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Division 1 Early Season Strategy
This exciting division is often aided by the inclusion of Premier Division players and has significantly, and legitimately, influenced early Division 1 results. Teams such as Diss Heywood 2, East Anglia 2, and Broadland 2 can strategically field these players to secure critical wins. This trend has shaped early league standings, creating some disparities where Premier players have turned close encounters into decisive victories. While impactful early on, the reliance on these players may shift as the season progresses, with teams needing to adapt to their absence when they return to Premier Division commitments. Rob Thornley, along with the Norfolk squash committee, is keen to enforce eligibility rules to ensure fairness and competitiveness within the league. Rob urges captains and players to familiarise themselves with league rules and club nomination player order. This will help reduce any incidents of innocent rule-breaking and maintain the integrity of competition. If you are unsure about any aspect of the rules, please contact Rob Thornley for clarification—answering questions is much easier for Rob than dealing with the consequences of a rule break. NOVEMBER MATCH SUMMARY: Waterlane 1 vs. Loddon 1 Scoreline: 13-6 Result: Waterlane 1 secured a commanding 3-1 victory over Loddon 1. Ross Wilson continued his great form with a dominant 3-0 victory against the attacking Ian Douglass, showcasing his precision and control, particularly in the third-game tiebreak. Jack Taylor battled Sean Higginbotham in a five-game epic, with stamina and strategy all at play. Despite Mark Heazle’s clean sweep against Liam Day, Waterlane dominated the overall encounter. Waterlane 1 vs. Broadland 2 Scoreline: 16-2 Result: Waterlane 1 delivered a resounding 4-0 victory over Broadland 2. Liam Day overcame Richard Barnes 3-0, clinching a critical tiebreak. Broadland 2’s Premier Division player Matthew Hawkes displayed impressive skill, though unable to turn the tide against Ross Wilson who once again demonstrated his fine form with a 3-0 victory. Barnham Broom 1 vs. Diss Heywood 2 Scoreline: 3-15 Result: Diss Heywood 2 outperformed Barnham Broom 1 with a decisive 3-1 win. Paul Woods fell to Tom Bobbins 0-3 in a tough match-up, while Neil Sutton who fought hard against Cameron Smith, was unable to take a game losing 0-3. Adam Goodson delivered a thrilling five-game victory over Simon Howling, providing a bright spot for Barnham Broom. Loddon 1 vs. East Anglia 2 Scoreline: 7-13 Result: East Anglia 2 secured a 3-1 victory over Loddon 1. Matt Johnson edged out Ian Douglass 3-2 in a grueling five-game battle, while Keane Pye narrowly defeated Sean Higginbotham 3-2 in another nail-biter. Ben Lawrence struggled against Sam Jones, losing 0-3. East Anglia’s Premier Division player Matt Johnson was pivotal in securing their win. Diss Heywood 2 vs. Waterlane 1 Scoreline: 14-6 Result: Diss Heywood 2 ended Waterlane 1’s winning streak with a 3-1 triumph. Ross Wilson, up against another quality premier player, defeated Harry Youngson 3-1 with precision in key moments. Cameron Smith’s 3-1 win over Jack Taylor, while Simon Howling battled James Mitchell in a 15-13 fifth-game decider, sealing a remarkable victory for possibly the most experienced player in the league. James Corcoran’s 3-0 sweep against Liam Day further solidified Diss Heywood’s advantage, aided by Premier Division talent Harry Youngson. Bannatynes 2 vs. Barnham Broom 1 Scoreline: 3-14 Result: Barnham Broom 1 rebounded with a strong 3-1 victory over Bannatynes 2. Paul Woods faced Matless Carl in the only eligible match of the tie, losing 1-3 in a closely fought contest. The remaining fixtures resulted in walkovers awarded to Neil Sutton, Adam Goodson, and Albie Von Gordon due to Bannatynes fielding an ineligible player. latest standings and results here: Norfolk Squash League website.
