill & L Morrill v A Bews & R Miller

John & Carole v Elaine & Calv (in background)

Carole & Casey v Moira & Elaine

Fox & L Bradley v Casey & Sam

Mark & Jill v Vicky & Onion (in background)

Onion & Nibs v Mark & John

Marty & Kim v Ali & Raz

S Hill & K Grant v L Gray & A Bews

Ali & Marion	Benji & Marina
Ian & Hilary	Joanne & Andy v D Manson & S Marwick
Louis & Ashley v R Miller & A Russell	Joanne & Pauline

End-of-Document