Semi-finals Second Leg - Tue 2nd Apr
Tek Sing Lexden 3 - 2
Benz-Bavarian Duffield
David Evans beat Alex Gough 10-8 9-7 ( dead rubber)
Simon Parke beat Adrian Grant 6-9 9-6 5-9 9-5 10-8
Tony Hands lost Paul Hargrave 10-12 3-9 9-6 4-9
Lee Drew lost James Will strop 5-9 6-9 7-9
Rebecca Macree beat Madeline Perry 9-1 9-4 9-1
Lexden win 7-3 on aggregate
Triage Broxbourne 2 - 3
Edgbaston UOB
Mark Chaloner lost to Stewart Boswell, 7/9 9/3 9/7
6/9 7/9
Rodney Durbach beat Del Harris, 3/9 9/7 10/8 9/3
Danny Meddings beat Paul Lord, 6/9 10/8 9/5 9/3
Alister Walker lost to Joey Kemp, 11/9 7/9 6/9 10/8 7/9
Alison Waters lost to Sarah Fitzgerald 2/9 0/9 0/9
Triage win 6-4 on aggregate
LEXDEN SURVIVE SEMI SCARE
Tek Sing Lexden finally won through to the NL Final but were given a real
scare by Benz-Bavarian Duffield who faced a 4-1 deficit from the first leg and
who had Cassie Campion unavailable.
A totally focused James Willstrop silenced the home supporters with a superb
clinical display defeating Lee Drew 9-5 9-6 9-7 to pull one rubber back.
Adrian Grant added to the home supporters' tension when he deservedly went 2-1
up against Simon Parke.
On the adjoining court the two captains were again in opposition with Tony
"the tiger" Hands facing Paul "hardman" Hargrave determined to avenge his
first leg defeat when Hands came back from 2-1 down. Hargrave saved three game
balls in the first before edging home 12-10 and then ran Hands ragged in the
second to win 9-3 . The home captain sensing danger from the adjoining court
dug deep to pull back from 5-1 down to take the third 9-6 but this time
Hargrave changed tactics to dominate the fourth which he comfortably won 9-4.
In the meantime back on the show court Parke had levelled the scores at 2 all
only to see Grant take a 7-5 lead in the final game. The impossible seemed
possible until Grant and the noisy travelling Duffield supporters were left
distraught by two decisions which bewildered even the Lexden supporters.
Parke, who himself had cause to complain about an earlier poor decision, took
full advantage and virtually killed off the visitors hopes as he squeezed home
10-8 just seconds before Hargrave thought he had hauled Duffield back into
contention.
Rebecca Macree quickly disposed of Madeline Perry 9-1 9-4 9-1 to put the
aggregate score beyond Duffield's reach, leaving the Welsh No's 1 and 2, David
Evans and Alex Gough to play out a best of 3 dead rubber which Evans won 2-0.
Tek Sing Lexden deservedly won through to the final on merit over the two ties
but Group A winners Benz- Bavarian Duffield could justifiably feel that the
fates were finally against them after a season when similar close group
encounters had gone their way.
TRIAGE SQUEEZE INTO THE FINAL
Triage Squash eased into the National Squash League
final with a 2-3 defeat tonight ! Having obtained a 4-1 advantage in the 1st
leg two weeks ago, the Broxbourne based team only required one rubber plus any
three other games to go through. As it was veterans, Danny Meddings & Rodney
Durbach pulled out wins to ensure the Hertfordshire Clubs progression into the
final on the 7th May.
Earlier in the night, Broxbourne's, 18 yr old, Alison Waters had taken on the
formidable World No.1 Sarah Fitzgerald, in what was to prove the only mis-match
of the night. Despite a valiant effort by the Middlesex teenager, Waters was
no match for the Australian World No.1 who won 3-0 for the loss of only 2
points.
Alister Walker, without doubt, Broxbourne's player of the season, faced Joey
Kemp. Kemp is ranked 67 in the World. Walker having just entered the senior
tour, is probably some 50 places below him, but when you have won 10 matches
from 10 starts this season, rankings mean nothing! Alister took the first game
11/9 whilst both were finding their feet. Joey responded to take a 2-1
advantage, but Alister was not giving in just yet. The forth went to Walker to
set up a nailbiting finale. After 48 minutes, Joey Kemp won 9-7 in the fifth &
deciding game to give Edgbaston a 2-0 lead.
