Redbridge v Slovenia

This week saw Redbridge Squash Coach Dave Lazarus lead his finest troops to battle it out with our fellow Europeans in Slovenia. This was to be the first time any English team has ever ventured to this part of the world to take on the Slovenians on the squash courts. Braving the unknown his team took the challenge in full force with bendy glass walls and rubber floors doing little to deter them. After a days training and adapting to their opposition’s courts they keenly tackled the BBQ and local Kranj drinks their kind hosts forced their way.

Waking up on the Saturday and feeling slightly worse for wear, our number two player Tom had been struck down by the local liquid delicacy. He and the rest of the team, refusing to give up did their up most not to bring shame on their club, battling through drowsiness, sickness and sore heads. On top form was our secret weapon 10 year old Fraser Linning who impressed both his team and opposition immensely. However at times coach Dave could not watch as the rest of his suffering team pulled off some of the most creative moves at possibly the slowest pace he had ever seen, but to his surprise Sarah Mackie and Martin O’Toole had made it through to the semi-finals of the B-group. Exhausted after an impressive match with the Slovenian number one, coach Dave and the rest of the team sat down to watch their final hopes of gaining a gold medal fade away. Sarah crashed out in style loosing 2.0 to 20 stone Edor and gaining a mild dose of whiplash; however Martin the star of the day clawed his way through to the finals. After putting up another impressive fight he too finally fell foul to his oppositions sabotage from the previous night, just missing out on first place.

All in all it had been a great trip, with the opposition admitting to having been scared….. of our dancing! The troops arrived back to their home land on Sunday night, heads held high and promising to conquer somewhere else next year.

ESSEX CLOSED 2008

Neil Hitchens and Rebecca Macree.....County Champions

click to enlarge

The 2008 Essex Closed Squash Competition was held at Club Kingswood in Basildon on the weekend of 19th & 20th of January. Around 100 of Essex elite squash players took part in this year’s event which drew a huge enthusiastic crowd throughout the weekend who were treated to plenty of superb action!  Results are on the attached sheet, and some match highlights below.

The Men’s & Ladies A finals were last on centre court, the men’s A saw 2 top Essex players Neil Hitchins up against Essex team mate Rory Pennell, and they treated the spectators to a spectacular match. Both players thrilling the crowd with amazing arrays of shots, long rally’s and unbelievable retrieving, with Neil eventual beating Rory heralded with raucous applause from the crowd. This had been preceded by a superb Ladies A event, Kingwoods Sarah Neller reached the final again this year beating off some tough rivals in the early rounds only to be confronted yet again with ex world no 7 Rebecca Macree, who had also dispatched some of Essex’s top ladies en route to the final. It was an extremely close fought match, with Becky just tipping the scales to win her 3rd victory in a row.

 The other finals had kicked off earlier with the Men's Plate where Chelmsford ’s Wyn Edwards beat Kenny Trim in a gripping 3-2 match. The men’s O’55’s plate saw sponsor Colin Atkins pitched against Paul Newbury, with PauI taking the title. This year we also ran a Ladies plate, which featured, two young ladies from Kingswood , Emma Payne and Francesca Humfrey battled it out with Emma taking the ladies plate title. In the Men's O'35 number 1 seed and last year’s winner Jason Friend from Connaught beat fellow club member Elliot Fowell. The Men's O'55 was won again by Dave Neller beating arch rival and Kingswood compatriot Ron hills an long grueling final. In the Ladies O'50's Averil Murphy reversed last years result to beat Sue Vine in one of the longest matches of the weekend. Karen Dunk from Connaught took on and beat fellow club member Jackie Gregory in the Ladies O’40’

Maldon’s Sean Cole failed to reclaim the Men’s C title being beaten by Kingswood ’s Stacey Thickbroom in a marathon final. The path to the Men’s B final had been grueling for young Nial Engerer from YMCA but he was still able to beat Redbridge’s Tony Morrisson regaining the title his father had lost the year before. Bishop Stortfords Andy Russell won the Men’s O'45's beating a very determined Mark Shildrake from Chelmsford . The ladies B was won by Shamila Devi who beat Goresbrook’s Michelle Higgins 3–1 in a great battle.

The weekend was a great success pulling in players and spectators from all over Essex . Matches were exiting, fairly contested and marking was to a high standard thanks to a sterling effort by Paul Clarke and Carl George. All finalists received a trophy and prize thanks to generous sponsorship from the local businesses listed below. Sponsor and over 55’s competitor Colin Atkins of CA Landscape Gardeners was on hand and kindly agreed to present the trophies.

Many Thanks to our 2008 Sponsors

Club Kingswood and Original Sports

CA Atkins Landscape Gardeners

Matrix FM

Peartree Cleaners

 And Many Thanks to our markers

Paul Clarke & Carl George

And all the players without whom there would not be a tournament