Brian Hargrave reports

Benz- Bavarian Duffield’s third consecutive championship hopes were all but extinguished in the first leg despite a fighting performance from a depleted line up which due to injury was minus Nick Mathew, Stewart Boswell, Tania Bailey and her most able deputy Laura Hill

Tomlinson shows her potential in a great learning curve
Millie Tomlinson 0-3 Dominique Lloyd-Walter    7-9, 2-9, 1-9 (21m)

Tomlinson was first on the show court and matched the England No 6 shot for shot in the first game establishing leads of 5-3 and 7-4

with some impressive squash. Unfortunately, the 15 year old could not capitalise on her chance to produce a shock result and allowed her opponent 5 quick points to close the game 9-7. Tomlinson’s youthful confidence had taken a knock as Lloyd-Walter stepped up the pace to fully stretch Tomlinson who managed just two points in the second game. The Duffield Ecclesbourne school pupil battled on bravely but Lloyd-Walter was just too powerful as she took the third for the loss of one point.

Tomlinson is ranked at No 2 in England at U17 level and she showed in the first game that she has the potential to bridge the gap between junior and senior levels. Just one loose point when 7-4 up allowed Lloyd-Walter back into the game but Tomlinson will get another chance on Thursday with Laura Hill still unfit.

For Pete’s sake put your shirt on Billson
Peter Billson 2-3 Peter Genever          9-6, 9-5, 6-9, 2-9, 5-9 (44m)

Pete Billson arrived without his named Duffield Benz-Bavarian sponsored shirt. Some well meaning individual in Manchester took this shirt off the peg at Whippy’s club and is now masquerading on court under the name of Billson. It was all very confusing on court as the respective supporters shouted encouragement to their players with the cries of “come on Pete”

A determined Billson knew the importance of this rubber and set off at a cracking pace and Jelly struggled to cope with the home player’s variety of shot. Billson took the first two games 9-6 9-5 looking certain to level the scores. Duffield has its share of luck this season but in the build up to last night and on court this finally ran out when 3 or 4 dead nicks went the way of Genever in the third which from a crucial 5 all were sufficient to put Genever back in contention. Suddenly Genever was looking sprightly and the roles were reversed as Genever rolled back the years to take the next two games 9-2 9-5. Billson was disappointed but credit to his opponent who has done his club proud for so many years that even Mr Crabtree struggles to remember.

Wendy fires the “Welsh Dragon” Gough to victory
Alex Stait 2-3 Alex Gough                9-6, 12-10, 4-9, 2-9, 3-9 (53m)

Alex Stait was another injury doubt up to the last moment following an operation to remove a cyst from his back. Stait was back on court at the week end in the BSPA Croydon Open after a 3 week lay off but feared match fitness might tell. It all went well in the first close game which Stait edged 9-6. The second saw Gough take a 6-2 lead which Stait pegged back and then the Duffield man had 4 game balls before taking the game 12-10.



World No22 Gough was not a happy bunny with a couple of Wendy’s decisions and an audible obscenity as he walked off court after the second resulted in Stait being awarded the first point of the third game. This fired up the angry Welsh dragon and as Stait tired Gough also rolled back the years as he cruelly exploited his brave opponent’s lack of full match fitness. Jonah Barrington once likened squash to foxhunting with advice that you should “wear your prey down and go in for the kill”. The evergreen talented Gough did just that and Chichester had won the first leg. Cries of “come on Alex” must have been very confusing to the players and the former Duffield No 1 must have thought he was back in a Duffield shirt.

Lightning strikes thrice – another real sickener
Nick Taylor 2-3 Tim Vail                       9-5, 6-9, 2-9, 9-2, 6-9 (42m)

The two managers had agreed to play four rubbers on the show court but things were getting behind schedule when the No 3 strings walked on court. The slim looking Taylor was moving well and took the first game 9-5. Vail, who has a nasty habit of hitting dead nicks, is much quicker around the court than you would expect from a “well built” player and he hit back in style to go 2-1 up.



Taylor responded by taking the fourth 9-2 as Vail was gasping for air and looking somewhat sick. Surely Duffield would get the reward it deserved but it was not to be and despite a valiant effort from Taylor, the newly appointed Jersey coach, the Vole squeezed home 9-5 only to immediately dash off court to dispose of his “three packets of crisps”.

