| TVS Broxbourne 3-2 FPD Savills Nottingham Mark Chaloner lost to John White 9-7, 9-5, 4-9, 7-9, 6-9 Rodney Durbach lost to Simon Parke 9-6, 10-12, 4-9, 7-9 Alex Stait beat Renan Lavigne 9-7, 9-6, 9-3 Danny Meddings beat Jason Nicolle 10-8, 9-5, 9-3 Natalie Pohrer beat Jane Fletcher 9-0, 9-1, 9-0 Nottingham win 6-4 on aggregate |
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| Wild night at Broxbourne Ian McKenzie reports Broxbourne, on the end of a 4-1 first leg loss, faced a task even the most optimistic would have thought improbable in the second leg of the National League semi-finals. BROXBOURNE TAKE EARLY LEAD In an effort to turn that result around Natalie Pohrer, gave them the best start in the one match they were sure of, by outclassing Jane Fletcher. Even while that match was rushing by the upstairs gallery could hear the cheers rocking the building as Broxbourne fans urged on an unbelievably focused Alex Stait making amends for his loss in the first leg, where he had matchballs. This night he played some of the best squash they had seen of him at Broxbourne, to take out the Frenchman Renan Lavigne 9-7, 9-6, 9-3. Broxbourne two up. Danny Meddings was not played in the first leg. With a fast ball, in an explosive start, he fell behind 8-3 to old rival Jason Nicolle but came back brilliantly and virtually error free attacked with a precision that sets him apart as a class act. His racket held still and then the strings sung across the ball as he cut down nick after nick 10-8, 9-5, 9-3 until Nicolle was quite demoralised. Broxbourne three up. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE It was then that the improbable seemed possible. Upstairs in the bar the main match on glass back court was projected onto a big screen. Downstairs the seats, stairs and floor were crammed full of spectators. Geoff Long the Broxbourne manager had done the sums and announced that all Broxbourne needed was just one more match for a win. So far for the night Broxbourne were ahead 9/0 on games,
and a match and the three games from that would put them clear on count
back. Parke was in deep trouble and midway through the second his new Dunlop racket smashed across the court, the door opened and he explained to the referee that he was not too happy with the decision. "You are ruining the night, you are ruining the game," he
screamed then rearranged the glasswork at the back of the court and went
back on to expel steam for a few more moments to no censure. He was still
aroused when he slammed the return of serve dead into the nick, clenched his
fist, screamed and glared at the referee. Parke desperately flicked his backswing back and twice collected Durbach in the face. Perhaps that just disrupted the South African a little for at 10-all he mis-hit off serve and Parke escaped 10-8. From then on Durbach played with a burden, the explosive
edge he had in he first was gone and the rallies were now under Parke's
control as he used the cooler ball for a medium paced length. The third was
won by Parke 9-4 and he went ahead 8-5 in the fourth. Matchball down, every
Durbach point was greeted with exhalation, and although he got to 7-8 an
overeager boast hit the tin and Nottingham had a match back. White was the playmaker here with Chaloner chasing, responding to the fiercely hit ball, thrashing, tripping, firing in miss hit winners and urged on by constant cheers. "Chip" they call him, perhaps it should be "Mr Chips", a
modern day Dan Tucker, of comic book fame. He went two up 9-5 in frantic
activity and bedlam was in the air and the marker struggled to be heard. |
National League |