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DIVISION 2 NOVEMBER ROUND UP Rossis 2: Dominating with a perfect record so far (4 wins, 0 losses) and a substantial point difference (55 scored vs. 18 against). East Anglia 3: Consistently competitive, sitting in second place with 3 wins and 2 losses. Their total of 45 points reflects their balanced performance, with a close-for-against scoreline (45-43). Diss Heywood 3: Solid in third with 2 wins out of 3 matches, boasting an impressive scoring differential (37-14) and 37 points. Fakenham 1: Currently in fourth with 2 wins and 1 loss from 3 games, accumulating 33 points. Cromer 1: Mid-table with 2 wins and 2 losses from 4 matches. Their points tally of 32 shows they are holding their own but have conceded more points than they've scored (32-38). UEA 1: Struggling so far, with 4 losses in as many matches. They sit at 22 points, reflective of a tough season with 22 scored and 46 against. Wensum Sports Centre 1: Unfortunately, at the bottom, yet to secure a win in 3 matches. With only 3 points scored against 45 conceded, they’ll need to regroup to turn their season around. Highlights UEA1 vs ROSSIS 2 (6-11) UEA 1 faced a tough challenge against Rossis 2, resulting in a closely contested fixture. Despite some strong individual performances, Rossis 2 secured the win, earning an 11-6 victory thanks to their overall game dominance. Henry Booth delivered a stellar performance at no.1, and showing he’s one of the top players in the division. He overpowered the hard-working Sumner with a commanding 3-0 victory. Noah Purdue showed resilience in a competitive four-game match, securing a crucial win for UEA against James Gair. Rossis 2's strength in the middle-order matches, with Phil Slack and Rob Whiting delivering decisive 3-0 victories against Max Chilvers & Toby Biggs respectively proved pivotal. While UEA 1 matched Rossis 2, it was James Gair’s persistence in taking the second game which swung the match in Rossis favour. Securing the 4 points bonus and maintaining Rossis 2 unbeaten run. Diss Heywood vs Wensum Sports Centre 1 (16-0) Diss Heywood 3 delivered an absolutely superb performance, dominating Wensum Sports Centre 1 in every match and securing a flawless victory. The visitors were in outstanding form. Despite a valiant effort from the home players, they were unable to overcome the exceptionally strong opposition, leaving Diss Heywood 3 with a perfect score from the encounter. James Corcoran v Jordan Bowman and Arron Ling v Waqas Mumtaz were the standouts for Diss Heywood 3, delivering incredible performances to clinch the 3-0 in each of their matches. Wensum Sports Centre 1’s narrow losses in multiple games highlighted their potential, but it wasn’t enough to secure any valuable points. Diss Heywood 3’s dominance in this fixture further cements their 3rd position as the in Division 2, while Wensum Sports Centre 1 will need to regroup and come back stronger or luckier in future fixtures. Fakenham 1 vs UEA 1 (13-4) Max Chilver (UEA) had a close encounter with Connor Doy, narrowly losing two games in tiebreakers. Connor sealed a 3-0 victory (7/15, 14/16, 16/18). Clay Gravett (UEA) fought hard, winning one game against Nathan Rathbone but eventually fell 1-3 (6/15, 15/11, 14/16, 7/15). Somaan Mirza (UEA) struggled to get into the match against Lewis Stafford, losing in straight games (1/15, 4/15, 6/15). It's great to see Alex Hagag back in action, representing his home club Fakenham in Norfolk League squash. Both Hagag and Henry Booth were keen to use their powerful playing styles, but Booth continues to dominate the division, proving to be the player to beat. Hagag couldn’t quite find his rhythm and fell to UEA’s only winner 3-0.  The Division 3 standings for the County Squash Winter League 2024/25 reveal some interesting trends as the season progresses:
