Tek Sing Lexden  3-2  UniSport Guildford
   David Evans beat Stephen Meads  9/2, 7/9, 9/1, 9/6
   Tony Hands lost Stacey Ross 9/5, 3/9, 9/11, 9/3, 5/9
    Paul Allen beat Neil Frankland  9/6, 10/8, 9/2
    Chris Smith lost Mick Biggs  2/9, 4/9, 9/3, 7/9
    Rebecca Macree beat Sarah Kippax  9/2, 9/6, 9/6

All Change for Tek Sing
as Unisport Guildford visit Lexden
Jo Braddock reports

After failing to capitalise on the chance to upset hot group favourites Broxbourne in the last round, Tek Sing Lexden were feeling confident of a good home win this week against Guildford in round 7. However, the unavailability of Amr Shabana and the late news of Lee Drew’s illness called for last minute changes to the Tek Sing line up. Tony the Tiger was forced up the order (ooh missus) to play at two. In came Lexden coach Paul Allen at number 3, with a match against his bogey player Neil Frankland, who he had never beaten. And at number 4, a second run out this season for the super fit and talented Chris Smith, playing Mick Biggs.

But whatever the problems, the evening began in predictable fashion with Bex Macree comfortably dispatching Sarah Kippax 9-2, 9-6, 9-6, with very little difficulty, despite Sarah’s confident style and refusal to be overawed by her vastly more experienced and higher ranked opponent.

Meanwhile on Court 2, Paul Allen was about to dismantle the theory that “those that can, do – those that can’t, teach”! The two players were incredibly closely matched, and Paul took the first game 9-6 without either player ever really being on top. The only difference between them seemed to mental – and there, Paul definitely had the edge. The second game was even closer, with Frankland reaching game ball twice, but again Paul’s cast iron concentration and total understanding of how to play the game effectively won out in the end. Frankland came out for the third with very few ideas left, and Paul reaped the reward of a 3-0 victory over a player he had previously regarded as his nemesis. Paul’s game on the night was all about concentration, keeping the ball tight, length, patience and mixing it up at the right time – do any of his pupils out there recognise this?!

A last minute call up had taken Tek Sing’s Chris Smith by surprise earlier in the day, and he had his work cut out for him against the hard hitting Mick Biggs. Chris has next to no experience at this level, and as the first two games went in the Guildford player’s favour it was clearly confidence which was lacking for fitness instructor Smith. However the third was a different story, as Chris began to realise that the difference in ability was actually negligible, and applied his brain to the problem. He adopted the tactic of removing all the pace generated by powerhouse Biggs and concentrating on keeping his shots tight and accurate, and it paid off with a convincing 9-3 game score in the Tek Sing player’s favour. The fourth game was close, with Chris continuing to play a tactically smart game, but the mighty effort of the first two proved too much even for such a supremely fit young player and Biggs managed to lift his game at the crucial point to take it 7-9. Smithers may be feeling disappointed at losing to a player he would quite conceivably beat at Lexden on a Saturday afternoon, but National League is not a Saturday afternoon, and experience is everything. Next time, Smithers, next time!

Next door Tony the Tiger was involved in a close match with Stacey Ross. Tony took the first game 9-5, looking very much in control, and began the second in fine focussed style. Unfortunately as Ross followed through on a backhand his racket caught Tony in the eye – a minor injury, certainly not in the Jon Power Black Eye league, but enough to break the Tiger’s carefully gathered concentration. The second game slipped away, and despite a gritty effort by the Tiger, so did the third. From then on both players lacked focus, and whoever managed to grab the first few points in subsequent games was able to stretch to a decisive lead. Tony took the fourth 9-3, but Stacey pulled out a four point lead in the fifth and Tony never looked like catching him. Tony will be unhappy at allowing a relatively minor accident to affect him so deeply, and Ross deserves credit for taking full advantage of the Tiger’s lapse.

In the deciding rubber David Evans took on Stephen Meads in what should have been a formality. Indeed, in the first game Meads had no opportunity to play at all, and Emu took it 9-2. The second was a different story, as Meads deservedly won it with good tight drops and superb length, but Emu never gives anything away, and the price Meads paid for a game was a forced work rate so high he had very little left to give in the remainder of the match. Emu dominated the next two games, and took the match and the tie for Tek Sing Lexden.

