Schoolboy in squash upset

Press, 4 May 1978, Page 29

Schoolboy in squash upset

A 10-year-old schoolboy, Stuart Davenport, had a shock victory over the Canterbury No. 3, Lawrence Skurr, in a senior interclub squash match on Tuesday evening. Davenport’s win helped Burnside II to an equally astounding 10-0 victory over the highly regarded High School Old Boys team, which was not at full strength.

There was some very fine squash seen from the Burnside youngster and the win was a merited one and afterwards Skurr was still trying to fathom how he had lost the third game from 7-1 up and the fifth from 7-3.

Davenport played some beautiful nick shots and generally played an excellent touch game yet it could have been a different story if Skurr had made a more positive effort to volley and dominate the front court instead of frequently adopting a defensive attitude. In the last game, which lasted 15 minutes. Davenport steadily made up the tour point leeway, finally took the lead at 8-7 after a lovely change of direction and pace and then Skurr was unable to scrape up the ball in the final raliv.

Davenport’s squash maturity is one well beyond his

years but there is still an unashamed element of the boy about him. When Skurr stretched out his hand to the victor at the finish there was was only thin air to grasp as the intended recipient was involved in a little skip of joy.

The others responsible for the Burnside upset were Graham Foulds, who impressed with a four-game win over Lindsay Walton, and Robin Clements, who showed a full range of shots in beating Trevor George. Geoff Tait’s win over Lindsay Laing was more expected, but the manner in which it was accomplished, impressive, nevertheless.

The win has put Burnside 11 clearly in second place behind the club’s top team, which had its third successive clean sweep, with Sumner being the team on the losing end this time. Neither the very promising Jamie Bushell nor Harry Shepherd, at Nos 3 and 4 respectively, quite had things all their own way, however.

University had a narrow win over Linwood although Barrie Matthews (No. 2) confronted a sturdy problem in Mike Grant and Howard Marshall and Peter Jellyman were in good form for Linwood.

The other men’s contest resulted in a comfortable win for Christchurch I, but only after Simon Devine put early pressure on the experienced Neville Idour. Christchurch Il’s only win was provided by the No. 3, Jim Martin, who upset Laurie Wilson thanks to a welcome inclination to go for his shots—and these he certainly has. In the women’s section Burnside and High School Old Boys I are now tied at the top of the points table and both had good wins in the latest round. Lyn Chamberlain (Burnside) did well to take a game off the top Sumner player, Merle Holland, and there was another meritorious performance from Wendy Dann (Christchurch II) who beat Agnes Huriwai (Christchurch IV) in five.

Points:— Men.—-Burnside I 30, Burnside II 20. Christchurch I 18. University 14, Linwood 12, High School Old Boys 10, Suburbs and Christchurch II 6. Sumner 4.

Women.—Burnside and High School Old Boys I 20, Christchurch I, Christchurch IV, Sumner and Christchurch II 10, High School Old Boys II and Christchurch 111 8. Results:—

MEN University 6, Linwood 4 P. G. McFadzien beat C. Hibbert, 9-7, 9-5. 10-8; B. D. Matthews beat M. D. Grant, 7-9, 9-6. 9-6, 9-6, P. Monk lost to H. Marshall, 9-7,

6-9, 5-9. 3-9; M. Lawrence lost to P. R. Jellyman, 3-9, 9-7, 9-2, 9-0. Burnside II 10, High School Old Boys 0 S. Davenport beat L. P. Skurr, 4-9, 9-5. 9-7, 1-9. 3-7. 9-7; J. G. Foulds beat L. Walton, 6-9, 9-3, 9-6, 9-6; R. Clements beat T. George, 9-2, 9-1, 2-9, 9-2; G. Tait beat L. Laing, 9-3. 9-6, 9-1. Burnside I 10, Sumner 0 N. D. Rush beat R. Marshall, 9-5, 9-0, 9-2; C. Wasley beat R. M. McCutcheon, 9-5. 9-3, 9-4; J. Bushell beat G. Davis, 4-9, 9-0, 9-2, 4-9, 9-7; H. Shepherd beat J. A. MacDougall, 9-3, 9-5, 5-9, 10-9. Christchurch I 8, Christchurch II 2 R. W. Hayes beat G. Balani, 9-4, 9-5, 10-8: B. B. Trangmar beat R. D. Monk, 10-9, 9-6, 5-9, 9-2; L. Wilson lost to J. P. Martin, 1-9, 9-6, 4-9, 9-4. 7-9; N. A. Idour beat S. Devine, 7-9, 9-5. 9-2, 9-5. WOMEN Burnside 6, Sumner 2 L. Chamberlain lost to M. Holland, 9-6, 6-9, 7-9, 1-9; S. O’Brien beat J. McCutcheon, 9-1, 6-9, 9-4, 9-4; C. Winterbourn beat S. Marshall, 9-0, 9-4, 2-9, 9-0. High School Old Boys I 8, High School Old Boys II 0 B. King beat L. Sutherland, 9- 9-3, 6-9, 9-6; V. Dunstan beat J. Small, 9-5, 9-3, 9-6; D. Stead beat P. Colombus, 9-2, 9-1, 9-7. Christchurch 111 6, Christchurch I 2 C. Bowan lost to P. Lush. 5-9, 10- 2-9, 5-9: R. Davies beat W. Dodgshun, 6-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-4; J. Little beat A. Poole, 9-4, 3-9, 9-6, -3. Christchurch II 6, Christchurch IV 2 L, Symes beat J. Terrell, 9-2, 9-7, 9-1; W. Dann beat A. Huriwai, 9-5, 7-9, 9-6, 2-9, 9-4; J. Douglas lost to J. Gemmell, 3-9, 4-9. 0-9.