First teams close season with wins
TEAM squash, unlike a number of other sports, continues for now in the face of the coronavirus pandemic - and whether or not fixtures are subsequently suspended, the Cheshire Ladies League’s Second Division standings will hold true, following the completion of a final round of matches one week ago last Monday.
These saw Prestbury’s ‘Firsts’ and Bollington both finish their campaigns with home triumphs against sides in the bottom two places, to edge up a position each and finish fourth and fifth, respectively - and, indeed, most respectably.
Prestbury won comfortably against three-player basement side Barnton Cricket Club 2, with Jane Mackay, Sarah Lonsdale and Helen Thaw, together with the two walkovervictories, ensuring a collective 5-0 rout. And at ‘Bolly’, Jen
Robinson, Debbie Kent and junior Bea Lomas (12) all triumphed in straight games to prevail 3-2 against Liverpool CC 1.
Three nights later, 11 of the 13 local men’s teams took to the courts in the North West Counties League - although less than half would be celebrating victories by the evening’s end.
Once again, Second Division East tabletoppers Bollington 1 were among them, after securing a ninth successive triumph - on this occasion at The Northern 3, thanks to wins by Christian Ogden, Rob Alcock, Rick Walters, Brigg Simpson and Rob Lamb. But Prestbury 1, in ninth, fell 4-1 at second-placed Warrington 2, where Chris Dunkerley earned a consolation victory for the visitors.
In Division Three Central South, Bollington’s fourthplaced ‘Seconds’ emulated their First Team club-mates with a 5-0 victory, as teenagers James Walton (18) and George
Lomas (15), as well as Lyndon Stonier, Stuart Arnold and a walkoverwin at fifth string, accounted for West Heaton 1 at home. Second-to-bottom strugglers Macclesfield 1, meanwhile, continue to endure a tough campaign - with only Simon Evans winning in the course of a 4-1 reverse at Disley 1.
Prestbury 2 dropped a place to fifth in Division Three South-East, after hosting, and going down 5-0 against, runaway leaders Tollgate. But the club’s ‘Thirds’ maintained pole position, and hold an 18-point advantage, at the top of Division Four Central South, as straight-games wins by Andrew Worsley, Rob Thorneycroft and 18-year-old Harry Mattocks edged out their hosts David Lloyd Manchester 2 by the odd match in five.
The Third Team’s club and divisional companions Prestbury 4, in eighth, lost 4-1 at home to promotion chasers The Northern 3 - with Kevin Wynne the hosts’ sole victor - and Prestbury 5 remained 11th in the Fourth Division South-East, following a 5-0 defeat at City of Manchester 3. But eight places above the ‘Fifths’, Bollington 3 triumphed 5-0 at the village leisure centre over Marple 3, courtesy of victories for Mark Collins, Olli Stewart, Neil Garner, Andrew Phillips and Aldo Palazzo.
The two inactive sides from around our town were both to be found in Division Five South-East, as secondplaced Bollington 4 had no fixture scheduled and Prestbury 6, in eighth, could not raise a team for the trip to Grove Park 6. In the mid-table area, Macclesfield 3, fifth, lost 4-1 at home to New Mills 2, with only a straight-games win by Bill Ritchie to show for the hosts’ efforts. But Macclesfield ‘Seconds’, one position higher, secured a 3-2 victory at Marple 4 - where Ollie Critchley, Ian Hill and Dave Birtwistle were all successful.