Henley Squash Club Team Match Reports
written by the team or former members of the team

13th July 2010
Henley first team maintained their dominance of Oxfordshire’s top division with a 3/2 (14/7) win over Thame. It was always going to be difficult for Henley to win at first and second string, as Thame were strong at the top, so they needed to win the other three positions to be sure of overall victory. At one, Rick Weatherall lost to Tom Phipps 0/3 (7/9, 8/10, 2/9). In a tight match, Phipps regularly struggled with Weatherall’s consistent and tight play, but always seemed to have enough attacking shots to reverse last season’s loss. At nearly twice Phipps’ age, Weatherall will take some comfort in being able to compete still at this level, despite being disappointed with the result. At second string an under par Paul Johnson lost to Stuart Milton 1/3 (4/9, 4/9, 9/6, 3/9). This was a match Johnson would expect to win but, despite a comeback in the 3rd game, Milton always looked the likely victor. Milton played hard, fast and attacking squash and a fatigued Johnson was unable to raise his game to his normal level, despite making every effort. At three, Simon Street disposed of Dan Ford 3/0 (9/6, 9/3, 9/5) with a clinical performance. Ford is a steady and gutsy player, but Street controlled the match from the start and capitalised on Ford’s looser play. At four, Harry Carr was far too strong for Dave Herron and won 3/0 (9/3, 9/0, 9/0). Carr dominated from the start and Herron failed to deal with Carr’s constant attack and retrieving skills. At five, Stefan Stanton dropped his first game of the season so far – in 10 matches - as he beat Alex Noakes 3/1 (9/0, 9/7, 1/9, 9/0). Noakes is a talented junior who is highly ranked in England ’s under 15’s age group; however it was Stanton ’s loss of concentration that mired his perfect record to date. This is the 3rd time these two players have met in the last year though and it won’t be long before Noakes is causing Stanton serious problems. Henley remains at the summit of Oxfordshire’s top division, with 4 matches to play. Next week they travel to Hithercroft who are struggling in 7th place.
 
Henley 2nds eased to a comfortable victory over Oxford University Club 1st team to move into 3rd place in division 3.  Derek Oswald at 5 played some powerful squash to get Henley off to a flying start, never looking troubled in a 3-0 victory over Kit Yates.  Paul Sayers made a similarly confident start against Martin Stokes at 4, taking the first two games comfortably, but lost concentration in the third before powering to a 9-1 victory in the 4th game to put Henley two up.  It was left to Henley's number 1, Sam Carr, to clinch the victory for Henley with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Jaco Vermaak.  Nigel Richardson at 3, in his first game after returning from injury, put Henley further ahead as he cruised to a 3-0 victory over Alister Leslie.  The final and most exciting match of the evening saw Jack Salmon, making his debut for Henley, pitched against veteran Tony Eaude.  Salmon started well as he moved to a 2-0 lead, but was then pegged back in two very tight games by some skillful shot making from Eaude.  In the deciding game Salmon's superior movement and fitness told as he clinched the final match to give Henley 19 points to Oxford's 3 points.
 
Henley 4th team secured an impressive 3–2 win over Hithercroft 3rd team to cement their second place in Division 6. First on court at 4th string was Alan Smallman who faced Ron Pearce. It was a hard fought match but Alan pulled off a great 3-0 victory using his signature return of serve to great effect. At 3rd string, James Little won a very tight first game against Graham Taylor and then took the second game quite convincingly. Although Graham fought back hard in the third game, this did not shake James and he won the 4th game to take the match 3-1.  5th string Paul Ireland was not troubled and ran out a convincing 3-0 winner against James Bourne.  Even though 2nd string Richard Griffiths was not 100% fit, he won the first game but could not sustain his effort and lost the match by 3-1. Last on court was Chris Pullen, Henley’s 1st string against Robert Devetta. Although down by 5 points in the first game, Chris fought back and won with some great touches, but he was unable to sustain this form and eventually lost the match 3–1 to an opponent who ran hard for every ball.



5th July 2010
Henley first team recorded their 9th consecutive win of the summer league as the beat Defence Academy 5/0 (19/0) – their 3rd 19/0 victory of the season too. At one, Rick Weatherall was too steady for Adam Giles , as he stemmed Giles constant attack. The first game was a very close encounter, with Weatherall winning on a tie break. The game was long and the standard of squash excellent, but Weatherall was too clinical with his finishing and rarely made a mistake. Whilst the next two games were hard fought, the effects of the first game took their toll on Giles, enabling Weatherall to record a solid 3/0 victory (10/8, 9/3, 9/6). At second string Paul Johnson beat the gutsy Nigel Rowe 3/0 (9/6, 9/0, 9/6). With the exception of the second game, which Johnson won easily, the other two games were hard fought and closely contended. However, Johnson managed to end each game better as Rowe struggled to maintain his fitness. Simon Street played at three for Henley and came up against an inspired David Ridgeway, who clearly set out his attacking approach from the start as he went for every shot. Street’s steadier play paid off, as he forced Ridgeway to make errors, allowing Street to take the opening game in the tie break. Street then won the next 2 games comfortably to record a 3/0 win (10/8, 9/2, 9/5). Harry Carr beat Anthony Dennington 3/0 at forth string (9/3, 9/0, 9/7). Despite a recovery from Dennington in the last game, where Carr relaxed, this was a fairly one sided match, with Dennington unable to match his younger opponents retrieving skills. Defence Academy were unable to field a 5th player, giving Stefan Stanton a 3/0 walk over at 5th string. Henley remains at the summit of Oxfordshire’s top division, but next week they entertain second place Thame, a strong team who will be difficult to beat.
 
Henley's 2nd team travelled to RAF Brize Norton to take on their 1st team.  Only able to field a team of 3, Brize Norton won two of the matches.  This left the tie in the hands of Edward Hopkins at 1st string, who didn't disappoint with a well earned 3-0 win.  The scores were RBZ1 (6) HEN2 (16) (1) Rob King 0 Edward Hopkins 3, (2) Simon Chubb 3 Chris Wallace 1, (3) Duncan Smith 3 Chris Bishop 2
 
The 3rds had an away match at Abingdon against Harwell 2nds. First match on court was James Little who was making his debut for the 3rds. He played at fourth string against Paul Guilbert. It proved to be a very hard fought match with both players determined to win. In the end, James prevailed and took a well-earned 3-2 victory (9-10, 9-7, 8-10, 9-0, 9-5). At fifth sting, Peter Hopkins had another epic battle against Dik Third. Despite carrying a slight injury and being 5-7 down in the fifth game, Peter showed great character to win the match 3-2 (10-9, 7-9, 5-9, 9-2, 9-7). Next on court was Richard Griffiths who played against Joe Davis at third string. Although the pressure was on Richard to secure the overall victory for Henley, he played confidently and showed some good touches and ran out a 3-1 winner (9-5, 2-9, 9-4, 9-1). Chris Pullen at second string came up against Ian Hawkins who proved to be a tough opponent. Chris narrowly lost the first two games (7-9, 8-10) but could not match Ian in the third, losing the game 4-9 and the match 0-3. For the final match Roger Booker played against Jonathan Fernandez. The match was highly entertaining with Roger playing some amazing reverse boasts but Jonathan eventually won by 3-2 (4-9, 10-8, 9-4, 1-9, 9-3). The final match score was 15-11 to Henley, which now puts the team at the top of Division 5 with four games remaining.
 
Despite only winning one of their matches on Thursday night, Henley's 4th team remain in second place in their league.  Jill Campion and Paul Ireland both narrowly lost their matches 2-3.  New recruit Andrea lost 1-3 and Alan Smallman won 3-0.



27th June 2010
Henley first team maintained their strong start to the summer season with a 5/0 (19/0) demolition of their nearest rivals Abingdon. At one, Rick Weatherall played his first summer league match for Henley and showed that he wasn’t rusty as he disposed of Joe Brooke, the gutsy young England international. Despite his extra 30 years, Weatherall completely outclassed Brooke in every department to win a very one sided match 3/0. At two, Paul Johnson beat Brooke’s older brother Jimmy 3/0, with comparable ease. At three, Simon Street beat Tom Wellstead, one of Oxfordshire’s top juniors, 3/0, again only losing a few points. Stefan Stanton played Gavin Collins at fourth string and managed a 3/0 victory, despite one of the games going to a tie break. At five, Harry Carr beat Josh Allen 3/0 to complete the white-wash.
 
Whilst Abingdon were a few players short, this was another solid performance from Henley as they recorded their 8th consecutive win. Next week they take on Defence Academy from Shrivenham as they look to consolidate their position at the summit of Oxfordshire’s top division.
 
Henley 2nds hosted Wallingford 2nds in a Division 3 battle. Ed Hopkins overpowered his opponent, Chris Wallace controlled his match and Mark Hodgetts was too skilful for his opposite number . The scores were:  Henley 2nds 19 points to Wallingford 2nds 0 points (1) Edward Hopkins 3 Morgan Pearce 0, (2) Chris Wallace 3 Adrian Cassidy 0, (3) Mark Hodgetts 3 Jon Nicholls 0, (4) Derek Oswald 3 No player 0, (5) Fiona Dixon 3 No player 0

In Division 5, Henley 3rds hosted Wantage 2nds. In a brief encounter, Wantage offered little resistance.  Richard Griffiths beat Andy Cameron 3-0 in a one sided 3rd string match.  Similarly, Steve Berger won 3-0 against Callum Clark.  Roger Booker lost out at 1st string 3-1 to Andrew Day, but it mattered little, as the 4th and 5th string matches also went the way of Henley. The tie finished 17-3, meaning Henley keep pace with the league leaders.

Henley 4ths travelled to Abingdon for the return match against Drifters. At 5 James Gildersleve got the team off to a good start with a comfortable 3-0 win, his opponent struggling with both the heat and accurate serving. Paul Ireland at 3 struggled against hard hitting opposition, and only really came good late in the 3rd game, by which time it was too late to avoid a 3-0 defeat. Jill Campion at 2 had a ding dong battle, with both players dominant at differing times in the match. Jill recovered from 8-1 down in the 5th to 8 all, but eventually lost a very hard fought match 3-2. Chris Bishop at 1 had a long,hard hitting and enjoyable match, for a 3-0 win. Last on, 4th string Dick Heath was well matched, both he and his opponent having similar styles. Dick recovered from 2-1 down and match point down in the 5th for an excellent win, giving the match to Henley 3-2, 15 points to 8.



20th June 2010
Henley first team fielded a strong team this week, as they travelled to Oxford Brookes, expecting a tough match. Unfortunately for Oxford , Brookes were 2 players short and Henley won comfortably 5/0 (19/2). At first string Matt Marshall disposed of Jason Varrie 3/0 despite having to play in an old pair of borrowed squash shoes that were a size too big. Despite this problem, Marshall was still far too good for Varrie, as he outclassed his opponent in every department. At second string it was a similar tale for Henley ’s Paul Johnson, who beat the talented Robin Sparkes 3/0. Sparkes is a tall and gifted left hander, but he had no response to Johnson’s superior fitness and retrieving. At three, Simon Street beat Simon Pick 3/0. This too was a very one sided match, with Street rarely having to push in any of the points. At four, Henley ’s latest recruit Ashley Stanton had a tougher match against the experienced veteran Jim Lynn , but still managed to win 3/0. Stanton, younger brother of Stefan, currently lacks a bit of fitness, however he is a talented player and a useful recruit whilst back from university. At fifth string, Ed Hopkins seemed to be strolling for another easy win, as he led by 2 games to nil. However, a lapse of concentration and a fight back from his opponent Joseph Harding saw this match level at two games all. Harding continued his momentum for most of the last game, as he lead 7/4, but nerves seemed to get the better of him, as a string of unforced errors gave a relieved Hopkins the game 9/7 and the match 3/2. At the half way point Henley still sit at the summit of Oxfordshire’s top division, unbeaten with 7 wins. However, next week they travel to Abingdon for a top of the table clash that could decide how the league finishes.
 
Henley 2nds entertained Peers Ists from Oxford and narrowly lost a hard fought match. Mark Hodgetts at third string was first on for Henley and was just not on form allowing Adrian Fawcus to dominate and eventually win easily 4/9, 5/9, 5/9. On the other court Derek Oswald at fourth string had a lot easier time against Terry Coble with Oswald's length and strength winning the match 9/3, 9/5, 7/9, 9/3.  Roger Booker at fifth string found it difficult to get into the match with Craig Muir and after a fight back in the third game lost tamely 0/9, 4/9, 8/10. At the same time Chris Wallace at first string was dominating the match against Ray Hessey and despite Hessey's great reach and dominance of the court, Wallace eventually got his measure winning 9/0, 9/7, 3/9, 9/5. In the decider at second string Paul Sayers took the first game against Seb Coxon but could not maintain the pressure losing 9/4, 3/9, 2/9, 8/10. Henley 7 points, Peers 14 points. 
 
Henley 3rds were at home against Kidlington and lost 3-2, The scores were
Henley 8 points  Kidlington 1sts 13 (1) Steve Berger 3 Stephen Langford 0 (9-3 9-2 9-2 ) (2) Chris Pullen 0 Matt Grant 3 (0-9 6-9 7-9), (3) Peter Paddick 2 James May 3 (9-6 9-10 9-6 1-9 3-9), (4) Chris Bishop 3 Paul Wilkinson 0 (9-2 9-3 9-4), (5) Jill Campion 0 James Crawford 3 (8-10 5-9 5-9).
 