Two weeks ago, Danny Meddings dished out what can only be described as a 'good
hiding' to Paul Lord. Broxbourne's captain, Mark Chaloner, had selected Danny
to do just the same again, in preference to Alex Stait. His judgement was spot
on as Meddings secured the valuable point that would prove the foundation to
Broxbourne's win, this time by a 3-1 margin over Lord.
Broxbourne therefore only needed 3 games to go through to the National Final
on countback. A win by Rodney Durbach would have the local tailors twitching
for the business! He obviously had not read the script, losing the first game
3-9, but a stern talking to from Chaloner, saw him bounce back to take the
second game 9-7. It was now that this match would be won or lost. Point for
point, rally for rally, until at 8-7 and game point up in the third, the
experienced Del Harris served out! No other invitation was needed as Durbach
responded to take the game10-8. At 1-1 Del seemed to be a broken man and Rod
went on to secure the team's place in the final, winning the next two games,
9-5, 9-3, and a 3-1 overall score.
One would have thought that the match would be over at this point, but with
Stewart Boswell protecting a 3 season unbeaten record in National League,
Chaloner was in the mood to be the person to beat him! Boswell took the first,
Chaloner went 2-1 up, for Boswell to respond in the only manner he knows, by
winning the next two games & his match 3-2 in 60 minutes.
Chaloner was not disappointed, " We are through to another National League
Final, what more could I ask the team for?"
The final will be on 7th May, probably at Lambs Club, London.
Semi Finals First Leg -
Tue 19th Mar
Edgbaston UOB 1 - 4 Triage Broxbourne
Davide Bianchetti lost Rodney Durbach 6-9 9-11 3-9
Paul Lord lost Danny Meddings 7-9 8-10 9-6 4-9
Joey Kemp beat Adam Stevenson 9-7 9-1 9-4
Jason Nicolle lost Alistair Walker 7-9 2-9 9-7 2-9
Emma Beddoes lost Alison Waters 4-9 5-9 8-10
Benz- Bavarian Duffield 1 – 4
Tek Sing Lexden
Peter Marshall lost Simon Parke 3-9 1-9 2-9
Paul Hargrave lost Tony Hands 9-4 7-9 9-3 2-9 3-9
Adam Toes lost Lee Drew 9-5 7-9 9-5 4-9 4-9
James Willstrop lost Michael Robberds 6-9 11-13 5-9
Cassie Campion beat Rebecca Macree 10-8 9-1 7-9 9-2
“Playing away from home”
Brian Hargrave reports on the first legs ...
Tek Sing Lexden sink Benz-Bavarian Duffield whilst Triage Broxbourne shock
defending champions Edgbaston UOB.
Tek Sing Lexden beat Benz- Bavarian Duffield 4-1 and Triage Broxbourne beat
Edgbaston UOB by the same score in the first leg of the Semi finals despite
both playing away from home.
At Duffield, the BBC TV Cameras rolled for over one hour before the start of
proceedings. The proposed “ live broadcast “ fell through at the last moment
when a big football story made the headlines down the A52 in Nottingham. The
presence of the cameras certainly added to the atmosphere with a packed
gallery.
It was a story of Duffield losing three crucial close second rubbers which
turned the tide in favour of the Lexden ship as Duffield were made to walk the
plank.
The first rubber on court involving Cassie Campion, England No 1 and world No
4 and Rebecca Macree, England No 5 and world No 11, was a
tense and at times quite physical encounter. Macree made the England No 1
fight for every point. Macree built an 8-4 lead in the first but allowed
Campion to claw back to take the game 10-8 saving 4 game balls in the process.
Macree felt hard done by and was clearly disappointed to let the first game
slip away and she quickly lost the second 9-1. Macree fought like a tiger in
the third which she won 9-7 with Campion complaining to the referee about the
increasing amount of body contact. Campion retained her cool in the fourth to
put the Group A winners one rubber up.
The news from the adjoining court was not however good for the Derbyshire
club. James Willstrop was finding the Australian Michael Robberds, ranked 76
in the world, a tough opponent who chased everything and then punished the U19
British Junior champion at every opportunity. Robberds won a close first 9-6
and then edged the crucial second 13-11 before taking the third 9-5 in under
30 minutes. Willstrop was clearly disappointed but he has contributed much to
the team’s success and such talented opponents are all part of the learning
curve.
Adam Toes deservedly took the first game 9-5 against Lee Drew playing the
tighter squash and hitting winners whenever Drew played a lose shot. A nip and
tuck second could have gone either way but the second game jinx struck again
as Toes went down 9-7. Toes regained control in the third pressurising his
opponent to making errors. Drew bounced back to level the score . A fortuitous
let decision in the fifth in the favour of Drew opened up a gap which he never
relinquished. The Lexden player stepped up a gear as his opponent began to
tire, winning the fifth 9-4, to put the visitors 2-1 ahead.
