ESSA Leagues

2009/2010 Fixture #8 : Dunbar -v- Colinton Castle 3 : 10.12.09

Dunbar welcomed CCS3 to Halhill (when they eventually found it…) last night, for a mid-table clash which could determine who entered the Christmas break feeling a little better, and who might begin to fret about a second half relegation battle….

Richard Baty- v- Hamish Williamson

I refereed this match, which was tight all they way. Richard let Hamish away a little in the first, but from 1-5 down tightened up his game and started to have a lot of success at the front. Hamish is prone to ‘hugging the door’ at times and was stranded on more than one occasion as Richard reeled him in to take the first 9-7. The next three games were competitive, but the story was really of an increasingly fatigued Richard beginning to increase his ‘tin-count’ as he got later and later to the ball. Hamish was just that little bit more consistent at the business end of each game, and closed out the match 3-1.    

Graeme Jones –v- Joan Shanks

Having played quite a few games in the ESSA leagues Graeme must have thought he was over the usual pre-match nerves. What he hadn’t faced yet was every red-blooded male squash player’s nightmare – the 55 year-old lady opponent!   With nothing to gain and everything to lose Graham decided to snarl his way around the court and bludgeon his way to victory. The first two games were very quick – 9-0, 9-1. Joan dug in however, and a bit of complacency from Graeme saw a much closer 3^rd. At 7-7 Joan must have sensed a way back, but Graham didn’t want the match to go any further, and chased every ball down (so what’s new…) to seal an excellent 3-0 victory.

Alistair Nichol –v- John Hamilton

After last week’s heroics, we were expecting big things from the ‘new’ Alistair Nichol. However having taken 25 years to learn how to play a drop shot, he’d clearly forgotten it again in 7 short days.  His opponent was precisely the type of player Alistair hates. All touch and guile, not letting Al get into his stride, and trying to finish every rally as quickly as possible. Countless straight drop winners later the head shaking from Al had started - never a good sign. At 0-2 down, Al got off to a good start in the 3^rd, and the 57 year old John showed all his experience by actually giving that game up, rather than wasting energy trying to salvage it. He came out fresh in the 4^th, and soon put Alistair out of his misery to record what was in truth, a relatively easy 3-1 victory.

Evan Green –v- Sean Robinson

Sean is 18 and the son of a very good player – all flashy ball striking and full of running, but Evan is possessed of a keen squash brain, and new how to keep the young pup at bay. Having just returned from injury Evan didn’t particularly want a ‘war’, and at 8-2 up in game one would have been frustrated at having to work harder than expected to win the opener only 9-7. The second followed a similar pattern, but, crucially, Evan took it 9-7. If Sean had been more experienced he might have tried to keep the match going as long as possible, but at 0-2 down his head had clearly gone, and he began to play those  ‘why on earth did I just try that’ shots, which Evan  lapped up, and the third was 9-0. That made the match score 2-2 on the night, and it was all down to the No.1’s…..

David Legge –v- Colin Grant

Colin has been a very consistent player for many years, and is normally someone who makes it very hard for his opponent. Not too many errors, up and down the wall, nice and tight type squash. I was expecting a long hard match, but proceeded to start off like a ‘numpty’ as someone said. I was displaying my full aromoury of crap shots - the half court rubbish, the service return into the tin, the ‘drop shot’ half way up the wall – I played them all and a few more to boot!! I soon found myself 7-1 down, but what followed surprised everyone – including me. As soon as I tightened my game up, and took the ball early, Colin began to struggle. I got back to 7-7 and then snatched that first game 10-8. Having started so badly I then played some of my best squash of the season, and won the next two 9-1, 9-2. Colin clearly didn’t have one of his best nights..

A good win for us, 16-8 on the night, which allowed us to leapfrog above CCS3 in the table. Our last game this half is next week against bottom of the table David Lloyd Edinburgh, but we’re without Alistair, and will need to play well to win.

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