Redditch & Guildford Celebrate
Maiden PSL Victories
Roundup from Howard Harding

UniSport Guildford and league newcomers Energie Fitness Redditch recorded their first wins of the season in Tuesday's fourth round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) - while an under-strength Benz-Bavarian Duffield squad claimed an unlikely 4/1 home win over University Sport Birmingham to extend their unbeaten run in the prestigious England Squash league sponsored by Towergate tlc to 19 ties since April 2006.

Redditch beat Pontefract 5/0 to lift themselves off the bottom of the Group A table, while Duffield's win stretches the Derbyshire club's lead at the top of the table to 20 points - ahead of the University of Birmingham squad.  Elsewhere in the group, Nottingham hosted a close-fought battle with Esporta Oxford, which the visitors clinched 3/2 - but still remain behind the East Midlands club in the points table.

There were wild celebrations in Surrey where UniSport Guildford beat county rivals Luxfords St George's Hill 3/2 in the team's first PSL win since October last year.  Meanwhile, PNH Properties Chichester fought back from 2/0 down at Probuild Bristol to beat their Avon hosts 3/2 and consolidate their second place in Group B, behind Croydon's PCL Whitehall Security Surrey H&RC, who were enjoying a rest day.

Duffield do themselves proud

Without either of their world top 15 players Nick Matthew or Stewart Boswell for the first time this season, league champions Duffield looked in danger of losing their two season unbeaten run in front of a home crowd - especially when they suffered their first women's string loss of the season as club stalwart Laura Hill went down 5-9, 2-9, 7-9 to the visitors' world No12 Laura Lengthorn-Massaro.

But, roused undoubtedly by the strong local support, Shaun le Roux and Alex Stait led the fight back - fourth string Le Roux taking out Alistair Mutch 9-5, 9-4, 10-8 and Stait defeating South African Stephen Coppinger 9-7, 9-6, 4-9, 9-4.  But the Duffield hero was third string Peter Billson, who came back from two games down against Joel Hinds to beat the former Duffield player 9-11, 6-9, 9-4, 10-8, 9-1.

Further lifted now by the boisterous Duffield supporters, newly-promoted team number one Andrew Whipp made it 4/1 for the hosts with a comprehensive 9-4, 9-6, 9-2 win over the visitors' Jonathan Harford.

Redditch romp home

Energie Fitness Redditch wasted no time in earning maximum points from their home clash with Pontefract - a team weakened by the imminent departure of its stars James Willstrop, Lee Beachill and Saurav Ghosal to Bermuda for this week's Men's World Open.  Even the presence of Pontefract debutante Vanessa Atkinson, the former world champion from the Netherlands, failed to ignite the Yorkshire club's attack as Redditch's Jaclyn Hawkes defeated the former world number one 9-7, 6-9, 9-4, 9-3.

But it was straight games wins for the Worcestershire hosts thereafter as Jonathan Kemp, Aaron Frankcomb, David Barnett and Jaymie Haycocks battled for a combined time of just 93 minutes to claim a 5/0 victory for the PSL first-timers.

Down to the wire at Nottingham

A capacity crowd welcomed Esporta Oxford to Nottingham - and were duly treated to high-quality drama up until the final few points.  Honours were shared after the first two matches as Emma Beddoes put the hosts ahead with a 9-5, 9-7, 9-4 win over Rachel Donald, then Oxford's Kristen Johnson levelled the tie after beating Arthur Gaskin in four games.  Fighting off the effects of a heavy cold, Nottingham's John Rooney recovered from two games down to beat Chris Ryder 7-9, 8-10, 9-7, 9-1, 9-3 - but club stalwart Simon Parke, making a comeback from a gluteus injury, saw a 2/1 lead slip away as Oxford's Scott Handley again levelled the tie with a 10-8, 2-9, 7-9, 9-4 9-5 win over the former world No4.

The decider also went to five games - in which the visitors' Cameron Pilley, the world No22 from Australia, fought back from a game down to upset Malaysia's world No17 Ong Beng Hee 6-9, 9-3, 9-7, 5-9, 9-5 to give Oxford a hard-fought 3/2 victory.

Meads seals rare Guildford win

Despite retiring from the international circuit almost four years ago, long-time UniSport Guildford player Stephen Meads is still able to hold his own against top Tour opponents.  And with the squad 2/1 up, the 37-year-old from Berkshire found himself facing Hungarian international Mark Krajcsak, the Luxfords St George's Hill's second string, in a potential tie decider.  