Club professional Paul Hargrave set out determined to level the scores and
played some superb squash to take the first game against the evergreen Tony
Hands 9-4. Hargrave led 7-5 in the second but Hands refused to concede as he
took four consecutive points to level the scores. The partisan home crowd was
willing on Hargrave and he regained control to comfortably take the third 9-3.
From past experience the wily Lexden captain is most dangerous when staring
defeat in the face. Hargrave gave his all but Hands always seemed to win the
long rallies after getting out of trouble with some superb retrieving. The
Duffield crowd could not help but admire the skills of the Lexden man who won
the fourth and fifth games 9-2 9-3 which was a poor reward for Hargrave’s
endeavours.
Peter Marshal and Simon Parke are the best of friends but the Lexden man
showed his opponent no mercy taking the match in just 25 minutes for the loss
of just 6 points. Marshall tried his best but his training partner Parke knows
that the time Marshall has been out of the game with chronic fatigue syndrome
and back problems have taken their toll. Marshall showed only glimpses of the
form which once took him to No 2 in the world and in the end Parke ran out an
easy winner.
After the match Tony Hands admitted that beforehand he had expected the score
to be 3-2 either way. The Duffield manager accepted that his team had been
second best on the night but felt the 4-1 scoreline was very harsh. Things
could so easily have been different if Willstrop, Toes and Hargrave had won
their close second games. Ifs, buts and maybes. Still the home crowd enjoyed
another great night’s entertainment despite the defeat.
Duffield will have Alex Gough and Adrian Grant back but will be without Cassie
Campion for the second leg to be played at Lexden on Tuesday 2 April. Former
British Open champion David Evans will return to the Lexden line up but Tony
Hands is taking nothing for granted in the knowledge that 4-1 deficits have
been overturned in previous semi finals.
Over at Edgbaston Priory both teams were under strength but Triage Broxbourne
benefited from the late withdrawal of Alison Wray. Alison Walters beat Emma
Beddoes 3-0. Player of the season, Alistair Walker, made it 10 out of 10 as he
maintained his 100 % record by beating the veteran Jason Nicole 3-1. Another
“old boy” Danny Meddings was a surprise 3-1 winner against Paul Lord but Joey
Kemp put a point on the board for the Priory Club when he beat Adam Stevenson
3-0. The Broxbourne adopted favourite, South African, Rodney Durbach
established a healthy 4-1 lead for Triage when he did an Italian job beating
Davide Bianchetti 3-0.
Edgbaston will be hoping that Stewart Boswell, Del Harris and Sarah Fitzgerald
will all be available for the second leg, and if they are this tie is far from
over.
Round TEN - Tue 12th Mar
Brian Hargrave summarises a dramatic night
FINAL GROUP TABLE & SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP
Group A
Edgbaston UOB 3- 2 Wolverhampton
Stewart Boswell beat John White 6-9 9-3 9-5 9-3
Del Harris beat Mark Cairns 4-9 9-5 9-6 9-4
Joey Kemp lost Scott Handley 9-7 8-10 6-9 4-9
Jason Nicolle beat Joey Barrington 9-6 9-4 2-9 9-6
Alison Wray lost Wendy Maitland 9-6 9-10 1-8 retired
Manchester 1 - 4 HLW Hallamshire
Lee Beachill beat Nick Matthew 9-5 10-8 6-9 9-5
Nick Taylor lost Hadrian Stiff 5-9 1-9 907 10-8 8-10
Patrick Foster lost Mike Hopkins 3-9 5-9 9-5 4-9
Andy Whipp lost Greg La Mude 4-9 6-9 10-8 1-9
Helen Easton lost Jenny Tranfield 0-9 0-9 2-9
Group B
Tek Sing Lexden 3 -2 Triage Broxbourne
David Evans beat Mark Chaloner 9-7 6-9 11-9 9-2
Simon Parke lost Rodney Durbach 7-9 13-15 7-9
Tony Hands beat Alex Stait 10-12 9-4 9-5 9-3
Lee Drew lost Alistair Walker 16-14 2-9 4-9 9-6 8-10
Rebecca Macree beat walk over
Team Chichester 1- 4 Unisport Guildford
Peter Genever lost Paul Johnson 4-9 9-7 9-6 9-11 3-9
John Russell lost Stephen Meads 7-9 9-4 4-9 12-14
Tim Vail lost Stacey Ross 7-9 3-9 8-10
Ben Garner beat Neil Frankland 9-3 6-9 12-10 10-12 9-1
Tania Bailey lost Fiona Geaves 5-9 4-9 0-9
UK Packaging 4 - 1 Lee-on-Solent
Ong Beng Hee beat Bradley Ball 10-8 13-11 12-10
Tim Garner beat Mark Heather 9-5 6-9 9-4 9-6
Lee Jemmett lost Ben Howell 8-10 4-9 4-9
Ian Higgins beat Joe Russell 9-6 9-5 9-5
Linda Charman-Smith beat Vicky Botwright 9-0 9-0 4-9 9-2
ECSTASY AND AGONY IN ROUND TEN
Brian Hargrave reports
Hopefully, the live link with the Squash Player
website enabled National league followers, who were unable to attend tonight's
thrilling ties, to enjoy or suffer the many twists and turns throughout the
evening as critical ties fluctuated one way then the other. Stewart Boswell
beat John White in the deciding rubber to clinch a play-off place for reigning
champions Edgbaston Priory against local rivals Wolverhampton in last night's
classic Midlands local derby showdown for the runners-up spot in Group A .
