O40 Second Half Results and Reports

Women’s Over 40 Intercounty Match Report

Stage 2 – Sunday 11 January 2009

The Team String

1 Carol Page (Northumberland Club)

2 Chris Park (Northumberland Club)

3 Dawn Ward (Tynemouth Squash Club)

4 Lesley Vitty (Northern Squash Club)

5 Eleanor Bowles (Northumberland Club)

Another early start for the Northumbria team, this time travelling at full strength to Leicester, needing to win their first match against the hosts to be certain of avoiding relegation from the Women’s Over-40 Premier Division.

Eleanor went on court first and duly took her rubber relatively easily, thereby maintaining her unbeaten record in this event to 4 seasons. Meanwhile on the other court, Dawn went down 0-3. With the match tied at 1-1, Lesley took to the court and came back strongly from losing the first game in her match to take a 2-1 lead. Having lost the fourth, she stormed through the fifth to win the rubber, giving Northumbria the advantage with two strings to play. Carol Page, who played for 20 years for Cambridgeshire, is a new and very welcome addition to the Northumbria team, and she won her debut match with the loss of only 5 points, thus clinching the match for Northumbria. Chris Park then played in the dead rubber, picking up an additional point for the only game she won in her 3-1 defeat.

Full results:-

1 Carol Page beat Jo Cooper 9/0, 9/2, 9/4 3 – 0

2 Chris Park lost to Jo Burnett 7/9, 5/9, 9/3, 2/9 1 – 3

3 Dawn Ward lost to Sally Gee 6/9, 2/9, 6/9 0 – 3

4 Lesley Vitty beat Catrin Taylor 6/9, 9/0, 9/7, 4/9, 9/0 3 – 2

5 Eleanor Bowles beat Pam Harrison 9/6, 9/1, 9/2 3 – 0

Match result: Northumbria 3 – 2 Leicestershire (15 – 8 points)

Playing only for additional points (and for enjoyment!) the second match of the day was against Yorkshire, who fielded the current World Women’s Over 50 champion, Julie Field, at 3rd string! Dawn was unfortunate to meet this very tough opponent and succumbed to her deft play, going down 3-0. However, Eleanor was not going to relinquish her unbeaten record, and once again scored a victory, 3 -1. Lesley fought valiantly, picking up a point for her game in a 3-1 defeat. The 1st strings then played an epic match. Carol lost the first game, picking up only one point. However, she drew on all of her experience to match her opponent’s accurate drop shots and fast play and the next three games all went to the 8-8 – and subsequently to Carol. A magnificent 3 – 1 victory! In the final rubber, Chris was unable to turnover her opponent, losing 3 – 0.

Full results:-

1 Carol Page beat Andrea Santa-Maria 1/9, 10/8, 10/9, 10/9 3 – 1

1 Chris Park lost to Paula Arrowsmith 2/9, 5/9, 3/9 0 – 3

2 Dawn Ward lost to Julie Field 2/9, 1/9, 0/9 0 – 3

3 Lesley Vitty lost to Lucy Shuttleworth 9/6, 8/10, 5/9, 4/9 1 – 3

4 Eleanor Bowles beat Helen Townend 9/7, 7/9, 9/5, 9/2 3 – 1

Match result: Northumbria 2 – 3 Yorkshire (7 – 16 points)

With Hertfordshire withdrawing from the Stage 2 fixture, Leicestershire and Yorkshire were both awarded 20 points.

The final league standings are:

Position Team Points

1 Yorkshire 74 (play in Finals, remain in Premier Division)

2 Cheshire 62 (play in Finals, remain in Premier Division)