07 Jan 2003 - Week 6
Duffield 2-3 Manchester
Wolverhampton 3-2 Hallamshire
Nottingham 3-2 Edgbaston
Broxbourne 3-2 Lexden
Guildford 4-1 UK Packaging
Lee on Solent 1-4 ChichesterNew Year Brings Fortune For League's Lower Order
Week six roundup from Howard HardingWhilst FPD Savills Nottingham and Hertfordshire's TVS Broxbourne stretched their leads at the top of the two groups after 3-2 victories in the sixth round of the National Squash League, there was New Year fortune for Wolverhampton and UniSport Guildford who both claimed only their second wins of the season to lift themselves off the bottom of their respective tables.
Guildford thundered to a 4-1 home win over London's UK Packaging to move up to fourth place in Group B, with club stalwart Stephen Meads sealing the most decisive victory of the night with a 11-9 5-9 9-7 9-6 over the visitors' No1 and team captain Tim Garner. It was Meads' first win in six appearances for the Surrey club at No1, in the season-long absence of injured regular top string Paul Johnson. Guildford No3 Neil Frankland, the Scottish international also playing in his sixth successive match for the University team, twice came from behind against compatriot Stuart Cowie, then was struck in the face by his opponent's racket at 5-4 in the fifth game. After treatment at courtside, Frankland battled on to reach match-ball, whereupon the referee awarded a conduct point against Cowie for uttering an 'audible obscenity', which gave a valuable 4-9 9-6 8-10 9-2 9-4 victory to the home player.
It was in Group A that Wolverhampton clinched a 3-2 home win over Sheffield's HLW Solicitors Hallamshire to rise to fifth place in the table. Team regular Chris Ryder put the hosts ahead with a 9-6 9-6 9-2 win over Hallamshire newcomer Peter Hughes to claim his fifth win of the season, before squad No2 Scott Handley valiantly twice fought back from behind to secure Wolverhampton's much-needed victory with a 7-9 10-8 5-9 9-4 9-4 win over the Yorkshire club's Hadrian Stiff.
With a 3-2 home win over second-placed Edgbaston Priory in Group A, Nottingham stretched their lead to seven points ahead of the Birmingham club.
Tania Bailey, the only woman in the League to have played in all this season's ties, secured her fifth successive 3/0 win for Nottingham with a 9-4 10-8 9-0 win over Vicky Lankester. It was Lankester's first outing this season for Edgbaston in the absence of holidaying Australian world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, a 'banker' winner for the club throughout the first half of the season. Frenchman Renan Lavigne sealed victory for the hosts with a brave 9-7 4-9 5-9 9-7 9-7 win over the visitors' Adrian Grant. Edgbaston 'veteran' Del Harris, however, produced the tie's most heroic win - the 33-year-old world No30 overturning a first game loss to beat Nottingham's world No4 and World Open runner-up John White 7-9 9-5 9-2 9-5.
Four months after undergoing back surgery for the second time in her career, England's former world No1 and world champion Cassie Jackman successfully negotiated her comeback for Benz-Bavarian Duffield in their home tie against Manchester-Pontefract. Cassie calmly beat England junior international Lauren Siddall 9-4 9-1 9-0 to put the Derbyshire club into the driving seat. "I admit I was pretty nervous to start with, but it turned out to be an ideal start and I was just pleased to have got through it without any problems," said the world No7 from Norfolk afterwards. Duffield supporters thought Christmas had come again when former full-time player Paul Hargrave, now the club coach and racket stringer, comprehensively crushed Pakistani star Shahid Zaman 12-10 10-8 9-3 in his league debut for the visitors. "It was amazing - minutes after stringing a racket for one of the club members, he was stringing up the world No32!" said the proud Duffield manager Brian Hargrave.
Manchester had more in reserve, however, as James Willstrop, fresh from his World Junior Open triumph in India last month, beat Duffield's Jonathan Kemp 3-1 to level the tie - then British National champion Lee Beachill clinched a 3-2 victory for Manchester-Pontefract with a 5-9 9-1 9-1 9-3 win over Welsh champion Alex Gough.
Colchester-based League champions Tek Sing Lexden suffered their second loss of the season to TVS Broxbourne, this time away from home. The hosts' middle order line-up, comprising Danny Meddings, Alex Stait and South African Rodney Durbach, produced the three wins to earn Broxbourne their 3-2 win - Stait bravely beating Australian Raj Nanda 9-4 4-9 7-9 9-5 9-4 in only his second appearance for the club this season. Broxbourne No1 and team captain Mark Chaloner, back on court for the first time in three weeks after nursing a shoulder injury, was unable to capitalise on a first game win against Lexden's David Evans, eventually going down 9-4 7-9 7-9 3-9.
Chichester moved up to second place in Group B with a 4-1 win at Lee-on-Solent - last month's World Junior Open runner-up Peter Barker claiming the home team's sole point with a straight games win, his third successive 3/0 victory of the season, over Chichester's Chris Tomlinson.
Squad No2 Tim Vail was the star of the Chichester team when he beat Mark Heather 9-6 9-7 7-9 9-7 to clinch victory for the visitors - and become the only player in the League to claim six wins out of six matches in the season.