So mixed fortunes for Tek Sing, a win certainly, but not the score we had hoped for to boost our push to the playoffs. However in the light of the developing squad problems, an encouraging night with the impressive highlight of Paul Allen’s Player of the Match winning performance standing out for the Tek Sing supporters.
 

LEXDEN MARCH ON
Joanna Braddock reports

Tek Sing sailed south this evening for a crucial fixture against Lee-on-Solent, with vivid memories of the 4-1 defeat suffered in Hampshire last season still fresh in the mind.

Bex Macree, just returned from her appearance in the Monte Carlo final, took the court against Vicky Botwright. Bex was showing signs of having had a hard week, and in contrast Vicky looked fresh and lively. Although she pulled out a 0-2 lead, Bex was always struggling to keep a lid on the inventive play and excellent variety of shot she was encountering from Vicky. After losing the third to an increasingly confident opponent, Bex looked tired and in trouble when Vicky pulled out to 5-1 in the fourth, but she clawed her way back into the game with tight, high percentage squash, eradicating the errors which had begun to creep in, and edged away to win the fourth 7-9 and the match 1-3.

Meanwhile the Tek Sing supporters were giving a warm welcome to one of their own – Pete Kliggerman, Bugsy to his old friends - currently at University in Hampshire but outside of term time to be found constantly in front of the television in the bar at Lexden Squash Club – faced Lee-on-Solent’s Dean Watson. In truth it was hard to know what to expect here, as none of us have any idea how much (if any) squash Bugsy is playing these days, but these two players gave marvellous performances in an incredibly entertaining match. Watson took the first fairly comfortably, but Bugsy found his stride in the second, and fought his way to level the match. From there on it was much closer than the game scores indicate, with both players maintaining high levels of accuracy and showing marvellous shot making skills. At 2-2 it was tough to call, and the final game was a classic tussle, with a brave and brilliant Bugsy finally succumbing to Watson’s greater consistency and pressure. Tell you what Bugs, when you get home for Christmas, we’ll let you look after the remote control as a reward!

The third string match featured Lee Drew against Lee-on-Solent’s Chris Simpson. This proved a fairly easy match for Drewboy, who, after a tight first game, completely dominated his young opponent who was being sent from corner to corner on a whim by the more experienced Drew. Lee pretty much won this as he pleased, underlining the superb National League form which the Lexden supporters are beginning to expect this season.

Tony the Tiger was back on court this week after dropping himself in what proved to be a most successful tactical manoeuvre in the last round. In a bitty, unstructured match against Lee-on-Solent’s Greg Gittings he showed that we can still win even when he plays – although the quality of this match was not the highest. Both players were finding the tin on a distressingly regular basis, and neither played really well at any point in the match, but to battle on and win even when you are playing badly is a crucial factor in the make up of a champion – and as far as we are concerned, the Tiger is a true champion. It might not have been the prettiest squash he’s ever played, but he took the win 0-3 and clinched the tie for Tek Sing on the night.

Bradley Ball and David Evans treated the Lexden home crowd to one of the best matches ever seen in Colchester when Lee-on-Solent visited last season, with Emu winning 3-2. In the return leg in Hampshire Bradley beat David 3-1, so whatever the rankings might say, this was always going to be tough. Bradley won the first 9-4, but although the score might look comfortable, he had to work extremely hard for his points whilst Emu, as ever, seemed to be cruising. Emu took the second 7-9, and again the main factor of the game was how much harder Bradley worked for 7 points than David did for 9. Emu took the third 5-9, but the fourth game was the key – although Bradley won it, David again seemed to be manipulating the shape of the game and making Bradley do far more work. This was borne out in the fifth which Emu really won decisively, keeping everything very tight, moving Bradley around and demonstrating his stinging shot making skills.

Another Ball v Evans classic to add to the list, and a fitting climax to a great evening of squash.
 

