Mid-Season Reports

STAMFORD I

The Stamford I squash team, having had a good first half of the season, are having an even better second half. Cruising to a semi final place in the P/boro Group I cup competition and having won four games on the trot in the league, it all bodes well for silverware this season.

Captain Paul Redfern, who recently took over captaincy from new dad Alastair Gunn, is delighted with the team's performances and comments 'with our last two games in the league being against P/boro Town I and Spalding I who both currently sandwich us in second place, we are going all guns blazing to end the season top. Winning the cup would be the icing on the cake'

Club Chairman, Martin Shippey enthuses 'This would be fantastic for Stamford Squash; it's a good few years since the club has won a prestigious P/boro first division title in spite of the wealth of talent at the club'.

STAMFORD PREMIER

Following last years success in the league and cup leading to promotion to Division 2 PDL Stamford Premier have been inconsistent this season but their latest 5-0 victory over City and Counties bodes well for the second half of the season. Mark Lavers and Paul Swift, the team's one and two have both proved to be effective, regularly winning games and causing the opposoition a lot of problems. The return to form of Adrian Boyden and Jason Rudkin augurs well for the remainder of the season.

STAMFORD II TEAM

Having had high hopes for the season - the team has unfortunately been hit by injuries and at times have resembled the walking wounded!! The team hope to have an improving injury free end to the season.

Stamford v Spalding

With Stamford not having won a match all season it was hoped that fortunes would change against Spalding.

Debbie Bowen and Simon Richardson were both unsuccessful in their endeavours against Spalding despite playing some good squash. Fortunately Bez and Martin Brewin won comfortably, leaving Jonathan Oakley to bring the team victory and their first win of the season - well that was the plan.

Jon's first game was a strong tough game from both sides and also included a temporary reprieve with a power cut but the lights soon came back on and Jon played well taking the first game 1-0.

The second game was nip and tuck until at 8-6 up Jon was serving for the match and looking good. Then he turned into a stork and as all storks do, made a foot fault. Spalding took the serve and then subsequently romped home to victory. With the match all level it was now looking tight.... the crowd on the balcony were nervous.

Into the third - the stork stance strikes again, another foot fault..... and again.... this was just too much ....and another game slips from his grasp.

2-1 down and a thoroughbred performance was required to comeback from this disastrous collapse of form.

Into the fourth game and the whole crowd were now watching Jon's feet everytime he served and sure enough, "foot fault" called the marker. "No Way", "Never" sounds resonated around him as everybody were clearly watching Jon's feet. The marker was persuaded that he made an error and reversed his decision and everybody watching were now wondering if the other decisions were of a dubious nature.....

Anyway the match carried on but Jon could never recover and the excellent retrievals coming back every time he hit the ball around the court gave Spalding a team victory.

Another loss to add to the list then.

Clicking any of the links below will take you to the Fixture List for that season. You can then click on any of the Teams for the full match reports.