Before a packed gallery, with 240 spectators crammed in around the Edgbaston
showcourt, Boswell lost the first game to his former Australian colleague but
hit back to win 6-9, 9-3, 9-5, 9-3 to clinch the tie and maintain his
three-year unbeaten record in the competition. Edgbaston Manger Matt Suckling
summed it all up by saying that " it was a full house, a great tie, a great
advertisement for squash in what must be the best National league in the world
and neither side deserved to lose". The result means Edgbaston are at home to
Group B champions Broxbourne next Tuesday in the play-off first leg, with the
return in Hertfordshire on April 2.
Earlier in the evening, the veteran 36-year-old Jason Nicolle had emerged as
Edgbaston's real hero, by beating former Priory player Joey Barrington 9-6,
9-4, 2-9, 9-6.
Benz-Bavarian Duffield, who had already clinched the Group A title, sat out
the evening, but there was nailbiting tension throughout the night as Tek Sing
Lexden, UK Packaging Connaught and Unisport Guildford all battled for the
Group B runners-up spot behind Triage Broxbourne. With UKP beating
Lee-on-Solent 4-1 and Guildford triumphing at Team Chichester by the same
margin, it was all down to Tony Hands beating Alex Stait and David Evans
overcoming Mark Chaloner as Lexden beat Broxbourne 3-2 to make sure of that
coveted runners-up position. Lexden travel to Duffield on 19 March for the
first leg.
It was final round heartbreak for Guildford who finally broke the Chichester
away bogey. The late run on the rails saw them denied at the post in a 3 horse
photo finish Three consecutive wins, saw all their players producing the sort
of form which must give manager Ian Robinson high hopes for next season.
There was even more disappointment at the Connaught Club as UKP thought that
they had got the photo decision after beating Lee on Solent 4-1. When the news
filtered through that Broxbourne were 2-1 up against Lexden, UKP captain Tim
Garner began studying the route to Duffield. However, Lexden's David Evans won
the crucial third game against Mark Chaloner 11-9 and took the fourth easily
9-2. Captain Tony Hands made certain that the Tek Sing ship did not sink and
he dug deep to produce his own porcelain treasure hitting back from losing the
first game 10-12 to beat Alex Stait 3-1. Broxbourne assistant manager, Andy
Booth won his third consecutive jackpot ( this time only £20) and when first
Rodney Durbach beat Simon Parke 3-0 and then Alistair Walker beat Lee Drew 3-2
he thought that his winning streak would continue. Broxbourne's failure to
field a lady player after Sue Rose withdrew provided Lexden with the crucial
point.
Another pleasing aspect was that HLW Hallamshire finally recorded their first
win of the season beating Manchester 4-1away from home. National champion Lee
Beachill beat Nick Matthew to record the only success of the evening in what
was described as a lack lustre performance by the home team as Nick Taylor
went down to Hadrian Stiff in five. The win in the final round was scant
reward for Hallamshire effort's throughout the season.
FINAL GROUP TABLE & SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP
Round NINE - Tue 05th March
The Agony and the Ecstasy - Brian Hargrave reports ...
