Unusual tie in squash

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 18

Unusual tie in squash

High School Old Boys and Burnside A had what is almost certainly a first in the women’s A grade squash competition when they tied 91-91 on Tuesday evening. After the South Island No, 1, Ros Stanton (Old Boys) beat Kathy Graham three games to one,' the contest was even on both rubbers (2-2) and games (7-7). The normal process then of counting individual points also failed to separate the teams, although a quick initial count gave the match to Burnside. 93-91. . „ Both teams were awarded five competition points, allowing Old Boys to stay seven points clear of' Christchurch at the top of the table. Other features of the women s matches were the straight sets defats of Phillipa Lush (Christchurch) to Margaret Steele (Old Boys-Suburbs) and Sumner’s 10-0 whitewash of Burnside B. Rod Hayes (Christchurch B) could consider himself most fortunate to beat Lyn Sparks (Burnside) in the main men’s match. Sparks led 5-0 in the fifth and then had three match bails. After Sparks reached eight points there, were four lets, another stoppage to put 10c in the light meter, and an apparent

match-winning shot by Sparks. At one stage in this game, Hayes said in exasperation: ’“How do you (Sparks) do it?” But it was Sparks who must have been wondering that about his opponent at the end. Sparks hit what appeared to be a clean winner and the end of the game when lie led 8-7. but Hayes appealed hopefully for a let and incredibly got one; minutes later he won the match with a boast off the back wall which bamboozled Sparks. Old Boys A took over the competition lead when it beat Sumner. 8-2. Gary Marshall, a B grade player, upset the con sistent Old Boys player, John Oakley, and while Les Milne (Sumner) had 28 serves in his game against Barry McNeil he managed a meagre six points. The other Old Boys team had a clean sweep against Christchurch A. which was considerably weakened by the absence of Paul MeFadzien. Once again Rod Blank (Christchurch A) almost had an upset win but he had only himself to blame for not beating Lawrence Skurr after having two match balls—at 8-6 and 9-8 in the fifth. In the final match of the evening Craig Hibbert (Christchurch

A) had his first loss of the season in a closely fought fivesetter with a determined John French. Hibbert folded completely in the last, losing nine straight points and hardly leturning a serve. Hibbert impressed earlier in the game when he returned two successive shots from a prone position on the floor but prob ably felt a little worried about selfpreservation later when French twice lost control of his racket, which sailed on into the tin. Jim Martin (Christchurch Ai appeared to be heading for a surprise win over Ryan McCutcheon after taking the fourth with ease, but McCutcheon made no race of the fifth, hitting hard to an excellent length. Points:— Men. —High School Old Boys A 22. High School Old Boys B 18; Christchurch A .16. Christchurch C 12, Sumner and Burnside 8, Christchurch B 6. Women.—High School Old Boys 79, Christchurch 72, Burnside A 65, Sumner 42, High School Old Boys-Suburbs 22, Burnside B 20. MEN Burnside 8, Christchurch B 7 L. C. Sparks lost to R W. Hayes, 1-9, 9-5, 6-9. 9-6, 9-10; N. D Rush beat L. Wilson, 3-9. 90, 9-5, 9-7; J G Foulds beat L. Williams, 10-8, 9-1, 10-9; H Shepherd beat A. Corkin, 4-9, 9-7, 9-7 9-3. High School Old Bovs B 10, Christchurch A 0 1.. P. Skurr beat R. Blank, 5-9. 5-9. 9-1, 9-7, 10-9; J. Redpath beat W. A. Idour, 9-0, 9-2. 9-0; R. McCutcheon beat J. Martin. 9-6. 3-9. 9-5. 2-9. 9-2; J. French beat C. Hibbert, 9-5, 5-9, 19, 9-7, 9-0. High School Old Boys A I, Sumner 2 I. B. McNeil beat L. G. Milne. 9-4. 9-2, 9-0; V. J. W, Hargreaves beat J MacDougall, 92. 9-2. 9-0; W. J. Toll hard beat R. Marshall, 9-7, 9-1, 10-9; J. Oaklev lost to G. Marshall, 39, 5-9, 4-9. WOMEN High School Old Boys I, Burnside S R. Stanton beat K. Graham. 9-6, 3-9, 9-4, 9-4; B. King lost to L. Chamberlain, 7-9, 79, 3-9; V. Dunstan lost to M. Davenport, 9-7, 1-9. 5-9, 2-9; M. Mercer beat N. Wasley, 9-0. 9-6, 91. Christchurch 8, H.5.0.8.-Suburbs 2 P. Lush lost to M. Steele, 5-9, 2-9, 9-10; R. Davies beat S. Young, 9-2, 7-9. 9-2, 9-0; A. Muriwal beat J. McCutcheon. 9 2, 9-6, 9-5; B Dewar beat K. Gilraj, 9-5, 9-5, 9-5. Sumner 10, Burnsida B 0 M. Holland beat C. Winterbourn, 9-10, 9-4, 6-9, 9-3, 9-0, J. Milne beat S. O’Brien, 9-2, 92. 9-5; S. Lane beat S. Saussey. 9-6, 9-4, 9-5; M. Stemmer beat H. I Stephenson, 10-8, 9-7, 9-4.