Cambs Squash

Report: Inter Counties Stage I Premier NORTH.
Location: Lilleshall.
Date: 17th/18th November 2007.

Match 1: Cambridgeshire v Shropshire.

With Cambridgeshire spirits high the ‘tractor boys’ took on the hosts Shropshire in their first match.

Fielding recalled into the County team after years in the wilderness went on first at 5th string. He started off characteristically slowly losing the first. However he dug in with good quality lengths and a few trademark nicks to take the second levelling the match.

Meanwhile Rossin was taking on an old foe from University squash; Chris Clark. This was always going to be a battle and so it turned out to be. Rossin managed to take the first after being behind for most of the game, much to his opponents disgust. He then went to sleep in the second losing it quickly only to come out in the third with more vigour taking a closely fought game 9/7.

On the other court Fielding was struggling to cope with his opponents retrieving, losing closely fought games and losing the match 3-1. Rossin had another sleep, losing the 4th comfortably. So it was down to the 5th. At 8-5 up things looked rosy for the skipper, however it was not to be. A distraught Rossin folded in the last few points losing the game 10-8 and match 3-2.

‘The shire’ were now 0-2 in rubbers with the top order having it all to do. New recruit Kullar had to pull out the stops. Kullar soaked up all the pressure and confused his opponent with lose squash! To be fair his opponent was just as loose, bringing down the quality of the game. At 1-1, it could have gone either way. Kullar pulled his finger out and upped his game taking the match 3-1.

So it was down to Chambers and the Peter Pan of Squash (Morgan) to salvage a win for the team. Each of them were up against the ’charismatic’ Birk’s twins. They are identical and identically ‘mute’. The great white hope of Cambridge, Chambers took on Birk number 1. Chambers played some quality squash in the first two games, leading 6-2 in both only to go down 9-6 in both games. A disappointed Chambers was suitable motivated by a team talk from Rossin and Morgan. He came out like a train in the 3rd taking the game easily. Could it be possible that the youngster could pull off a surprise win against the full time ‘pro’. Unfortunately the greater experience of Birk number 1 showed in the 4th, Chambers lost the match 3-1. So it was up to Morgan to salvage some pride for Cambridge at the dizzy heights of number 1 string. Morgan was not at the races for the first two games against Birk number 2. However he dug in during the 3rd producing some quality squash mixed in with some brilliant retrieving. He managed to sneak the 3rd only to go down in the 4th, losing 3-1.

A disappointing start for the team, losing to the hosts 8-16.

Match 2: Cambridgeshire v Cheshire.

After an appetising buffet lunch in the desolate Lilleshall bar the team fired themselves up to take on the might of Cheshire. Fortunately Cheshire were weaker than normal, missing their number 1, Andy Whipp.

Rossin went on first at 3rd string. After consuming 20 sausage rolls and just as many, if not more tuna vol-au-vonts he felt full of energy. The vol-au-vonts seemed to be doing the trick as he took the first two games relatively comfortably against a highly nationally ranked junior. However it seemed like the energy was running out as he proceeded to lose the next two games in a very closely fought battle. So after an hour of hard squash it was down to the fifth AGAIN. At 7-7, with both players more or less on their knees it could have gone either way. Rossin whacked his opponent in the head with is racket, he fell like a stone! Fortunately no blood was spilled and his opponent seemed OK, well that was until he found out that the ref gave a no let, apparently the ball had flown in the nick! Rossin proceeded to take the next two points and the match. A good start for the ‘tractor boys’.

Meanwhile Fielding had made up for his morning performance, destroying his opponent at 5th string (must have been those tuna volavons!).
So at 2-0, Kullar went on to secure the match. His hard hitting opponent seemed to be troubling him at the start. However Kullar produced a measured display of accurate squash to win 3-0. The ‘newbie’ was doing well!

With the match in the bag, Chambers and Morgan went on to get some more valuable points. Unfortunately Chambers came up against a quality opponent and was a little tired from his battle against Birk number 1 in the morning match. So now it was up to the Peter Pan of Squash to get some points. It was all going well at 2-0 up against another national junior.

However Stefan’s opponent seemed to start out-retrieving him, which in itself was a feat in itself! Despite Stefan playing well, his opponent upped his performance with some lethal drops taking the next 3 and the match 3-2. Fortunately it didn’t matter as the lower order had done the business.
The team beat Cheshire 16-9.

Match 3: Cambridgeshire v Yorkshire.

After a relatively quiet evening in a country town, the team were raring to go for the morning match versus the Yorkshire team, who had an average age of 18! Cambridgeshire had to beat Yorkshire by 6 points to achieve an unlikely 3rd in a row appearance in the National County finals. With 100’s of national junior caps between the Yorkshire side it was always going to be a tough challenge.

Rossin went on first at 3rd string against Sam Wileman, a promising junior from the Pontefract factory of squash players. Rossin was feeling his age after 2 tough 3-2’s the previous day. Despite trying his hardest the endurance was not quite there, going down in a tight 3-1 match. Rossin had game balls in two of the games he lost! not good enough at all. At the same time Fielding was battling against another Pontefract whipper-snapper!

Fielding had actually beaten his opponent 3-2 in a Yorkshire league match the week before. Unfortunately the same magic had seemed to have been lost. Fielding fought back from 2-0 down to win the 3rd 9-0. The momentum was not carried through in the 4th, losing it and the match 3-1. So yet again ‘the shire’ were 0-2 in rubbers.

Yet again it was up to the top order! Kullar went on at 4th string with high hopes of maintaining his 100% record. It looked promising throughout a very hardly fought battle of squash/wrestling match! Unfortunately Kullar lost it in the 5th, condemning the team to the relegation phase during the second County weekend.

So it was up to Morgan and Chambers to gain some pride before the long drive back in the snow the ‘shires’. Both Morgan and Chambers played some fantastic squash. Morgan lost 3-0, however the score does not reflect how close the hour long match actually was.

Chambers battled for well over an hour against the highly rated Adam Taylor, losing in the 5th despite giving it 120%. So in short the team battled well.

Despite missing our usual 1 and 2 strings (both missing in action!) and legendary Galen hanging up his racket to replace it with pint(s) of Guinness; Cambridgeshire managed to finish 3rd in the group. The team will be in the relegation battle to stay in the Premier North group.

Next county weekend: 8th/9th March 2008.
Report by Neil Rossin