SOUTH GROUP:
  
Oberthur Strings 4/1  UniS Guildford
Ian Robinson reports
    Cameron Pilley  3-2  Stacey Ross            8-10, 7-9, 9-6, 9-6, 2-1 ret.  

    Rodney Durbach  3-2  Stephen Meads    9-5, 6-9, 5-9, 9-7, 9-7

    Rob Sutherland  3-0  Neil Frankland        9-7, 9-2, 9-6

    Philip Nightingale  3-2  Brandon Hanley   7-9, 3-9, 9-4, 9-6, 9-6

Birmingham UNITE 4/1 Surrey Health & Racquet
Keir Worth reports

   Joey Barrington  3-2  Bradley Ball                9-4, 5-9, 8-10, 11-9, 10-8
   Jon Harford  0-3  Tim Garner                       8-10, 6-9, 2-9
   Joel Hinds  3-1  Ben Ford                           9-7, 7-9, 9-4, 10-8
   Jaymie Haycocks  3-0  Ricky Davies             9-7, 14-12, 9-4
   Laura-Jane Lengthorn  3-0  Lauren Briggs  9-1, 9-5, 9-1     

Brian's Crystal Ball

MANAGERS' REPORTS

Next fixtures

4th round,
Tuesday 25
October 2005

        
                                                       NORTH GROUP
  

Benz-Bavarian Duffield    v      Manchester/Pontefract
                                                      SOUTH GROUP
  

Framboise back
at home,
Steve in a plane...
  
Yes, it's the world in reverse... Normally, I'm flying around the world, and Steve is keyboarding away. But today, he's left the city of Manchester, took a plane to London, and is now on his way to Jamaica to cover the WISPA event... What can I say, it's a tough job... So here I am, I apologise for not attending any match tonight, but I had to upgrade the site...

According to our sources in Birmingham, Mark Chaloner came back from 2/0 to prove that he is right not to retire yet... Peter Barker, Hadrian Stiff and Vicky won their match in 3... David Palmer and Parkie have offered a great exhibition to a delighted crowd.... David was happy to have a good match after his bad week at the Dunlop British Open...

But overall, not a good week for the visitors, as all home teams have dominated their opponents tonight, sometimes quite heavily...

British Open Champion Ricketts Tumbles As Manchester/Pontefract Crush Wolverhampton
by Howard Harding

University Sport Birmingham's first PSL win lifts the young squad off the bottom of the South Group points table – but it was Surrey H&RC Croydon's veteran joint team manager Tim Garner that ensured that the visitors did not go home empty-handed by beating the hosts' Jon Harford 10-8 9-6 9-2.  The Birmingham University top string Joey Barrington, the world No31 fresh from his impressive first round display against title-holder David Palmer in the British Open, gave a sterling performance at the end of the evening when he fought back from 2/1 down to beat the Croydon club's Bradley Ball, ranked six places higher, 9-4 5-9 8-10 11-9 10-8 – saving several match balls in the fourth game!

David Evans bt Alex Gough 9-4, 9-6, 9-6 (37m)

Nick Taylor bt Mark Cairns 9-3, 8-10, 9-5, 9-3 (43m)

Andrew Whipp bt Chris Ryder 9-5, 4-9, 9-4, 9-6 (36m)

Jenny Duncalf bt Shelley Kitchen 9-0, 9-2, 9-5 (36m)

We are starting a bit slowly this season.

On a quiet night in Pontefract the Wolverhampton team recorded its worst result in 5 years in the League but also saw 3 firsts, of more later.

For the first two games Jenny never put a foot wrong, chose all the right shots and on that form would have beaten the best in the world. Shelley got back into it a bit in the third when jenny forgot her game plan but it was only a momentary lapse.

Mark meanwhile was putting up a good show on the adjoining court. Not having played on a lower tin since the final in May he not surprisingly started a bit slowly but found his game in the second and began to cause Nick some real trouble. At 5 all in the third I really thought that Mark had a good chance as Nick was not moving as well as I have seen him in the past. (Dare I say it he seems to have put on a bit of weight). But from there it all went downhill and the rigours of a new job with less time to practice took its toll.