Group A
Wolverhampton 4 - 1 Manchester
John White lost Lee Beachill 9-3 10-8 6-9 7-9 4-9
Mark Cairns beat Marcus Berrett 7-9 9-7 7-9 10-8 13-11
Scott Handley beat Patrick Foster 9-5 9-6 10-8
Joey Barrington beat David Campion 9-7 10-8 5-9 6-9 9-2
Stephanie Brind beat Helen Easton 9-4 9-1 7-9 10-8
H L W Hallamshire 1 - 4 Benz-Bavarian Duffield
Nick Matthew lost Alex Gough 3-9 9-6 3-9 11-13
Greg La Mude lost Adrian Grant 9-4 5-9 4-9 8-10
Ashley Flathers lost Paul Hargrave 7-9 3-9 2-9
Peter Billson lost James Willstrop 4-9 6-9 9-7 8-10
Laura Jane Lengthorn beat Madeline Perry 1-9 9-3 9-6 10-8
Group B
Unisport Guildford 3 - 2 U K Packaging
Paul Johnson lost Ong Beng Hee 3-9 6-9 3-9
Stephen Meads lost Tim Garner 12-14 9-5 12 –14 9-4 5-9
Stacey Ross beat Lee Jemmett 9-3 9-4 10-8
Neil Frankland beat Iain Higgins 9-1 9-7 9-5
Fiona Geaves beat Carla Khan 7-9 9-5 9-3 9-1
Lee-on-Solent 4 - 1 Tek Sing Lexden
Bradley Ball beat David Evans 9-7 9-6 4-9 9-6
Mark Heather lost Simon Parke 7-9 5-9 8-10
Ben Howell beat Tony Hands 5-9 9-5 5-9 9-6 9-7
Joe Russell beat Peter Kliggerman 9-2 9-1 9-4
Vicky Botwright beat Cheryl Beaumont 9-3 3-9 9-5 9-4
Triage Broxbourne 4-1
Team Chichester
Mark Chaloner beat Peter Genever 7-9 9-7 9-2 9-3
Greg Gaultier beat John Russell 9-6 9-5 10-8
Alex Stait beat Ben Garner 9-7 7-9 9-3 9-4
Alister Walker beat Sam Miller 9-5 9-2 9-2
Sue Rose lost Tania Bailey 7-9 9-5 9-4 4-9 2-9
The
agony and the ecstasy
Benz-Bavarian Duffield and Triage Broxbourne made
certain of the respective group titles with 4-1 wins in the penultimate round
ties. Elsewhere Wolverhampton set up a mouth watering Group A final round
showdown against Edgbaston UOB by beating Manchester 4-1. In Group B there was
a surprise 4-1 defeat for Tek Sing Lexden against bottom placed Lee on Solent
whilst UK Packaging were to rue the absence of top lady Linda Charman-Smith in
their tie against Unisport Guildford who now have a mathematical chance of
making the play offs.
In Group A Benz- Bavarian Duffield made absolutely certain of the title with a
hard fought away win against a weakened Hallamshire. Duffield’s only
disappointment was the surprise defeat of Madeline Perry, winner of the
Proctor Memorial on Sunday, against the athletic and talented Laura Jane
Lengthorn. A sluggish Perry faded badly after winning the first game 9-1
allowing her opponent to control proceedings thereafter, Wins for James
Willstrop (3-1), Paul Hargrave (3-0) and Adrian Grant (3-1) sealed the title
and the dead rubber between Nick Matthew and Alex Gough saw both player
produce attacking squash of the highest quality with some amazing retrieving
to provide great entertainment for the full house.
Over 130 spectators saw Wolverhampton emerge 4-1 victors against Manchester to
set up “a winner takes all” clash with last years league champions at
Edgbaston next Tuesday. Wolverhampton started well with Stephanie Brind
recording a 3-1 win over Helen Eason who was finally overwhelmed by Brind’s
weight of shot. Joey Barrington took a 2 nil lead but David Campion staged a
fierce fight back before going down 9-2 in the fifth. Scott Handley beat
Patrick Foster 3-0. Mark Cairns and Marcus Berrett played out an 81 minute
stunner. At 8-4 down in the 5th Cairns saved 4 match balls before running out
13/11.The final rubber saw John White in action against Lee Beachill. White
won the first two games with an awe inspiring display of power but Beachill,
showed the form which enabled him to retain his British title only 9 days
previous, hit back to level the scores and then take the 5th 9/4.
Triage Broxbourne beat Team Chichester despite Sue Rose going down to the fit
again Tania Bailey in the fifth. Youngsters Alex Stait and Alister Walker
continued their winning ways whilst Greg Gaultier and Mark Chaloner beat John
Russell and Peter Genever restively in hard fought encounters to make it a
good night for Andy Booth who again won the jackpot.
