Dunbar and Cooley win the 2011 Kinnaird

Kinnaird Cup Final: T.Dunbar & S.Cooley (2) beat J.Toop & M.Wiseman (1) 3-0 (15-11, 12-7, 12-4)

Mark Williams reports:

Over 50 spectators gathered on a sunny April afternoon to watch a potentially enthrallling contest between what seemed two very evenly matched pairs. Part of the attraction was that one of the pairs was a new combination of two talented players, one of whom was playing in a final for the first time, against the current holders. Because of an injury during the final at the Northern, it was the first time that these two pairs would play a match to its conclusion.

The final did not disappoint, and was played at a cracking pace from the start. Seb Cooley and Tom Dunbar quickly established a 5-1 lead with some attacking play, but Matt Wiseman and James Toop soon caught up using all areas of the court and forcing some errors. There followed a long period of nip and tuck, with both pairs testing each other out with some high class play, and the score inevitably reached 10-10. Most points at this stage were won in the back of the court, either with passing winners or forcing an opponent to hit the ball down or out. Almost every volley to the buttress was counter-volleyed away from danger, and so there was little opportunity for anyone to get their length, and the retrieving of all four players was astonishing. Cooley and Dunbar gradually eased ahead over a long period of sustained excellence from all four players and served for the game at 14-11. They had to wait a couple of hands before clinching the vital point.

Cooley and Dunbar established a 7-3 lead in the second game, but it took roughly 10 pairs of hands to do so. Wiseman and Toop caught up in a single hand, and all four players sensed a crucial period in the match. Again there was nothing in it as they all responded with brilliant play, but Cooley and Dunbar suddenly forced some errors after a long phase of equality, and won the game 12-7. Remarkably, given that it was his first final, it was Seb Cooley who stood out as the outstanding player: achieving a higher rate of success with his cut than the others, attacking the buttress with accurate spin shots from the back, retreiving everything brilliantly, and demonstrating astonishing agility and mobility whilst making only a couple of unforced errors.

In the third game, Tom Dunbar really rose to the occasion, gradually gaining his length with the volley (his hallmark as a younger player), and hardly missing a cut with some exceptional returns. He and his partner established an 8-2 lead. Toop and Wiseman stemmed the flow briefly and scored a couple of points, but they were their last of the match, as their increasingly dominant opponents forged ahead. Seb Cooley suffered severe cramp in both quads, but with his partner now in fine form and reaching out for the winning post it scarcely mattered as they won 12-4.

So the final result was by three games to love, but it had been a riveting spectacle and a feast of Fives played at the highest standard. As the match wore on it became harder to see how Toop and Wiseman would score their points as they went through their full repertoire without forcing any errors from their opponents. It's hard to imagine that any pair in the final has ever played as well as this and lost 0-3. Other matches between these two pairs will no doubt be very different, but on this day, Seb Cooley's consistent brilliance and Tom Dunbar's increasing confidence emphatically won the day. All four players should be congratulated for dealing with some tricky situations with diplomacy, common sense and tact, so that the spectacle was not diminshed by any sustained arguments. It was a privilege to watch four such talented and well matched players, and we all look forward to their subsequent meetings with relish.

Over 50 spectators gathered on a sunny April afternoon to watch a potentially enthrallling contest between what seemed two very evenly matched pairs. Part of the attraction was that one of the pairs was a new combination of two talented players, one of whom was playing in a final for the first time, against the current holders. Because of an injury during the final at the Northern, it was the first time that these two pairs would play a match to its conclusion.

The final did not disappoint, and was played at a cracking pace from the start. Seb Cooley and Tom Dunbar quickly established a 5-1 lead with some attacking play, but Matt Wiseman and James Toop soon caught up using all areas of the court and forcing some errors. There followed a long period of nip and tuck, with both pairs testing each other out with some high class play, and the score inevitably reached 10-10. Most points at this stage were won in the back of the court, either with passing winners or forcing an opponent to hit the ball down or out. Almost every volley to the buttress was counter-volleyed away from danger, and so there was little opportunity for anyone to get their length, and the retrieving of all four players was astonishing. Cooley and Dunbar gradually eased ahead over a long period of sustained excellence from all four players and served for the game at 14-11. They had to wait a couple of hands before clinching the vital point.