In a competitive interclub Division 3 showdown, the division's top team Broadland 3 secured a 3-1 victory over Broadland 4 .Shaun Cramer of Broadland 3 triumphed over Joe Orpen, winning 3-1 after a strong comeback. David Willert also helped Broadland 3 to the win with a 3-1 victory against Ben Harris. Marco Valori gave Broadland 4 their only win of the night, battling past Alan Pillar in a tense 3-2 match. However, Broadland 3 sealed the overall victory with Kevin Moore's dominant 3-0 win over Henry Waller. Waller started strong until Moore’s calm game style took control. Loddon 2 faired no better against Broadland 3 with only the young Finlay Mutti able to make a dent in Braodland 3’s armour. Richard Hall battled staunchly against Finlay Mutti in this thrilling 5-set match. Hall claimed the first two games, but Mutti fought back, showing admirable composure to win the last three, taking the match 3-2. The squash encounter between Diss Heywood 4 and UEA 2 proved to be a thrilling contest, with the home team emerging victorious by a commanding 14-6 margin. With a mix of tightly fought matches and decisive wins, Diss Heywood 4 demonstrated their resilience to secure the win against the young UEA team. Ryan Welsh (3-2) Outlasted Ted Hazelton in a grueling five-games at the top of the order. Rowan Sharman (3-0) Dominated Oscar Roderick-Jones in a flawless straight-games win. David Worrall (3-1) Recovered from an opening-game loss to beat Kyran Shackleton. The only loss for Diss Heywood 4 came as Jack Blair outplayed Robert Collins in four games. Collins started strong, taking the first game 15/9, but Blair adapted quickly, using his speed to claim the next three games with ease. December brings some key fixtures including 1st v 2nd in the division. Could one of the teams in the chasing pack gain momentum and put pressure on the top slots!  Division 4 Focus - November 2024 Overview Waterlane 2 remains undefeated and sits firmly at the top with an impressive 43 points and a perfect win record (3-0). Their dominant and consistent victories have set them apart as clear frontrunners. The chasing teams are working hard and I'm sure won't let it become a walk in the park for the Suffolk based side. East Anglia 5 is in second place, benefiting from a strong performance against Broadland 5 (14-9) and their victory over Loddon 3 (14-5). Their higher number of games played has allowed them to edge ahead on points. Wensum Sports Centre 3 holds the third spot with two wins out of four matches, rebounding strongly in their latest fixture against Broadland 5 (14-4). Broadland 5 and Loddon 3 are closely matched, both with one win each. Loddon 3's emphatic win over Broadland 6 (16-0) was a key factor in keeping them competitive. Broadland 6 sits at sixth place, struggling with only one win and a large deficit in games won (17) compared to those lost (32). Cromer 2, despite their lower position, has played fewer games (2) and will have opportunities to climb with strong performances in upcoming matches. This Months Featured Match Highlights Loddon 3 vs Broadland 6 This was the most one-sided result of the month, with Loddon 3 sweeping all matches without dropping a single game. Finlay Mutti delivered a strong start, defeating Paul Chase in straight sets, highlighted by a clinical second game. Gav Sobkowiak, Alex Widderington, and Emma Lines followed suit, each winning 3-0 against their respective opponents. Broadland 5 vs East Anglia 5 This match was the closest and most competitive results of the month, with three of the four contests going the full five games. Adam Jones of East Anglia staged an incredible comeback against Philip Ringwood, winning after losing the first two games. Adam’s consistent retrieving throughout the match gave Phil little time to rest. Dorn Nixon and Rebecca Saunders also secured hard-fought five-game victories, while Broadland’s sole triumph came from Simon Stubbs in a confident 3-1 performance. One more November result to be played out Broadland 6 vs Cromer 2 With both Broadland 6 and Cromer 2 having big squads to draw from, the depth of their teams gives them plenty of options for strategy and rotation, making it an unpredictable contest. It should be an exciting end to the month with both teams looking to show their true strength in the division! LATE EDITION The last match of the month has now been played Broadland 6 vs Cromer 2 (28 Nov 2024) Final Score: 9-9 Both teams earned 2 bonus points, resulting in a draw. Broadland won 2 matches, Cromer won 2, and both teams shared the bonus points. The closest match was between Justin Millar (Broadland) and Ian Baker (Cromer), with Millar edging out a 3-1 victory in tight games, including a 18/16 win in the second game. Another close contest was Jake Utting (Broadland) vs Matthew Medcraft (Cromer), where Utting won 3-1, with two games decided by just a few points. This result earned Broadland 6 a rise in the table to third place. A nice summary report of the evening can be found here. It would be great to see some brief match reporting from other clubs/captains.  Norfolk League Division 4 Report – October 2024
