Depleted numbers sees fixture yielded
ALL five teams from our local squash clubs had North West Counties Summer League fixtures last Thursday – although, as things turned out, only four of them actually took to the courts.
Macclesfield Squash did have themselves the prospect of a 50-mile round-trip to Crewe Vagrants – but, being unable to put out a side for their South Division contest at Willaston, conceded the match.
East Division tabletoppers Prestbury 1 were also handed a relatively faraway appointment – albeit, at 35 miles, a slightly shorter returnjourney – by the fixtures compiler.
But the trek to Glossop was one well worth making, as Stuart Melia, Graeme English, Dave Jones and 15-year-old Jonny Murray all won in straight games to give the leaders a 4-1 victory.
Prestbury 1 can now only be denied the title by New Mills, and will in any event clinch it by winning their final match, irrespective of other results, tomorrow.
Back in the South Division, Prestbury 2, in fifth place, emulated their club-mates by triumphing 4-1 at home to Club AZ.
Wins by Brian Lomas, Bauke van der Ploeg, Sarah Lonsdale and junior Harry Mattocks (16), who were all to turn in excellent performances against well-matched opponents, ensured a first victory for their side since May and drew them level on points with the visitors from Alderley Park.
Bollington 1 and 2 remain in the bottom three, with one Summer League win apiece, despite battling valiantly against top-three opposition.
Eighth-placed Bollington 1 were in action at Prestbury, against Bollin Grove tenants Radbroke Hall, and were hampered at the outset by fielding only four players. Gareth Ainsworth secured an impressive straight-games victory at second string for ‘Bolly’ – but their hosts, five positions higher, ultimately prevailed 4-1, with Prestbury loanees Paul Bartle and 13-yearold Rhys Asquith-Evans among Radbroke’s winners on the night.
And Bollington 2, in seventh, faced an even tougher assignment as they received a strong Alderley Edge side. In the event, the home team went close to securing the honours through victories for top two players Rick Walters and Tom Binder – only for their secondplaced visitors to claim the remaining three strings and edge the contest 3-2.