Chris and Andy had a closer game than the score suggests. A real difference in style with Chris changing the pace a lot and Andy hammering it at every opportunity. A few nicks at the wrong time turned the match in Andy’s favour and so in no time at all we were 3 down.

Alex had two great games at the British Open and should have been full of confidence. However, David is something of a bogey player for Alex and it showed. Although in no trouble physically Alex seemed to be in a world of his own for most of the game and unfortunately the ball and his opponent were in a different world. At 6 all in the second Alex took 2 successive balls that would have been strokes (the referees comment not mine) and lost both rallies which sort of showed how his game was going. So now 4-0 down. Not so good.

Having won the British Open at around 9 pm the night before I was just glad that Anthony showed up. After an event like that both the physical and mental effort takes their toll and it was clear from the beginning of the evening that we couldn’t and shouldn’t expect too much. He put in a magnificent effort in the second and led 8-5 but Lee pegged him back and took all of the next 5 points. The third was a formality. One oddity, I have not seen Anthony play so many long range drop shots in any match, or indeed all his matches for us over 3 years, as he did in this one. A new style or just plain knackered.
Probably the second.

So a big defeat but as I mentioned at the beginning 3 firsts. The first matches started knocking up at 7:01, truly a record. In part down to Malcolm deciding to dispense with the introductions as at that stage the crowd was outnumbered by the players. Over 60 had journeyed to Manchester the night before and so it was not too surprising that the numbers were limited. They did increase through the evening though. The second is that we finished at 9:30 also a record as the usual time is nearer 11:00 pm. Quite surprised the dog when I got home soon after midnight! Lastly there were 13 dead nicks on the side or back walls in the 5 games, all to the opposition! Normally we see one at most in an entire evening so this was very strange. It clearly was indeed one of those nights.

Stephen Russel
Wolverhampton

 Birmingham UNITE 4/1 Surrey Health & Racquet

    Joey Barrington beat Bradley Ball 9-4, 5-9, 8-10, 11-9, 10-8
   Jon Harford lost to Tim Garner 8-10, 6-9, 2-9
   Joel Hinds beat Ben Ford 9-7, 7-9, 9-4, 10-8
   Jaymie Haycocks beat Ricky Davies 9-7, 14-12, 9-4
   Laura-Jane Lengthorn beat Lauren Briggs 9-1, 9-5, 9-1   

An evening to remember…
Keir Worth reports

University Sport Birmingham (USB) UNITE enjoyed their first win in the Premier Squash League this evening, against a weakened, but experienced Surrey Rackets & Health side. It was evident that the young Birmingham side have the ability to compete and are already benefiting from the experience of playing at this level. Cheered on by a packed crowd and blown away by Adrian, the mercurial bugler, who was watching his first ever squash match, the team clearly enjoyed the occasion and delivered some excellent squash.

Laura Lengthorn beat Lauren Briggs 9/1 9/5 9/1

First on court for the home side, was Laura Lengthorn, fresh from an excellent performance at the British Open. It was Laura who settled first, playing with greater accuracy and confidence than her opponent. Lauren worked hard to get into the game, increasing the pace when she could and retrieving from all around the court to increase the pressure on Laura. Laura, however, was clinical in her finishing and was simply too good on this occasion. Despite a bold effort, particularly in the second game, Lauren had no real answer to the questions Laura posed. 1-0 to USB UNITE.

Jaymie Haycocks beat Ricky Davies 9/7 14/12 9/4

Meanwhile, Jaymie Haycocks was involved in an enthralling battle with the Welsh no.5, Ricky Davies. The match began with a series of very long rallies, before the players began to settle into their game. Having learnt from his previous PSL outing a few weeks ago, Jaymie, was more conservative and patient in his approach, building the rallies by playing with good length, before attacking short. The first game see-sawed and both players made uncharacteristic unforced errors at times, but Jaymie did just enough to win. He started well in the second game too, and it was evident that he had found the balance between attack and defence. At 8-5 down, however, Ricky, sensing the match was drifting away, took a more positive approach and began attacking with more purpose. Aided by a Haycocks mistake, Ricky served for the game, but Jaymie was able to hold off and eventually won the game on his fifth game point. There was no way back for Ricky after this and Jaymie ran away with the third game. 2-0 to USB UNITE.

