National League Week 5

  National Squash League Round FIVE,
  Group B, Tue 14th December:

Group B:
Team Chichester 4  Team Solent 1
   Peter Genever lost to Bradley Ball 5-9, 2-9, 12-14
   Ben Garner beat Lee Drew 7-9, 9-4, 9-5, 9-4
   Tim Vail beat Lars Harms 9-4, 9-3, 7-9, 5-9, 9-5
   Tom Richards beat Chris Simpson 9-7, 10-8, 7-9, 9-6
   Linda Elriani beat Carla Khan 9-7, 9-4, 9-5

Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury 3  UniSport Guildford 2
   Rodney Durbach lost to Stephen Meads 7-9, 9-7, 5-9, 11-9, 8-10
   Alister Walker beat Neil Frankland 9-5, 9-2, 9-5
   Daryl Selby lost to Jesse Engelbrecht 4-9, 7-9, 10-12
   Chris Clare beat Brandon Hanley 9-7, 9-4, 9-4
   Jenny Tranfield beat Alison Waters 10-8, 10-8, 0-9, 9-7

Tewkesbury Stretch
Unbeaten National League Lead
Howard Harding rounds up round five

Gloucestershire newcomers Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury maintained their unbeaten run this season with a 3-2 home win over Surrey's UniSport Guildford in tonight's fifth round in the National Squash League.  The other fixture in Group B saw Team Chichester cruise to a 4-1 home win over south coast rivals Team Solent, a victory which enabled the Sussex club to strengthen their grip on second place in the group.

Despite both having just returned from last week's Women's World Open in Malaysia, it was Jenny Tranfield who seemed more weary as she was forced to dig deep in the opening match against Guildford's fast-improving Alison Waters, the 20-year-old world No27 from Southgate in north London.  Both players exceeded their seedings in KL, Waters despatching Egypt's world No9 Omneya Abdel Kawy in the shock result of the first round and world No12 Tranfield forcing her way through to the quarter-finals.

The experienced Tranfield, who boasts a PhD in Sports Psychology, fought back from 5-8 in the first game and 3-8 behind in the second to go 2/0 up, but "lost the plot" in the third as Waters reduced the deficit in a whitewash game.  But Tewkesbury fans were relieved when a tired Tranfield clinched the match 10-8 10-8 0-9 9-7 to put the hosts ahead.

Team regulars Chris Clare and Alister Walker won in straight games - Gloucester's Walker boasting his third successive win this season - to give Tewkesbury an unassailable lead.  But a marathon final battle gave Guildford their second win of the night when top string Stephen Meads, the former world No11 who retired from the PSA Tour this year, clinched a 9-7 7-9 9-5 9-11 10-8 win over Tewkesbury's South African star Rodney Durbach.

Chichester's Linda Elriani showed no ill-effects of her run in the Malaysian World championships as she brushed aside Solent's Pakistan No1 Carla Khan 9-7 9-4 9-5 to set the home team on their way.  Wins followed from Chichester stalwarts Tim Vail, Ben Garner and Tom Richards - but squad No1 Peter Genever met his match in Solent's top string Bradley Ball. 

Despite competing in both the Men's World Open in Qatar and the Pakistan Open in Islamabad earlier this month, the Suffolk 28-year-old toppled Genever 9-5 9-2 14-12 to foil Chichester's bid for maximum points in their final tie before the half way point of the season.

LEAGUE TABLES (after 5th round on 14 December)

                           Ties       Matches     Games    Pts
                         P   W   L    W    L     W     L
   Group A:
Manchester/Pontefract    4   3   1   15    5    50    34    65
Nottingham               3   2   1    9    6    34    23    44
Wolverhampton            3   1   2    7    8    29    29    34
Duffield                 3   1   2    5   10    24    35    29
Edgbaston Priory         3   1   2    4   11    21    37    26
   Group B:
Strings Tewkesbury       3   3   0   11    4    37    17    52
Team Chichester          3   2   1   10    5    32    22    42
UniSport Guildford       3   1   2    6    9    22    34    27
Team Solent              3   0   3    3   12    20    38    20