Tim Henman achieved on Tuesday something that he had failed to do in the entirety of his professional career- finally winning an event at Wimbledon.
Unfortunately for him, this victory came at Wimbledon Park, a mile down the road from the hallowed courts of SW19.
The event was organised to promote Slazenger’s new range of V1, V2 and V3 cricket bats; N-Pro 1, 2 and 3 hockey sticks; and the new range of Wimbledon tennis balls for this year’s All-England club showcase.
Who better than cricketers Paul Collingwood, Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett, as well as England and Great Britain hockey’s Ben Hawes and Ali Wilson to compete against Henman and test out the new products?
The challenge, in a test of the players’ power and accuracy, required them to hit a serve, score a field goal and bowl a wicket in the fastest combined speed. As always with Wimbledon, weather played a big part, with freezing conditions replacing the traditional rain in conspiring to affect the players’ performances.
In the first round- the serve- most struggled to hit the ball over the net and if they did mange to, it was usually met with a resounding ‘out’ from an over-eager member of the crowd. Tiger Tim took full advantage of his opponents’ struggles, taking what proved to be an unassailable lead, as he hit the fastest serve- albeit at a rather underwhelming 76mph, which he attributed to having not played tennis since last May.
Compere for the day, former England captain Alec Stewart didn’t need asking twice to point out to the crowd the competitors’ shortcomings in the challenges that were not in their specialist sports. As frustrations mounted, excuses started to be made- much to the amusement of Stewart, who was glad to be a spectator rather than in the competition.
Twenty20 Captain Paul Collingwood didn’t fail in keeping his former teammate’s spirits up. Before the second event- hitting a hockey ball as fast and hard as possible into a goal- he claimed to have never held a hockey stick in his life. The resulting shot admittedly may have justified his claims. It saw him slice the ball wildly in a manoeuvre that gives hope for the rest of us that though he is a master of his own craft, highlighted by an imperious 105 vs. South Africa in November, he is a novice with a hockey stick.
Plunkett, Bresnan and Henman fared better, getting the ball on target to varying levels of success and it was the latter who showed a certain amount of finesse in his shots, which he attributed to his previous experience of hockey as a schoolboy in PE lessons.
It was up to Hawes and Wilson to prove one can hit a hockey ball in cold conditions powerfully and with precision- it doesn’t slice if you hit it properly!
To the surprise of many, Henman took the fastest shot, making it two out of two and beating the European Hockey champions at their own game in the process. This cast a shadow over the reliability of the speed gun, which had already been sporadic in the tennis event.
One might think that because the speed gun was not entirely accurate that the event might be under threat, but the players were still keen to prove themselves against one another- by this point it was no longer just about power and precision, or how fast a ball can be hit. It was about endurance.
At least that’s how these internationally-acclaimed English sportsmen seemed to treat having to hit a hockey ball on a cold February morning, with their competitive edge winning over anything the elements could throw at them.
This was a far more enjoyable spectacle for this- it was a chance to see true English grit first hand. The final task of bowling a wicket as fast as possible showed that all involved had an aptitude for it; it was just some were a lot faster than others!
If the speed gun was accurate, then Tim Bresnan’s attempt of 49mph should see the description of his bowling on Wikipedia change from medium-fast to slow-slow. Perhaps he was saving himself for the forthcoming Twenty20 series vs. Pakistan later this month.
As proceedings drew to a close and all the readings were in, it was clear there was only ever going to be one winner: Henman had finally won at Wimbledon.
It seemed only fitting that Tim Henman scooped the prize and broke his Wimbledon duck, after the years of heartbreak that he and the nation endured. He received the award with a humility that Centre Court would have been proud of and promising to come back next year to defend his title.
I don’t think anyone had the heart to mention the speed gun.
Joking aside, it was thoroughly enjoyable watching some of England’s finest sportsmen out of their comfort zone and giving it their all to prove themselves as all-rounders. The event was competed in admirably high spirits, with Stewart winding up the competitors a welcome distraction from the chilly conditions.
Perhaps the harsh English winter was a bit of a shock to the system to some of the players who are used to plying their trade in warmer climes this time of year:
-Paul, Tim and Liam will join the rest of England’s cricketers to play in two Twenty20 fixtures against Pakistan in Dubai on 19th and 20th February ahead of their winter tour of Bangladesh.
-Ben and Ali, along with the rest of England’s hockey team, will be participating in the 2010 World Cup, held in India, taking place from 28 February to March 13 at New Delhi’s Dhyan Chand National stadium.
-Tim Henman has started training for next year’s event.
-To find out more about Slazenger’s V-Series cricket bats; N-Pro Hockey Sticks; and Wimbledon Tennis Balls, please visit: www.slazenger.com
