July Newsletter

Hi Everyone

Lots of write ups from different matches and Leagues this month which are all worth a read.

First of all we want to announce the first winner of SSC Player of the Month

Alexey was nominated by Elaine Radcliffe as he played a cracking hard fought 5 setter in the Summer Sunshine league v Bishop Castle. He never gave up chasing the ball down, even when he was 2-0 down, Alexey clawed back to 2-2, then held his nerve with a nail biting 4 match balls each in the final to eventually take the win 18-16!

Alexey was then voted by the committee to be SSC Player of the Month.

Other Nominations were Glyn Davies for coming back and playing some great squash since being out with an injury. Noinated by Steve Nankivell.

Rob Nayman was also nominated by Max Ball for playing some fantastic squash against tough opposition.

Alexey will be presented with the SSC Trophy and will hold onto it until next month. Look out for a write up on this coming soon. Remember if you want to nominate someone for Player of the month email scottbass@hotmail.co.uk.

Well done Alexey and thanks everyone who nominated.

Match Report for SSC v Bishops Castle Away 19 June 19

Seed 1: Cameron Parry v Graham Burnett 3-1. (14/12, 11/9, 12/14, 11/7)

Exceedingly tight game in the first with both players appearing evenly matched – almost too good to commentate on – but Cam just pipped it to take the lead. Onto the 2nd with another hard-fought energetic game, long rallies – particularly down the backhand. Nothing between them really, but another one to Cam in a tight finish. By the 3rd, Cam had managed to get to match point just in front of Gray, but with a serve out, he allowed Gray back in to stea that game from under his nose. Thankfully regaining composure in the 4th, Cam pulled his act together and took the lead to win the match.

Seed 2: Max Ball v Matt Morgan 2-3 (11/6, 8/11, 10/12, 11/9, 9/11)

A strong start by Max, dictating the play, long rallies by both, but Max’s length was just too good and very tight to the wall, taking the 1st.

Matt makes a better start going in the 2nd, taking the lead early on with much improved length. Very entertaining squash and very tight, Matt takes the 2nd.

Great retrieval skills and defensive squash from Max. He took an early lead in the 3rd, but Matt comes back, it was very tight -10:10. Matt took the win with 2 nicks from his serves.

Max was now very fired up for the 4th, clearly frustrated with how he lost the 3rd. Matt took a 2 point lead and Max had some intense conversations with himself in between points which seemed to do the trick, drawing back level 8:8. Max finished the game with a perfect length that died at the back, which set up a decider in the 5th!

Matt took a huge lead 6-2, deceiving Max with his boasting. Max fought back, upping the tempo going to 8-7. He took a big and painful looking dive, not quite getting the ball and Matt managed to pull away to take the match.

Seed 3: Elaine Radcliffe v Kevin Humphreys 3-0 (11/9, 11/7, 11/8)

Elaine got off to a shaky start wit 3 tins within the first 4 rallies. The 1st game for sure was physical between the 2 payers with Elaine sneaking a few frames to climb back level. Even with the early tins, Elaine showed her class to that the 1st game 11-9.

With a better start in the 2nd, her quick movement around the court took some early crucial points. Elaine’s master game plan seemed to be coming together as her opponent was showing early signs of fatigue, forcing him to play unforced errors as Elaine took the 2nd in classy style.

The 3rd, again Elaine showed great consistency within her game, extending the rallies and waiting for the right opening or for her opponent to make the mistake. Elaine had her opponent bending over to suck in air as she extended her lead edging closer to taking the match. A well-earned 3-0 Vicky, Elaine played a solid match with her speed, length and width too much for her opponent.

Seed 4: Guy Rutter v Kevin Morgan 0-3 (6/11, 6/11, 8/11)

Kevin took an early lead 3-0, Guy turned it around to come back 3-3. Tight in the middle until Kev went on to win, with some excellent ball placement – he must have heard Guy’s previous advice to Tracy to hit the ball where your opponent isn’t!