The Norfolk League Division 4 continues to provide exciting action, with several clubs battling it out for crucial points in the standings. Below is a summary of the recent matches, including standout performances and key results: Wensum Sports Centre 3 vs. Broadland 6 21 October 2024 Result: Wensum Sports Centre 3 3 – 13 Broadland 6 In this early-week fixture, Broadland 6 emerged as dominant victors over Wensum Sports Centre 3, with a 3-13 scoreline. Wensum's Doug Webb put up a fight in the opening match against Justin Millar, but it was the away side that controlled proceedings across the board. Broadland's Oliver Millar delivered a clinical performance, winning comfortably against Dru Brown in three straight games. Notable performance: Paul Chase's ruthless victory over Natalia Escalera-Pollock, where he claimed the match 3-0, with a 15-13 scoreline in each game. East Anglia 5 vs. Waterlane 2 22 October 2024 Result: East Anglia 5 7 – 12 Waterlane 2 Waterlane 2 showed resilience on the road to secure a well-fought 12-point win. The key moments came in the middle of the lineup, with Waterlane's Damion Field showing no mercy as he defeated Thomas Bennett in straight games. Notable performance: East Anglia's Dorn Nixon solid 3-2 win against Nick Sterry, taking the match 15-8, 15-9, 15-11 after dropping the first two games, displaying impressive mental strength to close out the tie. East Anglia 5 vs. Wensum Sports Centre 3 29 October 2024 Result: East Anglia 5 6 – 11 Wensum Sports Centre 3 Wensum Sports Centre 3 bounced back from their earlier loss with a solid 11-point win over East Anglia 5. Doug Webb and Sarah Smith were both able to put put in good performances in their respective matches with 3-0 victories, but Matt Robinson only mirrored the result with Dorn Nixon taking the string for East Anglia with a competitive 3-0 victory. Notable performance: Rebecca Saunders' comeback in the third and fourth games against Jude Bickley, where she came from a game down to win 3-1. Waterlane 2 vs. Cromer 2 31 October 2024 Result: Waterlane 2 16 – 0 Cromer 2 Waterlane 2 dominated in their home match against Cromer 2, securing a perfect 16-0 victory. Each of Waterlane’s players showed ruthless efficiency, with the entire team winning in straight games. Notable performance: Liam Day's commanding 3-0 win over Ian Baker was a highlight, as Waterlane ran riot across the board. Broadland 6 vs. Broadland 5 31 October 2024 Result: Broadland 6 4 – 13 Broadland 5 In an all-Broadland affair, Broadland 5 cruised to a comfortable 13-4 victory over their sister team, Broadland 6. The fixture saw solid performances from both teams, but the more experienced Broadland 5 team came out on top, with Marc Bulimore and Simon Stubbs leading the charge with impressive 3-0 victories. Notable performance: comeback debut Philip Ringwood’s fierce contest against Richard Hall, where he claimed the victory 3-1 after coming from behind in the first game. see next months matches and latest standings here: Norfolk Squash League website. Norfolk League Division 3 - October 2024
22nd October 2024 East Anglia 4 vs Broadland 4 Final Result: East Anglia 4 – 13, Broadland 4 – 7 In a competitive and closely contested Division 3 clash, East Anglia 4 secured a home victory over Broadland 4 with a final score of 13–7. Despite some strong performances from Broadland, East Anglia's solid team effort proved decisive.
23rd October 2024 Broadland 3 vs UEA 2 Final Result: Broadland 3 – 16, UEA 2 – 1 Broadland 3 delivered a dominant performance at home against UEA 2, winning 16–1. The home side dropped just one game in the entire match, showcasing their strength across all positions.
24th October 2024 Loddon 2 vs Wensum Sports Centre 2 Final Result: Loddon 2 – 3, Wensum Sports Centre 2 – 16 Wensum Sports Centre 2 came out on top in their away match at Loddon 2, securing a decisive 16–3 victory. Despite strong individual performances from Loddon, Wensum’s depth proved too much.
29th October 2024 Wensum Sports Centre 2 vs Diss Heywood 4 Final Result: Wensum Sports Centre 2 – 6, Diss Heywood 4 – 11 Diss Heywood 4 claimed an 11–6 win over Wensum Sports Centre 2, with Bill Potter (Diss) leading the way with a 3–0 win over Chris Smith (Wensum).
31st October 2024 Loddon 2 vs East Anglia 4 Final Result: Loddon 2 – 5, East Anglia 4 – 13 In the final match of the period, East Anglia 4 triumphed 13–5 over Loddon 2. Despite some spirited individual efforts from Loddon’s players, the visiting East Anglia team proved too strong overall.
see next months matches and latest standings here: Norfolk Squash League website. |