Tek Sing Lexden had a disastrous away result against Lee-on-Solent, losing 4-1
and placing their chances of gaining a semi-final place in severe jeopardy.
Vicky Botwright beat Cheryl Beaumont 3-1 and Joe Russell was too strong for
Peter Kliggerman. Ben Howell fought off the stiff challenge from Tony Hands,
eventually winning it 9/7 in the fifth to secure victory for the home side.
Lexden's Simon Parke produced a fine display of stroke play to beat Mark
Heather 3-0 .In the final rubber Bradley Ball, who was again on fire,
continued his fine run of form with an excellent attacking 3 –1 win against
former British Open champion, David Evans.
UK Packaging was to rue the absence of top lady Linda Charman-Smith on a night
when the results elsewhere fortunately made up for their own failings.
Charman-Smith had travelled back with Fiona Geaves from Houston, Texas but
while World no.6 Geaves was prepared to turnout for Unis Guildford, World no.4
Charman-Smith was not. Carla Khan stepped ably into the breech and put up a
superb effort on her UK Packaging debut and led 1-0 and 6-4 before Geaves'
experience came to the fore.
UK Packaging's two talented but heavyweight performers put in lack lustre
performances. New dad, Iain Higgins began slowly and never quickened against
Neil Frankland, while Lee Jemmett managed to get going in the third against
Stacey Ross but squandered a 7-3 lead to also lose out in straight games. This
gave UNIS Guildford the match on the night with the top two strings still to
play!
Jet lag was very evident in the rubber involving Tim Garner and Stephen Meads.
After Garner had sneaked the first 14-12, Meads lead 8-5 in the third to take
a two-one lead but Garner fought back and stole this one 14-12 as well. Meads
bounced back to draw level and moved to lead 5-2 in the fifth but UK Packaging
captain Garner dug deep to take the match 3-2 after 90 minutes of play.
Malaysian maestro Ong Beng Hee has been in devastating form in the National
League and this trend continued in Guildford. He wasted little time in beating
Paul Johnson' in three comprehensive games. The bonus points picked up by
Garner & Beng Hee could prove vital with one match remaining.
If UK Packaging can beat Lee on Solent next week then Tek Sing Lexden will
have to beat group winners Triage Broxbourne to qualify for the play-offs. If
both UKP and Lexden lose, a victory for Guildford against Team Chichester, who
now occupy bottom place in the group, could see Ian Robinson’s team travelling
to Derbyshire. It is a very exciting climax to an eventful season that has
seen teams struggle on a regular basis away from home!
The remaining fixtures on 12 March are:
In Group A - Edgbaston v Wolverhampton and Manchester v Hallamshire
In Group B - UKP v Lee on Solent Lexden v Broxbourne Chichester v Guildford
The first leg of the semi finals will take place the following week, Tuesday
19 March. Duffield will be at home to the runners up of Group B whilst
Broxbourne have chosen to play their first leg away against the runners up of
Group A. The semi final second leg will be on Tuesday 2 April and the final
will take place on Tuesday 7 May, with the venue still to be decided.
Round EIGHT
- Tue 12th Feb
Brian Hargrave summarises the
action
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3 – 2
Edgbaston UOB
Alex Gough lost Stewart Boswell 7-9 7-9 9-2 5-9
Adrian Grant lost Del Harris 7-9 6-9 10-8 1-9
Paul Hargrave beat Jason Nicolle 9-6 9-4 9-6
James Willstrop beat Nick Hynes 9-4 9-4 11-9
Cassie Campion beat w/o
H L W Hallamshire 1 - 4
Wolverhampton
Nick Matthew lost John White 4-9 6-9 2-9
Hadrian Stiff lost Mark Cairns 9-7 5-9 6-9 9-7 3-9
Mike Hopkins lost Scott Handley 7-9 9-5 11-13 3-9
Greg La Mude lost Joey Barrington 9-5 3-9 4-9 9-5 4-9
Jenny Tranfield beat Stephanie Brind 9-6 10-8 9-3
U K Packaging 2 - 3
Triage Squash Broxbourne
Ong Beng Hee beat Mark Chaloner 9-1 9-4 9-6
Tim Garner lost Rodney Durbach 6-9 7-9 6-9
Lee Jemmett lost Alex Stait 5-9 4-9 9-7 4-9
Ian Higgins lost Alister Walker 6-9 8-10 9-5 9-5 4-9
Lauren Briggs beat Alison Waters 9-3 9-3 9-3
Team Chichester 1 - 4 Tek Sing Lexden
Anthony Ricketts beat David Evans 9-6 9-4 9-11 9-7
Peter Genever lost Simon Parke 4-9 9-5 3-9 6-9
John Russell lost Tony Hands 10-8 6-9 3-9 11-9 10-12
Tim Vail lost Lee Drew 9-6 1-9 5-9 9-6 6-9
Vicky Lankester lost Rebecca Macree 9-4 1-9 3-9 3-9
Unisport Guildford 5 - 0
Lee-on-Solent
Paul Johnson beat Bradley Ball 9-4 9-5 9-7
Steven Meads beat Greg Tippings 9-5 2-9 9-5 9-6
Stacey Ross beat Ben Ford 9-4 9-5 9-5
Neil Frankland beat Joe Russell 9-2 9-6 9-5
Fiona Geaves beat Tina Rix 9-0 9-2 9-2
Triage and
Duffield maintain top spots
Brian Hargrave summarises round eight
Triage Squash Broxbourne maintained their position at the top of group B
with a narrow 3-2 victory against UK Packaging who will now have their work
cut out to make the play-offs for a fourth consecutive year.