Guy started the 2nd yet again taking an early lead, some close rallies brought the players back even, when Kev again powered through to win with some good cross court length and the odd nick at the front.

The 3rd was close at 4:4, 7:6, and then it looked like Kev was going to gain a hat trick score of 11:6, but Guy dug in with long rallies and some lovely looking squash for both, even though Kev eventually won the 3rd.

Seed 5: Richard Ewels v Matthew Kirk 1-3 (7/11, 7/11, 12/10, 9/11)

Age difference: 50 years!

Matt won the spins and served first, after a quick point and 2 long rallies, some great length cross court by Rich set up the point. Quick movement by Matt to counter and even after a dead drop by Rich, Matt took the 1st.

Long rally to open the 2nd game, both players driving down the backhand at good length, then Matt put in a surprise drop to take the point. Great length drive by Richard back on the attack, but not with the right weight, enabling Matt to dig out a cross court, Rich covered the whole court to cut out shots – is he really 68?? Matt took the 2nd.

Another cross-court shot won the first point for Richard and he started to play the length game, pushing Matt to each back corner before a trickle boast into the front corners to try and negate Matt’s speed around court. Richard now in the lead and both players using every inch of the court, but some amazing dig outs by Richard won the game.

With a win under the belt, Richard starts off the 4th with some deft touches and amazing boasts, gaining a 7:2 lead. Matt started to speed up his legs in response and gets to everything, putting on pressure and pulling back to 8:8, with both vying for the lead – 9:9, Matt managed to edge past with a well weighted boast from the back to take the match.

Seed 6: Bradley Vaughan v Alex Gwyther 3-0 (11/7, 11/5, 11/6)

In the 1st, most of the game was played at the back of the court with a series of very good length and cross court shots. The T was mostly dominated by Bradley, whilst Alex comfortably found his length towards the middle of the game. A couple of wild/lucky shots by Bradley in combination with a few mistakes by Alex led to Bradley taking the first game.

In the 2nd, both players got off to a great start; the game was fast paced with length and cross court shots becoming increasingly tight. It was Alex’s turn to dominate the T however forced errors made by him gave Bradley the lead. At 6-2 to Bradley, Alex started to make a come-back to 8-4, with more play at the front of the court. A great trickle boast by Bradley followed by a cross court and yet another lucky bounce into the nick saw Bradley take the 2nd.

The 3rd game of drops and boasts commenced with much of the play at the front of the court. Bradley showed signs of tiring slightly and Alex made some lovely length shots both down the line and cross court. Alex found more confidence and played a great trickle boast as he battled his way back into the game at 8-6. What followed is a lovely cross court nick by Bradley and two nicely weighted lobs killing the ball at the back of the court and seeing him to a 3-0 victory.

Seed 7: Alexey Golovatyuk v Ben Woodhouse 3-2 (9/11/10/12, 11/5, 11/5, 18/16)

Alexey had a slow start and was neck and neck in the later stages of the game with some cracking rallies at the end, but Ben just scraped a win in the 1st. The 2nd game was a humdinger with an amazing 20 shot rally to start. At 8-8 with some really good squash, it was down to the wire with game ball up into the tin for Ben to scrape through on the tie break.

Alexey made use of his awkward shots and experience to gain an early crucial 4 point lead and continued to build momentum and pull away, with a killer rally to set up game ball.

In the 4th, Alexey again started strong, using unorthodox shots to rattle the junior. He continued to build a lead with another killer rally resulting in a ‘Yes Let’ decision at 9-4 and an emphatic win.

2-2 now, with everything to play for in the 5th. The first rally summing up the match so far, brilliant and entertaining, the game is in a deadlock with no one giving an inch. All tied still at 8-8 and then a tie break – 2 clear to win! Alexey bending over his racket to catch a breath at 12-12, still no one wanting to give up at 15-15, the game had the crowd oooing and ahhhing all through the latter stages of this nail-biting finish. A total of 4 match balls each and the crowd emotionally drained, a fantastic thrilling match with Alexey just pulling it off at the last moment!

