Chichester fall short against Surrey

Tonight Covers Team Chichester welcomed Surrey Health & Rackets Club for the last home game of the PSL season. 

The first match featured Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Chichester) against the recently crowned British Champion, Alison Waters.  Lloyd-Walter, who has just returned from injury, was up against a player very much in form.  Lloyd-Walter, however, lost the first game by the narrowest of margins (11/13).  Waters proceeded to take firmer control and using her all-round game took the next 2 games to put Surrey 1-up on the night.

On the adjoining championship court the Covers Team stalwart player, Tim Vail, started lethargically against Adrian Waller and lost the first game 2/11.  Vail thereafter pressed forward, displaying some trademark ‘nicks’ to win the second.  Vail took an early lead in the 3^rd but the lassitude returned and Waller snatched the game 9/11 and continued in the same vein in the 4^th to give Surrey a 0.2 lead.

Next on court Robbie Temple prepared to battle against Surrey’s Alan Clyne.  Clyne left Temple in the blocks, storming to an early lead, 2/11 in the first.  Temple was more involved in the second but crucial mistakes cost him dearly and he lost the game 9/11.    In the 3^rd, Temple dug in and began to turn the match around. He made fewer errors and clinched the next 2 games to set up the decider which was neck and neck until 7-all.   Temple then pulled out 3 audacious crosscourt ‘nicks’ to win the game and match.

1.2.

Minutes later Chichester’s Olly Pett and Ben Ford played a dramatic game.  Pett was 1/2 down and behind in the 4^th but in a fantastic nail biting finish he finally managed to take it 11/9 and take their match down to the wire.  Ford saved several match points in the 5^th but Pett stubbornly refused to give in and took it 13/11.

2-all and it was down to the No.1 strings, Mo Iskandar (World 11) and Surrey’s World No.6 Peter Barker to decide the final outcome.  Could the Covers Team pull off an amazing upset against the Top of the League, Surrey?  The match proved to be a fantastic finale to the evening.  Barker took the first game 4/11 with Iskandar making too many errors.  Iskandar’s play, however, became more consistent in the 2^nd and with little to choose between them the game was won on a tie-break, 12/10 to Iskandar.  With Barker always the odd point up he then received a dead-leg towards the end of the game but rallied well to take it 9/11.  The packed gallery was treated to some masterful and entertaining squash in the 4^th, played in great spirit but Barker just managed to hang on to win the game and match 7/11.

2.3 on the night to the League leaders; a fantastic night’s squash with Covers Team Chichester coming just short again.  The next, and penultimate, match of the season is on March 2^nd against Guildford – and the chance of a double victory over them.

  Mike Phillips - Team Manager