Right: just as I left the house tonight, I heard a distant cheer. Turning on the car radio confirmed that Ipswich had scored, going 1-0 up against Watford, I believe. That would be the very same Tractor Boys who've so far won 0 out of 12 matches and lie bottom of the Championship. In the car, I promptly crossed my fingers and turned on the iPod. Quite deliberately, I've not yet found out the final score, but I took it as a good omen for tonight's TT game. I'll read the result once my match report is complete.

First Rene, then Anshul, and now Andy, dragged out of a remote village hall and signed up for the team by Mr Cassy, our bad-backed secretary. He's not played competitively for, ooh, around 30 years, and thus lacks match practice. A baptism of fire, then. Still, I think/hope that he enjoyed his brief stints at the table and that he'll be back for more. Stick in there.

Meanwhile Anshul, no longer the new boy, had already lost a tough 5-ender by the time I arrived. Straight victory in his next game, then went 2-0 down in his final game before displaying some fight, winning 3-2. Nice one.

I got good value tonight, all three games going the distance. Had to really dig in, coming back from the dead twice: p2, w2. Last match against Peter, who'd already scalped Anshul. What a slog. Took ages and ultimately lost in the fifth. Maybe next time.

Needed to win the doubles to grab a draw, and we did, Anshul and me going well together. Very satisfying.

So, let's check out the ITFC match, shall we? I predict ... er ... hey, let's be positive and say that they won. Looking up now: what, Watford equalized four minutes into injury time? Ipswich remain bottom, "the only club in the English leagues to be without a win." Who's not so Keane now?