Norfolk Squash

It has been a remarkable week for James Pickles of Broadland who, in the Technifibre sponsored Norfolk closed squash championships, upset the seedings not just once but three times to become Norfolk champion for the first time.

The unseeded Pickles, who was Norfolk junior champion back in 2002, clinched the title in style at Lime Tree Road, Norwich, on Sunday evening when he beat another former junior champion – 1996 winner Liam Nolan of East Anglia, who was seeded No 3, 13-7 13-5 13-9 in the final.

Pickles beat his club mate, the No 1 seed and former champion Ian Cox 3-2 in an enthralling second round match and the No 4 seed Dave Gouldby of East Anglia 13-10 13-11 8-13 13-10 in the semi-final.

Nolan reached the final by defeating another former champion, Matthew Bolt of Barnham Broom, who was seeded No 2, 11-13 13-1 6-13 13-6 15-13 in the semi final having fought his way back from 5-11 down in the fifth game.

This marathon effort seemed to have taken its toll on Nolan who at times looked a little laboured in the final as the relentless power of the younger Pickles proved too much as he stormed to a straight game victory.

Suzanne Scarlett of East Anglia retained her ladies title and became champion for the fourth time as she came from 1-2 down to beat Nicky Green, who was champion in 1994, 5-9 9-1 7-9 9-5 9-1.

After three facile victories in the last three finals Scarlett had to work hard for her fourth victory as Green’s racket skills came to the fore but in the end Scarlett’s athleticism on the very warm Lime Tree Road courts proved to be decisive in the last two games.

Having missed last year’s tournament through injury John Cordeaux, who won seven Norfolk titles back in the 1970s and 1980s, won his fourth veterans title as he beat defending champion Robin Chipperfield 9-6 9-1 9-1 while the newly-qualified Peter Scott, who is now playing for North Norfolk, won the Vintage title as he beat the reigning champion John Paling 6-9 9-5 9-3 9-6.

Paling made amends in the Over 60s event when he comfortably beat Martin Pearse 9-0 9-5 9-1 while Pearse in turn was a 3-0 winner against Cromer’s John Chandler in the Over 65s. The current Norfolk junior champion, Jordan Creed of Bannatyne’s retained his Under 23 title as he beat Adam Sinkins of Fakenham 13-9 13-4 13-7.

The B event for those who play their Norfolk league squash outside the top division was won by Andrew Trim who beat the 1996 and 1997 champion Johnny Edwards 9-3 9-5 9-3 while Nick Stringer of East Anglia won the C event beating Paul Harvey 9-0 9-5 9-4

List of Winner and Runners Up

                                             Winner                                          Runner Uo

Mens A                               James Pickles                              Liam Nolan
Mens B                                Andy Trim                                   Johnny Edwards
Mens C                                Nick Stringer                               Paul Harvey
Ladies                                 Suzanne Scarlett                        Nicky Green
Over 45                             John Cordeaux                             Robin Chipperfield
Over 55                              Peter Scott                                   John Paling
Over 60                             John Paling                                    Martin Pearse
Over 65                             Martin Pearse                               John Chandler
Under 23                          Jordan Creed                                 Adam Sinkins

Plate Winners

Mens A                            Andy Woods                                        Nigel Gillick
Mens B                            Tim Perry                                              Jason Gollaglee
Mens C                            Martin Jolley                                        Chris Langford
Over 45                           Kevin Blake                                          Peter Lacey Hastings
Over 55                           Mike Robinson                                     Richard Cutts
Over 60/65                     Brian Day                                             Des Wain
Under 23                         Jason Gollaglee                                    Giles Evans

James Pickles vs Liam Nolan - Final Mens A Championships

Suzie Scarlett vs Nicky Green - Final ladies Championships

James Pickles vs David Goulby - Semi Final 1

Matthew Bolt vs Liam Nolan - Semi Final 2

Liam Nolan vs Jordan Creed - Quarter Final 3

James Pickles vs Ian Douglas - Quarter Final 1

Robin Chipperfield vs Martin Guppy - Mens O45 QF

List of Winners 2011

                                               



                                                Winner                                   Runner Up                                          Mens ‘A’                                   David Youngs                           Ian Cox    
Mens ‘B’                                   Adam Sinkins                            Nick Stringer
Mens 'C'                                   Nathan Taylor                          Martin Dack
Ladies                                      Suzanne Scarlett                      Sophie Croft
Veterans 045                           Robin Chipperfield                    Gary Snelling
Vintage 055                             John Paling                               Martin Pearse
O60                                          Martin Pearse                           Nigel Reeve
Under 23                                  Jordan Creed                           Jack Bell

Results

Youngs bt Cox                             9-7 10-9 1-9 9-3
Scarlett bt Croft                         9-4 9-0 9-0
Chipperfield bt Snelling            5-9 9-2 9-2 9-0
Paling bt Pearse                         6-9 9-0 9-4 3-9 9-5
Pearse bt Reeve                        9-4 9-7 9-1
Creed bt Bell                               9-4 9-2 9-3
Sinkins bt Stringer                    3 – 0
N. Taylor bt Dack                       3 - 0

Plus Plate Finals

Steve Moxey (3) vs Jack Bell (1) - Mens A

All updated already from after the Finals!

