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05/02/2004
GUILDFORD'S RUN COMES TO AN END
UniS Guildford seem some valuable points slip through their grasp ...
Lee on Solent 3 beat UniSport Guildford 2
Bradley Ball 3 beat Stephen Meads 1 (9 - 4, 5 - 9, 9 - 0, 9 - 6)
Lee Drew 3 beat Tony Hands 1 (5 - 9, 12 - 10, 9 - 5, 9 - 6)
Gavin Jones 2 lost to Neil Frankland 3 (9 - 4, 4 - 9, 9 - 3, 3 - 9, 7 - 9)
Ritwik Bhattacharya 3 beat Paul Allen 1 (6 - 9, 9 - 5, 10 - 8, 9 - 1)
Vicky Botwright 2 lost to Fiona Geaves 3 (5 - 9, 8 - 10, 9 - 4, 9 - 2, 6 - 9)
Lee on Solent 3 beat UniSport Guildford 2
In a tough tussle,UniSport Guildford's little unbeaten run came to a halt against Lee on Solent. The visit to the coast was enough home advantage to see Lee on Solent home to the narrowest of victories. Sadly in the 3 matches lost by the visitors there was not a closer whiff of a chance to clinch the match. The two matches won were by late bursts in the fifth and deciding sets. The matches lost were less evenly balanced by a 3 - 1 margin against.
A late call up for Paul Allen to replace the injured and in form Stacey Ross was a bitter blow for the university and was far from ideal preparation for Allen. Nonetheless his chirpy first game saw him off to a good start but was more a product of a lazy start by the Indian star. Once Bhattacharya was into his game the shots started to flow and required much retrieving by Allen. This took its toll and as the match wore on the physical commitment was more than Allen could match, tiring visibly and losing the effectiveness of his early attacking play. The third game had its pivotal moment when briefly Allen threatened to edge his way back into the match, but in the end the game and thus the match slid away from him as he succumbed in that game 10 - 8, to be hastily followed by a disappointing one point gained in the fourth.
Geaves was engaged in a long and arduous struggle against the younger Vicky Botwright for Lee on Solent. Botwright has had the better of their matches lately, but against this there has been an recent improvement in Geaves's form on the Women's International Tour. It was to be a nervy but fascinating contest enlivened by moments when both players threatened to gain the upper hand only to fritter the advantage away. Geaves played well enough to take a lead, but having done the hard work and got in front then proceeded to start the second game as if she had no confidence and no purpose. Botwright took the initiative and built up a lead and was first to game ball. The defining moment came when, having built that lead, Botwright managed to allow Geaves to creep back to 8 - 8 and then steal the game. A 2 - 0 advantage was not sufficient incentive and Geaves lost her way and now Botwright made no mistake in claiming both the third and fourth with only limited resistance, but still there were errors on both sides and going into the fifth it seemed that it could go either way. Botwright had been more convincing in the third and fourth, but that seemingly released some pressure on Geaves and playing with a degree more freedom, she seemed to start hitting the ball more cleanly and more decisively, which allowed her to move into a small lead and hang on to claim the result for the University. There was huge relief all around among the UniSport followers as the 5 - 0 whitewash of the first half of the season had been avoided and now the quest for more points could begin. The win will have done veteran Geaves no harm at all in the run up to her forthcoming campaign in the National Championships in Manchester.
In the number 3 string tie, Neil Frankland playing up the order against the fiery Welshman Gavin Jones was rocked on his heels early on, both by his own loose play and also the immediate assault from Jones. Not seen in the League by Guildford players before, Jones was something of an unknown quantity but was hasty around the court and not afraid to attack to the front. As the match moved into the second game Frankland started to exert a measure of control over the rallies by slowing and varying the pace and using his lethal short game when the opportunity presented itself. Jones was impatient and made mistakes of technique and rather lost the initiative that his first game had given him. Jones, however, came roaring back and mounted another high energy, hard hitting attack on the UniSport player. This rested the advantage back his way and with it a 2 - 1 lead. However methodically Frankland restored his control and started to dictate the tempo of the match again and his accuracy flourished as a result. Winners and mistakes from the Welshman levelled the match for Varsity. The fifth was to be a nail-biter. Luckily for UniSport, Frankland using his greater experience managed to gain a slim lead and hang on to it all the way through to match ball but at that point the resolute Jones was not to be a push over, fought back gamely and it took an outrageous cross court nick from the forehand off the service to clinch the match for Frankland. Briefly UniSport Guildford had a look at the possibility of winning points, a 2 - 1 match score advantage with 2 matches to play.
Tony Hands took on World Tour regular Lee Drew at number 2 string and flattered to deceive by taking the first game. Drew by his standards looked a little out of sorts and it was this that gave rise to inflated UniSport hopes of a win. Drew managed to stir himself enough and brought his good control to bear on the match tempting Hands to choose the fast option to finish the match. This is always fraught with difficulty as it risks a high error rate as well. This was all that Drew needed and he closed out the match albeit with some uncertainty but suggesting that he had something in hand, although whether it was really readily available on this occasion was open to doubt. The second game was crucial to the Guildford cause and after a cruel and rather strange refereeing decision it slipped away at 12 - 10 against.
The decider for Guildford was the number 1 string tie between Stephen Meads and Bradley Ball. These two have had many encounters enough to suggest that Meads was doomed to fail and disappoint the 'academics'. The first game did nothing to dispel that view. Ball in his inimitable style, spread around the middle of the court claiming any loose ball as his own to promptly dispatch to the snort nick for the winner. Time and again the ball ended up dead as Ball smashed it around. Meads is a fighter and valiantly tried to frustrate his lanky opponent who seemed to be playing as if on one leg in the way that he shuffles crab- like around the court. There was a brief pause in the assault and battery approach from Ball and Meads was able to take the middle of the court for himself for a while and the reward was an equalising game. In this strange encounter that had little of the drama that is normally associated with the deciding match of a tough and tight match the Lee on Solent player stormed off at the start of the third in a blaze of winners from not particularly bad shots from Meads. Hardly pausing to get breath back, the game died a natural death without Meads troubling the scoresheet. Now it was all uphill and it was too far gone to expect a rescue act. Ball started the fourth a little more circumspect but never shunning the winner when the ball was loose enough in his judgement to hit it. Always slightly in front on the scoreline but pegged back in the rallies to some degree by Meads persistence, Ball calculated 2 outrageous winners both of which hit the target and wrenched the match from a despairing UniSport player who had hoped for better.
On the night it was a tense but absorbing match giving some consolation to Guildford after the poor result in the first half. The disappointment was obvious though as these were badly needed points and this was a match to win. The last match of the season is against League leaders Broxbourne at home on the 17th February. Broxbourne are a major attraction and are likely semi finalists now that Guildford can't make it, so be sure to see this match and the world class squash on offer.
Contributor: Ian Robinson
Club: Guildford
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