Evans leads Lexden to victory

Tek Sing Lexden 4-1 UK Packaging
   David Evans bt Tim Garner  12/10, 7/9, 9/5, 9/5
   Lee Drew bt Lee Jemmett   9/3, 9/6, 9/7
   Raj Nanda bt Stuart Cowie  11/9, 9/3, 9/3
   David Woodman lt Daryl Selby  9/11, 3/9, 1/9
   Cheryl Beaumont bt Carla Khan  4/9, 9/1, 9/5, 9/3

Round four of the National League programme brought UK Packaging Connaught to Tek Sing Lexden. UKP were without Peter Nicol and, although hopes were high that Ong Beng Hee would be able to make an appearance, without their mercurial Malaysian too. In a shock tactical move Tony the Tiger took the decision to drop himself for tonight’s match, and Tek Sing’s excellent junior player David Woodman featured in the line up.

Also making a first appearance this season was Cheryl Beaumont, who faced a tough opponent in Carla Khan. Beaumont, however, had a secret weapon – the famous Tek Sing catsuit, as worn by Bex Macree – and folks, I have to say, the competition to look hottest on a squash court is well and truly on. With any luck there will be pictures to follow, and I promise they will be well worth waiting for!

The first game was marked by a high percentage of unforced errors from both players, and although Cheryl looked to be quite comfortable, she lacked consistency and Khan took it 4-9. By the second game though Cheryl had settled into an excellent rhythm and began to dominate, she had her errors under control and her touch and deception were decisive throughout the rest of the match. Khan showed flashed of the form which has earned her some excellent results on the tour lately, but her game was dotted with errors and Beaumont was in no mood to let her get away with anything. A superb performance and superb result for Cheryl earned her the Tek Sing Player of the Match award, a piece of the beautiful porcelain from the wreck of the Chinese ship Tek Sing, sunk in 1822 and salvaged in 1999. Unfortunately by the time the award was made Cheryl was on her way home to Yorkshire, so I hope someone tells her she has won!

Meanwhile David Woodman was facing UKP’s Daryl Selby. The first game was very close, with both players keeping everything extremely tight and the level of accuracy was outstanding from both of them. After a series of game points in both directions Selby made the decisive shot to take the first 9-11. With his confidence high, Selby went from strength to strength, and although David battled bravely, from this point on he was always slightly off the pace. Selby played outstandingly consistent squash, and from there on was never really in any danger. Woodman battled bravely but Selby retained the upper hand and closed the match out 0-3.

Raj Nanda made a successful follow up to his winning debut with a fine win against Stuart Cowie. Both players started tentatively, but Raj managed to win a tight first game, and from then on controlled the match completely. A combination of beautiful touch play and venomous shots make Raj look an awesome prospect for the rest of the National League season, as well as the PSA Tour.

Lee Drew and Lee Jemmett provided excellent entertainment at second string, and although Drewboy never appeared to be anything but in command, Jemmett persisted in stringing points together with his dogged retrieving and aggressive strokeplay. Jemmett, however, was always at full stretch, while Drew had plenty in the tank, and the pressure told. Always a pace quicker and a step ahead, Drew was able to outmanouevre Jemmett and take a beautifully crafted 3-0 win.

With the match score at 3-1 in Tek Sing’s favour, the crowd was treated to a hugely entertaining exhibition match from David Evans and Tim Garner. We were treated to every trick in the book from both players, Tim and David apparently enjoying it just as much as the enthralled spectators. Garner was sprinting from corner to corner, retrieving everything that Evans threw at him – after on particularly gruelling rally he had the crowd in gales of laughter as he collapsed in mock despair at being asked to play a let. Indeed, you would have thought he had had enough, but Tim Garner never knows when he is beaten and clawed his way back into the match, pulling back from match ball in the third to take it 9-11 – although he didn’t exactly look thrilled at the prospect of having to play another game! David kept it short and sweet thought, and closed out an immensely enjoyable match 9-2 in the fourth with little difficulty.

A splendid win for Tek Sing, a wonderful night of squash, and a vastly entertaining evening for all of us lucky enough to be there. Thanks to all the players and officials who helped give us such an enjoyable time.
 

