Arthur Curran reports from Sportcity

After the First Test Match a couple of weeks ago, it was decided that this was a great exercise for both the International Women players and the up and coming young male players from the Manchester area. Would it be revenge for the Women, having lost the first Test Match 3 games to nil – or would it be a Repeat Victory for the Boys??

Well as it turned out, it was a great revenge victory for the women, but what a great evening of squash we had before us !!

Manchester Boys 1 England Women 3

Mike Pearson 2-3 Laura L-Massaro 8/11, 11/8, 11/9, 8/11, 8/11 (60m)
Morgan Hibberd 1-3 Jenny Duncalf 11/7, 9/11, 9/11, 7/11 (46m)
Alex Bowden 0-3 Alison Waters 5/11, 5/11, 7/11 (22m)
Adam Murrills 3-1 Tania Bailey 11/9, 11/8, 11/7 (27m)

First match up was young Michael Pearson, nephew of DP, against Laura Lengthorn-Massaro, currently No 7 in the World rankings, so how could this young man face up to this challenge? Well he actually faced up to it very well indeed. Laura took a good early lead in the first game, going out to 7/3, but Mike came back slowly 7/9, Laura took game ball 10/8, and although Mike saved one game ball Laura eased out to 11/8, one game to nil.

In the second game Michael took a superb lead 7/1, then took it to 10/3, and in spite of Laura coming back to 10/8 for Michael, he then took the next point to take the game 11/8 – one game each. In the third, Laura took the early lead 7/2, but Michael with some lovely shots managed to bring it back and levelled at 9/9, then took the game 11/9 with his first game ball.

The fourth game was so well fought and so close it really was difficult to choose a winner. Very close and level up to 7/7, but then Laura showed her experience to take the game 11/8. In the final game, both players were really at their best, Mike taking a 4/2 lead, then a 7/4 lead and looking quite comfortable, although rather tiring, but then Laura again using her experience eased through to take the game 11/8, and the match 3 games to 2 after 60 minutes. A really exceptionable game of squash. Afterwards Laura said ‘ That was very very tough’.

She now goes off to the Ilkley Open in Yorkshire starting tomorrow, followed by the Irish Open in Dublin next week, where she hopes to retain both these titles she won last year.

Michael Pearson said "That was very very hard. I felt shattered towards the end of the second game, as I have not played in such pressure matches before, and I hardly get the chance to play competitively on this all glass court. Although I did not win I thought I did very well, and hung on in there right to the end."

Next up was Morgan Hibberd against the British National Champion Jenny Duncalf, ranked at #5 in the World. Although Morgan started slightly tentatively, he kept the score very close all the way, to lead 8/7, but then eased in front to take the first game 11/7.

The second was very tight in the early stages up to 4/4, Jenny then eased into the lead 9/4, Morgan took a couple of points but then Jenny got game ball at 10/6. Not to be outdone, Morgan saved three game balls to 9/10, but then Jenny managed to take the game on her fourth game ball, 11.9.

Morgan took an early lead in the third game 4/1, then 6/4, but then Jenny, using all her experience around the court, got to game ball at 10/7, and although Morgan saved two, Jenny again took the game 11/9. Jenny was well on top in the fourth, with Morgan tiring visibly, and moved to match ball at 10/3. Although Morgan found some extra strength from somewhere to save four match balls Jenny eventually took the game 11/7, and the match 3 games to 1 after 46 minutes of play.

Two nil to the England Ladies!

For the next match, Vicky Botwright, coach of the Manchester Boys, brought in 16 year old Alex Bowden, up against Alison Waters, a former National Champion and ranked #6 in the World – quite a formidable task for the youngster.

Although young Alex played very well all through the match he had no answer to the experience of Alison, who took the match 11/5, 11/5, 11/7 in 22 minutes. Alex stated afterwards that it was probably the toughest match he had ever played, but he really enjoyed the experience.

Well, the women had certainly gained their revenge from the first Test Match, but the boys certainly were not to be humiliated! Adam Murrills came on to play Tania Bailey, yet another former National Champion, moving back up the World Rankings after a long lay off last year due to a knee operation, and he brought back the pride for the Manchester Boys, winning 11/9, 11/8, 11/7, in three very well fought and close games in 27 minutes.

A great revenge win 3 matches to 1 for the English Women after a really enjoyable evening of squash, but both coaches David Pearson and Vicky Botwright will not be content to leave it there, with hopefully another two matches to be played during the summer.

Any squash enthusiasts in the Manchester area would do well to come along and watch these future matches to see some great squash, as indeed does my friend Geoff, who travels over from Holyhead to watch – that is enthusiasm!

Here’s looking forward to the next match!

Manchester 3 England 0

Morgan Hibberd bt Alison Waters
      2/11, 11/13, 11/8, 11/4, 11/5 (60m)

Adam Murrells bt Jenny Duncalf
      12/10, 11/6, 6/11, 11/9 (45m)

Ky Hibberd bt Laura Lengthorn-Massaro
       6/11, 5/11, 11/8, 11/6, 11/5 (48 m)

Vicky's boys do the business
Arthur Curran reports from Sportcity

The idea of this Test Match was thought of in a telephone conversation between head English coach David Pearson (DP) and head coach here at Manchester’s National Squash Centre Vicky Botwright (VB). David wanted something different for the English Ladies' team to do rather than just an ordinary training session, and this ‘Test Match’ evolved. It is being taken very seriously by the coaches, with VB stating ‘It’s War’!!! against DP, and Vicky kitting herself and her boys out with special T-shirts with ‘Manchester v England’ on the back, and the ladies wearing their official England shirts.