Meads, who reached a career-high world No11 ranking more than 12 years ago, dug deep - and ultimately beat world No63 Krajcsak 6-9, 9-7, 9-4, 7-9, 9-6 to put victory beyond the reach of the St George's Hill visitors.

Chi comeback stuns Bristol

There was high drama too in Bristol where Probuild Bristol forged a 2/0 lead over visitors PNH Properties Chichester after Australian Kasey Brown despatched England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter 9-6, 9-5, 9-5 and veteran campaigner Peter Marshall, a former world number two behind the legendary Jansher Khan, beat Chichester stalwart Peter Genever 4-9, 9-3, 9-6, 4-9, 9-5.

But the Sussex side fought back - firstly with Tim Vail prevailing against host club captain Hadrian Stiff 12-10 in the fifth game, then Alex Gough beating long-time Welsh international team-mate David Evans in four games.

Separated by just two places in the world top 20 rankings, England's world No19 Adrian Grant faced Malaysia's world No17 Mohd Azlan Iskandar in the decider  It was Chichester who prevailed, however, as Iskandar triumphed 9-5, 9-11, 9-5, 9-3 over the Englishman to maintain their unbeaten PSL record this season.
  

Duffield do their fans proud
Brian Hargrave reports

The manager’s notes in the Duffield programme contained an apology for the non appearance of rising star Mohamed El Shorbagy as first advertised. Transportation to and from Millfield School plus an exam on Wednesday morning proved too much of an obstacle for the University management. As a result Stewart Boswell stood down to allow Shaun le Roux to make his Duffield debut and to fulfil the third of the five mandatory U23 rubbers.

Tania Bailey was already an absentee due to an injury and on the morning of the match it was decided to gamble and also play without Nick Matthew to ensure he was fully prepared for the forthcoming World Championships. Peter Billson stepped into the breach and Andy Whipp passed a last minute fitness test on an injured knee just as stalwart Brian Legg was getting his kit ready. To add to the manager’s woes, Ashley Franklin, compare and official photographer went down with a viral infection.

Yours truly decided that he would not tempt fate with his Crystal Ball prediction and was happy to change from a predicted 4-1 victory and settle for the narrowest of 3-2 victories.  

Laura without the Jane wins
but Hill goes down fighting

Laura Hill  0-3 Laura  Lengthorn–Massaro  5-9, 2-9, 7-9

First on court was the Laura Hill, Eng No 7 against Laura Lengthorn- Massaro, England No 4 ranked 10 in the world. The England international was made to fight hard by the full time fire fighter who led 3-2 before Lengthorn began to dominate proceedings. Hill closed to 6-5 but .was doing most of the running and the University player closed the game out without Hill picking up another point.

Lengthorn was again too strong and tight in the second and Hill could only manage two points. Hill showed her fighting qualities in the third and matched Lengthorn point for point until the score reached 6-all, Lengthorn got to match point with two quick points and although Hill saved the first match point the visitors had a point on the board in just 19 minutes.

Streetwise Le Roux just has
too “mutch” class

Shaun le Roux 3-0  Alistair Mutch    9-5, 9-4, 10-8

Shaun Le Roux, aged 21, was making his Duffield debut and faced a gallant opponent in the form of Alistair Mutch the Wales U19 No 1. The quality of squash was very good in a tight opening game with both young players hitting some nice winners as they took it in turn to wrong foot their opponent making full use of the disguised shot. Le Roux just had the edge and eased home 9-5 in the first.

The second followed a very similar pattern although Le Roux was having to work hard to win the rallies to take the second 9-4. Le Roux looked home and dry when he led 3-1 in the third but the Welsh youngster suddenly exploited a slight  lack of concentration to earn himself 5 game  points  when he stood 8-4 in the lead, Le Roux refused to panic and won 6 consecutive points to take the rubber and level the overall  scores.

The new boy had impressed the Duffield supporters and on this evidence there can be few better U23 players in the PSL. Mutch should not be too down hearted as he played well and possibly did not have the run of the ball at crucial stages and two tight decisions which went in favour of the home player settled the Duffield supporters’ nerves.

Stait faces a tall order but
“states” his case ...

Alex Stait 3-1  Steve Coppinger   9-7, 9-6, 4-9, 9-4

The Duffield manager felt this was the crucial rubber to win if his team was to extend the unbeaten run to 19 ties and the noisy partisan crowd responded accordingly.

Stait was dwarfed by the 6 feet 4 inch tall South African No 1 Coppinger who seemed to be able to touch both side walls without moving off the T. The first game was tight in fact too tight for comfort and the Derby Telegraph reporter shared the Duffield mangers concerns that this was not going to be easy.