BANNED BEX FACES CHARMAN RAGE
Brilliant performances by Lee Drew, Raj Nanda in his Tek Sing debut, and David Evans in tonight's match were overshadowed by astonishing scenes in the much anticipated clash between Bex Macree and arch rival Linda Charman.

Charman set out her stall right from the start, indulging in furious outbursts against both the referee and Bex, although her over-physical approach to this match seemed calculated to try the patience of both official and opponent. Charman muscled her way to a 4-9 win in the first, but as Bex began to dominate the second game, more outbursts prevented either player from maintaining any kind of momentum. Charman snapped when yet another decision went inevitably against her, and as her racket flew into the ceiling of the court, she received her first conduct warning of the evening. Bex was visibly shaken by Charman's actions, and not without reason - the racket-cum-missile posed a very real injury threat, and it was only through luck that neither player came to any harm - but she managed to hold her form together and continue her good work in that game, taking it 9-5.

In the third game Charman continued her tactic of using what amounted to physical violence and verbal abuse of opponent and officials, and rattled Bex enough to be able to take the game 4-9, but not without the loss of a conduct point for her behaviour. Meanwhile, the player banned from the WISPA tour for undisciplined and unacceptable behaviour was the model of professional sportsmanship, consistently refusing to engage with Charman despite massive and calculated provocation, and keeping all her conversations with the referee short, polite and non-confrontational. As Bex grew in confidence that she could deal with the tantrums and tirades of Charman without involving herself with them, she began to settle to a very high standard of play, and dominate the match with greater speed, accuracy and tactical shrewdness than her opponent could handle.

After taking the fourth 9-3, Bex began the fifth in fine style, continuing to outplay Charman and stay one step ahead of the spoiling tactics employed by the increasingly desperate Chichester player. As she stretched to a 7-0 lead, a series of inevitable let decisions provoked a final outburst which left the referee with no choice but to award a conduct game against Charman, giving the match to Bex, who had earned it several times over by then.

On this occasion Charman's tempestuous style proved her undoing, and Bex, who was quite rightly on her best behaviour, reaped the rewards of staying calm and professional under pressure, not just by being awarded the match but by keeping her game together enough to earn the win anyway. Bex is currently serving a WISPA ban for behaviour which, though reprehensible, fell far, far short of anything we saw from Linda Charman tonight - indeed complaints have already been made tonight to the match officials from parents of children attending this small, family orientated squash club, regarding the constant use of foul and abusive language by Charman, fully audible to the spectators watching from above and behind the court and inexcusable in every way.

Meanwhile, Raj Nanda was busy making a fine start to his Tek Sing career, winning his debut match against Ritwyk Battacharya comfortably, Tony the Tiger was purring quietly in a corner while Tim Vail played squash around him, Lee Drew was earning the Tek Sing Player of the Match award with an epic performance against the excellent Ben Garner - possibly the best we have seen from Drewboy in National League, and he has been one of our most consistent players over three seasons, so that's saying something - and Emu was powering past Pete Genever in his best classy style. But despite all this, the night will be remembered as the night there were fireworks indoors at Lexden.
 

errrr ... NOT!

After suffering defeat to arch rivals Broxbourne in the first round of the National Squash League, current champions Tek Sing Lexden were in no mood to take things easy in Tuesday’s fixture at Guildford.

The evening started with what had been predicted to be Tek Sing’s toughest match of the night, Guildford’s Fiona Geaves, world ranked number 10, against Tek Sing’s Rebecca Macree, ranked 11. In contrast to the expectations of many, Rebecca scored a comfortable victory against the higher ranked player, underlining her current run of excellent form and promising another year of great National League performances for Tek Sing.

Lee Drew was in action for Tek Sing in the fourth string match, in an unfortunate mismatch against Guildford’s Toby Mortimer. The Guildford player was totally overwhelmed by Drew, who showed no mercy to his opponent winning 0-3 for the loss of only six points.

