Canterbury’s squash women upheld the province’s standards when they beat a Southern Districts team, 12-0, in a representative match in Timaru in the weekend.

The Canterbury men, who lost to the side last year, drew 10-all. Canterbury colts won 5-3 and the juniors 4-0.

However it was the women who proved no match for their Southern Districts counterparts and showed they could be a force to be reckoned with during the national teams championships to be played in Christchurch.

In their 12 matches, the six women – Ros Stanton, Kathy Graham, Jill Bruce, Merle Holland, Margaret Steele, and Pip Monk – dropped only three games.

The Canterbury men had some close matches, Barry McNeil surviving a tough five match challenge from Barry Gardiner.

Gardiner won the match point, but during the last rally had called for a let and the point had to be rplayed.

McNeil fought back to even the score at 8- all and then 9- all before winning the game and match 10-9.

Canterbury’s number one, Maurice Billington, after a tough first match against Gardiner, went down to the Southern District number two, Bob Bowman, in four sets in the reverse games.

Canterbury’s up and coming player, 17- year old Rod Hayes, had a good day, beating Russell Grant in a five -game match in the morning and extending Danny Lyons in the second.

In the fifth game Hayes could not keep the pressure on after a gruelling 10-9 fourth game and lost 9-6.

Colts J Redpath beat M Forster, B Trangmar lost to K Leary, P Salt beat R Alexander, T George lost to R Grant, Trangmar lost to Forster, Redpath beat Leary, George lost to Alexander, salt beat Grant.

Juniors P McFadzien beat R Fitzsimmons, A Corkin beat M Thompson, Corkin beat Fitzsimmons, McFadzien beat Thompson.