The pivotal match of the evening was the eagerly awaited fourth string clash
between in UK Packaging’s talented Iain Higgins and the in-form youngster
Alistair Walker. Walker started the best and captured a crucial second on the
third tie-break after Higgins had crucially served out at game ball. However,
Higgins fought back using his full repertoire to unsettle Walker. UK
Packaging's hopes were dashed in the fifth when Walker regained the initiative
to take the rubber and even at that stage potentially the match.
For once, UK Packaging's Tim Garner was unable to produce a captain's
performance. Unforced errors at crucial stages in the first and second gave
Rodney Durbach the upper hand and the Broxbourne man won in straight games.
A masterful performance from Ong Beng Hee captured a vital consolation point
in the final rubber of the night against Mark Chaloner, ranked one place
behind him in the world.
Tek Sing Lexden moved into second spot with a 4-1 away win at Chichester.
Crucial wins in the fifth for Lee Drew over Tim Vail and Tony Hands over John
Russell put the Lexden ship on course for a place in the play offs although
UKP could still sink Tony Hand’s men if they win their last two ties against
the two bottom placed teams in the group. At the top of the order Peter
Genever went down 3-1 to Simon Parke whilst Anthony Ricketts beat the former
British Open champion David Evans to record the only point for Chichester.
Unisport Guildford whitewashed Lee on Solent 5-0 in the other Group B tie.
In Group A, leaders Benz- Bavarian Duffield took full, advantage of the late
withdrawal of world No 1 Sarah Fitzgerald to give Cassie Campion a walk over.
James Willstrop comfortably beat Nick Hynes 3-0 and Paul Hargrave did likewise
against Jason Nicolle in a tense third string de rubber to seal the vital
bonus points. The top of the order matches had the packed gallery marvelling
at the skills and retrieval powers of Del Harris who rolled back the years to
beat Adrian Grant for the second consecutive night. Alex Gough could not quite
continue his recent run of good form against Australia’s Stewart Boswell who
recorded his 23rd consecutive win in the NL. Gough was unable to capitalise on
7-5 leads in both the opening two games and Boswell’s greater consistency
finally saved his unbeaten record in a highly entertaining rubber.
Wolverhampton, who have strengthened their side for the second half with the
acquisition of world No 4 John White put a warning message out to the two
leaders with a 4-1 win at Hallamshire. Jenny Tranfield beat Stephanie Brind
but defeats in the fifth games for both Hadrian Stiff against Mark Cairns and
Greg La Mude against Joey Barrington leave Hallamshire still without a victory
this season.
Duffield need just one point in their away visit to Hallamshire to be certain
of a place in the play offs.