In the third string match Tek Sing’s player manager Tony "the Tiger" Hands faced Guildford’s Ross Norman. The Tek Sing supporters are used to The Tiger’s mercurial play and unpredictable form, and were too experienced in Tiger – watching to start celebrating when Tony went 0-2 up fairly comfortably. Indeed, when the third game slipped the way of the Guildford player, no-one was too shocked – and when the fourth also went to Guildford, albeit on a ridiculous refereeing decision at game ball, there was a decided air of “here we go again….” throughout the Tek Sing contingent. However, we should not doubt The Tiger, he is made of stern stuff and when he roars, he roars loudly, which he showed by totally dominating the fifth game to take the match 2-3 and secure the fixture for Tek Sing.

However, points were still at stake, and Tek Sing’s new signing, Australian Paul Price, made his National League debut against Guildford’s Neil Frankland. On paper, Price should have been in for an easy evening, but this was his first competitive game back from a nasty ankle injury, and after winning the first game comfortably he then lost the next two, looking weary and ring rusty. A massive effort by Price in the fourth levelled the match for the Tek Sing player, and the fifth started in the same brave style as he began to pull out a lead. Disaster struck though, as a turned ankle aggravated the injury which has kept Price off court for several weeks now, and despite a typically Australian dogged effort, Frankland was able to take advantage of the situation and earn the win. Tek Sing are looking forward to seeing much more of Paul, who is such a valuable addition to this season’s squad, and we all wish him a full and speedy recovery from his ankle injury.

The first string match between Tek Sing’s Welsh number one David Evans and Guildford’s Steven Meads started to look like a stroll in the park for Evans, until a lapse of concentration in the third saw Meads pull a game back, and look as though he thought he could make a fight of it. Evans put paid to all such thoughts swiftly in the next, winning it 2-9 and the tie 1-3.

Tek Sing’s next National League fixture is at home, at Lexden Squash Club, against Chichester on Tuesday 5th November at 7pm. If you would like the opportunity to watch world class athletes in top level competition, call Lexden Squash club on 01206 545710 to book your match night ticket.
 

Not quite a "Bex" statement,
but Pricey looks cool ...

Match report
from Jon Braddock

National Squash League champions Tek Sing Lexden played host to last year’s beaten finalists Broxbourne in the opening fixture of the new season, and faced a team eager for revenge.

Tek Sing’s Rebecca Macree, sporting her trademark “Serena Williams” style catsuit, opened proceedings against Broxbourne’s Caroline Heal. As expected, Macree was dominant in the match and Heal had little opportunity to show what she is capable of. Meanwhile Broxbourne’s youngster Alister Walker demonstrated his immense promise in a convincing 0-3 win over Tek Sing’s Paul Allen.

Tek Sing player-manager Tony Hands faced Danny Meddings in a battle of the veterans which the Broxbourne oldster took in another convincing 0-3 victory. With the match score sitting at 1-2 in the visitors' favour, Tek Sing’s Belgian international Stefan Castelyn was expected to redress the balance, but South African number 1 Rodney Durbach continued his winning habit with a magnificent performance, turning the form book upside down and securing the match for Broxbourne in a 0-3 demolition of his opponent.

With the points in the bag, the final match was a “dead rubber” between Tek Sing’s Welsh number 1 David Evans against England number 3 and Commonwealth Games medallist Mark Chaloner. The first two games followed a similar pattern with Chaloner pulling out to a good lead only to be hauled back by Evans, who then proved unable to press home his advantage.

Chaloner dug deep and took the win in superb style, earning the Tek Sing Player of the Match prize of a piece of the porcelain salvaged from the wreck of the Tek Sing, a Chinese merchant ship which sank in 1822 and was recovered in 1999.

Classy opening for Bex

Not tonight, Banksy ...

TEK SING SETS SAIL FOR ANOTHER NATIONAL SQUASH LEAGUE VOYAGE

Tony Hands, Lexden’s National Squash League player/manager has today confirmed that last year’s sponsor Tek Sing have pledged their support to the team for a further year.

“We are delighted to announce that the partnership which brought us so much success last season will continue. With Tek Sing’s support we won the National Squash League title last year and we know we have a real chance to retain our championship with their continued backing.”
 

