British National Squash League
Tuesday 18 March 2003
Semi-final play-offs, 1st leg
FPD Savills Nottingham 4 TVS Broxbourne 1
John White beat Mark Chaloner 8-10, 9-6, 9-6, 9-7
Simon Parke beat Rodney Durbach 9-2, 2-9, 9-7, 9-6
Renan Lavigne beat Alex Stait 4-9, 9-6, 7-9, 9-4, 11-9
Jason Nicolle beat Alister Walker 10-8, 9-5, 9-4
Wendy Maitland lost to Natalie Pohrer 3-9, 0-9, 0-9
Chichester 2 Edgbaston Priory 3
Peter Genever lost to Stewart Boswell 10-8, 10-12, 4-9, 5-9
Mohamed Azlan Iskandar beat Del Harris 9-4, 9-2, 9-6
Tim Vail lost to Adrian Grant 5-9, 9-6, 10-8, 6-9, 5-9
Ben Garner beat Paul Lord 9-6, 9-4, 9-7
Suzie Pierrepont lost to Sarah Fitz-Gerald 3-9, 1-9, 0-9
Nottingham & Edgbaston Priory Take Early Honours
FPD Savills Nottingham, the 1999 champions, and Birmingham's 2001 champions
Edgbaston Priory claimed the early advantage in the final stages of the
2002/03 season of the National Squash League after victories over
Hertfordshire's TVS Broxbourne and Chichester, respectively, in Tuesday's
first leg semi-final play-offs.
The clash in Nottingham was a replay of the semi-final battle three years ago
which narrowly went Broxbourne's way before the Hertfordshire club progressed
to take the National League title for the first time. Natalie Pohrer, then
Nottingham-based, provided two valuable points for her home club over the two
legs. Now US-based, Pohrer was visiting her old club for the first time as
Broxbourne's leading female force. Currently enjoying her best ever form,
the world No2 romped to a 9-3 9-0 9-0 victory over the home team's Scottish
champion Wendy Maitland, who was standing in for the virus-stricken world No4
Tania Bailey.
Nottingham quickly fought back as Jason Nicolle, runner-up in last month's
British National Over-35 Championships, utilised his experience to overcome
the visitors' Alister Walker 10-8 9-5 9-4 in an unexpected loss by the
talented youngster from Gloucestershire. Frenchman Renan Lavigne continued
his good form for Nottingham, but twice had to come from behind before
narrowly claiming his eighth successive league win in a 4-9 9-6 7-9 9-4 11-9
victory over Broxbourne's Alex Stait.
It was left to Nottingham stalwart Simon Parke, the former world No3, to
clinch victory for the hosts with a 9-2 2-9 9-7 9-6 win in 47 minutes over
the visitors' South African Rodney Durbach. In a fitting climax to the
hard-fought battle between the two former National League champions,
Scotland's Nottingham-based world No5 John White played out a high-paced top
string tussle against Broxbourne captain Mark Chaloner, the England
international ranked 12 in the world.
"Mark played the best I've seen him all season, so John had to be at the top
of his game to beat him," said Nottingham team manager Phil Songhurst after
White registered his 8-10 9-6 9-6 9-7 victory in 66 minutes to give the home
team a 4-1 win.
Celebrating their first appearance in the semi-finals since 1998, Chichester
entertained 2001 champions Edgbaston Priory. The Birmingham club claimed
their 'banker' point in quick style when Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the five-times
world champion from Australia, crushed Chichester's 18-year-old Suzie
Pierrepont, runner-up in the British Junior Championships earlier this month,
9-3 9-0 9-1. It was the formidable Fitz-Gerald's 21st successive National
League victory in three seasons.
Chichester struck back as Ben Garner claimed his seventh win in a row for the
club by beating the visitors' experienced Paul Lord 9-6 9-4 9-7. A
nail-biting third string clash between Chichester part-timer Tim Vail, 25,
and full-time pro Adrian Grant, 22, saw the home team hero lead 2-1 before
Grant, boasting a career-high world No31 ranking, clinched a crucial 9-5 6-9
8-10 9-6 9-5 victory for Edgbaston in 57 minutes.
The see-saw contest swung back in Chichester's favour when young Malaysian
Mohamed Azlan Iskandar, the 20-year-old former Asian Junior Champion who is
in his debut season in the National League, dismissed experienced Priory
stalwart Del Harris, the former world No5 from Essex, 9-4 9-2 9-6 to level
the tie.
With 45 world ranking positions separating the pair, few would have bet
against Priory's world No4 Stewart Boswell strolling to victory in the top
string decider against the home team's Peter Genever, boasting seven wins out
of nine this season. Indeed, the Chichester hero was a single point away
from a 2-0 lead at 10-9 in the second game, but the Australian stepped up a
gear to storm to a 8-10 12-10 9-4 9-5 win to gave Edgbaston Priory a 3-2
victory in the tie.
The second leg ties will be held on Tuesday 1st April when Broxbourne host
Nottingham and Edgbaston Priory entertain Chichester.
For more details, visit the official website: www.nationalsquashleague.co.uk