Round SEVEN - Tue 22 January
Brian Hargrave summarises a
bad night for the leaders
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2-3
Manchester-Pontefract
Alex Gough lost Lee Beachill 9-7 3-9 3-9 3-9
Peter Marshall lost Marcus Berrett 3-9 3-9 4-9
Paul Hargrave beat Andy Whipp 5-9 9-4 9-4 9-2
James Willstrop beat Phil Whitlock 3-9 9-6 8-10 9-4 13-11
Lauren Siddall lost Helen Easton 8-10 0-9 2-9
Edgbaston UOB 4 - 1 H L W Solicitors Hallamshire
Stewart Boswell beat Mike Hopkins 9-5 9-6 9-2
Del Harris beat Greg La Mude 9-3 11-9 9-5
Jason Nicolle beat Ashley Flathers 11-9 9-5 10-8
Phil Barker beat Peter Billson 10-8 9-4 9-3
Emma Beddoes lost Jenny Duncalf 0-9 1-9 1-9
Triage Broxbourne 5 - 0
Unisport Guildford
Mark Chaloner beat Paul Johnson 7-9 9-3 9-7 9-6
Gregory Gaultier beat Stacey Ross 9-5 9-7 9-7
Danny Meddings beat Neil Frankland 9-6 9-3 4-9 10-8
Alistair Walker beat Peter Barker 9-4 9-6 10-8
Sue Rose beat Caroline Heal 9-7 9-1 9-3
Tek Sing Lexden 2 - 3
U K Packaging
David Evans lost Peter Nicol 9-6 1-9 1-9 6-9
Tony Hands beat Tim Garner 9-7 9-7 7-9 9-6
Lee Drew beat Lee Jemmett 9-2 9-7 9-6
David Woodman lost Iain Higgins 6-9 6-9 9-7 2-9
Cheryl Beaumont lost Lauren Briggs 8-10 1-9 4-9
Team Chichester 3 - 2 Lee-on-Solent
John Russell beat Bradley Ball 8-10 9-4 9-3 2-9 10-8
Tim Vail beat Greg Tippings 9-4 9-4 9-4
Jamie Davis lost Ben Howell 3-9 10-8 1-9 4-9
Ritwik Bhattacharya lost Ben Ford 4-9 9-3 9-6 4-9 6-9
Tania Bailey beat Tina Rix 9-1 9-3 9-0
Bad home
night for both the Group leaders
Brian Hargrave summarises round seven
Peter Nicol, world No 1 beat David Evans, former British Open
champion, 3-1 to help UK Packaging sink Tek Sing Lexden former leaders of
Group B. Lee Beachill (world No12) National champion repeated the same
scoreline in the deciding rubber against Alex Gough (world No 13) to clinch
victory for Manchester against Benz-Bavarian Duffield who still retain top
spot in Group A by one point.
Tek Sing Lexden continued their pursuit of the National Squash League
title
when they faced UK Packaging Connaught in a South of England table-topping
clash. The evening began with Lexden's two Colchester based players taking on
opponents that boasted a significantly higher world ranking. The homegrown
talent established a 2 nil lead when Tony Hands beat Tim Garner 3-1 and Lee
Drew beat Lee Jemmett 3-0. The visitors levelled thanks to Iain Higgins
beating David Woodman and Lauren Briggs beating Cheryl Beaumont. The world No
1, Peter Nicol, recovered from losing the first game 9-6 to David Evans
winning the next 3 games for the loss of just 8 points.
Triage Broxbourne leapfrogged to the top of Group B when they
whitewashed Unisport Guildford 5-0. Mark Chaloner England No 1 beat Paul
Johnson England No 3-1 at the top of the order.
In the closest Group B tie of the evening Team Chichester beat Lee on
Solent 3-2 with John Russell winning the fifth 10-8 against Bradley Ball
to clinch the bonus points. Russell maintained his winning streak and
showed no reaction to winning the BSPA Edinburgh Artemis Open at the weekend.
Tania Bailey had a comfortable 3-0 against Tina Rix after her lengthy absence
due to injury.
In Group A, leaders Benz-Bavarian Duffield turned to U17 British closed
champion to fill the jinxed lady slot but she went down bravely to
Manchester’s Helen Easton, the Edinburgh Open champion. James Willstrop
levelled the scores beating Phil Whitlock 13-11 in the fifth saving 3 match
balls and making the most of a generous let decision in his favour when
standing at first match ball down. Paul Hargrave put the home team ahead
convincingly beating Andy Whipp 3-1. The home team struggled at the top of the
order with Peter Marshall losing to Marcus Berrett and Alex Gough finding Lee
Beachill running in to the sort of form which should stand him in good stead
as he attempts to retain the National title next month.
HLW Hallamshire manager Hedley Matthew used the words “lambs to the
slaughter” when assessing his teams prospects for their visit to Edgbaston UOB.
The late withdrawal of world champion Sarah Fitzgerald with a calf injury gave
the visitors a welcome point as deputy Emma Beddoes lost to Jenny Duncalf.
Stewart Boswell and Del Harris showed the much-weakened visitors no mercy at
the top of the order to build on earlier successes from Jason Nicolle and Phil
Barker