Tek Sing is the name of a Chinese trading vessel which sank in 1822 with a cargo of porcelain. Salvaged in 1999, the bulk of the cargo was acquired by Tiptree family firm The Collector – and the name Tek Sing (which translates True Star) was given to Hands’ Lexden National Squash League team. “On the face of it, it may seem a strange combination – antique shipwrecked porcelain and squash – but we have greatly enjoyed being associated with such a fascinating and historical event, and we are really looking forward to working with the Tek Sing directors again. And as an added bonus, we experience a little culture, which many people feel is missing from the world of professional sport!”

The new National League season kicks off on the 8^th October, when Tek Sing welcome last year’s beaten finalists Broxbourne to the Lexden club. “It will be a grudge match, no doubt about that” comments Hands. “The result in the final came right down to the wire, with two points which could have gone either way deciding it. Broxbourne will most definitely be up for revenge – we know what to expect.”

Team selection will be critical, with many of the National League squads undergoing personnel changes over the summer “Tek Sing are no exception – I am still in the middle of delicate negotiations regarding our new players having lost last year’s number two Simon Parke, who is beginning to seem irreplaceable! I will be announcing the full squad at the charity event we are holding at Lexden Squash Club on 28^th September, and hopefully they will all be there to take part. We are giving anybody who fancies their chances the opportunity to buy ten minutes on court with the professional player of their choice, and the proceeds will go to the NSPCC. If you want to have a go, give Lexden Squash Club a call and book a time slot.”

The charity event will be followed by a barbecue and a promotional event which will include a player auction and a chance to win a weekend for two in Paris. “We are keen that as many people as possible from the area should be able to meet the players, watch some squash and perhaps start to play themselves. Having a team of world class players regularly on show in Colchester has been immensely valuable to the club, especially the junior players who have really been inspired. Tek Sing’s continued commitment to the team is a great step forward for us.”   
 

12-Sep-02
NATIONAL SQUASH CHAMPIONS PREPARE
TITLE DEFENCE

Tony Hands, player-manager of current National Squash League champions Tek Sing Lexden, has confirmed that the Colchester based team will be defending the title they won earlier this year when Tek Sing defeated Triage Broxbourne in a thrilling five match final. The National Squash League is the premier team championship in England. Tek Sing’s victory in 2001/02 was unexpected, but now they are making plans to defend their title.

During the course of the season the Lexden club played host to the best squash players in the world including world number 1 and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Peter Nicol, who won a closely fought contest with Tek Sing’s number one player David Evans.

“This is one of the reasons we want to continue, bringing the world’s top players to Colchester and providing the town with the opportunity to watch the best in the world. We are serious about defending our title too – in the two years we have been in the competition we have reached the final on both occasions, so we have high expectations. I am now finalising the new squad for 2002/03, and am in talks to arrange this season’s sponsors. We are holding a charity event at Lexden Squash Club on the 28th September where the new team will be announced. We hope to have the whole of the new squad available for the event, and are offering the opportunity for people to actually play against top internationals like David Evans and Rebecca Macree, with the proceeds going to the NSPCC. Children are fundamental to the development of all sport, and this is why we want to support the NSPCC with our event. There will also be a barbeque, and opportunities to get involved and support the National League team with a promotional event which will include an auction of the team players, with promotional packages and the chance to win a weekend for two in Paris on offer.”

Speculation regarding the squad has been rife, although Hands refused to be drawn on the identity of any new signings. “I have heard all sorts of rumours, but whilst I can confirm that I have been speaking with world number 2 Jonathon Power, former British Open Champion David Palmer and the incredibly exciting young Egyptian player Amr Shabana, I am not able to give too much detail at this stage. Similarly I can’t yet give details of this season’s sponsor. Tek Sing gave us the most amazing support last year, and really emphasised how important that partnership is. We will be making an announcement shortly which I hope will please everyone involved in the National League team, and help spur us on to a successful defence of our title.”

The official launch of the 2002/03 National League campaign will take place at Lexden Squash Club on the 28th September.

 “Anyone who fancies their chances on-court with a top international professional is welcome to come along – give the club a call for details and to book a time slot in the charity event. Good luck!”
 

Tony Hands

Tony's Tigers are the Champs