FIRST GAME. FIRST DRAW. FIRST BLOOD.

Finsbury 6 at Home.

Wednesday 7th October was a night of firsts.
First game of the season. First team appearances for Sam "The Machine" Breen and Jim "The Geordie Rage" Brumby. First time the opposing team brought an entire squad of players for a match. First time a point was given away by Karmarama because the table travelled four feet towards the opposition during a heated rally in the doubles.
What a match it was though.
Pigman Gayner saw off Finsbury 6's Christopher Robin comfortably in the first game. . Later, the Pig saw off pencil gripping Rui in a tense match filled with backspin and tentative smashes but later went down to the black-suited French destroyer Maxime "The Pretty Boy" Grenoille. Had he listened to his coach, The Sherwinator, Pig would have used his forehand more. But he pussied it, and got beat like a twat.
Sam "The Machine" Breen lost his Team Karmarama virginity well and good. Yes, he also lost every game, but not without some extremely spirited play. Frustration etched into his face, he looked like a man who wanted the taste of victory badly. Good things come to those who wait, and as most Karmarama players know, this means getting beaten for two years until you play someone on crutches. And even then, you still sometimes get beaten.
Later in the pub, Sam looked shellshocked. We know this feeling and it passes with some attentive therapy. But the man's got natural talent and some time with The Sherwinator will do him much good. One to watch.
The hero of the night, though, was Jim "The Geordie Rage". Beating Rui quite easily, Rage looked like he wanted to damage someone or something very badly when he went down to Maxime "The Pretty Boy". Needing to win his last game to give Karmarama a chance of victory, Rage squared off against the cocky, but highly talented, Hin. The match was one of the greatest ever played at Karmarama. Thrilling rallies, exquisite serving and more emotion than one of those funerals they have in gospel churches in the deep south of America when everyone cries, then sings to really jazzy music, then cries again. After some of the tensest ping-pong known to man, The Rage did away with cocky Hin and literally grew two inches in stature. He now has to buy new trousers and get his shirts adjusted.
Needing to win the last match (the doubles) to draw, Rage and Pigman did battle against Christopher Robin and Cockybastard Hin. As you'll all know, Karmarama excel at doubles, bonding like brothers over ball and bat. Despite the table moving incident (over zealous smashing from The Rage), Karmarama stormed to victory earning the club a draw in the first match of the season.

Man of the match: Geordie Rage.