SATURDAY

Semi Finals

Women’s League
 

The first semi between Surrey and Cheshire nearly didn’t take place as the car carrying 3 of the Surrey team broke down en route.   A very very nice man from the RAC came to the rescue and saved the day!  A switch in playing order saw the 4’s and 5’s go on first. Kathryn Milne won comfortably for Surrey at 5, but Natalie Husdan levelled things for Cheshire at 4.  The tie was tight all the way through, Surrey prevailing 3-2 with Maggie North using all her experience at 3rd string to beat Nichola Howell in 5 games and Sandra Dunn at 1st string beating sister Olivia Howell 3-1.  Di Parums (Cheshire) at 2nd string beat Amanda Gee 3-0.  Surrey were later seen celebrating their victory in style on the terrace....

The second semi between Essex and Yorkshire was also close, and a long match saw Elaine Chubb (Essex) beat Julie Nevins (Yorkshire) in 49 minutes.  However this was to no avail though as a strong Yorkshire side – Paula Arrowsmith, Julie Field, Gill Toplis and Lucy Robbins took the remaining rubbers from Jackie Gregory, Kath Kemp, Sue Vine and Sharmila Devi respectively.

MEN O35

Middlesex stormed into an early lead against Cambridgeshire with wins at 3rd string for Mike McLaughlin against Matt Fiveash and Clive Johnson at 5th string over Duncan Alexander.  Galen Le Cheminant pulled one back for Cambridgeshire at no 1, beating Guy Olby 3-2.   However, 3-0 wins for Alan Thomson and Alex Couch against James Powley and Vinod Duraikin took Middlesex to the final.

The next semi between perpetual finalists Durham & Cleveland and Norfolk looked too close to call, and so it proved. Although in the end it finished 4-1 to Durham & Cleveland it could have gone either way.  The match of the day was between Ian Williams (D & C) and David Gouldsby (Norfolk) - Gouldsby went 2 up but Williams pulled the next 2 games back.  Saving 3 match balls he completed his comeback 10/9 in the 5th. Yawar Abbas and Tim Cross at 1 and 2 were the other winners for D & C, with the stylish David Youngs getting the only win for Norfolk.

The day was rounded off with a fantastic dinner at the club enjoyed by all the players and officials.

SUNDAY

Third and Fourth Play Offs

Women’s League

A mixture of youth and experience saw Cheshire take 3rd place from Essex.  Wins for Olivia Howell, Polly Woodward, Natalie Husdan clinched the tie.  Captain Kath Kemp getting the only points on the board for Essex

Men O35

A ‘Fenland derby’ saw Cambridge and Norfolk battle it out, and it went to the wire.  Experienced Norfolk 3rd string Davis Youngs beat Matt Fiveash 3-1 before 5^th string Simon Gardner levelled for Cambridgeshire against Rob Hambrook.  Galen Le Cheminant then put Cambridgeshire ahead with a 3-0 victory at first string against Stuart Cowie but the match was level again when David Gouldsby won at 4 for Norfolk, versus James Powley.  So it was down to the number 2’s. Vinod Duraikin (Cambs) and Jamie Goodrich (Norfolk).   Jamie brought Norfolk home in a tight match that belied the 3-0 score line.

FINALS

Women’s League - Surrey v Yorkshire

Kathryn Milne of Surrey put the holders ahead at 5th string beating Julie Nevins of Yorkshire 3-0 in 20 minutes.  On the adjacent court, Gill Toplis levelled the tie, by beating a slightly jaded Maggie North.  Cate Mullins at 4th string edged Surrey ahead by beating Lucy Robbins 3-1.  So Yorkshire had to win at 1 and 2 to take the tie - first string Paula Arrowsmith, was too strong for Sandra Dunn, winning 3-0 in 18 minutes, so it was down to the result between the 2nd strings – the vastly experienced Julie Field of Yorkshire versus the younger Amanda Gee of Surrey to decide who would be champions.  It was a case of age and experience triumphing over youth, as Field showed all her class with accurate attacking shots punishing any loose play by Gee. Field ran out a 3-0 winner in just under 20 minutes and Yorkshire were deserved Champions

MO35 - Middlesex v Durham & Cleveland

Arguably the best final in the history of the Inter County Championships unfolded at The Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis and Squash Club on Sunday lunchtime.
 

First on were the number 3 and 5 strings, and they set the tone for this epic encounter. Middlesex Captain Alan Thomson, at 50 the oldest player in the finals stormed to a 9/2 9/7 lead over Jason Youdale at 5th string.  Jason managed to nick the 3rd 9/7, and then the 4th by the same score, eventually proving too strong in the 5th 9/2. So first blood to D & C in 55 minutes. On the adjacent court 3rd strings Alex Couch and Tim Clarke battled for over an hour, Couch running out a 3 -1 winner in 62 minutes.  So 1-1. 
 

In the 4th string match, Peter Lonsdale looked to be playing a captains innings for D & C as he went 1 up and 8-6 up.  Mike McLaughlin had other ideas however and nicked the long second game 10/8.  This seemed to settle the Middlesex player and he went on to a 6/9 10/8 9/4 9/5 victory in 69 minutes. 2-1 Middlesex.

Meanwhile Nardelli (Middx) and Yawar Abbas (D & C) were giving no quarter in a match that saw the most wonderful rallies with some simply unbelievable retrieving by both players, particularly by the rangy Nardelli.  A tough first game was taken by Nardelli 9/7 and he also took the equally long 2nd game 9/4.  Abbas took advantage of the efforts that Nardelli had taken to get the first 2 games and took the 3rd 9/0.  Nardelli looked out on his feet, and the match seemingly over in the 4th, with Abbas winning 9/2.  Somehow Nardelli , running purely on adrenaline pushed Abbas all the way in the 5th, but Abbas prevailed 9/6 in 79 minutes.

Attention switched to the next court, where the now deciding match between the 2 strings Guy Olby (Middx) and Andrew Cross (D & C) was taking place.  Andrew has never beaten Guy, and lost the first 2 games 9/4 9/4. The realisation that Abbas had won seemed to galvanise Cross, and he took the next 2 games 9/7/9/7.  So after well over 3 hours of squash the tie was all square.  The deciding game was tight all the way through, with Olby inching ahead.  Both players were tired but the still accurate offensive style of Olby prevailed and he took the game 9/6 after 71 minutes.  So a victorious Middlesex took the title by the narrowest of margins, pushed all the way by a gutsy Durham & Cleveland side.



“Wolverhampton has staged many top squash tournaments and seen some great matches over the years in the PSL, and PSA tour events. Today’s final matched anything we have ever seen here.” Stephen Russell - Chairman, WLTSC

“The best final I have been involved in – all credit to Durham & Cleveland for being such great  opponents in an epic match”  
Alan Thomson  - Captain, Middlesex

“Stunning stuff” 
Nick Brown – Cambridgeshire

 “I started to see stars in the 5th” 
Jago Nardelli - Middlesex

“Brutal” Peter Lonsdale -
Captain Durham & Cleveland