Whist the eight teams competing in the traditional end of season playoffs battled out their respective matches, the top teams from the first division played in a quick fire ‘Express’ squash knockout competition. The brainchild of Yawar it is one of the first competitions in the world to try to limit the number of lets. 

Grove Park 1st Team collect Division 1 Championship Trophy from NWCSL President Bernie Gill

The whole event lasted just over two hours with a strong Grove Park First Team beating the Northern in the final 58-44.

Although the First Team were comfortable winners in the end, the match was still live when number ones Lawrence Delasaux and Andy Whipp took to the court, although Whipp had the unenviable task of winning 11-0 to secure the match. (I think he was fairly confident he could do it!)

In the event, Delasaux scored the point his club required early to clinch a league and cup double for Grove Park.

Later Yawar, Laurence, Morgan, Ky and Liam received there Division 1 Championship Trophy and Simon Burgess collected the Division 5 South trophy on behalf of the 7th team.

The quickfire competition was played out under the following rules;

* Four teams of five players

* Two semi finals, a third / fourth playoff and final

* Matches to consist of each player playing single games to 11 against their opposite number (no setting or clear points)

* Each TEAM is allowed a total of FIVE lets. Once used only strokes or no lets can be awarded

* A ‘powerplay’ is available for each captain whereby they nominate one of their team to score double points

* Team with most points at end is the winner

Read more on Squashsite -
http://www.squashsite.co.uk/2009/nwcslplayoff2010.htm

The First Team overwhelmed a spirited Heswall side to claim their first ever North West Counties League title and match their female counterparts who recently claimed the Cheshire Ladies League.

The Hibberd twins got things rolling against Mike Beecham and Mike Potter and while Ky fought out a tough 3-0 win over Potter, Morgan looked in serious trouble at 2-1 down against Beecham. News came through that the Northern were already two up, but Morgan dug deep and came through in five.

Next up Dave Barnett to play Chris Truswell, which looked close on paper, and so it proved. The match swung to and fro into an inevitable fifth, with neither player able to establish dominance. The Grove Park player finally won through and with captain Yawar Abbas grinding out a 3-1 win over Sean Hunter, Grove were close to claiming the points needed to guarantee the title.

Results from the Northern confirmed the league title was indeed theirs as Lancashire’s Chris Morrison beat Northern’s Dominic Hamilton, leaving Grove Park 1 point ahead with one match to play.

Lawrence Delasaux and Jaymie Haycocks played out a furious first game before Delasaux took control to complete an emphatic 20-5 win and historic first league title for the Cheshire club.

Report by Yawar Abbas

First team win Grove Park's first ever Division 1 title

The team consisting of Irish International, Laura Mylotte, former Cheshire champion, Kirsty West and Hilary Kenyon crushed Bowdon 3-0 at the final held at Warrington.

Along with Natalie Husdan, Evie West and Liz West theyhad earlier cruised to a second Cheshire Ladies League Championship in 5 years by leading from the first week to the last. They went through the season unbeaten until after they had wrapped up the title at Neston  with two matches to spare.

The team are still unbeaten in the league and on course to win their first Championship title since 2005-06.
They have also made it to the final of the Cheshire Cup (only 3 players per team in this competition). They will be up against Bowdon when it is played in late march/early april.

Ky Hibberd went in to the match confident of extending his 13 match winning streak against lower ranked, Paul McDonald. However, on the hot bouncy courts, the tall, skilful, Wigan No.4 was allowed to dominate the rallies from the centre of the court and Ky’s energetic running was not quite enough to prevent the loss in 4 very tight games.

After just missing out in the first game, Alex Cutts came back strongly to win in 4 games to complete an 18 – 4 win for the team. This cut New Brighton’s lead to just 2 points in the table but a 5-0 win would have earned Grove Park the full 20 points and they would have shared the top spot.

Wins for Lancs Health & Rackets and Manchester Northern keep them in contention just a few points behind the two leaders, in what is shaping up to be the most open Championship race in years.

The performance of the night went to Ky Hibberd who had an epic encounter with the physical, Chris Clark. The match was ugly with no flow to the game but that just made it all the more tense and exciting. There was nothing between these two players at any point and so it eventually moved into a fifth and deciding game. There were lets and strokes aplenty, some great shots and quite a few shocking ones, but at the end it was Ky who keep his head to play the winning shot and take it 11-9. That extended his winning run to an impressive eleven matches. Alex Cutts, the 20 year old from Sheffield, was the other Grove Park winner. After taking a two nil lead, he let it slip, but came home comfortably enough in the fifth. In the absence of Laurence Delasaux, Andy Whipp predictably despatched Dave Barnett without to many problems. Yawar had a chance to steal the second game against Aqueel Rehman but ultimately struggled to keep up with the pace of the World No.130 and Austrian No.1. Perhaps it was at No.3 where Grove Park could have snatched an unlikely win, but Morgan Hibberd was lacking his usual touch against Durham youngster, Josh Harris, and went down 3-1

This week the First Team will be looking to avenge their 3-2 first half defeat against mid-table, Fairways Lodge. Northern play New Brighton this week so a big win against the Prestwich side could push the First Team back to the top of the table, as the top two take points off each other. This is the last chance to see the First Team play at home until 23rd February! So please come down and support the team.