Tek Sing Lexden 3 - 2 Triage Broxbourne

Individual Results
David Evans beat Mark Chaloner 5-9 10-8 6-9 9-6 9-7
Simon Parke beat Rodney Durbach 5-9 9-1 7-9 9-4 9-5
Tony Hands lost Danny Meddings 6-9 6-9 12-14
Lee Drew lost Alister Walker 9-4 9-6 6-9 2-9 8-10
Rebecca Macree beat Alison Waters 9-3 9-4 9-0

TEK SING LEXDEN WIN NATIONAL SQUASH LEAGUE
The National Squash League season reached its climax at Lambs Club in London last night as Triage Broxbourne and Tek Sing Lexden contested the thrilling final watched by over 300 spectators. The tie went first one way and then the other and went all the way to the wire being decided in the final game of the final rubber. .

Rebecca Macree got Lexden of to the best possible start beating the promising and gallant Alison Waters ( a late replacement for Sue Rose) 9-3 9-4 9-0 in 31 minutes.

Lee Drew looked to be coasting to victory against Alister Walker after claiming the first two games 9-4 9-6. Walker, the highly promising youngster, levelled by taking the next two games 9-6 9-2. Walker went 7-3 down in the fifth and then saved a match ball when 8-6 down before hitting two volley kills to win 10-8 after 58 minutes to level the tie to the delight of the noisy Broxbourne supporters.

The evergreen skilful Danny Meddings took on another player with superb touches, the Lexden captain Tony Hands. However Meddings was playing some of the best squash of his long career winning the first two close games both 9-6. Hands staged a comeback to have a game ball in the third as the game see sawed before two strokes gave it to Meddings 14-12 after 40 minutes to put Broxbourne 2-1 ahead.

In another see saw encounter Simon Parke went 2-1 down against Rodney Durbach but thanks to some brilliant recoveries came back to take the fourth 9-4. A more settled Parke always had the edge in the fifth and despite a late rally from Durbach a forehand volley boast winner on the one hour mark came from Parke. The cheers of Lexden supporters could be heard back in Lexden as the scores for the tie were level at 2 all.

In a dramatic final match between number ones Mark Chaloner ( world No 9) and David Evans (world No 14). Evans came from 2-1 down to beat Chaloner after 92 minutes. The rubber swung back and forth as Evans was put under pressure by Chaloner's pace. Chaloner won the first game 9-5 had game ball before losing the second 10-8 but then recovered to take the third 9-6. Evans regrouped to level with the same score in the fourth.

The packed crowd could hardly bear the tension and Andy Booth was found pacing up and down in the in the bar as the first the Broxbourne supporters and then the Lexden supporters thought it was going their way. The noise was drowning out the calling of the scores but the crowd had no influence on the decisions from referee John Masserella who stood firm despite the pressure cooker atmosphere.

The game reached 7 all in the fifth, the squash equivalent of 17 all in the snooker final played the previous night. Evans, the Welsh No 1 must have had memories of his losing the crucial rubber to Edgbaston's Del Harris in the previous years final at Lambs but this time he held his nerve to slot in the two unplayable winners to raise the roof at Lambs.

The tie was played in great spirit with squash and Lexden both winners. Past champions Broxbourne played their full part and like other teams and managers throughout the season discovered that one borderline decision is sometimes the difference between success and failure.

A fitting climax to what must have been the best ever National League season which saw Benz-Bavarian Duffield take the Group A title and triage Broxbourne the Group B title.

Former champions Nottingham return to the National Squash league fold for 2002-03 after a season's sabbatical in the 3 man Super League.

Thanks to all managers, players, supporters, sponsors, MRC's referees and markers plus everyone involved in running a NL team for their efforts.