Squash decision row

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33933, 28 August 1975, Page 26

Squash decision row

High School Old Boys may withdraw a team from the Christchurch inter-club squash competition in protest at a match - committee decision to deduct the 10 points the club’s No. 2 team earned against Christchurch 111 last week.

The Old Boys team, which is leading the A grade competition, played Dave Dearsley at No. 4 in the match against Christchurch, and thereby apparently broke rule

2b of the inter-club competition regulations.

The rule states that if a club has more than one team in a division, players from these teams cannot be interchanged. Dearsley had already played a game for the club’s other A grade side. Barry McNeil, the captain of the Old Boys side, concerned, is “very upset” with the decision and says that the club “won’t take it sitting down.” McNeil, a local lawyer argues that there are two separate A grade competitions; the Blank Trophy round—in which Dearsley played for High School Old Boys I, and the two Wilson

Shield rounds in which the disputed match was played. “If I’d known Dearsley had played for our other team, then of course I wouldn’t have played him but there is no way that I could have been trying to take an advantage.

“Dearsley's win — his first in three seasons of A grade competition — was a complete upset as I had not expected him to be playing such a weak opponent as Mike Barnett.

“It did not affect the outcome of the contest at all and even if we did breach the rules—which are brief and unclear—then it would be unfair if we lost more than the two points Dearsley won,” said Mr McNeil. He said that the rule had obviously been designed to stop the interchange of established A grade players, but no provision had been made for emergencies like Dearsley, a B grade player. McNeil’s side is 10 points clear of Burnside, but when its bye next week is taken into account, the teams are back almost level, and an Old Boys win is by no means assured.

County cricket.—Yorkshire has clung on to the leadership of the English county cricket championship. Geoff Boycott, who opted out of the test series, hit 105 not out for Yorkshire against Lancashire, but a victory target of 331 at more than a run a minute proved too much for them.

Volleyball.—lndonesia have defeated New Zealand. 15-12, 10-15. 15-10. 15-8, in the Asian volleychampionships in Melbourne.