Cleethorpes Cricket Club
Invitational Tournament Cleethorpes, UK
1 James Willstrop
11/6, 11/8, 11/4
5/8 Charles Sharpes
James Willstrop
11/5, 12/10, 11/9
Chris Simpson
James Willstrop
12/14, 11/5, 5/11, 6/11 (65m)
Adrian Grant
5/8 Adam Auckland
11/7, 11/1, 11/1
3/4 Chris Simpson
5/8 Chris Ryder
11/7, 11/6, 8/11 , 11/4
3/4 Adrian Grant
Adrian Grant
11/9, 12/14, 11/9, 11/2, 11/4
LJ Anjema
5/8 Simon Parke
11/6, 11/9, 9/11, 11/3
2 LJ Anjema
click on images for larger view
Grant 3rd Time Lucky in
Cleethorpes
After
3 unsuccessful finals Adrian Grant (pictured left) finally wins the
Cleethorpes Cricket Club Invitational Tournament.
James Willstrop
was made to fight all the way in his first round match against
Charles Sharpes, a 3-0 defeat not doing justice to Sharpes.
Former junior at
Cleethorpes Adam Auckland pushed Chris Simpson in the first game but
seem to let the occasion get the better of him and quickly lost the
next two.
Two favourites
at Cleethorpes Adrian Grant and Chris Ryder didn’t disappoint, the
movement of both players was a pleasure to watch with Grant coming
out on top 3-1.
Two players for
the first time in Cleethorpes where LJ Anjema and Simon Park, Anjema
looking in control took the first two, narrowly in the second. Parke
showed his fighting qualities and took the next rolling back the
years with some lovely touches. Anjema came out strong in the fourth
and took a big lead never to be pulled back, 3-1.
Saturdays
semi-finals brought together the four top seeds, first on Willstrop
v Simpson, Willstrop played tight controlled squash not giving
Simpson a chance to get into the game. The second was squash at its
best both players now on their games and Simpson pushing Willstrop
all the way, with a couple of fortunate nicks helping Willstrop push
through. The third was much the same and at 8-6 Simpson looking in
control of the rally suffered again as Willstrop hitting the nick at
the back of the court when under pressure. This proved to be quite
decisive as he went on to take the game 11-9.
From the very
start it was nip and tuck, Anjema taking the first 11-9, Grant the
second 14-12, the third once again close 11-9 to Anjema. Grant
opened up a 3-0, then 5-2 lead in the third and went straight
through to 11-2.
He came out
fast and furious in the fifth taking a 6-0 lead, Anjema came back to
2-7 then 4-9 but the gap was too much , 11-4 to Grant.
Would
the hard semi-final have taken too much out of Grant although
Willstrop's (pictured right) was harder than suggested? No quarter
given as the squash was breath-taking, long searching rallies in
what was the best single game of the tournament 14-12 to Grant. The
second close again up to 4-4 then Willstrop seemed to have found the
measure of his opponent, 11-5. What seemed was not to be as Grant
took a 4-1 lead and from 7-5 went on to take the game with a few
unforced errors by Willstrop. Again Grant came out quickly, 4-0,
Willstrop came back to 3-7 not giving anything up but looking the
more tired of the two and so it was as Grant ran out 11-6, a winner
at last in Cleethorpes.
To be able to
watch squash played at such a pace and standard is a pure pleasure
for the packed crowd at Cleethorpes and they justly rewarded the
players with their applause. With entertainment and such superb
athletes as these surely squash is bound for the Olympics.
Main sponsors,
Oceanblue Logistics, Paul Rudd Solicitors, Broadburns Chemist,
Cleethorpes Ten-pin Bowling, Bring Logistics, Total Lindsey Oil
Refinery Uk, Immingham Transport and Cristal Chemicals Uk.