Whippy gives his all for a lost cause
Andrew Whipp 1-3 Azlan Iskandar            3-9, 5-9, 10-8, 7-9 (45m)

With the clock approaching 10pm the No1 strings went on court with most of the spectators staying to watch the manager’s player of the season for the second year running take on the world No 13. Iskandar has great effortless movement which sees him dominate the T and surely he will break into the world top 10 in the next few months. However Whippy has real guts and the Duffield supporters love him to bits for his never say die sporting attitude. He retrieves the impossible and despite taking a bit of a battering in the first two games fought back to take the third 10-8 saving two match balls in the process. The crowd responded as though this was the deciding rubber and Whippy got to 7 all in the fourth but Iskandar held his nerve to take the next two points and give his side an almost certain final spot.

Despite the whitewash the mini bus is almost full for the long trip to Chichester on Thursday so a reunion with Mr Crabtree who it was reported was milking cows at the Duffield Farm B & B at 7am this morning.

We have got a mountain to climb, but if we do have to bow out of the competition, I couldn't think of a better team to succeed us as champions than Chichester.

Best wishes from all at Duffield to Tania Bailey who today has a cartilage operation and to the other injured players including Stewart Boswell, who has flown back to Australia for treatment on his injured back.

DUFFIELD DUFFED UP BY CHI MASSIVE
Peter Crabtree reports

Well, it had to happen – after many months of happy retirement on the Spanish Costas and not a few golf courses, Crabbers was persuaded by Mr Hargrave to attend the semi-final first leg at Duffield to witness the triumphant performance of the sub-strength home side over a rampant Chichester posse.

In life, it has come to my notice that sometimes things do not go as planned or hoped, and the many withdrawals from the Duffield team in the days leading up to the match seemed to pose an insurmountable obstacle for the Northern champions. And so it proved, but not without some tense moments, and it has to be said that the Derbyshire side put up a valiant fight.

Losing one lady player may be unfortunate, but to lose two Mr Hargrave is downright careless, and young Millie Tomlinson made her debut in PSL at the tender age of 15. Despite her glowing credentials, this was indeed a tough ask, but the youngster did well against a somewhat somnolent Dom L-W in the first game, narrowly losing 9-7. The next two showed her the difference from the sort of competition she has been used to, and Chi ran out comfortable 3-0 winners to steady a few nerves.

On the next court, Jelly took on Peter Billson, and the first 2 games definitely went with the power as the Duffield man ran our Jelly around mercilessly. But the old pins have still got some energy, let alone some cunning, and before too long we had the third game under our belt. This fired up the old fella, and it wasn’t too long before the 4th followed suit, and then the 5th. My predictions of a 5-0, while still a way from reality, started to look a possibility, but we had the enigma that is Alex Gough facing Alex Stait to come.

The crowd seemed as confused as the players with much cheering of “come on Alex”, but it was the Duffield version who was controlling the game, and a 9-6 starter was followed by a 12-10 second, and a conduct warning to Grumpy Goughy. It has to be said, he does wind up the refs, and occasionally (in my humble opinion) goes too far, and on this occasion the redoubtable Wendy “the Dragon” Danzey was having none of it.

A conduct stroke started the third game for an “audible obscenity” as he left the court after the second game, but this seemed to give him the focus he needed, and he only dropped 9 points in winning the next three games to give Chi a 3-0 lead on the night. Thanks Wendy, but you were right. Alex the Stait is recovering from a back op so was short of match fitness, but life is hard!

Then we had the equally grumpy Nick Taylor facing the Vole. Tim must be hugely frustrating to play – his highest ever National ranking matched by not only his largest ever waistline, but his heaviest fighting weight (look out Audrey Harrison!) yet he keeps getting the ball back and twatting nicks – long may it last, but it appears that the belly is revolting (obviously) as it started trying to escape in the fourth game. Another conduct warning headed grumpy’s way, and in the end Timothy edged it, but not until a large number of panics had passed. The “audible obscenity” that escaped grumpy’s lips leaving the court may come back to haunt him.

So, 4-0 up and really in the box seat for probably the best chance the hugely deserving Chi team have had of getting to the PSL final. Azlan “the Lion” took to the court against Whippy Whipp wearing a natty line in shin pads on one leg – don’t ask me, but the haircut has definitely improved, but then again so has Jelly’s – maybe it is part of the training regime, who knows?

The first two games were a cruise for Azzy, with Andy Whipp doing more court sprints than he has done so far this year in training, but maybe it helped as he edged the third 10-8 after Azzy had match points, to maybe have a sniff against the World No.13. So into a fourth game, and as throughout the previous game the re was some incredible retrieving from the home player, but in the end, class told, and it was, as predicted by this humble reporter, a 5-0 win to give us a massive advantage for Thursday – fill the house you Chi massive!

In closing, all at Chi wish Tania a speedy recovery after her operation today – we wish all our ex-players well of course. To Nick, Stewart and Laura also, speedy recoveries, but not until next week! We are sure you understand!