Duffield 5 Nottingham 0
Brian Hargrave reports

Hill  finally catches fire and snatches
victory from the jaws of defeat

Laura Hill  (Eng 7)  beat Sarah Kippax 6-9 8-10 9-6 9-6 10-8 

First on the glass back saw Laura Hill (Eng No 7) take on Sarah Kippax ranked 3 places lower in the National rankings.  Hill was slow out of the traps and Kippax was 4-0 up before the crowd had hardly settled into their seats. The score quickly moved to 7-2 as Hill struggled to find her touch and the Derbyshire fire fighter was not moving with her usual fluency. Kippax was playing well and moving her opponent all around the court. Hill closed the gap to 8-6 but Kippax went one nil up in just 6 minutes. The second started in similar fashion as Kippax quickly established a 4-1 lead controlling the T and making her opponent do most of the running. Hill hung on and despite a few tins and mistimed shots managed to level at 8 all only for Kippax to edge the game 10-8 with a shot that Hill was certain was out of court. Hill’s protests fell on stony ground but the disputed point possibly worked to her advantage. 

A slightly aggrieved Hill was still struggling to find her touch in the third and Kippax looked home and dry with leads of 4-1, 5-2 and 6-4. Hill gritted her teeth and was fighting like a tiger with the noisy crowd cheering her every winning point. She somehow clawed her way back to take the game 9-6. In the fourth Hill’s movement and positional play was much improved as she grew in confidence to build a 6-1 lead which she let slip to 7-6 before levelling the scores with another 9-6 scoreline.

The fifth was a real see saw game as Hill took a 3-0 lead but Kippax quickly levelled. Hill then got to 5-3 and again Kippax levelled. Hill edged to 8-6 and match point but yet again Kippax levelled. Hill got a second match point at 9-8 and a just stroke saw the Duffield local girl home with clenched fists to loud acclaim. 

The two managers were lost for words, unsure whether Kippax had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory or whether Hill had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Certainly the much improved Kippax would have been disappointed to lose from 2 games up and 5-2 up in the third but Hill is renowned for her fighting qualities whether fighting fires at work or opponents on court.  

The CB prediction is on track. 

Taylor a double winner on his Duffield PSL debut

Nick Taylor beat Eddie Charlton 9-7 6-9 9-3 9-4 

Nick Taylor was making his Duffield PSL debut and the British O35 champion was taking on the promising Eddie Charlton just 19 years of age. The first game was nip and touch with long tight rallies interspersed with an abundance of lobs and tight drops from both players. The Taylor was never behind scorewise and squeezed home 9-7 after 10 intriguing minutes.

The second game was over in half the time but this time Charlton took the game 9-6 forcing Taylor to take risks to save energy and to reduce the length of the rallies. Taylor’s experience began to show in the fourth but despite being to work hard for every point Taylor won the crucial third game 9-3. Taylor had broken his opponent’s resistance an sensed blood as he went for the kill to take the fourth 9-4 in just 7 minutes as both matches finished almost simultaneously leaving Duffield with a 2-0 lead. 

Taylor went on to win a bottle of wine in the raffle to crown an enjoyable night wearing the new Duffield kit sponsored by Head UK.  

Whippy with two Ps puts the icing on the cake (and the cream on the Massarella Lemon meringue pie)

Andy Whipp         beat Jethro Binns   9-0 9-5 9-6  

In the first game of the season Andy Whipp went on court needing another P on the name on his shirt. The new printed version contained his favourite name of Whippy and the Manchester lad has over the past two seasons established himself as a crowd favourite with his attacking style. Binns was  completely whipped in the first as Whipp won 9 consecutive points in just 4 blistering minutes as he twisted and turned his opponents all around the court with a variety of shots. 

Binns, the British University champion in 2007, came out fighting in the second taking a deserved 4-0 lead before Whipp came down from cloud 9 and narrowed the gap to 5-3  before reeling off 6 quick points to take the game 9-5. The third followed a very similar fashion with Whipp coming back from 6-4 down to secure the team victory, bonus pints and an eighteenth win on the trot.  

Whipp was later spotted pouring lashings of cream on the famous Massarella  lemon meringue pie whilst Binns was still wondering what had hit him. 

BSPA Solent champion still winning and on cloud 9  

Stait Alex Stait   beat Arthur Gaskin 9-6 10-8 1-9 10-8 

Alex Stait, who had won the BSPA Solent Classic on Sunday defeating Andy Whipp in the quarter finals, Alex Gough in semi finals and Tim Vail in the final, went on court looking fairly relaxed and confident but the vastly improved Gaskin, the Irish No 3, was intent on bringing Stait back down to earth, The quality of the squash was very pleasing with some long tight rallies interspersed with plenty of lobs. Stait took the first  9-6 and an even closer second 10-8. Stait’s concentration went at the start of the third and Gaskin took full advantage reeling of 9 consecutive points as Stait let the game go 9-1 without too much resistance in just 5 minutes.

The fourth game was almost identical to the second with Gaskin flying all around the court and Stait struggling to regain the initiative. Gaskin had a game ball at 8-7 but let the chance slip. A relieved Stait finally squeezed home 10-8 in a rubber which had thrown up more than its fair share of difficult decisions. My eyesight is not what it was but if Stait’s offer to buy a pair of specs from Specsavers is not taken up I may well step in as I must admit to not being certain on a few occasions, Gaskin has probably never played better if it’s any consolation. 

The CB prediction of a 5-0 win is looking good at this stage.  

Boswell impresses on debut as Rooney blitzed by man from down under  

Stewart Boswell beat  John Rooney 9-4 9-2 9-1 

Stewart Boswell, formerly Edgbaston Priory, was making his debut for Duffield. Boswell came in as a last minute replacement for Nick Matthew who was only just in the UK from Hong Kong after three hectic back to back PSA events. Boswell himself should have been playing in the Pakistan Open which has been cancelled due to the problems in that country. 

Thus with Ong Beng Hee missing from the Nottingham team it was an ideal opportunity to give Nick Matthew a well deserved rest and allow Stewart Boswell a chance to step in to ensure he plays sufficient group ties to be eligible for the play offs should Duffield finish in the top two in Group A. Unfortunately the Australian’s expected opponent and our long time “thorn in the side” Simon Parke was a last minute withdrawal due to injury. 

The impressive Boswell was in no mood to mess around as he was hitting the ball very crisply displaying a wonderful variety of shots to delight the home supporters and giving his game opponent the run around. Boswell quickly established a 7-0 lead in the first game and went on to take the game 9-4 with Rooney chasing shadows. The second and third games were even quicker and Rooney was a little outclassed as Boswell won the second 9-2. The pattern of play in the third was identical with Boswell now in complete control and taking the game 9-1 to complete a whitewash and to agree with the 5-0 CB prediction.  

NEXT MATCH Birmingham University (home) on next Tuesday 20 November 2007. Uni will be playing Mohamed El Shorbagy, Jonny Harford, Steve Coppinger, Joel Hinds and Laura Lengthorn (Eng No 5). Unfortunately Tania Bailey will be missing as she has torn her adductor and so will not be able to play for at least 3 weeks. Laura Hill will deputise and we will need your support against a team which is very strong down the order.  

Manager and Secretary