Full Report

East Anglia’s David Youngs is once again Norfolk Squash champion for the Tecnifibre Sponsored Norfolk Closed Championships staged at Lime tree Road, taking the title for a sixth time, whilst his club mate, Suzanne Scarlett retained her ladies title.

Playing on his home courts on Sunday evening Youngs regained the title which he won five times between 1999 and 2004 as he beat the reigning champion and number one seed, Ian Cox from Broadland 9-7, 10-9, 1-9, 9-3.

Scarlett completed an easy hat-trick of titles as, in a repeat of last year’s final, she beat another East Anglia player, Sophie Croft 9-4, 9-0, 9-0.

Youngs is an amazing player. Nothing seems to fluster him and he always appears to have time to play his shots and keep his opponent under pressure.

He trailed 0-7 in the opening game but gradually worked his way back into contention and drew level at 7-7 in one hand before going on to take the game 9-7.

If Cox let his chances slip in the first game he certainly had chances to win the second.

Youngs led 5-1 but in a reversal of the first game Cox recovered to lead 8-7 and then on game ball he put an easy backhand volley into the tin before going on to make four more unforced errors and then at 9-9 lost the game on a penalty stroke.

Cox kept himself in the match by taking the third game 9-1 but this was only a brief respite as Youngs went on to open up a 6-0 lead in the fourth.

Cox recovered some of the deficit to pull back to 6-3 but he was only postponing the inevitable as Youngs went on to lead 8-3 and take the title when Cox volleyed a return of serve into the tin.

In the semi-finals Youngs defeated the 2005 champion Matthew Bolt of Barnham Broom in straight games while Cox also won 3-0 against the 2008 beaten finalist Dave Gouldby.

In the poorly supported ladies tournament Suzanne Scarlett was in a class of her own and she won the title for a third successive year with a very comfortable straight game victory.

Robin Chipperfield became veterans champion for the first time as he dominated the court against the 2005 champion Gary Snelling coming out on top 5-9, 9-2, 9-2, 9-0 while John Paling retained his vintage title winning it for the third time as he beat the five times former champion, Martin Pearse 6-9, 9-0, 9-4, 3-9, 9-5 in a closely contested match.

Pearse took some consolation by winning the over 60s event as he beat Nigel Reeve 9-4, 9-7, 9-1. Jordan Creed of Banntyne’s beat Jack Bell of Diss 9-4, 9-2, 9-3 to take the under 23 event while the B event was won by Fakenham’s promising youngster Adam Sinkins who beat Nick Stringer 3-0 and Nathan Taylor of East Anglia beat Martin Dack to win the C event.

And finally, many thanks go to all who attended this years Event, your support was very much appreciated from all the players to all the organisers involved. We look forward to seeing you again in 2012!

Ian Cox of Bannatyne's and East Anglia's Suzanne Scarlett are this year's Norfolk Squash Champions.

Cox, who had been a perennial semi-finalist without ever having previously reached the final, defeated the 2005 champion, Matthew Bolt of Barnham Broom 9-4 7-9 9-5 9-4 in his final at Lime Tree Road while Scarlett the defending ladies champion, beat her East Anglia clubmate, Sophie Croft 9-0 9-0 9-2.

Having at last reached a final Cox was in no mood to let his title chance pass him by. He worked the rallies well, keeping the ball to a good length and playing important drop shots at the right time.

After a cagey opening Bolt opened up 4-1 lead in the first game only for Cox to put together a series of winning shots and take the game 9-4. Bolt took the second game 9-7 but it was becoming obvious that some of the long rallies were taking their toll. As fitness started to play a part, Cox stormed into an 8-1 lead in the third game and, after a brief Bolt rally, took the game 9-5 before clinching the championship in style with a thunderous overhead backhand volley into the 'nick' to take the fourth 9-4 and the match 3-1.

In the semi-finals Bolt beat defending champion and No 1 seed Jamie Goodrich of Potters 3-2 while Cox won in straight games against Tim Allenden of Barnham Broom, who in turn had an excellent quarter-final victory over last year's beaten finalist and No.2 seed, Dave Gouldby of East Anglia.

John Cordeaux, who was Norfolk champion seven times between 1978 and 1988, completed a hat-trick of veterans' titles as he beat the 2002 champion Simon Cullum 9-3 9-0 9-3.

The closest final of the evening was the vintage event for Over-55s where John Paling of Watton regained his title from last year's winner Brian Hawkes of East Anglia, winning 9-7 7-9 5-9 9-2 9-1.

Martin Pearse (North Norfolk) retained his Over-60s title, beating East Anglia's Nigel Reeve 9-4 9-2 9-6. The 'B' event for Division Two players was won by Steve Moxey of Broadland, who beat the promising Diss youngster Jack Bell 10-9 9-10 9-2 9-0 while the Under-23 event was won by Sam Hales of Barnham Broom, who beat Alex Williams of East Anglia 9-4 9-0 9-0.

List of Winners

                                                Winner                                     Runner Up                                                              Mens ‘A’                                   Ian Cox                                    Matthew Bolt    
Mens ‘B’                                   Steve Moxey                            Jack Bell
Ladies                                      Suzanne Scarlett                      Sophie Croft
Veterans 045                           John Cordeaux                        Simon Cullum
Vintage 055                             John Paling                               Brian Hawkes
O60                                          Martin Pearse                           Nigel Reeve