Singaporeans back on court

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 34

Singaporeans back on court

After a frustrating unexpected break of five days, the touring Singapore squash team finally got some more competition last evening. The Singaporeans were supposed to have played the South Island at Timaru on Thursday evening, and then contest the Canterbury championships, which began in Christchurch on Friday. Unfortunately they were stranded in Dunedin, and were not able to travel north until Saturday. Consequently a special match was arranged when the tournament concluded and a Canterbury invitation team was selected. The team contained only one of the players who will turn out in the full Canterbury team this evening for the scheduled match against the Singaporeans at Rangiora, but it still put up a strong showing and was only shaded by four matches to two. The Singapore team’s losses came at No. 2 and 3,

with Stewart Ballard being beaten, 3-1, by Barrie Matthews, and another 16-year-old Jeremy Yeo, going down, 3-1, to John Oakley. Three other overseas players, Zainal Abidin, Peter Hill, and Ranjodh Singh were all taken to five games, and only Venkatesan Gopal won comprehensively. The Canterbury team to play Singapore in the match at Rangiora was announced earlier by the representative selectors (Messrs Les Milne and Doug Lawrie and Mrs Philippa Idour). It was (in playing order): —Rod Hayes, Bryan Simpson, Craig Hibbert, Chris Wasley, Lawrence Skurr and Don Preston.

Results (In playing order).—Z. Abidin beat L. P. Skarr, 9-7, 9-3, 4-9, 7-9, 9-2; S. Ballard lost to B. D. Matthews, 2-9, 7-9, 9-8, 3-9; J. Yeo lost to J. Oakley. 8-9, 8-9, 10-9, 6-9; P. Hill beat M. Crosbie, 4-9, 8-10, 10-9. 10-8, 9-5; R. Singh beat R. Clements, 9-4, 7-9, 2-9, 9-3, 9-4; V. Gopal beat V. S. W. Hargreaves, 9-0, 9-2, 9-1.