Henley 4ths were hosted by the Gladiators team, from Oxford.  At 1st string Richard Griffiths had a heated battle with Martin Harrison.  Harrison won the opening game comfortably.  Griffiths struck back with a 9-0 in the second game, but struggled to stay consistent.  Harrison took the third game, and went on to hold match point at 8-3 in the fourth.  His unsporting and aggressive attitude proved to be his downfall, as he surrendered the fourth game and the fifth to a determined Griffiths, Griffiths winning 1-9, 9-0, 5-9, 10-9, 9-5. Meanwhile, at 3rd string, Peter Hopkins did well to take the first game against Neil Boston.  Hopkins fought back from game ball down to win the opener, but may have hampered his chances of winning the match.  With energy levels low, Hopkins lost 3-1 (10-9, 1-9,4-9, 5-9).  Paul Ireland at 4th string and Alan Smallman at 2nd string won their games 3-0 against Peter Beasley (9-3, 9-4, 9-6) and Simon Phillips (9-1, 9-2, 9-2).  The Henley pair continue their strong form for the team.  Dick Heath at 5th string came up against a tricky opponent in Paul Bennet.  Heath played hard for the team and managed to get two games on the board, before losing the decider (2-9, 9-5, 2-9, 9-5, 5-9).  Henley won the tie and took 16 points to 8.  A title challenge could be on the cards!



13th June 2010
Henley first team continued their unbeaten sequence, with a 4/1 (16 points to 4) victory over local rivals Wallingford . With the exception of their resident professional, Scott Handley, the visitors fielded a weakened team enabling Henley to capitalise and record their 6th consecutive win of the season.
 
At first string Paul Johnson lost 3/0 (5/9, 6/9, 7/9) to Scott Handley. Handley is still a world class player and capable of beating many of the sport’s top 50 players, so this result was not unexpected and Johnson played well to get his 18 points. At two, Simon Street was somewhat fortunate that his opponent had to retire at the start of the third game due to a blood injury. At one game all, this match looked as if it could have been tight for an under par Street, although he was disappointed to claim the 3/1 win (2/9, 9/7, 9/1, 9/0). At third string, Harry Carr disposed of Neil Osbourne 3/0 (9/2, 9/4, 9/3) in a very one sided match. Despite still not being back to his best, Carr was too fit and consistent for his older opponent, who was unable to live with his pace. At 4, Stefan Stanton continued his unbeaten run, with his sixth consecutive 3/0 victory. This time Stanton beat the veteran Russell Roles 9/4, 9/8, 9/2, with Stanton a tad fortunate to survive the second game tie break. At fifth string Ed Hopkins was far too strong for Steve East, winning 3/0 (9/4, 9/0, 9/2). Next week Henley travel to Oxford to play the Brookes first team in their last match of the first half of the season.
 
Henley 2nds were away at Didcot and slipped to a 2-3 defeat, Didcot taking 16 points to Henley's 9. The scores were (1) Jason Hadland 1 Paul Sayers 3, (2) Philip Avery 3 Mark Hodgetts 2, (3) Roger Young 2 Derek Oswald 3, (4) Ludovic Bonnet 3 Roger Booker 1, (5) Julian Moss 3 Steve Berger 0.
 
Henley 3rds took the long journey to Carterton to play their 1sts.  Peter Hopkins faced Richard Crane in the 5th string match.  Hopkins disappointed with a poor performance, losing 3-0, against an opponent he would perhaps beat when in good form.  Meanwhile at 4th string, Richard Griffiths dispatched Tim Beckett 3-0 in a total mismatch.  Pete Paddick at 2nd string was out foxed by veteran Brian Keen.  A slippery court and some poor refereeing played their part, but Paddick is also returning from injury and didn't look sharp enough for his crafty opponent.  Keen won comfortably 3-0.  Chris Bishop continues to impress, with a hard fought 3-2 victory at 3rd string over Peter Dixon.  Bishops' well rounded game and fitness make him a tough proposition for opponents.  However, a 3-0 win was on the card, until Bishop eased off to allow Dixon back into the match.  At 1st string, Chris Pullen struggled with a younger more powerful opponent, Gary Brown.  Pullen fought hard but was out played, losing 3-0.  Henley collected 6 points, but were disappointed not to win the tie.  The 3rd team are currently second in Division 5, and should gain promotion.
 
The 4ths were at home to Didcot 2nds and despite winning the first two matches of the evening lost the following 3 to end the evening with a disappointing result with Henley taking 6 points to Didcot's 13. The scores were (1) Alan Smallman 3 Graham Urquhart 0, (2) Jill Campion 3 Andy Morrison 0, (3) Paul Ireland 0 Graham Gossedge 3, (4) Dick Heath 0 Tim Speight 3, (5) James Gildersleve 0 Katherine Hoy 3.



6th June 2010
Henley first team continued their fine start to the summer season with a 5/0 (19/0) demolition of Harwell. This was a very one sided match and none of the Henley players were stretched at all, with both Simon Street and Ed Hopkins only dropping 1 point in both of their matches. None of the Henley players looked like dropping a game, although a spirited performance from Stefan Stanton’s opponent Bernard Chubb at 4th string was the closest to an upset as Stanton won the third game 9/7. The results were (1) Matt Marshall 3 Gary Preston 0, (2) Simon Street 3 Paul Bennett 0, (3) Harry Carr 3 Mark Bond 0, (4) Stefan Stanton 3 Bernard Chubb 0 and (5) Ed Hopkins 3 Trevor Howard 0. This result sees Henley remain in first place in Oxfordshire’s top division, with their 5th win out of 5. Next week’s match should be a closer encounter as Henley take on Wallingford , who have access to a couple of professionals at first and second strings.
 
Henley 2nds hosted Bicester and slipped to a 2-3 defeat. Richard Griffiths started the evening well with a powerful performance, winning easily,and Paul Sayers won his first game, however, apart from a well fought win from Derek Oswald, the rest of the team failed to take advantage of the good start and the scores were Henley 2nds 8 points Bicester 1sts 14 points (1) Chris Wallace 1 Nick Barnett 3, (2) Paul Sayers 1 Jon Childs 3, (3) Derek Oswald 3 Nick Watkins 1, (4) Steve Berger 0 Marc Nelson 3, (5) Richard Griffiths 3 Steve Horsman 0.
 
Henley 4ths had a bye week, but Henley 3rds hit top form with a 19 points to 3 win over rivals Brackley. Chris Pullen made a winning return to the team at 1st string after two weeks in America, team captain Pete Paddick played really well in a 3-nil win and Peter Hopkins played some of his best squash yet in a 3-1 win against his opponent. The scores were (1) Chris Pullen 3 Tony Summersgill 2 (6-9 9-2 10-8 2-9 9-6) , (2) Pete Paddick 3 Martin Hall 0 (9-4 9-6 9-2), (3) Alan Smallman 3 Kate Hardiman 0 (9-5 9-4 9-5), (4) Peter Hopkins 3 Adrian Swain 1 (10-8 9-0 3-9 9-1), (5) Paul Ireland 3 Andrew Bright 0 (9-1 9-0 9-3). The result takes the 3rd team to the top of Division 5



30th May 2010
Henley first team entertained Hithercroft this week and maintained their unbeaten run to win 4/1 (16/4). At one, Henley ’s Matt Marshall was no match for Ryan Thompson, losing 3/0 (2/9, 1/9, 0/9). Thompson is still playing the professional circuit and was far too fit and strong for Marshall, who put up little resistance. Whilst Marshall is a good county player and, when fit, can compete well against Thompson, Marshall struggled, having lost a lot of fitness recently. At two, Paul Johnson beat Andy Longman 3/0 (9/4, 9/2, 9/5). Whilst Longman has a very relaxed game, his casual approach didn’t cause too many problems for Johnson who always looked in control of the rallies and was prepared to work harder than his opponent. Simon Street played at three for Henley , nursing a calf strain. Street played the young Jack Turnell and won 3/0 (9/7, 9/1, 9/0). Turnell failed to capitalise on Street’s movement difficulties and, after a relatively close opening game, Street won the next two games comfortably, using his experience to keep his opponent at the back of the court. Harry Carr made hard work of his match at fourth string, caused mainly due to tennis elbow restricting his normal attacking style. Carr managed to scrape home the fourth game to take a gutsy 3/1 win (9/5, 8/10, 9/4, 10/8), enabling him to avoid retirement. At fifth string Stefan Stanton continued his fine form with a 3/0 victory (9/1, 9/1, 9/5) over Carey Sayer, Oxfordshire’s number one veteran player. Stanton is still to drop a game in this league and has helped strengthen the team, leading to 4 wins out of 4 and topping Oxfordshire’s top division.
 
Henley 2nd team suffered a close fought loss to Banbury 1st team in a week 4 match up.
First on for Henley at 3rd string Derek Oswald continued his fine run of form beating Nick Stanley 3-1. On at the same time, at 5th string, Henley's Paul Sayers struggled to get into the match against John Fleming and lost 3-0. Next on at 4th string Henley's Chris Bishop battled hard against an experienced shot player in Keith Dwyer but unfortunately lost 3-1.The last match of the day saw Henley 1st string Ed Hopkins outmaneuver  Michael Norton in a fast paced game with plenty of intense rallies. Hopkins went on to win the match a comfortable 3-0. Unfortunately for the 2nd team the overall match score was 3-2 to Banbury.
 
In Division 5 Henley 3rds hosted University 2nds.  Jackie Colvin returned to the teams after a long lay off, and looked in good form.  However her opponent, Kit Yates, had the stamina to keep running and retrieving.  Yates won a close 4th string match 3-2. Meanwhile in the 5th string match, Paul Ireland made short work of Stephen Cobbold, winning 3-0.  At 3rd string, Alan Smallman's winning run for Henley came to an end against Gabriel Rosser.  Rosser had the reflexes and speed to chase down the very tight volley drops Smallman plays, winning 3-1.  The warm court temperature didn't help Smallman's game, with the ball staying lively.  At 2nd string, Richard Griffiths won a lengthy battle against Martin Stokes 3-2.  Stokes started strongly, but began to fade, whereas Griffiths started slowly, and looked to get stronger as the match went on.  Steve Berger took on a familiar opponent, Miles Nunn, in the 1st string match.  Previous encounters had been marathon affairs, but Nunn dominated this one for a comfortable 3-1 win.  University won 3-2 taking 15 points to Henley's 10.
 
Henley 4ths were away at Castaways in Oxford and lost 1-4. The scores were
Castaways 16 points Henley 4ths 3 points (1) Peter McNeice 3 Peter Paddick 0, (2) Stephen Adcock 3 Peter Hopkins 0, (3) David Surrage 3 James Gildersleve 0, (4) Paul Bedford 0 James Little 3, (5) Bjorn Bowles 3 Richard Hopkins 0. Paddick was rusty in his first match back for a long time, Hopkins was outplayed, Gildersleve had a closer match than the score suggests, and Richie Hopkins was lacking in match play. 13 year old James Little showed how it should be done with an efficient win over an experienced opponent.



23rd May 2010
In Division 1, Henley travelled to Thame to play the league leaders in their third match of the summer season. Henley continued their unbeaten run, winning 3/2 (14/9) to leapfrog their opponents into second place behind new leaders Oxford Rackets. At first string for Henley , Berkshire Champion Paul Johnson took on the Bucks number two Tom Power. With a 10 year age gap, Johnson was unable to live with Power’s physical game and succumbed 3/0 in 30 minutes. At two, fresh from International duty for England at over 40’s, Simon Street was in confident mood as he took on Will John, Oxfordshire under 19’s county champion. Street avenged his winter season loss with an epic 3/1 win in 75 minutes, sealing the 4th game 9/8 on a stroke. With over 22 years difference in age Street had to use all his experience as he rolled back the years for a vintage result. Harry Carr played at third string for Henley , however his 2009 form hasn’t returned yet and he struggled against Dan Ford, an opponent he hasn’t lost to before. Losing 2/0 and 8/0 down Carr relaxed in the third game and played some exquisite squash to take the tie break 10/8. However, Ford regrouped for the start of the fourth and won it fairly easily to take the match 3/1, with Carr struggling to maintain his composure. At fourth string for Henley Stefan Stanton was too strong for Alex Noakes, a talented under 15’s England junior. Noakes is performing well at junior tournaments and has recorded some good wins in Oxfordshire’s top division too. But for now, Stanton is too strong and talented for his younger opponent to cause an upset – Stanton won comfortably 3/0 and was never really pushed hard. Ed Hopkins played at fifth string for Henley and recorded a gutsy 3/2 win against the experienced Dave Herron. Hopkins was ‘on the ropes’ at certain points in this match, but used his superior fitness and retrieving skills to excellent effect to muster a good win. Next week Henley entertain Hithercroft, with some more excellent matches expected as Hithercroft are expected to field the young professional Ryan Thompson at first string.
 
In Division 3 Henley Seconds return to triumphant form beating University 5-0. Roger Booker (5th string) headed on court first, and cruised into an unasailable lead over Phil Davison and won 3-0. Derek Oswald (4th string) meanwhilst took a while to acclimatise to his deceptively accurate opponent, Laurence Robb,  and dropped the first game, but then put up a defiant struggle to pull a 3-1 win confidently out the hat! Mark Hodgetts at 3rd string dispatched Miles Nunn in straight games 3-0. Paul Sayers at 2nd string dropped his first game against Tony Eaude, but then mastered his tricky opponent and didn't lose control of the game, winning 3-1. Last up, Chris Wallace at 1st string dominated his opponent Jaco Vermaak to cruise home to a comfortable 3-0 win.
 
