Melbourn won 17-3

The final game of the season for the 1sts was an odd affair as they faced a Peterborough side seriously struggling to get people to play for them at the moment. The visitors had forfeited twice, and not long distance away games either but a home one and then one just down the road in Stamford. This had cost them 30 points and put them in danger of relegation… which despite only having three people willing to travel they still turned up for this match.

The number shortage meant Melbourn were close to victory before a ball was even struck. Not many minutes later the match was over as a contest after Vinod Duraikan (3) had far too much for Franek Smith, winning 11-5, 11-3, 11-8. Another straightforward win soon followed for Matt Sampson (2) against Courtney Burke, Matt coming through this one 11-2, 11-1, 11-6. Both results were very close to Squashlevels predicted outcomes… as was Chris Shaw (1) losing 4-11, 7-11, 3-11 to Peterborough’s Head Coach (and aspiring pro player) Diego Pita.

A very rapid evening and a slightly bizarre end to what has been a good season for the 1sts – indeed a best ever one; after other results rolled in the boys found themselves 4th in the final Division 1 table. As far as we know that is the highest Melbourn have ever finished in the Cambs County League.

Melbourn lost 7-16

A first career win in the topflight of county Squash for teenager Will Bradshaw was the highlight of the 1sts match away to Hunts County 1sts.

A player shortage saw Hunts forfeit string 5, leaving Melbourn 1-0 up to start and seeing Will play Marcus Lattimer at fourth string. Both players are hard running and hard hitting, but with a clear age difference (Will is 16, Marcus has seen his 50th birthday) which was a key advantage for Will to exploit. He looked to challenge Marcus on the volley for the first two games, looping his serve up and then peppering the back corners. This worked nicely to establish a two-game lead. The next two saw Will move away from these tactics and attack the front corners instead, looking for early winners. This didn’t work so well as Marcus got up to the short balls to counter-kill. Back to 2-2. However, a reset and re-engagement with his game plan in the fifth proved effective as Will powered through to claim an 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7 win.

Sadly that was as good as it got for Melbourn, with Hunts claiming the other three strings to turn the match around. Miles Jeanerret (3) raised hopes when he took his opening game against David Robinson, but then saw the Hunts player power back to send Miles to an 11-8, 6-11, 2-11, 5-11 loss. Mike Herd (2) was also in the battle against Colin Griggs, for two games at least. Both went to breakers, but when both went against Mike is was too much and he went down 10-12, 11-13, 6-11. The top string pitted the two club’s head coaches against each other, Chris Shaw (1) taking on Rob Dadds. This went with ranking though as Rob is the clear County No.1, Chris finding the going tough as he was beaten 2-11, 3-11, 2-11. Simply winning a point against Rob (nearly 25k on Squashlevels) is an achievement in itself; getting to 11 in a game was too much of an ask even for Chris (circa 10k).

It all added up to a 16-7 win for Hunts. But the night will mostly be remembered for Will’s breakthrough Division 1 win. The first of many, surely?

Melbourn lost 9-19

This match pitted two teams in good form up against each other, with both Melbourn and Comberton having won four out of six matches since the league resumed after Christmas, with our boys on a three match winning streak as play commenced. This good form was very evident in what turned out to be an epic evening of Squash, with four of the five strings going to a fifth game, and every single one having at least one game that needed a tie-breaker to decide it.

The first match of the night set the tone for the evening as Mark Oppen (5) and Sean Sallis battled away at each other. Mark established a two game lead, but found the effort of closing out the second (this string’s tie-break) left him too winded for the next couple of games. As is typical of Mark his energy surged back in the fifth, but by then Sean had the momentum as Mark went down 11-4, 12-10, 8-11, 6-11, 9-11.

Meanwhile, next door, Miles Jeanerret (4) was taking on Tom Parker. The first game was a critical one in this clash as it went to a breaker, but when this dropped Tom’s way that proved decisive as Miles struggled thereafter, losing 11-13, 6-11, 6-11.

The next two strings then upped the ante in terms of tightness, as both went the full distance and also included not one but THREE tie-breakers. The first of these underway was Mike Herd (3), who took on Ryan Harper. Mike started smoothly, claiming the opener with game balls unused in his back pocket, but was then pegged back all square (breaker #1). The next was just as tight, but this time Mike edged it in the extra points to establish a 2-1 lead (breaker #2, which was longer than breaker #1). However, there was still next to nothing between the players and the fourth also went to a tie-break, the longest set of extra points yet. When Ryan eventually took that it left Mike deflated, and he faded in the fifth, the match ending with Mike (exhausted) looking disconsolately at an 11-6, 10-12, 13-11, 13-15, 7-11 scoreline.

Nothing could be tighter than that, right? Well, actually, Vinod Duraikan (2) and Harry Hennesey contrived to produce an even tighter contest. The tone for this one was set by the opening two games, which both needed extended breakers to settle, breakers which broke equally to each man. Half-an-hour’s play and the score was 1-1 and it was moreorless back to square one! Vinod had claimed the second breaker, but this didn’t build momentum for him as Harry took the third in the only game with a clear points margin of the contest. No matter for Vinod though, who dug in against his younger opponent, taking a critical fourth game on a breaker and then backing this up by edging the fifth to secure a lung-busting 13-15, 14-12, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9 win. I feel exhausted just from reading that scoreline…

Experience was also on Melbourn’s side (*ahem*) in the top string as Matt Sampson (1), fresh from reaching the QFs in the MO40s section of the British Nationals, took on Connor Harmer who is still under 20. For four games the contest swung heavily back and forth as either Matt’s shot-making and disguise or Connor’s dynamism about the court held the upper hand. Games were either one way or the other by comfortable margins… but were shared backwards and forwards perfectly evenly. That took us all the way to a fifth and here the theme of the night prevailed - entirely appropriately for a contest where there was next to nothing between the sides the two approaches matched almost exactly, the fifth going all the way to a break. In which Connor finally prevailed, Matt finding himself on the bad end of a 3-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-2, 11-13 scoreline.

A very good night for Squash with very fine margins seeing it break Comberton’s way. The 1s will look forward to renewing acquaintances next season…