Cooley and Dunbar established a 7-3 lead in the second game, but it took roughly 10 pairs of hands to do so. Wiseman and Toop caught up in a single hand, and all four players sensed a crucial period in the match. Again there was nothing in it as they all responded with brilliant play, but Cooley and Dunbar suddenly forced some errors after a long phase of equality, and won the game 12-7. Remarkably, given that it was his first final, it was Seb Cooley who stood out as the outstanding player: achieving a higher rate of success with his cut than the others, attacking the buttress with accurate spin shots from the back, retreiving everything brilliantly, and demonstrating astonishing agility and mobility whilst making only a couple of unforced errors.

In the third game, Tom Dunbar really rose to the occasion, gradually gaining his length with the volley (his hallmark as a younger player), and hardly missing a cut with some exceptional returns. He and his partner established an 8-2 lead. Toop and Wiseman stemmed the flow briefly and scored a couple of points, but they were their last of the match, as their increasingly dominant opponents forged ahead. Seb Cooley suffered severe cramp in both quads, but with his partner now in fine form and reaching out for the winning post it scarecely mattered as they won 12-4.

So the final result was by three games to love, but it had been a riveting spectacle and a feast of fives played at the highest standard. As the match wore on it became harder to see how Toop and Wiseman would score their points as they went through their full repertoire without forcing any errors from their opponents. It's hard to imagine that any pair in the final has ever played as well as this and lost 0-3. Other matches between these two pairs will no doubt be very different, but on this day, Seb Cooley's consistent brilliance and Tom Dunbar's increasing confidence emphatically won the day. All four players should be congratulated for dealing with some tricky situations with diplomacy, common sense and tact, so that the spectacle was not diminshed by any sustained arguments. It was a privilege to watch four such talented and well matched players, and we all look forward to their subsequent meetings with relish.

The Reynolds view: "How return of cut proved crucial"

Analysis by John Reynolds:

The four players in the Kinnaird final are all superb returners of the cut. Except on this occasion the defending champions, James Toop and Matthew Wiseman, found that their usual facility had abandoned them.
One reason for this could be that a very fast ball used in the final meant that Cooley and Dunbar, who are not ferocious cutters although they are certainly able to spin and direct the ball, could cut with more venom.
It is also possible that Toop and Wiseman were surprised by the intensity of the challengers' attack and were not thinking clearly.

A characteristic of good returners is that they are able to play the ball back down the line, back towards the serving angle. This probably means they have found a way of addressing the ball which is slightly side-on, even if this is just one foot a little in front of the other. A returner must also use the tactic of variation: he must start using his repertoire of returns early so the cutters don't get into a confident routine.
Toop has usually a very sound technique and is usually adept at ringing the changes. However, on Sunday he was often caught square in the buttress and, fatally, he then failed to vary his approach often enough. Wiseman seemed too anxious to play the ball which meant he often played the ball too early. Both players often got their hands to the ball but failed to return it ... possibly a sign of good reflexes being failed by faulty technique.
Meanwhile, Cooley and Dunbar returned the ball relentlessly. They were much better at varying their stance and the fast ball meant that if they chose to leave the ball to hit the buttress first, the acrobatic Cooley and arch defender Dunbar could let it hit the buttress and be fairly confident that they could reach it before it died. Sometimes it even reached the serving angle before bouncing twice. By the third set Dunbar was returning outstandingly well, half-volleying good length cuts from his toes, which helped to finish off the first seeds' resistance.

Toop and Wiseman often matched Cooley and Dunbar during the rallies, but just couldn't return enough cuts for this equality to count. Or, to put it another way, Seb Cooley joined the Kinnaird-winners club because he and Tom Dunbar were better at returning the cut.