The 3rds had no game, but Henley 4ths, hoping to continue a strong start to the season, hosted Hithercroft 3rds.  Paul Ireland took on James Bourne at 4th string.  Ireland was too fast and strong for his opponent, and won comfortably 3-0 9/3 9/6 9/0.  Meanwhile, at 3rd string Peter Hopkins took control of his match against Graham Taylor, going 2-0 up.  Taylor fought back as Hopkins eased his foot off the pedal.  Both players shared a similar style, but Hopkins had the determination and stamina to see through a hard fought match for a 3-2 win.  At 2nd string, Alan Smallman continued his fantastic form for the club with a 3-0 9/5 9/0 10/8 win over Ian Sharps.  Smallman employs an unorthodox style that can leave opponents bemused, much to Henley's benefit.  Finally, Richard Griffiths looked in good form at 1st string, overpowering and out-running Rob Devetta for a close 3-0 win.  Henley took all 19 points to Hithercroft's 2.



16th May 2010
In week two of the summer season Henley first team travelled to Shrivenham to take on Defence Academy , a team that finished in second place in the winter league, just 1 point above the late surging team from Henley . This week Henley continued their good start to the summer league with a good 4/1 victory (18/5).
 
At first string Matt Marshall recorded Henley’s only loss, with a disappointing performance against Adam Giles. Giles is a former international junior player and still plays at a decent level; however Marshall has never lost to him before and will be disappointed, especially with the way he played. Erratic play from Marshall , caused partly through lack of matches and partly through poor strategy, led to Giles taking the first two games and securing match ball at 8/4 in the 3rd. A spirited fight back from Marshall resulted in him saving numerous match balls and he eventually took the tie break. Marshall then won a tight fourth game and the crowd thought he had achieved another great escape. Unfortunately, Marshall ’s lack of concentration returned in the deciding game and Giles took another 8/4 lead. This time, despite another gutsy fight back, Giles closed out the final game 9/7 to take the match 3/2. At second string Simon Street played Wiltshire over 35’s number 1 Nigel Rowe. Street took a 2 game lead with precise and effective shot selection, although always expected a fight back from his ever gutsy opponent. As expected, Rowe raised the tempo at the start of the 3rd game and tried to draw Street into a more physical game. Rowe’s tactic succeeded and, with a nasty fall and a bad refereeing decision at a critical point, Street lost the 3rd game 9/7. However, Street’s game plan returned at the start of the 4th and he won it comfortably to record a good 3/1 win. At three, Stefan Stanton managed to dispose of David Ridgway 3/0 in a fairly one sided match. Whilst Ridgway looked far below his best, Stanton needed to demonstrate his composure and concentration having abandoned his car en-route and rely upon being picked up on the M4. At 4, despite being far from his peak, Harry Carr had too much skill for Darren O’Sullivan, winning 3/1. However, Carr still hasn’t recovered from a 4 month break and made many unforced errors and gave away too many un-necessary strokes. At 5 Ed Hopkins was far too strong for Mike Stannard, who normally plays for Defence Academy ’s second team. Stannard offered little resistance, although Hopkins had to maintain his composure to win 3/0 against an experienced opponent. With two wins out of two, Henley sit 3rd in Oxfordshire’s top division and travel to Thame next week to take on the league leaders.
 
Henley seconds entertained RAF Brize Norton...three cheers for our boys fighting in Afghanistan......and undeservedly lost. Chris Wallace at second string played Rob King in the opening match and despite his new found fitness Wallace could not quite get on top of his opponent losing 7/9,1/9,3/9. On the other court Derek Oswald at fourth string was gradually getting the better of Duncan"Donut" Smith and after a tense first game Smith had no answers for Oswald's superior power with the Henley man running out winner 10/8,9/4,9/4. Paul Sayers at third strking took on an ever improving Simon "Chubby" Chubb. Chubb was too strong and Sayers lost disappointingly 4/9,6/9,5/9. At first string Nigel Richardson on the other court was having a rare old tussle with Richie"the Fish" Pike. This match was extremely tight and the first two very even games were won by Richardson. The third game was even closer with Pike getting to 8/4 up before Richardson clawed his way back to 9/9. At that point, Richardson pulled his left calf and had to retire conceding the match. Richardson is likely to be out for several weeks thus weakening the team's chance of gaining promotion. Meanwhile on the other court Roger Booker at fifth string, despite starting with slightly pulled back muscles, was demolishing Steve"Fossie" Forster with a relatively easy win despite a tight second game 9/4,10/8,9/7. Henley 8 points   RAF Brize Norton 13 points.
 
Henley 3rds entertained Harwell 2nds and continued their good start to the season with a thumping win, 18 points to 4. At first string Mark Hodgetts was too aggressive for his opponent Ian Hawkins and won a match of short rallies. At 2nd string Steve Berger was suffering the after-effects of a company dinner cooked by a french chef and was not at his best against a tricky opponent, losing 9-6 4-9 10-8 4-9 8-9 to Brian Phillips. At 3rd string Chris Pullen made opponent Joe Davis work very hard and put Davis under a lot of pressure, winning 9-5 9-6 7-9 10-8. At 4th string Chris Bishop simply outplayed his opponent Adrian Foster, winning 9-5 10-9 9-7 using volleying and hard hitting. Finally at 5 Alan Smallman was simply too good for his opponent, defeating Paul Guilbert 9-2 9-5 9-0.
 
Henley 4ths travelled to Banbury to take on their 2nds. Paul Ireland got Henley off to a strong start with a comfortable win 3-0 9/5 9/4 9/0 against James Glanville in the 4th string match.  Meanwhile at 3rd string, Jill Campion struggled to get into her match against Adam Holtham, and duly lost a scrappy encounter 3-0 9/7 9/6 9/2. Richard Griffiths played Nick Stanley at 1st string. Griffiths competed well in patches, but looked tired and unable to sustain his challenge, losing 3-0. Dick Heath was untroubled at 5th string, beating Chris Rose 3-0 for the loss of just a few points. The tie was to be decided by the 2nd string match between  Peter Hopkins and Tim Harrington. Hopkins looked like having the better of the match, as he won the opening game and worked his opponent hard. But complacency led to a far harder match than expected, and a surprise defeat 3-1.Banbury won the tie 13-7.



10th May 2010
In their first match of the summer season, Henley first team entertained Abingdon, winners of the winter season. Henley recorded two wins out of two against their opponents in the winter league and got their summer campaign off to a good start with a 3/2 victory too (13/7).
 
Neither team were able to field their strongest players and, whilst Abingdon completed a tactical switch of their top two players, Henley always looked like they were going to win the tie. At fist string Paul Johnson had a comfortable win against Alan Horton 3/0 (9/2, 9/2, 9/4). Johnson was never challenged and able to stroll around the court finishing the rallies with obvious ease. At second string Simon Street took on Joe Brooke, an England under 15’s international. Street struggled with a slippery court in the first two games, giving his younger opponent a 2 nil lead. Changing his shoes for the third game, Street was able to compete and took the game to a tie break, before giving away two unnecessary strokes to lose the game 10/8 and the match 3/0 (2/9, 2/9, 8/10). Henley welcomed Harry Carr back to the team at third string. Carr has been skiing for the last 4 months in his gap year and has played little squash, however he was too good for Gavin Collins winning 3/1 (6/9, 9/5, 9/2, 9/4).  Stefan Stanton played a ‘lack lustre’ Gary Cross at fourth string and won comfortably. Despite holding a 7/0 lead, then an 8/2 advantage in the third game, Cross never looked a willing participant and caved in, losing the third game 10/9 for Stanton to win 3/0 (9/6, 9/0, 10/9). Ed Hopkins played at 5 for Henley , but was rather fatigued and battered after a recent American football match. Hopkins put up a spirited performance against Tom Welstead, a top county junior, but lost 3/0 (9/10, 2/9, 9/10). Next week Henley travel to Shrivenham to take on Defence Academy .
 
In Division 3, the 2nds made a great start to the new season at Wallingford. Nigel Richardson suffering from tweaked quad muscle from football a few days earlier was very quickly two games to love down against Morgan Pearce. However, after a couple of painkillers, supplied by the opposition, he dominated the last three games winning 6/9,1/9, 9/5, 9/6, 9/5. Paul Sayers comfortably defeated Steve East 9/2, 9/5, 9/4 and Chris Wallace despite breaking his strings partway through his game overcame Jon Nicolls 9/4, 9/5, 9/2. Mark Hodgetts also had a relatively easy time beating John Simmonds 9/4, 9/3, 9/2. Roger Booker started slowly against Andrew Rostrum, going behind after the first game but after some timely advice from the balcony was able to easily get past his opponent 4/9, 9/5, 9/4, 9/1. Henley 2nds 19 points Wallingford 2nds 3 points.
 
In Division 5, Henley 3rds travelled to Wantage to take on their 2nds. In the 5th string match, Peter Hopkins began proceedings against Andrew Day and looked superior in all departments winning 3/0 9-5, 9-6, 10-8. Meanwhile Chris Pullen took on Martin Mcauley in a very competitive 2nd string match. Mcauley kept a cool head to beat a fired up Pullen 3/1 9-4,5-9,9-2, 9-7.  Chris Bishop played Calum Clarke in the game of the evening. The 3rd string players had a 5 game epic, with Bishop taking the honours after a slow start. Clarke dominated the first two games until Bishop produced his finest squash since joining the club winning 3/2 6-9, 8-10, 9-3, 9-8, 9-2.  Richard Griffiths played Trevor Edlington in the 4th string match. Griffiths was too fast and powerful for his opponent, although a minor blip saw him drop the opening game 3/1 8-10, 9-5, 9-1, 9-0. Finally in the 1st string match, Steve Berger faced Neil Barson in another 5 game encounter. Berger controlled the opening 2 games winning 10-8, 9-6, but then lost focus, losing the next 3 games 9-5, 9-4, 9-5.  Henley won the tie taking 16 points to 9.

 
Henley 4ths entertained the Drifters for the 1st match of the summer season. First on court was James Gildersleve at 4th string, who despite losing the first game then outmanoevred his opponent for a reasonably comfortable 3-1 win. James Little at 5th string had a tight match against the experienced Dave Belcher. At 8-8 in the 5th it was anybody's match, but James kept a cool head to come through on the 3rd match point for a 3-2 victory. At 3 Dick Heath had an off night, being unable to exert any pressure on his opponent who cruised to a 3-0 win. Match of the night was at 2nd string where Paul Ireland just came up short, eventually losing 3-2 in a long gruelling match with many tight rallies. Paul went 2-0 up, coming from behind in each game, but was slowly reeled in, despite a great effort in the 5th which he finally lost 10-8. At 1 Alan Smallman's characteristic awkward style proved too much for his hard hitting but conventional opponent, and despite being hampered by a broken shoe, Alan rode out a fairly comfortable 3-1 win. A good start for the team, therefore, with a 3-2 win and 15 points.



19th April 2010
Henley first team entertained Abingdon this week and expected a backlash having beaten the league champions in the first half of the season. However, Abingdon could not field a full strength side and Henley recorded a memorable season double, winning 4/1 (16/3).
 
Whilst Abingdon’s normal first string was unavailable, they still brought Kristen Johnson , a young professional, who was too fit and strong for a jaded Matt Marshall. Marshall recorded Henley ’s only loss, losing 3/0 (9/0, 9/4, 9/2) and looked fatigued after a heavy week of squash fixtures. At two, Rick Weatherall was in a determined mood as he clinically disposed of the talented Guy Tupper 3/0 (9/1, 9/4, 9/4). Paul Johnson played at three for Henley and eased pass Gary Cross 3/0 (9/0, 9/3, 9/2). At four Simon Street played the young and talented Tom Wellstead, a top county junior player. Street used his experience to win fairly comfortably 3/0 (9/6, 9/7, 9/1). Abingdon also conceded a walk over at fifth string, failing to provide a player.
 
Henley 2nds travelled up to North Oxfordshire to play their round 1 match that had been cancelled due to snow in early January. With Henley already safe from relegation the score did not matter and this knowledge probably contributed to the result, with Henley slipping to a defeat  when they might have won. At first string Ed Hopkins was again in impressive form, taking a 2 nil lead over Darren Rix, but a shoulder injury caused Hopkins to ease off and Rix took full advantage. Derek Oswald played well for a 3-1 win, and Chris Wallace was impressive but just lost out 2-3. The scores were: North Oxfordshire 1st team 17 points Henley 2nd team 8 points (1) Darren Rix 3 Edward Hopkins 2, (2) Tim Dowling 3 Paul Sayers 0, (3) Tom Tuthill 3 Chris Wallace 2, (4) Andy Cummings 3 Mark Hodgetts 1, (5) Ian Davies 1 Derek Oswald 3.
 
Meanwhile Henley 3rds were due to play a snow-affected rearranged fixture against relegation threatened Abingdon 4ths, but Abingdon conceded the match as they were unable to raise a side and were penalised 10 points in accordance with rule 5.2, so Henley took all 19 points which lifted them up the table to 3rd, a bizarre end to the season in which relegation had been the fear for the early part. With one team pulling out of the league above Henley 3rds, there is a chance that 3 teams instead of 2 might be promoted to Division 4.
 