Jonny Harford lost to Tim Garner 8/10 6/9 2/9

Next on court for USB UNITE was the young Jonny Harford, who has now begun to play full time, having graduated from Birmingham in the summer. Up against the vastly experienced Tim Garner, this was always going to be a tough match for Jonny. There were positive signs he worked hard and played with great accuracy and discipline. The first game was tight; with no more than one point separating the two players and it was Jonny who had the first opening to win the game. Two unforced errors, however, gave Tim the chance he wanted and he took the game with his first opportunity. As you would expect from someone with Tim’s experience, he was able to manufacture some punishing rallies, which eventually took their toll on Jonny. He continued to work hard, but was unable to get any relief from his workload. By the third game, Tim was in full flow and clinical in his finishing. USB UNITE still ahead, just- 2-1.

Joel Hinds beat Ben Ford 9/7 7/9 9/4 10/8

On the adjacent court, Joel Hinds and Ben Ford were involved in a topsy-turvy match, which saw them each enjoy periods of dominance as a consequence of accurate hitting and purpose. At other times, the match became scrappy, which favoured Ben, the more experienced player who is a proven shot maker, capable of finishing rallies from anywhere on the court. Fortunately for USB UNITE, Joel was able to rely upon some excellent retrieving from all over the court and eventually Ben began to tire. Despite some significant periods of control, on this occasion Ben was unable to find the winning shots to some well constructed rallies and as Joel’s confidence grew, you could sense that the match was going in UNITE’s favour. Joel squeezed home, fighting back from7-4 down to take the fourth game by a whisker. USB UNITE had won their first fixture. Match score- 3-1.

Joey Barrington beat Bradley Ball 9/4 5/9 8/10 11/9 10/8

The final match on court saw Joey Barrington take on Bradley Ball, who is six places above him in the world rankings. As expected, the match was dominated by hard hitting and attacking squash from both players. During the first game it was Joey who was more accurate and consistent in his stroke play and as the rallies increased in length and pace, Bradley was forced into making errors. The next two games saw a change in fortune; however, as for periods in each game, Joey lost his accuracy and was guilty of trying to force the pace too much. Given more opportunity to attack, Bradley was able to hit his characteristic kills and he moved 2-1 ahead. To a large extent the pattern of the previous two games was repeated in the fourth, as Joey could not always maintain the accuracy required and Bradley keen to attack whenever possible. From match ball down, however, Joey was able to create a series of rallies that curtailed Bradley’s attacking instincts and he levelled the match at 2-2. The final game was always going to be tight, as both players gave everything they had left and it was Joey who managed to edge ahead and eventually win on his second match point. USB UNITE had won 4-1.

Overall, a great night and a fantastic result for the USB UNITE. There is still much to work on, but the younger players are clearly moving in the right direction. The next home match is against Oberthur Strings on 15^th November. For tickets to see the game and to witness the musical genius of the Birmingham Bugler please contact Samantha Bayton on 0121 414 2262 or e-mail: s.j.bayton@bham.ac.uk.

Keir Worth

   David Palmer bt Simon Parke 9/6, 9/5, 9/5 (35m)
   Peter Barker bt Duncan Walsh 9/3, 9/4, 9/4 (25m)
   Mark Chaloner bt James Wright 4/9, 4/9, 9/2, 9/4, 9/4 (56m)
   Hadrian Stiff bt Nick Douglas 9/7, 10/8, 9/5 (37m)
   Vicky Botwright bt Sarah Kippax 9/7, 9/1, 9/0 (32m)

There are certain matches that you could look on paper and speculate what may be the result before a ball is hit. Let’s say it’ll be an ‘easy’ match or a ‘hard’ match, you may even predict what the scores will be in each individual match played but sometimes the score lines or result of the match will never really reflect on how close a match really was or not. Last night's match was no exception to this.

On paper Churchill Edgbaston Priory looked the stronger of the two teams, but Nottingham’s players came here to do one thing and that was to win.

The 1st match on the show court.