Seed 8: Oliver Delamont v Stephen Haxby 3-0 (11/4, 11/6, 11/4)

Stephen started off the match with a good use of height to try and combat the speed of Ollie’s shots which left him occasionally flat footed in surprise. Deft movement gave Ollie the advantage throughout though and saw him comfortably take the 1st. The 2nd game saw some good lengths from both players, but with more consistent domination of the ‘T’ by Ollie and greater rate of mistakes by Stephen meant the game ended in Ollies favour again. Asserting his dominance in the 3rd, Ollie was well balanced on the and taking the ball early. Piling on pressure with different speed of shots and dancing around the court with ease, he left Stephen looking like a floundering man in contrast. In the end, the result was never in question with Ollie executing a 3-0 win with panache.

Seed 9: Neil Manley v Jean Appleby 3-0 (11/5, 11/6, 11/8)

A tight start with short rallies saw both players neck and neck in the first half of the game, until Neil stepped up the quality, especially his short game to win the 1st. Starting strongly in the 2nd and gaining a quick lead, Jean finds her pace and makes a comeback, but Neil’s boasting proved too good and with a gear shift up, he takes the 2nd. The 3rd was again a tight start with some good quality squash and longer rallies. A spirited fight by Jean, going down valiantly in the 3rd.

Seed 10: Tracy Waldron-Pegge v Meirion Turner 0-3 (5/11, 9/11, 10/12)

Up against experienced Meirion who was returning from long term illness keeping him from squash, Tracy had her work cut out from the start. She put up a great fight and managed a few winners, but wasn’t successful in the 1st.

Good 2nd game, starting with 2 volley kills to drop Meirion, Tracy fought back with use of lobs to the back and managed only a narrow loss.

Attacking from the off, with some good serves and volley kills, Tracy started to get in the flow with some great cross courts to put pressure on Meirion. With some lethal backhand drops, Tracy managed to pull even and only just lost on the tie break in the 3rd, fantastic performance against a much more experienced player.

A solid effort by all team members both on and off court and a 6-4 win to SSC. Fantastic hosting by Bishops Castle with a slap-up meal at the 3 Tuns and a special treat courtesy of Gray – a delicious crumble and custard dessert!

Next fixture is Brookside at home on Thu 11 July 19. There’s a full team already, but all supporters would be welcome to cheer us on!

Check out some photos of the day below.

Inter County Master - Courtesy of Paul Dixon

The finals of the England Squash Inter County Masters finals were held over the weekend of 22/23 June in various venues in the Midlands. Shropshire Over 65's were represented by three players from our club. Richard Ewels, Chris Ferriday and Paul Dixon. The captain was Keith Wilson from Shrewsbury Squash Club.
Shropshire had finished top of the Midlands regional event and were now joined by 7 other counties from around the country together with the Over 55s at Coventry and Warwickshire Squash Club. Some of the best age group players in the country were there including many England Internationals.
First up on Saturday morning (at 9am!) were Sussex. We competed well but a step up in class saw us losing each match 3 - 1. The afternoon match was against Warwickshire. Richard was on first at 3 seed. He played well but was beaten 3 - 0. Paul then played at 1 seed and won a tough game 3 - 2 which left the tie at 1 all. Chris played a great game and won 3 - 1 against a tricky opponent.
The knockout format meant that the Sunday morning game (at 10am this time) was the 5/6th place play off. We were up against Yorkshire. Richard beat his opponent comfortably 3 - 0. Paul was next on but couldn't make any inroads against a good player and lost 3 - 0. Chris played really well and just lost out 15 - 13 in the 5th.
So won one lost two and a 6th place overall from all English counties represented a really good effort by the team.
The final placings were:
1 Hampshire
2 Surrey
3 Sussex
4 Kent
5 Yorkshire
6 Shropshire
7 Cumbria
8 Warwickshire

Music Please!

If any of you kind folk have some spare CDs lying around that you would be willing to donate to the club we would really like them. We are after a mixture of genres to play at events or in evenings at the club so if you have some you would be willing to give us please leave them behind the bar.