Henley 4ths had to play 2 snow-affected matches in one week, playing Castaways away on Oxford one day and Drifters at home the next. With no relegation from the bottom league Henley had the luxury of being able to field whichever side they wanted and therefore put out two completely different sides in order to give everyone a game. The scores were
Castaways 17 points Henley 4ths 7 points (1) Peter McNeice 3 Chris Pullen 1, (2) Stephen Adcock 3 Chris Bishop 1, (3) David Surrage 3 Peter Hopkins 1, (4) Paul Bedford 3 Jill Campion 1, (5) Stephen Thompson 1 Paul Ireland 3 and Henley 4ths 4 points Drifters 19 (1) Simon Stone 1 Mike Stepney 3, (2) Dick Heath 1 Kevin Edwards 3, (3) James Gildersleve 0 Alex Wales 3, (4) James Little 1 Paul Jewitt 3, (5) Richard Hopkins 1 David Belcher 3.



12th April 2010
In Division 1 of the Oxfordshire Squash Leagues, Henley1st team, now comfortably mid-table and free from any relegation worries after their excellent recent run of wins, faced doomed and winless Abingdon 2nds, and duly came away with maximum points. At first string Matt Marshall defeated Gavin Collins 3-0, whilst at 2 over 40s National Champion Rick Weatherall handed the same score to Adrian Carey. At 3, Ed Hopkins demonstrated his current excellent form defeating Rob Derbyshire 3-1. Henley now are 6 and 6 (6 wins 6 losses) and Abingdon 2nds are 0 and 13.
 
Just outside the relegation zone in Division 2, Henley 2nds meanwhile travelled to Abingdon to play Harwell 1sts, in the week after Easter when all 3 other matches in the Division were cancelled due to clubs not having enough players available. Henley themselves were missing almost all their regular 2nd team players and fielded an unfamiliar team, who gave a battling performance but duly lost quite heavily. The Henley players were mostly called up from the 3rd team who play in Division 5, and were stretched by having to play up 3 divisions. Chris Pullen distinguished himself, taking a game off his opponent. However despite this drubbing the 2nd team are safe from relegation as they have 106 points and 2 games in hand whilst the team below - Brize Norton - have only 90 points and have no more matches to play. Bottom club Esporta 2nds have two games in hand but are stranded with only 59 points and cannot catch Henley. The scores were
HAR1 (19) HEN2 (1) (1) Gary Preston 3 Chris Wallace 0, (2) Bernard Chubb 3 Chris Pullen 1, (3) Fiona McClean 3 Chris Bishop 0, (4) James Henshaw 3 Simon Stone 0, (5) Trevor Howard 3 Richard Griffiths 0.
 
In Division 5, a very under-strength Henley 3rds travelled Chipping Norton with only 4 players because of the Easter holiday, and got thoroughly beaten by a very fit side. The Henley 3rds had to borrow players from the 4th team as the usual 3rds were playing for the 2nds. Peter Hopkins played at 1, Dick Heath at 2, Richard Hopkins at 3 and David Dalzell made his team debut at 4, and they all lost 3 nil, but the team are safe in the league after their wobbly start to the season, 
 
Henley 4ths achieved a rare victory over highly placed Lord Williams. The evening started badly with 4th string Duncan Nightingale losing 3-0. Making his debut at 2nd string, Alan Smallman then had the match of the evening, overcoming near exhaustion to outplay his opponent Adrian Pipkin to win 3-2. At 1st string Jill Campion lost 3-0 to an accurate Lord Williams opponent, Eddie Smythe. On the other court, 3rd string Paul Ireland had a comfortable match, winning 3-1. The evening then hinged on the final match, where another debutant 5th string Andy Ball won 3-2, despite having played 5-a-side football for an hour just before the match. The scores were HEN4 (13) LWS1 (11) (1) Jill Campion 0 Eddy Smythe 3, (2) Alan Smallman 3 Adrian Pipkin 2, (3) Paul Ireland 3 Michael Cooke 1, (4) Duncan Nightingale 0 John Avery 3, (5) Andy Ball 3 Andy Bennett 2.



5th April 2010
Henley travelled to Wallingford this week, a player short and faced strong opponents. Wallingford fielded two professional players and 3 county players, beating Henley 5/0 (19/4), but things may have been different if Henley could have fielded their full team.
 
At first string National over 40’s champion Rick Weatherall played well against former world top 40 Scott Handley. However, Handley was too solid and fit for Weatherall and managed to win 3/0, despite some classy play from Weatherall. At two, Berkshire Champion Paul Johnson took on England over 35’s number one Clive Ewins. Johnson played well and competed in each game, but Ewins was too fit and fast and also won 3/0. Third string saw Oxfordshire over 35’s Simon Street take on Berkshire over 35’s Steve Dodridge. Street and Dodridge always have very close and hard fought games and this was no exception. Street led 2/1 and should have closed out the match, but Dodridge played extremely well at the end of the match to win 3/2. At four, Henley’s Stefan Stanton won the first 2 games against Berkshire over 35’s Steve Brackley. Unfortunately, like last time they played, Brackley managed to live with Stanton’s early pace and won the next 3 games to grind out a 3/2 victory, as Stanton’s fitness faded. At fifth string, an ill Ed Hopkins took on Oxfordshire over 45’s number one Russell Roles. If both players had been fit and well this would have been a close match, but Hopkins condition meant Roles was able to win 3/0 playing a steady game with few unforced errors. Next week Henley number 1 Matt Marshall returns as they entertain bottom of the league Abingdon seconds, hoping for a return to winning ways.
 
Henley 2nds hosted Hithercroft 1st and lost 5 nil although there were some very close matches and it could have gone the other way.The scores were Henley 6 points Hithercroft 19 (1) James Quinn 2 Jack Turnell 3, (2) Nigel Richardson 2 Kevin Turnell 3, (3) Paul Sayers 2 Carey Sayer 3, (4) Mark Hodgetts 0 Mark Shand 3, (5) Roger Booker 0 Hugh Sayer 3.
 
In Division 5, Henley 3rds hosted Carterton in a relegation clash.  Richard Griffiths got Henley off to a good start with a 3-0  9/0 10/8 9/3 victory at 5th string against Robin Longson.  Griffiths has finally found his best form at the end of the season.  Chris Bishop started slowly against Tim Beckett, but comprehensively turned the match around to win 3-0 9/7 9/0 9/2.  Chris Pullen took on fellow veteran Brian Keen in a keenly fought 3rd string contest.  Keen took the opening game, but there after Pullen controlled the match for 3-1 4/9 9/5 9/2 10/9 win.  The match saw some controversial moments, but the better player won on the night.  At 2nd string, Steve Berger started well against Gary 'the retriever' Webb, winning the opening game 9/4.  Webb kept running and retrieving, and mistakes crept into Berger's game. In a match which saw some gruelling rallies, Webb finished the stronger, for a 3-1 victory 4/9 9/7 9/6 9/4.  Chris Wallace at 1st string barely broke sweat beating Michael Cox 3-0 9/1 9/6 9/4. Wallace did however manage to break his very expensive racket during the very first point of the match. Henley took 17 much needed points, to Carterton's 4. The 3rds should stay in Division 5, and with consistent performances, could challenge for promotion next season.
 
Henley 4ths travelled up to Banbury West End Club to play Banbury 2nds and recorded an excellent 3-2 win. Simon Stone lost 2-3 at one, but Jill Campion, Paul Ireland,and James Gildersleve all won at 2,3 and 4. Richie Hopkins was unwell and lost at 5th string.



29th March 2010
This week Henley first team entertained Thame 1 in what always looked like a tight encounter. Unfortunately, Henley’s winning run came to an abrupt end as they lost 3/2 (13/9).
 
On first, Henley’s number 5 Stefan Stanton played Alex Noakes, a highly ranked English junior, aged just 14. Fortunately for Stanton , Noakes is not able to live with the pace or physical side of the men’s game yet and Stanton won comfortably 3/0 (9/7, 9/1, 9/3). However, it won’t be long before Noakes has grown into a more formidable opponent and able to compete properly in this league. On the opposite court, Henley’s number two Rick Weatherall clinically disposed of Doug Struthers 3/0 (9/0, 9/3, 9/0). At four, Dave Weston took the opening game against Dan Ford 9/6. However, Ford came out for the start of the second game firing on all cylinders and took the next 3 games - Weston losing 3/1 (9/6, 0/9, 3/9, 4/9). At third string, Simon Street played 18 year old Will John, another highly ranked Junior. Whilst Street was hampered by an injury to his playing hand, restricting his racket control, John has improved significantly recently and was too fit and consistent, winning 3/0 (9/5, 9/7, 9/2). With the match tied at two apiece, the first string match was the deciding rubber. At one for Henley , Matt Marshall played Tom Power in an enthralling encounter. Marshall and Power are very evenly matched and play each other regularly, being Bucks numbers 2 and 3. Whilst not orthodox or traditional squash, their match was extremely open and attacking, with some brutal rallies. At two games each, Marshall looked like he had clinched a vital lead to take the tie and the match for Henley . Trailing 6/2, Power looked exhausted and had started to succumb to some unforced errors. Amazingly, and disappointedly for Henley, Power managed to muster up some important reserves and managed to take the next 7 points without reply to take the match 3/2 (4/9, 9/4, 6/9, 9/6, 6/9). It was unfortunate for Marshall and Henley that someone had to lose this fascinating match. Next week, Henley travel to Wallingford for another tough encounter.
 
Henley Squash Club second team travelled to RAF Brize Norton to play some of the country's heroes from the Afghanistan and Iraq fiascos. Henley showed no mercy, crushing the opposition 18 points to 5. James Quinn on his return to the team made a substantial difference overcoming the skillful Richie "The Fish" Pike 9/5, 9/4, 6/9, 9/5 in a thrilling encounter. Ed Hopkins played despite being a little under the weather but was too consistent for the ever improving Simon "Chubby" Chubb 9/5, 9/7, 9/4. Nigel Richardson somewhat surprisingly lost 9/7, 5/9, 5/9, 9/3, 3/9 to Rob James in a ding dong battle. Richardson was clearly the fitter of the two players but his superior running could not counteract James's deft drops, trickle boasts and varied game. Derek Oswald unexpectedly dropped one game against Duncan "Dunky" Smith in a routine win 9/5, 4/9,9/6, 9/4. Roger Booker on one of his rare appearances for the 2nd team managed to defeat his much younger opponent parachutist Steve "Fossie" Forster 9/7,10/8, 9/4 in a game where Booker's tricky shots and recovery skills managed to overcome a very fit opponent who spent most of the game running from corner to corner. After a disappointing start to the season,this victory makes the teams survival in the second division of the Oxfordshire intra county leagues almost certain.
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Bicester to take on their 1sts.  Bicester's team have won every match they have played in Division 5, and unfortunately for Henley, that record stayed intact.  Brothers Jamie and Nick Barnett were too good for Chris Wallace and Steve Berger, both winning their matches comfortably 3-0.  At 3rd string Chris Pullen did well to get a game on the board against Nick Watkins, but faded for a 3-1 loss.  Chris Bishop might have done better against Marc Nelson, but left it too late to challenge his opponent, who only just scraped the 3rd game for a 3-0 win.  Richard Griffiths managed to take care of Matt Symons in the 5th string match 3-0, to ensure Henley picked up 4 valuable points.  Bicester took 16 points, and as a result have won the Division.  Henley should avoid relegation, but need a good result against Carterton in their next match.
 
Henley 4ths hosted Wantage 2nds, and lost 1-4. The scores were
Henley 7 points  Wantage  16 (1) Simon Stone 0 Chris Ayres 3, (2) Jill Campion 1 Neil Barson 3, (3) Paul Ireland 1 Andrew Day 3, (4) James Gildersleve 2 Calum Clark 3, (5) James Little 3 Trevor Edlington 0.



22nd March 2010
Henley first team travelled north to play Defence Academy at Shrivenham, in Oxfordshire’s top division. Defence Academy went into the match as favourites, sitting third in the league, but the Henley players were in confident form having secured 4 wins in a row in recent weeks. On the night Henley secured their fifth win in succession, beating Defence Academy 4/1 (17/8).
 
At first string Buckinghamshire’s Matt Marshall played his normal game against Adam Giles, a former young England International. Marshall stroked the ball effortlessly around the court with superb touch, sublime use of disguise and excellent recovery skills. However, poor concentration resulted in Marshall losing the first two games by small margins. The result was never in doubt though, as Marshall regrouped at the start of the third game and took the next 3 games for the loss of just 4 points. At two, Berkshire’s Paul Johnson had a point to prove as he took on the 17 year old Rory Birtwhistle who he had lost to badly at Christmas. Johnson managed to avenge his previous loss with a credible 3/1 win, with experience being the most significant factor on the night. Oxfordshire’s Simon Street played at three for Henley and was in fine form, disposing of Julian Becket 3/0 in under 30 minutes. Having been injured at the start of the season, Street’s form and fitness are back to his previous level. Shrivenham have strength in depth and Stefan Stanton had a tough match at fourth string against the gutsy Nigel Rowe. Stanton put up a spirited performance, but lost 3/1. Rowe’s pace and a lack of unforced errors were the key difference, but Stanton looks like his fitness is starting to return to its previous level, which is encouraging for Henley . At five, Ed Hopkins played one of his best matches for Henley to beat the talented Dave Ridgway 3/2. Hopkins dominated the first two games; however let his opponent back in the match losing the 3rd and 4th. Hopkins raised his game in the decider and reverted to attack mode and never let his opponent back in.
 
