The lead up to Mystics u14 I’s fixture with Lancashire Spinners last Saturday resembled a scene from ‘Casualty.’ For various reasons, mostly medical, we were without one short of a Magnificent 7 players. I’m pleased to report the 10 who remained standing honoured us with a brilliant all-round performance from beginning to end.

Sometimes, when you search for highlights, you are most likely to find them in someone’s hair. Not on this occasion. The adept finishing of Adele, Akeala, Anya and Mojan ranged from uncomplicated to draw-dropping. All four were equally impressive on defence but so were their team-mates Alycia, Eniola, Fatima, Lola, Mya and Neeusha. Whichever combination I had on the floor proved as difficult to get past as a 20 stone night club bouncer.

Our opponents do have 3 or 4 potentially high scoring players in their squad but our team defence was so in sink that they were often reduced to trying pot luck from distance. A small number did hit the mark to win them a coconut but the majority were more likely to hit the ceiling! That said, Spinners are no push overs and they competed well until the final whistle.

As mentioned previously, it is extremely difficult for young athletes to play at their optimum level for a whole game. Every now and again, (twice?) things happen that prove to be the exception to the rule. For instance, Man Utd did play quite well in one game this season and ‘comedian,’ Jimmy Carr did once say something which nearly made me smile. Likewise, in this game, Mystics treated us to some quality team basketball in every quarter. 

To register as many as 84 points without even the hint of a press against decent opposition is to be applauded. To limit them to just 34 and give our girls a victory as comfortable as an expensive mattress, bodes well for fast-approaching fixtures against Sheffield Hatters who are currently second in the Northern Premier League. We are the only team to have beaten them. We have done it once, we can do it again (and again!)

Many thanks to Louise, Ivan and our loyal band of supporters.

Best wishes

Jim