Ricketts & Iskandar Are The Tenth Round National League Heroes

The tenth and final round of the National League provided dramatic finishes in the crucial ties for the two outstanding places in the semi-final play-offs - with Australia's Anthony Ricketts and Malaysia's Mohd Azlan Iskandar producing the eleventh-hour heroics which saw Wolverhampton and Team Chichester, respectively, clinch the vital qualifying slots.

In Group A, Wolverhampton hosted former champions Norwest Holst Nottingham to fight for the runners-up position behind runaway leaders Manchester/Pontefract - while Team Chichester visited UniSport Guildford to resolve the second place in Group B. Remarkably, the outcome of both ties hinged on the final matches between the top strings - and both lived up to the drama and tension which the occasions demanded.

In Group B, there was the slim mathematical chance that both Chichester and Guildford would qualify - if group leaders Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury slipped up badly in their final outing against bottom-placed Team Solent. However, Strings cruised to a 4-1 win in little more than two hours - giving the new Gloucestershire club an appearance in the play-offs in only their maiden season in the event.

Guildford started badly against their Sussex visitors, when Alison Waters, one of the year's brightest stars on the women's world stage, failed to avenge her loss to England No1 Linda Elriani in last month's National Championships' final, going down 9-2 9-3 9-2. But Zimbabwean Jesse Engelbrecht made amends by gaining revenge for his straight games defeat by Tim Vail at the beginning of the season by defeating the Chichester stalwart 9-5 8-10 13-11 5-9 9-4.

With the following two rubbers shared, the calculators showed that the Surrey club's Stacey Ross would need to beat Chichester No1 Mohd Azlan Iskandar in straight games to put the two teams on the same number of points - necessitating a possible points countback over the season's matches to then separate the clubs!

But Iskandar, the Malaysian No2, manfully made his impression on the in-form Surrey No1, taking two games before Ross claimed his 9-2 10-12 13-11 6-9 9-6 victory - a win which gave Guildford the tie, but Chichester the chance of further glory in their third successive year in the play-offs.

"Tonight's encounter had everything - drama, tension, 'ironman' rallies, close scores and world-class cut-and-thrust squash," said the University of Surrey club team manager Ian Robinson. "It was definitely the best night we've ever had here and it shows that this National League format provides excellent squash entertainment."

Nottingham's woes started when squad No2 Gregory Gaultier, the world No10 from France, became stranded in Lyons when his flight was unable to take off. Though he finally arrived in Wolverhampton, several hours later than scheduled, his team had already been forced to replace him in the line-up. But while the hosts' Scott Handley beat the elevated Nottingham No3 David Evans 10-8 6-9 9-0 3-9 9-6, Gaultier's successor Simon Parke defeated long-time rival Alex Gough 7-9 9-4 9-6 9-2 to level the tie going into the final rubber.

And, as in Guildford, the number ones provided a phenomenal climax which went the full distance - with Wolverhampton's Anthony Ricketts opening up a two-game lead against Nottingham's John White, before the Scot fought back to force the match into a fifth-game decider. But, unlike their previous meeting in last week's final of the Canary Wharf Classic in London - where White went on to claim an unlikely triumph - Ricketts kept his focus to wrap up the match 9-4 9-6 5-9 4-9 9-2 to put Wolverhampton into the semi-finals for the first time.

"We had the biggest crowd we've ever had here tonight," said a happy Wolverhampton team manager Stephen Russell. "It was altogether very satisfying - and as we've qualified for the play-offs, I guess that must make it the best night ever - particularly as all five matches were good."

The other tie in Group A featured Edgbaston Priory hosting Benz-Bavarian Duffield - this year's prize for the two former champions being the 'wooden spoon'. But despite the apparent lack of significance, the clash produced all the drama that had been seen elsewhere in the country - with the deciding top string rubber between British Open champion David Palmer and the visitors' Nick Matthew being described by Priory team manager Matt Suckling as "by far the best match of the season".

It was nip and tuck throughout - Matthew took the early advantage and Palmer fought back. This sequence was repeated until the fifth game was taken into a tie-break. Match points were shared liberally between the two - Palmer had six and Matthew five - but it was the Australian who ultimately prevailed 2-9 9-6 7-9 11-9 16-14 in 86 minutes to give Edgbaston Priory a 3-2 victory.

"It was the best squash we've ever seen at the club - I literally feel as if we've won the title, it was that sensational a match," Suckling explained. "David's commitment to us was beyond belief - he almost died on court to ensure that we won."

The semi-final play-offs will take place over two legs, on Tuesday 12th and Tuesday 19th April. The line-ups are: Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury v Wolverhampton, and Manchester/Pontefract v Team Chichester.