Henley are now 5th in the league, with 1 game in hand over the two teams immediately above them. If Henley could field their strongest team each week they would have a good chance of winning this league. However, a weak start to the season, caused by injuries and player absences, meant they lost their first 4 matches and cost them any chance of taking the title. Their goal now is a mid table finish and a new target of winning the summer league.
 
The 2nds were at home to Defence Academy 2nd Team and broke their losing spell with a 4-1 victory. Chris Wallace went on first playing 5th string against Rich Bailey. Wallace won 3-0 after a nail biting first 2 games. Derek Oswald (4th string) played Brian Bell and after losing the first two games Oswald dug in deep and pulled a 3-2 win out of the jaws of defeat! Mark Hodgetts (3rd string) went up against Nev Buckle, but unfortunately he lost 1-3 managing to at least pull back one game. Nigel Richardson (2nd string) comfortably beat Derek Bray 3-0 in a classic return to strength. James Quinn (1st string) out-performed Darren O'Sullivan to produce another 3-0 victory after a slightly rusty start in the first game - must have been all that marathon running! Henley 2nds now move out of the relegation zone in the second division.
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Thame to take on Racquets 4ths. At 5th string, Peter Hopkins took on Jeremy Deeke. Deeke overpowered Hopkins in the 1st game, but improved serving and better tactics saw Hopkins seize control of the match, for a comfortable 3-1 win 5/9 9/6 9/3 9/1. At 3rd string, Chris Bishop played Stephen Dearing. Bishop won the opening game 9/0, but lost the next two games in tie breaks. Bishop then started to play more drop shots, and had the better of the next two games, even surviving a late injury scare to win 3-2 9/0 8/10 8/10 9/2 9/7. Richard Griffiths started well against Gary Ekerold in the 4th string match, taking a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately a combination of a niggling injury, breaking strings and poor concentration saw Griffiths subside 3-2 9/6 9/6 3/9 3/9 1/9. Chris Pullen struggled in the 2nd string match against Neil Medland losing 3-0 9/7 9/3 9/3. Pullen played at a higher string than normal, and made little impression on a quality opponent. Roger Booker took on Ben Terry in the 1st string match. Booker frustrated his hugely powerful opponent with some deception and unorthodoxy, but could not control the match long enough for the win.  In an enjoyable match, Terry won 3-2 5/9 9/4 10/9 7/9 9/6.  Racquets won the tie 3-2 and scored 16 points to Henley's 10. Henley look set to finish mid table in a very competitive Division 5.
 
In Division 7, Henley 4ths hosted Gladiators and lost 1-4, The scores were (1) Simon Stone 1 Richard Hall 3, (2) Jill Campion 0 Neil Boston 3, (3) Paul Ireland 2 Peter Beasley 3, (4) Dick Heath 3 Chris Mead 0, (5) James Gildersleve 2 Martin Langton 3.



8th March 2010
In the Berkshire leagues, Henley Veterans entertained Burghfield veteran seconds and won comfortably 4 matches to 1. Tony Wheeler at 1st string was far too strong for Richard "Dickie" May and his superior racquet skills gave him an easy ride 9/0, 9/0, 9/3. Trevor Cox at 2nd string after a very wobbly start came back strongly in the normal TC style to eventually overwhelm Graeme Langley 2/9,9/1,9/4,9/2. We wish TC well in his serious operation to be done 2 days after the match which will keep him off the court for up to 6 weeks. Richard Kellagher in the team's only loss for the night had a torrid time against Wayne"Willie" Williams and most of his shots finished up on the tin losing 5/9,5/9,8/10. Roger Booker in what was the match of the night overcame "Gorgeous" George Berry 10/9,10/9,9/0 with heavy use of his much maligned reverse angle shot. Steve Berger was much too good for Brian Fielding winning easily 9/2, 9/5, 9/6. This result keeps Henley in second place in the Division behind Wellington 2. 
 
In the Oxfordshire leagues, Henley 1sts were due to face Esporta 1sts but Esporta had problems fielding a team and Henley were awarded a walk-over 19 points to nil which helps the team to climb away from the relegation zone.
 
Henley 2nds travelled to Oxford to play Esporta 2nds, but lost 13 points to 7. The scores were(1) Stewart Licudi 3 Stefan Stanton 0, (2) James Noble 3 Edward Hopkins 0, (3) Joshua Tipping 0 Mark Hodgetts 3, (4) Chris Waldron 3 Derek Oswald 1, (5) Sam Hunter 0 Chris Wallace 3.
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Abingdon to take on Harwell 2nds. Both teams needed points to steer clear of the relegation zone.  At 5th string Peter Hopkins played Paul Guilbert. Guilbert took a comfortable 2-0 game lead, before Hopkins woke up and became more competitive. Tied at 2-2, the game entered the decider, where Hopkins held match point at 8-7, but could not convert after a gruelling rally. Guilbert finished off a tired Hopkins 10-8 for a 3-2 win. Richard Griffiths had a routine 9/0 9/3 1/9 9/4 3-1 win against Joe Davis, and should have not dropped a game. Chris Pullen at 2nd string ran into a difficult opponent Ian Hawkins. Hawkins played an intelligent game of tight drops and volleys, leaving Pullen stranded. Hawkins won 3-0. Chris Bishop took on Brian Phillips at 3rd string. Phillips, a classy veteran, had too much guile for Bishop, who struggled to find any rhythm in a game of few rallies. Phillips won 3-2 6/9 9/5 9/7 7/9 9/3.  Finally at 1st string, Steve Berger continued his fine form against John Fernandez with a 3-1 6/9 9/1 9/0 9/5 win.  Berger dropped the first game, but never looked in danger. Harwell won the tie 3-2 and took 15 points to Henley's 10.  Henley are just above the relegation zone with a game in hand over most of the other teams.
 
Henley 4ths hosted 2nd-in-the-table Castaways and lost 1-4. At first string, still jet-lagged from a business trip to Asia, Simon Stone played well against a very good oppponent Aymeric Ozoux losing 0-9, 4-9, 5-9. At 2nd string Paul Ireland battled well against skilful Peter McNeice but lost 6-9 2-9 9-6 1-9. At 3rd string Dick Heath outwitted opponent David Surrage for 2 and a half games with clever drop shots but then his opponent began to read them, losing 10-8 9-5 7-9 1-9 1-9. At 4th string 12 year old James Little encountered Paul Bedford who showed his determination in the 1st game with a full length dive to retrieve a ball, and Bedford's raw determination and greater power overwhelmed Little as he lost 7-9 4-9 0-9. Finally at 5th string 13 year old Richard Hopkins got the only win of the evening as he overcame experienced opponent Steven Thompson 9-3 9-3 7-9 9-1.



1st March 2010
Henley first team travelled to Abingdon for the second week in a row, this time to take on their first team who were top of league 1. Abingdon were short of a couple of first team players and crucially one of their professionals was unavailable, enabling Henley to record a valuable 3/2 victory (14/6).
 
Henley fielded its top three players, with Bucks' Matt Marshall at 1, England over 40s British Champion Rick Weatherall at 2 and Berkshire County Champion Paul Johnson at 3. Despite an encouraging opening game, Marshall put up little resistance in the second and third games against Mark Cairns and lost 3/0. Cairns, a former world top 10 player and undoubtedly the world’s best over 40’s player, was far too strong and fit for Marshall. Weatherall disposed of Guy Tupper comfortably at second string 3/0, with Tupper looking to be struggling for fitness as he failed to cope with Weatherall’s consistent attack and disguise shots. At 3, in what turned out to be the deciding match, Paul Johnson beat the petulant junior Joe Brooke 3/0. Johnson was on fine form and never looked troubled, against an opponent who failed to appreciate the irony of some Johnson’s play as he imploded. Simon Street was too strong for Gary Cross at 4th string and won comfortably 3/0. At 5, an ‘under the weather’ Stefan Stanton failed to deliver his best game and lost 3/0 to Tom Wellstead. Stanton will be disappointed with this result and will be keen to make amends next week as Henley play Esporta Oxford at home.
 
In division 2, struggling Henley 2nds hosted top of the table North Oxfordshire and nearly pulled off a sensational win. On first, 5th string Derek Oswald played good solid squash to defeat grumbling opponent Ian Davies 3-0 (10-8, 9-1, 9-0), but 4th string Mark Hodgetts encountered a very good in-form opponent in Andy Cummings and lost 0-3. With the match balanced at 1 match all, 3rd string Paul Sayers took the court and put up a good fight, losing the first game 7-9 and lost the match 0-3. Ed Hopkins then came on at 1st string against North Oxfordshire's top player Darren Rix, who had beaten Hopkins 3-0 last time they played. Hopkins's improved fitness from his training regime for Amercican Football paid dividends as he came back from 1-2 down to defeat Rix easily in the 4th and 5th games, to win 3-2 (7-9, 9-0, 7-9, 9-4, 9-6), Rix's talent and skillful deception being no match for the relentless fast pace and good length shots of 18 year old Hopkins. Opponents find it hard to develop a winning shot against Hopkins as he gets almost everything back. With the score standing at 2 matches all, it was all down to the final 2nd string match between Nigel Richardson and Tim Dowling. Richardson played well, taking the first game 9-5, but he then felt unwell, not being completely over his recent illness and despite giving his best effort he succumbed 1-3 and North Oxfordshire went home with a 3-2 win, leaving Henley still in the relegation zone, but valuable points were picked up against the top club. 
 
Relegation threatened Henley 3rds hosted Abingdon 4ths in a must-win match and thankfully took all 19 points on offer as they recorded their best win of the season. The scores were
Henley 19 points Abingdon 3 (1) Chris Wallace 3 Bobby Pearson 1, (2) Roger Booker 3 Matthew O’Hare 1, (3) Steve Berger 3 Josh Allen 0, (4) Chris Pullen 3 Alan Gilmour 1, (5) Chris Bishop 3 Craig Ross 0. This magnificent result lifts the team to mid-table in one bound.
 
Henley 4ths travelled to Abingdon to play Drifters, and nearly sneaked a win. James Gildersleve started proceedings with a stirring win at 5th string, against Mike Bartlam, digging deep to win 9-2, 5-9, 2-9, 9-0, 9-6. Paul Ireland went on next at 3rd string and was too strong for his erratic but talented opponent Alex Wales, winning 9-4, 9-1, 5-9, 10-9, Ireland raising his game to see off his opponent's fight back in the 3rd and 4th games. Meanwhile 4th string Dick Heath suffered a back strain in the first game and retired hurt, 3-9 retired. Jill Campion went on at 2nd string and nearly overcame experienced and canny opponent  Kevin Edwards, but faded in the 4th and 5th games as she lost 9-4, 6-9, 9-5, 2-9, 2-9, but picked up two valuable points for the team. All hope now rested on 1st string Peter Hopkins, but his opponent Mile Stepney was one of the best players in the division and was too strong, Hopkins putting up a gallant fight with some clever retrieving, losing 5-9, 4-9, 5-9. Drifters took 16 points to Henley's 8. 



22nd February 2010
In the top tier of Oxfordshire Squash, Henley firsts travelled to Abingdon and white-washed their second team 5/0 (19 points to nil) to record their first win in 5 matches this season. Each Henley player was far too strong for their Abingdon opponents, with no-one losing a game and most games were extremely one sided. The results were: (1) Matt Marshall 3 Jimmy Brooke 0 (2) Rick Weatherall 3 Tom Wellstead 0 (3) Simon Street 3 Adrian Carey 0 (4) Stefan Stanton 3 Doug Terry 0 (5) Ed Hopkins 3 Jack Cheung 0. This result still leaves Henley in the relegation zone, 17 points behind Oxford Rackets, but crucially with 2 matches in hand. However, Henley will do well to get some valuable points next week as they again travel to play Abingdon’s first team which contains professional and county players.
 
In Division 2 Henley 2nds were at home to fellow strugglers Harwell 1sts but slipped to another defeat. The scores were Henley 2nds 8 points Harwell 1sts 16 (1) James Quinn 2 Gary Preston 3, (2) Paul Sayers 0 Paul Bennett 3, (3) Derek Oswald 0 Mark Bond 3, (4) Chris Wallace 3 Bernard Chubb 2, (5) Nigel Richardson 3 James Henshaw 1. Richardson's win at 5 was a good win, after coming back from illness, and Wallace earned an impressive win at 4th string.
 
In Division 5 Henley 3rds hosted Chipping Norton 2nds in round 7. Chipping Norton made the unusual request to play a higher ranked player at a lower level, due to feeling 'unwell'. At 4th string, Chris Bishop took on the unwell Roy Williams. After a competitive first game which could have gone either way, Williams won comfortably for a 3-0 result 9/7 9/1 9/3. At 5th string Richard Griffiths fought out a 3-1 8/10 9/5 9/6 9/6 victory over Michael Howes in an enjoyable, but unskillful match. Chris Pullen struggled to cope with the all round game of Richard Wilkins in the 3rd string match. Wilkins won comfortably 3/0 9/2 9/6 9/5. Steve Berger continued his excellent form with a battling 3-1 9/3 7/9 9/6 9/1 win over Paul Jacobs in the 2nd string match.  Berger took the first game easily enough, and was well up in the second game before Jacobs played his finest squash to square the match 1-1. Berger refocused to take the next two games, the final game for the loss of just one point.The match saw some entertaining rallies and a healthy competitive spirit between the players. Roger Booker took on Dave Jameson in the 1st string match. Booker played well in patches, and perhaps on another day could have had the better of his opponent. Unfortunately for Booker and Henley it was Jameson that took the honours on this occasion 3-2 5/9 9/4 9/7 3/9 9/4. Henley now sit in the relegation zone and need to have a good second half of the season to beat the drop.
 
