Wren flies back, boosts Sumner

Press, 1 July 1989, Page 16

Wren flies back, boosts Sumner

Sumner called and Toronto answered in the form of a Canadian-based New Zealander, Steven Wren, when the Wilson premier squash league continued on Wednesday evening. Wren, back in Christchurch for a month’s holiday, donned his old Sumner club shirt and helped the team end a string of three losses.

The young Toronto professional had arrived only 24 hours earlier,, and must still have been jet-lagged, but ' looked fairly sharp, nonetheless, in his straight games win over Greg Peacock (Burnside) who has been playing good squash recently. Once Wren had removed his warmup jacket he gave Peacock no chance to dominate, cracking some irretrievable winners. Sumner’s only loss of the night was in the top position with Tristan Franklin succumbing to Michael Allred after a good tussle.

Even with Wren, a former New Zealand, junior representative, in its ranks, Sumner might have left its run for the Blank Trophy a little late. With only two weeks remaining the competition will probably go down to the wire but Lancaster Park and the two Christchurch teams are better placed for victory. At this stage Christchurch II enjoys a slender eight-point lead over its other club team after winning the top-of-the-table clash with Lancaster Park.,

Christchurch Il’s Geoffrey Cotton has been having quite a run of losses but produced something close to his form of old to surprise the talented junior, Jason McLauchlan, and helped set up the victory for his team. He was named the men’s "player Of the week.” In the battle between the number ones, Paul Viggers

quite easily came out on top and his Lancaster Park opponent, Michael Penman, ended with plaster on his nose and blood-spattered shirt and shorts. Viggers’ racket had nicked his nose in the course of a rally. “I though the State of Origin was on a bit later,” quipped one spectator on sighting the damage.

Women’s open grade, too, might not be resolved until the last week of the competition for the Kathy Hargreaves Shield when the leader, Christchurch, meets its closest rival, Lancaster Park.

This week Lancaster Park extracted maximum pointe against Sumner, with a bonus Victory over the hitherto undefeated Justin Marriott, who had to default because of a leg injury after winning the first game against Sarah Cook. But Christchurch had a clean sweep against Burnside to remain 14 pointe in front.

St Andrew’s beat Mount Pleasant by three rubbers to one, Freda Walker repeating her first round success against a fellow Canterbury representative, Carolyn Oakley, in the process. At No. 4, the under-rated Jo Munro efficiently disposed of Merle Holland’s challenge and was named “player of the week.” Results:— MEN Christchurch I 4, High School Old Boys 0 R. W. Hayes beat K. Gregory, 4-9, 9-1, 9-6, 2-9, 9-2; P. McFadzien beat R. Foster, 9-5, 9-3, 10-9; R. Clark beat L. P. Skurr, 9-2, 9-5, 9-2; E. Post beat P. Aitken, 5-9, .9-0, 9-2, 95. Points: Christchurch I 28, Old Boys 6. Sumner 3, Burnside I T. Franklin lost to M. Allred, 9-6, 8-10, 1-9, 2-9; S. Wren beat G. Peacock, 9-5, 9-

4, 9-3; S. Doak beat B. Gardiner, 9-7, 5-9, 9-4, 9-3; B. Marriott beat J. Brown, 9-6, 39, 9-5, 9-5. Points: Sumner 24, Burnside 10. Christchurch II 2 (8 games) beat Lancaster Park 2 (7 games)

P. Viggers beat M. Penman, 9-4, 9-4, 9-2; A. Casey lost to C. Hibbert, 6-9, 9-3, 4-9, 2-9; G. W. Seebeck lost to B. Hibbert, 10-8, 5-9, 5-9, 8-10; G. Cotton beat J. McLauchlan, 8-

10, 9-4, 10-9, 9-2. Points: Christchurch II 20, Lancaster Park 14.

Points:— Women: Christchurch 180, • Lancaster Park 166, Sumner 124, St Andrew’s 118, Bumside 102, Mt PleaSnt 84. Men: Christchurch II : 176; Christchurch I 168, Lancaster Park 156, Sumner 150, Burnside 90, High School Old Boys 68.

WOMEN Christchurch 4, Burnside 0 P. Beams beat S. Wasley, 95, 9-0, 9-4; L. Ward beat J. Casbolt, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4; A. Huriwai beat J. Stratford, 9-5, 92, 9-1; J. Edwards beat L. Graham, 9-1, 9-7, 9-1. Pointe: Christchurch 28, Burnside 0. Lancaster Park 4, Sumner 0 S. Cook beat J. Marriott 7-9 default (injury); D. Maroulis beat J. Oakley-Smith, 9-1, 9-5, 9-4; T. Roughan beat S. Lane, 9-6, 9-7, 2-9, 5-9, 9-3; C. Cumming beat S. O’Brien, 7-9, 9-1, 9-5, 9-1. Pointe: Lancaster Park 28, Sumner 8. St Andrew’s 3, Mount Pleasant 1 F. Walker beat C. Oakley, 9- 9-5, 10-8; J. McFadzien lost to A. Hariiwich, 4-9, 2-9, 10- 4-9; D. Church beat J. Adams, 9-5, 9-4; 9-3; J. Munro beat M. Holland, 9-3, 9-3, 9-3. Pointe: St Andrew’s 25, Mt Pleasant 6.