Cheers

Social Squash

The 12th July is our final 101 Social night of the season. As usual we start the free coaching at 6, the team matches at 7 and this is open to anyone to attend as a guest or club member.

For anyone who has attended or helped through the season we are having the presentation awards at the Masala after the games. The cost is to be confirmed but will be about 10-15 pounds per head which is a great value night out. Even better, we will buy your first drink if you come along. Sign up by contacting Dan captain@shropshiresquashclub.co.uk or putting your name down on the sheet that will be up on the club notice board! Nom Nom

Friday 12th July (Social Squash End of Season)
The Masala
36 St Julian’s Friars,
Shrewsbury,
SY1 1XL

Ladies Nights

Another well attended lively Pizza &Prosecco night on 21st June drew 20 plus ladies yet again, 7 of whom vowed they’d never played before but were all not too sure as they looked too good. Perhaps it was the coaching by the effervescent Elaine and/or guest coach Mike Thurgar? Certainly all of us learnt a lot from Tracy’s Q&A bit with Mike about his top tips and experience from playing number 2 for England and coaching the England’s ladies.

For a taste of the evening, here’s some feedback from the ladies...

“#thisnotquiteyetoverthehillwomancan“
“such fabulous and interesting stories from Mike”
“superb beginners, still convinced they were faking their beginner status!”
“a really lovely group of ladies, and super atmosphere”
“it’s great to learn how to play squash and meet and make new friends”
“I haven’t played squash for over 20 years and attending this event has made me want to return; everyone very friendly and welcoming”
“a very enjoyable evening - no guilt indulging in pizza and prosecco after a good squash workout; really great coaching too”

Future Ladies nights - 6:45pm Friday 19th July and 16th August. Contact Tracy WP to book your place on 07854 544732.

Junior News

An exciting day of squash was held on Saturday 29th June as the top juniors in the club went head to head in the junior club championships.

In the mixed under 9 competition there were 3 rounds. First up an obstacle course which was won in a blur by speed merchant Maya Schur. Round 2 was the coach rally where Lucy Chanter demonstrated great ball control to take the maximum points. Into the final round of squash matches and George McGurk showed why he was the pre-tournament favourite using his speed and hitting power to good effect to take the round and the overall title. Well done George!
Earlier, the Girls' event had seen some thrilling, closely fought matches. Grace Chanter just edged out Izzy Heath to take 3rd place and in the final Aimee Slater put on a wonderful show of controlled depth hitting but was eventually outshone by some impressive, powerful driving from last year's most improved junior Sophie Wright.
The final event was the Shropshire Squash Club Junior Open and a wide open field were looking to get their name on the Turner Cup - held in memory of Rosie Turner - as 3 time winner Cameron Parry was no longer eligible. Some great performances in the round-robin groups showcased the development of our juniors. Standing out were some excellent matches involving Alastair Cartland, Connor Boag and Marcus Urquhart. They, and others, have made great strides over the last year. After a long, hot competition, Billy Schur took 3rd place, coming from a game down to beat rival George Allison 2-1. In the final, Dan Jones came out fired up and attacked Fin Aimer from the outset. He moved his opponent around the court to create good openings and was ruthless in the kill. The pressure was too much for Fin, Dan took the title 2-0.

If anyone is interested in seeing some of our top juniors take on the best in the West Midlands, come along to watch the first ever England Squash Bronze Event on 13th /14th July. Details on times of matches will be circulated nearer the time.

See pictures below of Girl's Junior Champion Sophie Wright and Open Junior Champion Dan Jones being presented their trophies by club captain Dan Aimer.

Metafit Update

Just a quick note that Metafit has been cancelled on 15th July as Ryan is on holiday. It will be back on 22nd July and continue throughout the summer.

That's it for July's Newsletter. Hope you enjoyed it and good luck with your Squash this month. Remember the internal Leagues for June are running up to 15th July so if you haven't got all of your games in there is still a bit of time.

Cheers

Scott

02/07/2019