In Division 7 Henley 4ths were away at Thame and picked up 5 points against a strong team, with James Little following his maiden win last week with another battling performance for adult team, gaining Henley's only win. The scores were Lord Williams School 1st team 17 points Henley 4ths 5 points (1) Richard Showan 3 Jill Campion 0, (2) Adrian Pipkin 3 Paul Ireland 1, (3) Neil Rose 3 Dick Heath 1, (4) Michael Cooke 3 James Gildersleve 0, (5) Carol Howes 1 James Little 3.



15th February 2010
Henley 1sts, who are battling to stay afloat in the Premier league this season due to an outflow and the unavailability of players, faced top of the league Wallingford. Henley needed points from this game but were under no illusion of the huge task at hand when Wallingford turned up with close to their strongest line-up. At no.1 Matt Marshall faced the league's strongest player in Scott Handley, and despite putting up some early resistance, succumbed to a comfortable 3-0 (1-9, 0-9, 5-9)  to the world top 50 standard player who plays at a pace and accuracy that non-professionals simply can’t compete with. At no.2 Wallingford had another seasoned professional in Clive Ewins who took on Paul “The Monk” Johnson. Another comfortable 3-0 (1-9 3-9 0-9)  to Wallingford as Ewins dominated the match despite some long contested rallies. With Henley again missing three of their first team (2 due do the national championships), things were looking bleak. Up stepped the promoted Dave Weston to save the day, playing some consistent back hand volley nicks, his younger opponent (Ben Burbank) succumbing by three games to one (10-8 9-10 9-3 9-5). While Weston was conducting heroics, unfortunately on the other court Jeremy Baker - another promoted player, was going down to a comfortable 3 love loss to Wallingford stalwart Steve Dodridge (2-9 2-9 4-9). Baker played well and competed, but Dodridge had too much experience and racket control on the day. That was the match gone for Henley, but at no.5 there were still 3 important points to play for. Stefan Stanton and Wallingford’s Steve Brackley put on the most competitive and entertaining match of the night, with Brackley playing with his usual casual style, and Stanton retrieving well and counterattacking. Stanton managed to get 2-1 up and reached match ball in a 4th game tiebreak, but it wasn’t to be as Brackley saved it and then raced through to take the 5th (8-10 9-1 9-0 9-10 6-9). So 5 points only for Henley, but considering the absentees and the strength of the opposition things could have been worse. With Rick Weatherall and captain Simon Street returning, Henley may well survive if their strongest side can turn out for the remainder of the season.
 
Henley 2nds travelled to Wallingford to face to the Hithercroft 1st team. Unfortunately the match up proved to be the 2nd's worst loss of the season. On first at no.1 string Henley's Ed Hopkins took on the much improved Jack Turnell. Unable to cope with his opponents excellent court coverage and fitness, Hopkins lost the first two games 9-2 9-3. The third game proved to be much closer but ended in the same way with the game going 10-8 to Turnell in a tie breaker. The next match saw Henley 4th string Derek Oswald take on Mark Shand. From the first game onwards Oswald struggled to deal with his talented opponent's vast array of shots and went on to lose to 9-1 9-4 9-0. Next on Henley's 3rd string Mark Hodgetts faced Alan Steptoe. Despite a close first game Hodgetts couldn't cope with Steptoe's controlled length game which trapped him in the corners. Steptoe went on to win the match 9-7 9-4 9-3. The next match on was Henley's 2nd Paul Sayers against Kevin Turnell. Coincidently Turnell had an almost indentical result to his son Jack winning 9-3 9-2 10-8. On last Henley's 5th string Roger Booker faced Hithercroft's Justin Hamilton-Martin in a battle to salvage a point for the Henley team. Booker heroically salvaged some pride for Henley by winning the first game 9-6. Unfortunately his younger opponent went on to step up his game and take the next three games 9-2 9-1 9-3.
 
Henley 3rds made the trip to Carterton to take on their 1sts.  At 1st string Chris Wallace played Richard Lonsdale.  Wallace somehow won the first game after giving his opponent an 8-0 start.  At times, Wallace looked the superior player, but Lonsdale volleyed and dropped tremendously throughout, and was more consistent.  Lonsdale won the match 3-1 8/10 10/8 9/3 9/7.  Meanwhile, Chris Pullen at 2nd string took on Gary Webb.  Pullen did well to get a game on the board against a younger, fitter, faster opponent, but could not sustain his challenge.  Webb won the match 3-1 3/9 9/2 9/1 9/7.  Richard Griffiths at 4th string started well against Brian Keen, but seemed to run out of steam and lose concentration.  Keen's serving and experience was too much for Griffiths, who remains out of form.  Keen won 3-2 0/9 10/8 9/5 3/9 9/1.  Peter Hopkins faced Peter Dixon at 5th string.  Although Hopkins played some excellent winners, it was not enough against a slightly superior opponent.  Dixon won 3-1 9/3 9/5 6/9 9/4. Finally, at 2nd string, Steve Berger demolished Michael Cox 3-0 9/3 9/7 9/2.  Berger had several previous victories over his opponent, and looked confident and unfazed throughout.  Carterton won the tie 16-8.  Henley 3rds are flirting with relegation, but have much room for improvement and should avoid the drop.
 
Henley 4th's put in an inspired home performance against the visitors from Banbury.
Winning with consummate ease, the Henley 4ths brushed aside the opposition storming to a 5-0 victory with only one game being dropped.This was by far the best team performance for some time. 12 year old James Little playing 5th string had the hardest match winning 3-1. Little showed a maturity well beyond his years holding his nerve after losing the first game to 4-9, he held his concentration to win the next three 9-4, 9-0, 9-2, an impressive performance. Dick Heath playing 4th string played a very tight match with his characteristically deft drop shots to take his match 3-0. Heath took the first with ease 9-1, his opponent made a tentative comeback in the second but Heath prevailed 9-6, while the third was a formality 9-3. Simon Stone played 2nd string and had a very comfortable victory, looking very calm and determined he took the first two games 9-0, 9-0 and wrapped up the third 9-3. Paul Ireland played 3rd string and put in his usual gutsy performance, taking the first game with ease 9-0 he capitalised to take the second game 9-0, his opponents will broken, he finished off in style winning the third 9-0. At first string Chris Bishop put in a commanding performance, but he was made to work hard for his victory. Taking the first game 9-4 his opponent put in a determined fight, Bishop showed his class, stepping up the pace and quality when required and despite some enthusiastic running from the opposition Bishop took the final two games 9-0, 9-0.



8th February 2010
Henley first team travelled to Thame to play Racquets Club, but were beaten comfortably 4 games to 1 (16 points to 5). At one Matt Marshall faced his fellow Bucks first team player, Tom Power, losing 3/0. Marshall struggled, having not played for a few weeks and Power is a player you have to be 100% prepared for, as he is too fit and solid. At two, Rick Weatherall disposed of Doug Struthers 3/0 with ease. Weatherall has been in training for the Nationals and is in good form, completely outplaying his opponent in every department and only dropping a few points. At three, Simon Street continued to shield an injured ankle and did not have the fitness to compete against Will John, losing 3/0. Ed Hopkins played at 4 for Henley and, despite two tie breaks, lost 3/1 to the talented Tom White. At 5, James Quinn lost 3/1 to Dan Ford. Ford was too consistent for Quinn, who failed to dominate his opponent and got punished for holding too far back. Henley have now played 3 and lost 3 in the second half of the season. Standing in 7th position in Oxfordshire’s top division, they are a long way off of last season’s standard and will need to regroup fast if they want to avoid relegation.
 
The 2nds were at home against RAF Brize Norton 1st team, and gained a much needed victory. At one Henley new recruit Stefan Stanton defeated Simon Williams 3 nil (9-0 7-3 retired), as Williams struggled with an injury, but Stanton showed a clinical excellence in disposing of his opponent. At 2, Paul Sayers lost a nail-biter to Rob King 2-9, 9-5, 1-9, 9-3, 7-9, whilst at 3 Henley's other recent recruit Mark Hodgetts scraped past Simon Chubb 2-9, 9-5, 9-2, 3-9, 10-9 in an entertaining match. At 4 Derek Oswald was too strong for Jason Sparkes, winning 9-6, 3-9, 9-6, 9-6, whilst in the 5th string match up Roger Booker encountered little resistance in a straightforward 3 nil win. Henley won the tie 4 matches to one and advance up the table to 4th despite having missed 2 matches to snow early in the season.
 
Henley 3rds hosted Division 5 leaders Bicester 1sts, and lost heavily. Richard Griffiths played Joe Young at 5th string. In a close match, stamina at the end of the games was the difference between the players as Young took victory 3-0 9/4 9/6 10/8. Chris Pullen did well to take games from Martin Fowler in the 4th string match, but was never likely to win. Fowler won 3-2 9/5 9/1 7/9 3/9 9/1. In a tight division where every point is vital, the effort made to take two games was much appreciated by the team. Steve Berger at 2nd string took on John Childs. Berger struggled with his opponent's accurate length shots, and varied slice shots, but put up a good fight. However it was not enough, as Childs won 3-0 9/6 9/6 9/1. Chris Bishop played Nick Watkins at 3rd string. Watkins made few mistakes and was willing to grind his opponent down, whereas Bishop's attacking game lacked his normal accuracy. In a one sided match, Watkins won 3-0 9/0 9/4 9/2. Finally, in the 1st string match Chris Wallace took on Nick Barnett. Wallace started superbly and had the top player in the division in trouble. Both players hit audacious shots, and went on impressive streaks of winning points. Some excellent drop shots were played and retrieved, and the match did not dip in quality throughout. As the match wore on, Barnett moved up a gear, and Wallace could not respond, losing out 3-1 9/5 4/9 3/9 5/9. Bicester took a well deserved 19 points to 3. Henley's 3rd team must start winning matches to avoid the threat of relegation.
 
The 4ths were away at Wantage against their 2nd team. Wantage came into the match with 3 wins out of 3, and were too strong for Henley (who have yet to win), triumphing 5-0, winning every match 3-1. At one hard-htting Chris Ayres had a battling win against Peter Hopkins 9-5, 3-9, 9-2, 9-5. Hopkins presented more of a challenge compared to the last time they met, but Ayres was still too strong. At 2 Neil Barson beat Simon Stone 6-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-1. Stone played well after a long spell away in Brazil, but played well, despite a cold. At 3 Andy Day beat Jill Campion 9-10, 10-8, 10-9, 9-3. Campion played very well but stuggled with her movement in the 4th game. At 4 Tim Straine beat Paul Ireland 6-9, 9-2, 9-4, 9-5. Ireland fought hard but was caught out by his opponent's tricky boasts from the back of the court. Finally at 5 Trevor Edlington beat Dick Heath 8-10, 9-3, 9-3, 9-7, Heath fighting back well in the first game from a big deficit but unable to pull off the same trick in subsequent games.



2nd February 2010
This week Henley first team entertained Defence Academy from Shrivenham, but lost a close match 3/2 (15/9). On first was Dave Weston at fourth string for Henley against Wiltshire’s Nigel Rowe. This would normally be a close encounter; however recovering from injury, Weston was unable to sustain a well disciplined onslaught from Rowe and lost 3/0 (9/1, 9/6, 9/7). At second string, Simon Rodwell came from two games down to beat Rory Birtwhistle, a talented England under 19’s player, 3/2 (6/9, 5/9, 9/2, 9/1, 9/2) to level the match. James Quinn played at 5 for Henley and took the opening game against Dave Ridgway. Ridgway eliminated his errors from the start of the second game and recovered to take a 2/1 lead. But Quinn held the advantage in the 3rd game, before squandering a few chances to lose the tie break and the match 3/1 (9/4, 5/9, 5/9, 8/10). England over 40’s international Rick Weatherall disposed of Adam Giles 3/0 at first strong to again level the match at two matches each. Weatherall controlled his opponent from the start, winning 3/0 (9/5, 9/2, 9/4). The deciding match saw Simon Street take on Julian Beckett at 3rd string. Recovering from injury, Street attacked from the start, going for everything. Despite losing the first game, this approach worked well and Street took a 2/1 lead. After a poor 4th game the match was all level, however Beckett sneaked the tight deciding game, recovering from a 7/2 deficit to win 3/2 (6/9, 9/4, 9/6, 0/9, 7/9).
 
The Henley 2nd team travelled to Defence Academy in Shrivenham for their division 2 match up. On at first at 1st string Henley's Ed Hopkins faced Defence Academy's Tony Thompson. Unfortunately Hopkins struggled to impose himself on the match and could not cope with his opponent's variety of attacking shots and lost 3-0 (9-1 9-5 9-6). On at the same time Henley's 5th string Chris Wallace faced off against Brian Bell. At the start of the match Wallace seemed unsettled as he lost the first game 9-4. In response to this Wallace rallied well to win the second game 9-7. Despite his best efforts Wallace could not continue his fightback and lost the next two games 9-6 9-5. On next Henley's 4th string Derek Oswald came up against Mike Hyland. After losing the first game 9-4 Oswald quickly changed his tactics to a more defensive game cutting out any errors. This proved to be very effective as Oswald cruised through the final three games 9-1 9-6 9-1. The next match saw Henley 3rd string Paul Sayers take on Neville Buckle in one of the most epic encounters Henley Squash Club has ever seen. In a tiring war of attrition Sayers managed to claw his way to a 2-1 lead in games. In the fourth game his opponent fought back with intensity and took the game 9-7. The fifth and final game was the closest of them all. Sayers came back from 5-0 down to earn himself a game ball at 8-6. His opponent however would not give up and saved 2 match balls and clawed it back to 8-7. Ths was then followed by the most entertaining and physically brutal rally in the match which saw Sayers come back from the dead to flick a volley kill from nowhere. Sayers won the match 3-2 (9-4 7-9 9-4 7-9 10-8). The final and deciding match of the tie came down to Henley's 2nd string Mark Hodgetts as he faced Darren O'Sullivan. In a close and hard fought encounter marred with some questionable refereeing decisions Hodgetts took his opponent to the fifth game but unfortunately could not finish him as he lost 3-2 (5-9 10-8 9-6 7-9 9-1). The final overall score in matches was 3-2 to Defence Academy.
 
