High School Old Boys 1 and Burnside were dead level on 18 points after the second round of the men’s division one squash competition for the Wilson Shield on Tuesday evening.
Burnside strengthened its position in the top section with a clean sweep over Sumner which has yet to score a point in the new competition, in site of some valiant efforts.
This match was actually the last to finish at the Chester Street courts with Sumner’s John Christensen keeping Robin Clements on the court for some considerable time. The doughty Christensen actually held game balls at 8-5 in the first game and 8-4 in the second. He lost both, but with some very tight drops took the third.
Two other Burnside players, Mark Crosbie and Stuart Hargreaves, were in some difficulties, being taken the full distance by Ryan McCutcheon and Simon (sic – Stuart) Doak respectively.
Old Boys were also in line for a clean sweep, but their No. 1, Lawrence Skurr, lost the final match after an interesting five-setter with Craig Hibbert. Skurr was unable to reap the advantage of a game ball at 8-7 in both the first and second games.
In the other top section match all depended on the final contest between the number ones, Rod Hayes (Christchurch) and Barrie Matthews (University).
Hayes, who needed to win in four games to sew up the overall contest, had beaten a hapless Matthews “27-0” on their last inter-club outing.
This time Matthews served first; Hayes hit his shot into the tin and the hopes of a repeat performance had already gone. He dropped his racket in mock annoyance, but later his expressed frustrations were more sincerely felt as Matthews, attacking strongly, constantly went for winners – and hit quite a few nicks.
The University player went to a lead of two games to one and was in reach of the match at 7-7 in the fourth. At that stage Hayes managed to produce a lucky shot (from a near-nick by Matthews) which hit the backwall nick and shot along the floor. In the fifth, Matthews levelled at 6-6 after trailing 3-6, only to make a couple of vital errors.
Thus both teams were tied with eight games each and Christchurch won by a bare three points on a countback.
Christchurch 1 again had cause to regret the absence of its No. 2, Don Preston, and Wayne Seebeck was the only other team member to win. But Roger Monk could hardly believe his loss in five to University’s Paul Carpinter; he won 15 straight points to 6-0 up in the fifth and then failed to win another point.