Mark Chaloner Vs James Wright

Ok, on paper who’s your money on, The World Number 33 who’s had almost 50 England caps or James Wright who hasn’t played any real PSA events? Well after the first game, James looked like the more experienced player. He kept a good length and width and attacked when possible. Mark had no length, he looked a bit slow and wasn’t too confident with his short game. The rallies were long and hard but James stood tall and took the first. The second looked like it was unfolding the same as the first game but in actual fact James has quickened the pace and attacked with some great volley kills. He went on to take the second game. Mark was a bit lost until the third as he looked a bit more at ease, he looked up for his shots more, even his speed picked up as the match played out. James by this time was understanding how fit you have to be mentally and physically to take on such a player as Mark Chaloner. The rallies got harder and harder and James strength was folding, as Mark’s confidence grew and grew. Mark made it 2-2. The squash was very entertaining as the rallies were tight and both players matched each other, shot to shot and with some mind boggling retrieving. Mark played the game of a true Pro. After being 2 down against a player who was having a really good night, he came back and won. Mark wore James down, that’s all. Well played James, the best I’ve seen him play. Well played Mark for a truly professional match.

Vicky Botwright Vs Sarah Kippax

In the first it looked like Sarah was about to cause an upset as she was playing really well. Vicky couldn’t find her feet, she was a bit nervous and made more errors than you would normally see. Vicky is a hard worker though and she didn’t want Sarah to get a look in. Vicky worked out how to break Sarah’s momentum and she did. 10/9 Vicky. The second was a different matter as was the third. Vicky was too strong and she played like she had purpose. Sarah was pinned back and she couldn’t attack or take the ball early enough. Great game to watch.

Second Match on show court

Peter Barker Vs Duncan Walsh.

Peter is a class act. Duncan may have to think a bit more in his warm ups (yes, he was doing court sprints!) as he looked tired after the first game. The second saw no change as Duncan was two steps behind Peter, who kept control of the T and made Duncan finish off his court sprint session. Peter 2-0 and looking strong in the third as Duncan can’t find the answers on how to beat Peter’s quality.
3-0 Peter

Hadrian Stiff Vs Nick Douglas

Hadrian and Nick both started at a high pace and it looked like it was going to stay high as both wanted to make an impact from the start. It was close, the ball was flying everywhere as both players struggled to control it. Short shots were non-existent as it was very difficult to put the ball away. The score was matched and both players were locked in battle at 8-8 all. Then a tin and a well earned nick from Hadrian won the first. The second was just as fast a pace as the first, but the players were both attacking the ball more with volleys and drops as both players started covering all corners of the court. Very close again, until Nick let one spectator who cheered for Hadrian get to him. A mistake and his frustration were very evident! He even asked if the ref could silence the supporter. Obviously the ref cannot unless he was shouting out during the rally. It was a shame as Nick was playing well, he was on form and controlled but from that point on Nick didn’t look the same player. Hadrian kept his concentration and took the second and the third to win the match. A superb game, until Nick lost his focus.

David Palmer Vs Simon Parke

After David admitting that he wasn’t playing well at the British, I believe Simon thought he could sneak a win and my word he had a good go. I don’t understand where Simon gets his energy from sometimes. He works harder than any other player. He didn’t really have any choice as David gave him a lesson on how to take the ball early. The crowd were in amazement. His racket ability is untrue sometimes he takes the tightest of drives and volleys them short and tight, Simon just gets there, David hits length and Simon was running again. It was brilliant and full credit to Simon who worked so hard and never gave up. At one point he actually asked the ref to give him a stroke ‘ref, I think I deserve a stroke! If fact I need it!’ but not even the ref could save Simon when David was seeing the ball as well as he was. Excellent match and the crowds that filled the back of the show court loved it. Two of the 5 matches could have easily gone the other way.

We are top! A bit better than last season, lets hope we can stay at this dizzy height until the end of the season (fingers crossed!)

Our next match is away at Manchester Pontefract where we will miss one or two of our top players due to qualifying

Our thanks go to our main sponsors Churchill Office Solutions who have now done business with many squash clubs and even England Squash. If you’d like to hear more on how they are saving Squash Clubs money please contact me at matt.suckling@edgbastonpriory.com