The 3rds were at home to Thame Racquets. At one, Steve Berger played well against a usually skillful but unfit player Ben Terry, who never really got into the game, Berger winning 3-0 (9-3, 10-8, 9-1). At second string Pete Paddick lost 3-1 (5/9,3/9,9/7,1/9)  to Stephen Dearing. Paddick was suffering from a back problem and could not move around but did manage to get one game. At third string Richard Griffiths was unwell and lost 3-0 (2/9,2/9,7/9) to Jonathan Pink. At 4, Jill Campion had a one of the better games but still could only get one game, losing 3-1 to Gary Ekerold (9/3,5/9,5/9,4/9). Paul Ireland at 5 had the easiest game winning 3-0 not giving his opponent Roger Ridler much of a chance to get into the game (9/4,9/4,9/1) .
 
The 4ths were away at Gladiators in Oxford. Henley's youth policy, namely James Little and Richie Hopkins, kicked off proceedings, both winning their first game but then becoming erratic as their adult opponents adapted and varied their game, using their experience to win. Little lost to Richard Hall 9-4, 3-9, 3-9, 6-9 and Hopkins lost to Peter Beasley. Dick Heath went on at 2nd string but lost 0-3 to Simon Phillips. At 5th string Duncan Nightingale gave it his all, fighting back from 2 nil down to level in gallant and determined fashion, but lost 2-3 in the end against Martin Langton (7-9, 6-9, 9-6, 9-1, 4-9). At 1st string Peter Hopkins went on in the final match of the evening against Martin Harrison, and fought back from 1-5 down in the 3rd game to win 10-8, giving him a 2-1 lead, but was unable to sustain the challenge and went down 2-3.



27th January 2010
Three weeks into the second half of the winter season, with the first two matches postponed due to the snow, Henley first team finally started their campaign with an away match against Oxford Brookes. Unfortunately, a lack of match play, coupled with some key absentees, resulted in Henley losing 3/2 (14/7).
 
Matt Marshall got Henley off to a good start at first string, disposing of Jason Varrie with a comfortable 3/0 victory. Despite a lack of matches, Marshall was far too strong for Varrie and was rarely troubled in the whole match. Fifth string was on next and a rusty Paul Sayers tried his hardest against Irish Veteran Jim Lynn . Despite levelling the match at one game all, Sayers struggled to cope with Lynn ’s superior length and width and lost 3/1. Returning from a recent break in America , Ed Hopkins played at 4 for Henley and beat Simon Pick 3/1. Pick took the first game and was 5/0 up in the second, before Hopkins managed to control the game with his superior length. Minimising the unforced errors, Hopkins took the next two games for an impressive victory. New recruit Stefan Stanton played at three for Henley against Robin Sparkes, but lost 3/0. Stanton didn’t look sharp, due to a lack of matches over the Christmas period, but he should strengthen the squad when his fitness returns. At two matches all, the deciding rubber saw Simon Street take on Nelson Fung. Having not played for 5 weeks through an injury, Street also struggled for fitness and lost 3/0. Whilst each game was close and Street battled well, he was not able to keep up with his younger opponent. This is a poor result against one of the weaker sides in the league and Henley will need to regroup if they are to compete in this league this season.
 
Henley 2nds entertained Thame Racquets 2nds and lost 2 matches to 3. Mark Hodgetts at 1st string pulled off an amazing win against Dan Ford winning 2/9,10/8,1/9,9/6,10/8. The result looked a foregone conclusion when Ford took the first game. However, Hodgetts tricky style combined with some unusual shots and great fitness wore down Ford and having had match point against him Hodgetts needed 6 match points to eventually beat a somewhat surprised Ford. Derek Oswald found the overall firepower of Dave Herron too much going down 4/9,2/9,3/9. Chris Wallace was too skilful for Chris Gildersleve and despite his normal lapses in concentration, Wallace held on to win 9/5,9/7,5/9,9/4. Roger Booker having played a 74 year old the previous night came up against a top-ranked junior, 14 year old Alex Noakes, and was outplayed losing 1/9.3/9,2/9. Chris Bishop put up a very creditable fight against Duncan Speake but in the end lost 1/9, 9/3,7/9,7/9.
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Witney to take on Telecom 1sts.  Steve Berger at 1st string faced Carey James.  Berger had a poor match compared to his recent standard, and lost 3-0 9/8 9/1 9/4. The opening game was close, with Berger holding a game point, but it was not to be his evening.  Jill Campion at 4th string took on Andy Aldworth. Campion looked the superior player, but her restricted movement was costly in a 3-0 defeat 9/3 10/9 9/3.  Peter Hopkins played Ian Foggett in the 3rd string match.  Hopkins wore down his opponent with effective drop shots, and was able to handle the power coming from Foggetts' racket. In a closely fought match, Hopkins's fitness proved decisive in a 3-2 9/6 9/5 2/9 1/9 9/7 victory.  Dick Heath at 5th string took on Bruce Anderson.  Heath won the first game, but faded and lost his game plan, and consequently the match 3-1 9/4 9/10 4/9 1/9.  At 2nd string Richard Griffiths played well in patches, but lack of fitness and poor shot selection led to a 3-2 defeat against the resilient Peter Walker 5/9 9/6 9/2 7/9 4/9.  Telecom won the tie 18 points to 6.
 
Henley 4ths took on Hithercroft 3rds on Thursday for a division 7 matchup. On first at no.1 string, Paul Ireland faced off against Tony Wheeler. After losing a close first game 10/8, Ireland struggled to get back into the match and, despite winning the third game 9/8, Wheeler closed out the match swiftly to win 3-1 8/10 1/9 9/8 3/9. Next on, Henley second string Dave Forster was unable to effectively get into the match against Nick Johnson and lost 3-0 5/9 6/9 1/9. The next match saw Henley third string 12 year old James Little battle well in a loss against Graham Taylor. After losing the first two games Little dug deep to win the third 9/6 but could not sustain the pace and eventually lost the match 3-1 7/9 4/9 9/6 2/9. The following match saw Henley's 13 year old Richie Hopkins enjoy a maiden win over Hithercroft 4th string, James Bourne. After winning the first two games easily, 9/0 9/0, Hopkins lost the third game 9-4 against the run of play. A quick recovery followed as Hopkins came back to close out the match and win the final game 9-6. The final match of the tie proved to be a thriller. Henley's Duncan Nightingale came back from 2-1 down against Richard Knight to win 10-9 in the fifth to end the most intense encounter of the evening 10/8 2/9 2/9 9/6 10/9. Unfortunately for Henley the final score in matches was 3-2 in favour of Hithercroft.



20th January 2010
Snow and ice put paid to 7 out of the first 8 matches for Henley Squash Club this season. The only match to survive was the Henley 3rds in Division 5, with their opponents Harwell braving icy roads and fog to make the trip to Henley.
 
Peter Hopkins began proceedings against Dick Third in the 4th string match.  Hopkins was slow to start and found himself 6-1 down.  However, a good fight back saw Hopkins take the opening game 10-8, and never look back. Final score 3-0 (10/8 9/3 9/6).  Meanwhile, at 1st string Chris Wallace played Ian Hawkins.  Wallace clearly had the superior racket skills, but at times gave up the chase on shots he might have retrieved.  Although the result didn't look in doubt, it was perhaps closer than it should have been, Wallace winning 3-2 (7/9 9/5 10/9 9/10 9/2).  Jill Campion was in fine form at 5th string, promptly taking care of opponent Mike Jefferies 3-0 (9/3 9/5 9/2). With the tie already won in Henley's favour, Richard Griffiths took on Paul Bennet in the 3rd string match. Griffiths dominated with some hard hitting and running for a 3-0 (9/5 9/7 9/3) win. At 2nd string, Steve Berger was outplayed in the 1st game by Adrian Foster. Berger was struggling to get a racket to some awkward boast shots, and looked in trouble.  A different Berger emerged from the interval, and for the loss of just 2 points, the next three games were won 3-1 (3/9 9/2 9/0 9/0).  Henley won the tie 19-3, for an excellent start to the season.
 
Meanwhile Henley Veterans played at Beechdown, a very nicely appointed squash club which is part of the local Health Spa in Basingstoke. Trevor Cox, despite wearing a heavy knee brace was too strong for Richard Edwards winning 9/5,9/5,9/1. Richard Kellagher was too fit for Mike Augustine and despite a scare in the second game won 9/2,10/8,9/5. In what was perhaps the best match of the evening Roger Booker came up against the highly skilled Lance Kinder whom he had beaten easily in the previous home match. Kinder is a one time over 70s world champion and has a highly skilled game and made Booker really work for his win. If Kinder had not put out so many of his high lob serves it might have been a different story. Booker eventually made his superior fitness tell and ran out easy winner in the end 9/7,6/9,9/5,9/2. Steve Berger was too strong for Rob Bentley despite Bentley taking one game, Berger winning 9/5,7/9,9/6,9/7. Chris Pullen played his normal tricky game to defeat an out-of-form Bob Parcell 9/1,9/1,9/4.
 
The Club welcomes new members and memberships forms can be downloaded from the website www.henleysquash.co.uk and anyone interested in playing for the teams should contact Pete Paddick on 07939 078115. Club evenings are held on Saturdays from 5.15 to 6.45 when new players, league players and aspiring team players are encouraged to turn up.



21st December 2009
Harry Carr and James Quinn were awarded the Best Team Player awards by Henley Squash Club following the Club's end of season meeting. Harry Carr returned impressive figures of 12 appearances and 11 wins for the 1st team, narrowly beating team captain Simon Street who had 13 appearances and 9 wins, although Street played at a higher string. Particular thanks were also given to the county and ex-professional players, Matt Marshall, Paul Johnson and Rick Weatherall, who had 26 appearances and 17 wins between them, and led Henley to its strongest ever finish, 4th in the county, which is fantastic for such a small club, based in a Leisure Centre with only 2 courts. Dave Weston and Darren Gray also made valuable contributions.
 
Despite their gloom after the last match, Henley 2nd team miraculously escaped relegation thanks to the withdrawal of a team from the leagues. The outstanding player award went to James Quinn. Quinn was well supported by Nigel Richardson with figures of 7 appearances and 4 wins, Paul Sayers (9 appearances, 3 wins) and Derek Oswald (8 appearances and 4 wins) but Quinn led the way with 9 appearances and 7 wins, and he played at 1st string every time. The whole team worked hard all season and deserve their chance to continue their campaign in Oxfordshire's second highest division.
 
In the 3rd team there were a number of players who contributed equally hard, amongst them Richard Griffiths (10 appearances, 4 wins), Chris Pullen (10 appearances and 5 wins), Steve Berger (8 appearances and 3 wins), Pete Paddick (6 appearances and 4 wins) and Peter Hopkins was a strong contender with 7 appearances and 5 wins. However the team award went to Steve Berger for his battling performances, playing mostly at 1st string, finishing with his victory at Carterton that helped the team avoid relegation.
 
The 4th team struggled all season without success, but particular thanks were given to Paul Ireland, Dick Heath, James Gildersleve, Richie Hopkins and Duncan Nightingale for turning out regularly against strong opponents, often in far flung corners of the county. The award went to Paul Ireland for taking on the 1st string position on many occasions, and topping the list of appearances with 9, as well as supporting the 3rds with a win.
 
The Club looks forward to the second half of the winter with renewed enthusiasm.



14th December 2009
This week Henley firsts travelled to Shrivenham to play Defence Academy, with a win securing third place at the end of the first half of the season. Unfortunately, a series of disasters led to Henley losing 3/2 (15/9) and they finished a disappointing fourth.
 
The day started badly when an email misunderstanding left Henley with only 4 players and provided a walk over for Defence Academy at fifth string. This was followed by a travel mix-up between Simon Street and Harry Carr, resulting in Street driving for over 2 hours before finally arriving in Shrivenham. However, the match started well with number one Matt Marshall beating Adam Giles 3/2, despite a below-par performance. Marshall played erratically, winning a string of points and then losing a series through poor concentration. This was a completely different performance to last week’s effort that saw him play magnificently to defeat Thame’s Tom Phipps. Next on was Henley’s number four, Harry Carr, who disposed of Nigel Rowe 3/0 in a clinical performance. Whilst Rowe was arguably playing below his best, this was partly due to Carr’s dominance and persistence and the result left Henley needing just one more win to secure third spot. At three, Simon Street was restricted by a re-occurring back condition, which hampered his play. Street didn’t go down without a fight, but lost 3/1 to Julian Beckett. The match was decided at second string, where Henley’s Paul Johnson took a two game lead against Rory Birtwhiste. Sadly, off-court issues lead to a lapse in concentration and Johnson let his young opponent into the match losing the next two games. In the deciding game, Johnson regrouped and took an 8/0 lead and the match and third place looked to be Henley's. However, Johnson lost concentration again and Birtwhistle took 10 points on a row to win the 10/8! Street and Johnson were particularly disappointed as both knew that they should have won and the team should have finished third. Despite the disappointing end to a season that promised so much, Henley should be pleased with their progress. In their second season in the top division they finished one place above last year and, despite losing a few players recently, look well placed to compete in the second half of the season.
 
