Double Disappointment For Pontefract As Strings Celebrate Maiden Success

Strings-Tewkesbury, the Gloucestershire club owned by four-times British National champion Sue Wright, claimed the Women's National Club Championships title at their first attempt after defeating reigning champions Pontefract 3/2 in the final at Nottingham Squash Club.

It was double disappointment for the Yorkshire club who also lost out 5/0 in the Men's final to Surrey club Colets, the title-holders. For their endeavours Colets and Strings can now look forward to representing England in the European Club Championships in September.

Colets Thames Ditton completed the double again this year by retaining their Men's Over-35 title, after beating hosts Nottingham 5/0. In the absence of five-times champions New Eltham, from London, Cannons Richmond beat Chapel Allerton, from Leeds, 2/1 in the Women's Over-35 final.

The Men's Over 45 and Over 55 categories were won by LA Fitness and Bexley, respectively, while Leamington retained the Junior Mixed title that they won last season.

Heaton, from Bradford, defeated London-based Lambs in an extremely close Non County Mixed final 8-7 on count back after the tie finished 2-2. With Marcus Berrett and Adrian Grant playing at first and second string, Queens Halifax ran out easy winners in the Racketball competition.

RESULTS: National Club Championships, Nottingham

Men's semi-finals:
Pontefract bt Hereford Whitecross 5/0 (Lee Drew bt Sam Miller 5-9 9-3 9-4 9-3; Derek Ryan bt Jethro Binns 6-9 9-3 9-2; Shaun le Roux bt Matthew Crowley 9-6 9-4 4-9 9-6; Alan Norrish bt Lewys Hurst 3-9 9-5 ret; Pete Lonsdale bt Andrew Watts 9-6 8-10 9-3 9-5)
Colets bt Redwood Lodge 5/0 (Alex Gough bt Hadrian Stiff 6-9 9-1 9-3 9-4; Scott Handley bt Chris Clare 9-6 9-1 9-1; Danny Meddings bt Matt Baker 9-5 9-7 9-7; Clive Ewins bt Mike Gregory 9-7 9-7 9-0; Kristen Johnson bt Jon Gliddon 9-4 9-0 9-5)
Men's final:
Colets bt Pontefract 5/0 (Alex Gough bt Lee Drew 8-10 9-4 9-1 9-0; Scott Handley bt Derek Ryan 10-9 9-4; Danny Meddings bt Shaun le Roux 3-9 8-10 9-0 9-7 9-0; Clive Ewins bt Alan Norrish 9-4 9-5; Kristen Johnson bt Pete Lonsdale 9-6 9-6 9-3)
Men's 3rd place play-off:
Hereford Whitecross bt Redwood Lodge 4/1 (Sam Miller bt Hadrian Stiff 6-9 1-9 9-7 9-1 9-2; Jethro Binns bt Matt Baker 9-1 9-6 9-6; Matthew Crowley bt Mike Gregory 9-7 9-3 9-0; Andrew Watts lost to Jon Gliddon 1-9 2-9 0-9; Tommy Burton bt Mike Bond 9-5 9-4 10-8)

Women's semi-finals:
Pontefract bt Edgbaston Priory w/o
Strings-Tewkesbury bt New Eltham 5/0 (Sue Wright bt Mandy Akin 9-4 9-5 10-8; Wendy Maitland bt Candy Wilton 9-2 9-2 9-1; Jenny Wright bt Karen Hume 9-1 9-3 9-3; Jenny Tamblyn bt Rae Anderson 9-2 9-6 9-1; Chloe Marshall bt Rebecca Czuczman 9-0 6-9 9-1 10-9)
Women's final:
Strings-Tewkesbury bt Pontefract 3/2 (Sue Wright bt Lauren Siddall 9-2 9-3 9-2; Wendy Maitland lost to Kirsty McPhee 0-9 8-10 9-0; Jenny Wright lost to Deon Saffery 5-9 0-9 4-9; Jenny Tamblyn bt Katie Wademan 9-3 9-2 4-9 7-9 9-5; Chloe Marshall bt Nicola McPhee 9-6 9-0 9-4)

Men's Over-35 final:
Colets bt Nottingham 5/0 (Mark Cairns bt Duncan Walsh 9-2 9-2 9-7; Danny Meddings bt Henry Skinner 9-4 9-2; Greg Pearman bt Simon Spencer 9-5 9-0 9-1; Alan Thompson bt Richard O'Connor 9-2 9-1 9-1; Dave Clarke bt Clive Walters 9-3 9-1 9-4)

Women's Over-35 final:
Cannons Richmond bt Chapel Allerton 2-1 (Isabelle Tweedle bt Paula Arrowsmith 9-0 8-10 5-9 9-1 9-2; Jo Brown bt Lucy Shuttleworth 9-3 5-9 9-6 9-6; Jackie Jones lost to Helen Townend 3-9 9-10 5-9)

Men's Over-35 final:
LA Fitness bt Nottingham 2-1 (Tom Pollard bt Richard O'Connor 9-1 3-9 9-3 9-1; Paul Chaplin bt John Limb 9-4 9-7 10-9; Stuart Hardy lost to John Buxton 3-9 2-9 8-10)

Men's Over-55 Final:
Bexley bt Chichester 3/0 (Peter Lewis bt Ian Graham 9-6 9-6 9-6; John Prowse bt Graham Fisher 9-2 9-2 4-9 3-9 9-7; Chris Prestedge bt Garry Williams 9-3 9-2 9-3)

Junior Mixed Final:
Leamington bt Nottingham 5/0 (Chris Hall bt Lewis Walters 9-2 9-6 9-5; Nick Bradley bt Eddie Charlton 9-5 9-10 10-8 2-9 9-4; Dean Alder bt Jon Brown 9-7 9-1 9-1; Leonie Holt bt Kitty Newsham 9-6 9-5 9-3; Sarah-Jane Perry bt Heidi Walters 9-6 9-3 9-6)

Non County Mixed Final:
Heaton bt Lambs 8-7 (David Boothroyd bt Keith Muldoon 6-9 9-0 9-0 9-0; Saeed Ahmed bt Stephen Parr 9-1 9-7 9-4; Emma Hanson lost to Jillian Lilico 9-7 9-0 2-9 2-9 7-9; Liz Hahn lost to Colleen Campbell 4-9 2-9 9-10)

Racketball Final:
Queens bt West Hants 5/0 (Marcus Berrett bt Jamie Broomfield 15-3 15-3 15-8; Adrian Grant bt Kevin Seargant 15-11 15-5 15-6; Richard Spencer bt Phil Taylor 15-12 15-12 15-11; Martin Sunderland bt Mark Hurd 15-8 15-8 16-17 15-13; Dave Manning bt Simon England 9-15 9-15 15-12 15-10 15-10)