First match up was the second string players, Alison Waters representing the English Ladies and Morgan Hibberd for the Manchester team. Alison started off all guns blazing, hardly letting Morgan into the game, and took the first game comfortably 11/2. Morgan changed tactics in the second, retrieving lots more, using the court better and playing some excellent shots, he took the score to 8/2 in his favour, but then Alison’s experience shone through and with some lovely deft drop shots pulled back to 10/10, tie break, which she eventually took at 13/11.



Two games to nil for Alison, it was looking like a walk in the park for her and England, but Morgan, admitting later that nerves had got to him very badly at the start, got right back into the match, and the third game became much more even, the score staying level up to 7/7, then Morgan eased ahead to 9/7, then to 10/8 game ball, and with a lovely long drop shot no more than an inch above the tin took the game 11/7. Morgan took the first two points in the fourth, but Alison played a beautiful cross court drop shot to get on the score sheet. Morgan, not to be outdone, played a lovely drop shot in a tight corner to take back the serve, then slowly got the upper hand and moved on to 7/1, then on to 10/7 game ball. He lost the first game ball by hitting into the tin, Alison played a lovely volley to take another point, but then Morgan opened up the court and with a lovely winning shot took the game 11/4.

Two games all and everything to play for! Both players were really trying their very best in this match. In the fifth, Alison seemed to be visibly tiring whilst the 18 year old Morgan found an inner strength and playing with much more purpose he took the score up to 8/1, Alison pulled back to 8/5, but then Morgan found another level to go to 10/5 match ball and took the game 11/5 with a stroke against Alison. He had won the match 3 games to 2 after a very poor start, and the Manchester boys were One nil up.

Next up was the British Ladies champion and World # 5 Jenny Duncalf against Adam Murrells, another 18 year old who hails from nearby Cheshire. Both players started off very tentatively in this one, the score staying level up to 7/7. Jenny then eased in front at 10/8 game ball, but with the help of a back wall nick and a tin from Jenny, Adam levelled at 10/10 to force a tie break, which he proceeded to take comfortably 12/10 for the first game. Adam again showed the strength of youth in this sport taking a 5/0 lead in the second before Jenny got on the score sheet, but he kept this lead through the rest of the game to win 11/6.

In the third Jenny took the first point and just kept that one point in front up to 6/5, Adam levelled at 6/6 but then Jenny, using all her experience, took control and eased out to take the game 11/6. In the fourth Jenny was moving Adam all round the court with a wonderful range of shots and eased out to 3/1, then 6/2, then to 9/4 with a disappointing tin from Adam. Then Adam, playing a couple of dinky drop shots and a great volley leaving Jenny stranded in the middle of the court pulled back to 9/9, then took the next point for match ball at 10/9, and with another lovely volley into the back right hand corner, again leaving Jenny stranded, took the game 11/9 and the match 3 games 1.

The third and final match was between World # 7 Laura Lengthorn Massaro and the other Hibberd twin Ky, and although a ‘dead’ rubber I was assured it would be as competitive as the earlier games, and so it proved to be. Ky, like his twin earlier, started off badly, which he later admitted was due to being nervous, and Laura took the first game quite comfortably 11/6, then with a fairly repeat game she took the second 11/5. Was this to be the end of the boys’ great night??

Certainly not!! Ky overcame his early nerves, pulled out the score to 6/2, Alison pulled it back to 6/5, then point for point 8/7 for Ky, He then went to 10/7 game ball, but although Alison saved the first match ball she could not save a second and Ky took the game 11/8. This really was tremendous squash that the quite numerous and vociferous crowd was being entertained with.



In the fourth, Ky went out to 3/0 then 5/2, Laura levelled at 5/5, but then won only one more point whilst Ky eased out, with the help of one exquisite cross court drop which left Laura floundering, and took the game 11/6 to level the match. Again Ky took control early and moved to 5/0, then kept that lead with Laura taking the odd few points, and on his first match ball at 10/5 he took the opportunity to finish the game 11/5, the match 3 games 2, and the overall match score to a fantastic 3 games to nil win for the Manchester boys.

A really great night of squash was had enjoyed by all who attended, and a special thank you should go to referee Joss Garvey who, after being here all day looking after the schools championships, stayed on long into the evening to officiate all three matches from a sometime lonely spot on the balcony – what a stalwart to the sport she is!

All the participants congratulated each other afterwards, the match had been played in a fine spirit, and everybody had really enjoyed themselves – including yours truly!

"Even though the girls lost I think this was a great experience for all concerned. It gave them all some good competitive games in a period when the Women’s game is fairly quiet, much better than ordinary training sessions.

"Vicky and I will discuss in the near future the idea of enlarging this exercise, hopefully evolving into a three match Test series during the summer. We will see if we can work things out."

"I thought the night was a great success. It has given the boys some great experience, they don’t get the chance very often to play competitively on the all glass court so games like this can only be good for them.

"I am very very pleased and happy at the outcome. They have beaten the World # 5, 6 and 7 ranked Ladies, and they have done it very well. All the boys, especially the Hibberd twins, were so nervous at the start they were both two games to nil down before they started playing, but I was so pleased with the way they got back into their games, and with all three winning it was more than even I expected."