Stait got to 7-4 thanks in the main to some beautiful disguised delayed drops from three quarter court. A slight loss of concentration allowed Coppinger to level but Stait edged home 9-7 after 11 minutes.  The second game was a repeat of the first and this time Stait got to 8-4 and although Coppinger chalked up two more points Stait took the game 9-6 with both players feeling the pace as the rallies got longer and the squash got even better. From 4-3 up in the third Stait lost an amazing rally during which Coppinger somehow retrieved a certain winner causing Stait to stumble and suddenly lose his way. Stait was literally thrown of balance in more ways than one and Coppinger was looking the likely winner as he reeled off 6 consecutive points. Whippy calmed his team mate down between games and Stait raced to a 5-1 and then 7-2 lead before delighting the duffield supporters by taking the game 9-4.

The squash and sportsmanship had been of the highest order. The crowd showed appreciation of the efforts and winners coming from the rackets of both players. Staity has promised to talk me through the delayed drop shot which produced so many winners so that I can try this shot out when I next play Banno on his welcome return to the Duffield fold.

Billson becomes a local hero
as he denies returning Hinds

 Peter Billson  3-2 Joel Hinds    9-11, 6-9, 9-4, 10-8, 9-1

Joel Hinds, ranked 30 in England, lives in Duffield and has won all the club junior and Derbyshire county titles. Billson, ranked 29 in England,  stepped in to the Duffield line up when he answered an SOS at lunch time on the day of the match,

The tall rangy Hinds was quicker out of the blocks and established a 6-2 lead thanks to a few unforced errors from Billson. Hinds had two game balls which Billson saved only to tin a match ball in his favour at 9-8. Hinds took full advantage to claim the game 11-9 in 12 gruelling minutes as both players chased lost causes. Hinds appeared to be in control as he took the second 9-6 despite some delightful winners from Billson unfortunately outnumbered by his own errors and winners from Hinds.

The crowd tried to lift Billson at the start of the third and suddenly everything clicked into place as the home player began to walk on water with a variety of shots which delighted the noisy crowd and frustrated Hinds forcing him to concede the game wining only four points in the process. The fourth game had the crowd on the edge of their seats and the Duffield supporters were showing no sympathy for their former top junior. Hinds felt a little aggrieved with a couple of decisions which did not go his way but Billson was sensing blood. The score was nip and tuck with Billson 5-3 up and then 7-6 down and seemingly out. The crowd again played their part as Billson reached game ball at 8-7 which Hinds saved with a lovely winner. This only delayed the agony and Billson was level as he took the fourth 10-8 in 11 tense minutes.

It was winner take all in the fifth and Billson was now playing out of his skin hitting unbelievable winners which left Hinds shell shocked. The crowd responded and cheered  every winning point as the score reached 6 for Billson and none for Hinds before the University man delayed the inevitable to avoid a fifth game whitewash . The game went 9-1 in Billson’s favour. In the process Billson had won the match for his team and recorded a 19th consecutive PSL victory for the Derbyshire cub. The crowd rose to applaud the efforts of their man and to show appreciation of a gallant effort from Hinds who was gracious in defeat

No 1 Whippy in a hurry to
make up for lost time

Andy Whipp  3-0  Jonny Harford    9-4, 9-6, 9-2

Whippy had been elevated to No1 status in the absence of Nick Matthew and managed to upset the Crystal Ball prediction

It had earlier been decided to play four rubbers on the show court to give supporters maximum value and to allow the two locals to parade their skills at PSL level. Whippy had been kept waiting for far too long and was anxious to make up for lost time after being a doubtful starter with a knee injury earlier in the day. It was a case of blink and you miss it with both players playing at a frantic pace and going for winners at every opportunity. After an even start Whipp took the first game 9-4 in just 7 blistering bit skilful minutes. Whipp gradually broke Harford’s resolve taking the second 9-6 in just 7 minutes this time throwing a few more lobs into the pot. Harford was a spent force in the third which Whipp wrapped up for the loss of  only two points in just 4 minutes.

Both teams had been weakened by the loss of their respective top two strings but the players on parade served up a feast of squash which had the Duffield supporters singing throughout the washing up and into the street as they re- charge their batteries for the big match on the big screen at the Club later tonight.

Duffield have some star top world players but the continued success is in no small part down to all members of the squad who always give 100%. Hopefully Steve Maclaren can inspire his team to do the same against Croatia.

Next match – Tuesday 4 December –Pontefract (away) support welcome. Please contact Stephen Milward if you wish to travel on the Benz- Bavarian Mini Bus