Vengeful Wasps return Tornado favour

Wimbourne Wasps - 750* vs Tutshill Tornados - 260

	Wasps	Tornados
Keeper	Brookstanton (C)	Stainwright (C)
Chasers	Aldermaston	Hastings
	Branstone	Birch
	Johnston	MacFarlan
Beaters	Nutt	Jenkins
	Oddpick	Fitzpatrick
Seeker	Vogler	Muntz

The Preliminary Final blockbuster between the Wimbourne Wasps and Tutshill Tornados in 2011 will live on forever as one of British and Irish Quidditch’s true masterpieces of human and magical drama.

No other match in season 2012 could be said to have a greater sense of anticipation than this long overdue rematch between the 2011 champions and 2011 standard-bearers. The hype was clearly less about the potential for another on-field classic and more about the animosity between the two teams.

The Wasps haven’t forgiven Tutshill for disrupting their previously invincible game plan and ruining their perfect season. The Tornados haven’t forgiven the bitter Wimbourne for what they (with reason) perceived to be a lack of class and grace after the defeat.

In the pre-match build-up, the tension was amplified further thanks to remarks made by Tornado Seeker Aurora Muntz, who called the crisis-riddled Wasp rookie Venus Vogler a ‘nervous wreck’ who had ‘ostensibly failed. She had her chance; she will now never make it in professional Quidditch.’

Coincidentally, Vogler was picked to return for this clash. Manager Amos Golpalott said this was ostensibly a simple replacement for the under-performing Sergius Hansen. Certainly Hansen had been exceedingly disappointing in his two outings, but Golpalott had earlier stated his intention to give Hansen an extended run. The general consensus was that Vogler had been re-instated purely for grudge match purposes.

Jolyon Ancrum likewise made one change for the Tornados. Colwyn Culberry’s form had not been notably heinous, but Ancrum expects better of a Scottish International, and requires better against an opponent as tough as the Wasps. Fellow Scotland representative Salvatrix MacFarlan made her way back into the starting seven.

As was perhaps inevitable given the build-up, the match did not quite deliver. It was far from a low quality match, and extended for four hours, providing the crowd their money’s worth.

But the Wasps were dominant, clearly a step above the Tornados in every facet, with the notable exception of poor Blodwen Birch who was immense, single-handedly keeping the match alive in its early stages.

The Beater contest was barely a contest at all though. Alaricus Jenkins and Cepheus Fitzpatrick were never expected to have the upper hand over the immovable object Erasmus Oddpick and the unstoppable force Gaius Nutt. But the level of their inferiority was disconcerting, comfortably freeing up Delphine Branstone to lead the Wasps Chasers’ to an unassailable lead.

There was still the highly charged battle of Seeker egos to take care of though. In what was a huge shock given her preceding form, plus the fact that Aurora Muntz is England’s second best Seeker, Vogler triumphed in a popular victory for the victimized underdog over her mean baiter. The characteristically spectacular but ill-advised catch, in which Vogler left her broom and hung in a sloth grip roll to snatch the tiny ball from below before it could reach Muntz, sealed a decisive and cathartic win for the Wasps.

Wimbourne Wasps - 750: Branstone 23, Johnston 22, Aldermaston 15, Vogler Capture

Tutshill Tornados - 260: Birch 21, Hastings 5

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: BLODWEN BIRCH (TORNADOS)