Clubs return to action with form intact
TEAM squash enjoyed a partial resumption last week, following interruptions for half-term, as ladies’ teams and some of the men’s sides from our local clubs returned to action.
And there was much to cheer about in both Bollington and Prestbury nine days ago, with each of the three teams representing one village or the other in the Cheshire Ladies’ League enjoying a triumph by the odd match in five.
Bollington continue to lead the way, and retain a 100 per cent record, in the Third Division ‘b’, after edging out third-placed Marple away from home. Annika Hall, Jennifer Robinson and Charlotte Dewar, who all currently hold places in the top ten of the divisional rankings for individual players, won their matches to secure victory.
The season had not started so well for Prestbury’s two sides – neither of whom had managed to win before the break – but both, happily, were to break their ducks.
The ‘Firsts’ moved up two places to sixth in the Second Division, and leapfrogged their hosts in the process, after successes for Linda Maher, Sarah Lonsdale and Vicky Bisset saw them home at Astra Zeneca.
And the Second Team - without even a point to its name in Division Three ‘b’, ahead of the visit to Bollin Grove by Village Hyde - made a little bit of history, picking up not only the newly-formed side’s first points but also an inaugural team win.
The ‘Seconds’, who now sit proudly in fifth place, were helped in their cause by walkover-victories at fourth and fifth strings before a ball was hit, but still required one player to deliver on court - and captain Jen Powell duly did so, with a fine 3-2 triumph over the experienced visiting first-stringer.
Last Thursday saw a handful of men’s teams play, prior to the return of a full North West Counties League schedule tomorrow. Matches, in the main, were confined to Division Five South, although Bollington’s First Team did use the date to play a rearranged fixture at The Northern 2 in the Second Division East. Unfortunately, a 5-0 defeat for the ‘Bolly Firsts’ in West Didsbury left them occupying the first of the relegation places and 10 points adrift of safety - albeit with a match in hand over ninth-placed Warrington 3.
Heavy defeats were, alas, rather the order of the evening for Fifth Division sides in and around our town, too - with one exception. Prestbury’s Fifth Team travelled up the A34 to take on Grove Park, and secured maximum points, as Ben Parker, Gareth Evans and Dave Marwood, together with juniors Harry Mattocks (16) and Rhys AsquithEvans (13), ensured a collective rout that propelled the ‘Fifths’ up a place to head the table by three points.
Elsewhere, local teams had the misfortune to face opponents who - in the absence of any demands from more senior sides in their clubs - were generally able to field full-strength line-ups.
Prestbury 6, in fifth place, handed a debut to Matt Kirk, and temporarily welcomed back from university 18-year-old Greg Stanger, but went down 5-0 at home to Bollin Grove tenants Radbroke Hall 3.
And Bollington 4 dropped a position to seventh after suffering an identical fate as hosts, at the hands of third-placed Alderley Edge 6.
Fortunes for remaining teams on the road were scarcely better. Macclesfield’s ‘Seconds’ did at least gain some reward, courtesy of a win for Annika Hall, following a long trip down to Crewe Vagrants 6 - although their 4-1 defeat still resulted in a fall of one place to 10th.
And Prestbury 7 - for whom Dave Pearce and latest junior recruit Archie Mattocks (13) debuted - must continue to strive for a first victory after losing all five strings in straight games at Alderley Edge 7.