Henley 2nds went into the final match of the first half of the season needing to win against league leaders, Abingon, to have any realistic chance of avoiding relegation. Oxford Paramount had already been relegated and Henley were in the second relegation spot needing to gain two more points than fellow strugglers Esporta to avoid the drop.  The evening began well with Henley awarded a walkover at number 5 string as Abingdon failed to field a full side. Henley consolidated their position as Henley's number 4 string, Derek Oswald, played his best squash of the season to beat Adrian Carey 3-1. Mark Hodgekiss playing at 3 for Henley was unable to read the deceptive play of Abingdon's talented junior Tom Wellstead. Nevertheless, Hodgekiss played well to win a game, ultimately going down 3-1. Nigel Richardson played at two for Henley against another up and coming junior, Joe Brooke.  Although Richardson has defeated Brooke in previous encounters, Abingdon's youngster is constantly improving and was able to control the match and win 3-0.  With the fixture standing at 2 matches a piece, Henley's number 1, James Quinn, was looking to win the deciding match for Henley against Jimmy Brooke.  Brooke was a skillful and fast player but Quinn managed to prevail 3-1. Henley won the tie 14-10 and anxiously awaited news of Esporta's final match against North Oxfordshire.  Agonisingly for Henley, Esporta also won and took 14 points from their match thereby condemning Henley to relegation by a single point.  The dejected Henley players will need to put the disappointment behind them and look for promotion back to the second division in the second half of the season starting in January. 
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Carterton, needing just 6 points to be sure of staying in Division 6 next season. Steve Berger at 1st string got Henley off to a good start with the demolition of Michael Cox 3-0 9/3 9/5 9/1. Simon Stone played Peter Dixon at 5th string. Unfortunately Stone struggled with injury and was comfortably beaten 3-0. At 2nd string Chris Pullen won the opening game against Gary Brown, but yet again lost his focus when questioning refereeing decisions. After a 10 minute pause during the fourth game, it was Brown who looked the sharper, winning 3-1. Peter Hopkins faced Brian Keen in the 4th string match.  Hopkins could not find a way into the game and was soundly beaten 3-0 for the loss of just 5 points 9/0 9/4 9/1. Similarly Richard Griffiths at 3rd string lost 3-0 against Gary Webb 10/9 9/3 9/2. It must be said that Hopkins and Griffiths somehow managed to take 2 hours to travel to the match, and appeared jaded on court.  Henley collected just 4 points to Cartertons' 16. Fortunately, bottom of the table Didcot unexpectedly beat University 3-2, relegating the pair of them, allowing Henley to stay in Division 6. Henley 3rds will be looking to improve going into a new season in the new year.
 
Henley 4ths hosted Brackley for their final match, Brackley being already promoted. At one Paul Ireland fought hard but lost to Alan Anderson 5-9 4-9 9-7 4-9. At 2 James Gildersleve played well but the younger, fitter,Tom Freeland prevailed 9-7 3-9 3-9 1-9. At 3 Dave Forster returned from injury and had the match of the evening, losing 1-9 10-8 9-10 9-3 7-9 to Jeremy Ormerod. At 4 Duncan Nightingale gave it his best shot but lost out to the experienced Martin Hall, 3-9 1-9 7-9. Finally at 5, 13 year old Richie Hopkins matched his opponent Adrian Swain for power, but lost out 6-9 9-10 7-9 in an exciting and entertaining match.



8th December 2009
Henley firsts entertained Thame 2 this week and enjoyed a convincing win 5/0 (19/1).
 
At first string Bucks number two Matt Marshall had his best result since joining Henley, as he beat his Bucks team mate and county champion Tom Phipps. Phipps looked 10% off his best, but Marshall’s retrieving was amazing and he dazzled the audience with his backhand volley drops that were particularly effective. Phipps took the first game fairly easily, but Marshall was on the ascendancy from the middle of the second game and never looked back, as he won 3/1 (2/9, 9/5, 9/6, 9/6). At two, Berkshire County Champion Paul Johnson beat Dan Ford fairly convincingly 3/0 (9/7, 9/1, 9/7). Whilst Ford retrieved well, Johnson always looked in control and could raise his game when needed. England over 40’s international Ricky Weatherall was too strong for David Herron at third string. Herron did well to deserve his salutary point and Weatherall is not the type of player to un-necessarily inflict a white-washing on an opponent, as he won 3/0 (9/0, 9/1, 9/0). At fourth string, Henley’s Simon Street beat Chris Gildersleave 3/0 (9/2, 9/3, 9/1) and at five Harry Carr beat Mark Chatfield 3/0 (9/5, 9/6, 9/4). With Defence Academy in Shrivenham also recording a maximum 19 points, Henley remain in third place, just 1 point above their nearest opponents. However, an awkward trip to Shrivenham next week will decide who takes the bronze medal at the end of the first half of the season.
 
Henley 2nds had to travel to Shrivenham to play Defence Academy. James Quinn, at 1st string, played very well, despite a slight lapse in the 3rd game, against a tricky opponent. At 2, Mark Hodgetts played really well, having match point in the 3rd game but unfortunately lost 7-9 in the 5th, in what was a really good game. At 3, Paul Sayers had his chances, bbut didn't quite take them. At 4th string Derek Oswald had a tricky opponent who played some interesting shots. Oswald won the 1st game without quite knowing why, lost the 2nd and 3rd, but won the 4th by putting the pressure on, but sadly lost the 5th. Chris Pullen, at 5, could have won the first when comfortably ahead, but a vicious virus took its toll as Pullen yielded to a straight sets defeat. The scores were Shrivenham 2nd team 17 points Henley 2nd team 8 points (1) Tony Thompson 1 James Quinn 3, (2) Darren O’Sullivan 3 Mark Hodgetts 2, (3) Mike Hyland 3 Paul Sayers 1, (4) Brian Bell 3 Derek Oswald 2, (5) Richard Bailey 3 Chris Pullen 0.
 
Henley 3rds boosted their chances of survival in Division 6 with a hard fought win over University 2nds. Richard Griffiths began proceedings in the 2nd string match against Laurence Robb. The game saw very few rallies, with Robb preferring to kill the ball at every opportunity. Griffiths managed to win 3-2 as Robb made too many errors with audacious shots. Jill Campion started well against Martin Stokes in the 5th string match, but faded to lose 3-1. Simon Stone made hard work of a 3-2 victory over Ken Reid in the 3rd string match. Stone did show a lot of heart in what turned out to be the decisive tie, but needs more games to get up to scratch. At 4th string Peter Hopkins dispatched opponent Phil Davidson 3-0 in quick time (winning 9-4 9-1 9-0), and continues his good form Henley 3rds.  Steve Berger faced Miles Nunn in the 1st string match, and sought revenge after a 3-2 defeat earlier in the season. Berger took a 2-0 lead, but struggled to maintain his standard.  Nunn drew level 2-2, and looked the sure winner after some gruelling rallies. In the decider an accidental clash saw Nunn take a blood injury time out while 5-3 up. Berger drew level, only for Nunn to regroup and take the match 3-2. Henley won the tie 16 points to 10 and need 6 more points from their final match to be safe in Division 6.
 
Henley 4ths were away at Abingdon playing Drifters, and yielded to another heavy 5 nil defeat. Drifters took 19 points to Henley's 2. At one Paul Ireland played quite well but couldn't sustain it. At 2 Dick Heath's match was the best of the night, his strategy nearly defeating the younger man's game. James Gildersleve couldn't move with his hip, whilst Richie Hopkins lost a close first game 7-9 but later retired unwell. Duncan Nightingale at 5 was outclassed. The scores were (1) John Weal 3 Paul Ireland 2, (2) Mike Stepney 3 Dick Heath 0, (3) Kevin Edwards 3 James Gildersleve 0, (4) Alex Wales 3 Richard Hopkins 0, (5) Geoff Twinn 3 Duncan Nightingale 0.



1st December 2009
Henley fielded a weakened first team when they travelled to play second place Wallingford this week. Wallingford were strong, playing three professional players, as they successfully avenged their first half loss to beat Henley 4/1 (17/5).
 
At first string, England over 40’s international Rick Weatherall was no match for Scott Handley, former world top 40, as Weatherall lost 3/0. Whilst Weatherall played well, Handley was clinical and failed to drop a single point in his demolition of Weatherall. At two, Simon Rodwell played his first match for Henley this season, as a late replacement for Paul Johnson. Rodwell played the talented Chris Clare, a former world class player, but failed to get a game, losing 3/0. Simon Street played Clive Ewins, England’s top player at over 35’s, at third string and was also demolished 3/0. Whilst Street was competing in all the rallies, Ewins was in a clinical mood, failing to make any errors and prevailed on fitness. Harry Carr recorded Henley’s only win at fourth string, as he beat Steve Dodridge 3/1. Whilst Dodridge didn’t look match fit, this was a very good win for Carr. Carr lost the third game 10/9 and failed to convert 6 match balls, two of which he tinned with drop shots whilst his opponent was left stranded. However, Carr regrouped well in the fourth game to seal his maiden victory over an experienced opponent. At five, a rather jaded Dave Weston was 2/1 up in games and leading 8/1 when he failed to convert seven match balls against Stefan Lubek. Weston’s mistakes were costly as Lubek recovered well to take the deciding game 9/7, winning 3/2. This result sees Henley slip further behind Wallingford and Abingdon in Oxfordshire’s top division as they sit third and just 1 point above Defence Academy in Shrivenham.
 
Henley's 2nd team were looking to move out of the Division 2 relegation zone in their match against North Oxfordshire this week.  Henley were hoping to get off to a good start as number 1 string James Quinn took to the court first against Darren Rix.  However, leading by 2 games to 1, Quinn was unable to close out the match and tiring in the final game he lost 3-2 (Rix won 9-7 4-9 2-9 10-8 9-2). Henley's number 3, Paul Sayers, was next up against Andy Cummings. The match lasted lasted over an hour with Sayers playing good squash and battling hard against an evenly matched opponent.  But after some gruelling rallies in the final game Sayers ran out of steam and went down 3-2, Cummings winning 9-6 9-1 4-9 3-9 9-2. Chris Wallace playing at number 4 produced his best squash of the season combining power and finesse effectively in his match against Mike Nichols. However, still carrying a number of injuries Wallace could not convert his fine play into a win and lost narrowly 3-2, Nichols winning 9-7 5-9 9-3 5-9 9-4. Steve Berger played at number 5 and whilst fit and playing well, he was unable to deal with opponent Ian Davis' unorthodox play, eventually losing 3-0 (9-2 9-7 9-6).  Henley's best performance of the evening was from number 2 player Nigel Richardson. Richardson dealt comfortably with opponent Tom Tuthill's hard hitting play and breezed to a 3-1 win (9-5 5-9 5-9 3-9). Although defeated 4 matches to 1, the fixture saw Henley earn 9 valuable points which puts them just above the relegation places. Henley must win at least one of their two remaining fixtures to be confident of remaining in Division 2 next season.      
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Thame to play Racquets 4ths. Unfortunately Henley, who needed a win to stop a slide towards the relegation zone, were beaten 3-2. Derek Oswald played a good junior and got well beaten, Richard Griffiths couldn't run and got beaten. Pete Paddick played averagely but at least got a game, losing 3-1, whilst Jill Campion played a clueless young lad and won easily. Finally Chris Pullen played awesomely to win his match, although he had a slight disagreement with the inexperienced referee.The scores were:
Thame 4ths 15 points Henley 3rds 7 points (1) Chris Backhouse 3 Derek Oswald 0, (2) Neil Medland 3 Peter Paddick 1, (3) Stephen Dearing 2 Chris Pullen 3, (4) Jonathan Pink 3 Richard Griffiths 0, (5) Ben McKeown 0 Jill Campion 3. The 3rds remain mid-table but need to win next week to be safe.
 
Henley 4ths hosted Wantage 2nds and lost 0-5. At 4th string Dick Heath got off to a good start against Calum Clark but played poorly by his standards, losing 9-2,1-9, 4-9, 8-9. Meanwhile at 3rd string Paul Ireland bravely survived an early scare over a knee-cap that slipped out of position, but lost 2-3 against Andrew Day (4-9, 10-8, 9-5, 5-9, 7-9). Richie Hopkins came on at 5th string against Trevor Edlington and lost 5-9, 4-9, 6-9, struggling with his return of serve. At 2nd string Simon Stone was outplayed for 2 games against hard-hitting Chris Ayres, but worked out a winning strategy to take the 3rd game. Stone lost 1-9, 0-9, 9-6, 6-9. Finally Peter Hopkins played at 1st string against Neil Barson and lost 2-9, 1-9, 5-9, Barson having superior racket skills and fitness.
 
In the Berkshire Veterans League, Henley Veterans were in action against The Marlow Club. At one Tony Wheeler produced some delightful shot-making en route to a comfortable win over Terry Whiter 9-3 9-4 3-9 9-4. At 2nd string Trevor Cox had close match, losing the first two games 5-9 9-10 until forced to retire with chest pains. At 3rd string Steve Berger fought his way back into his match against Sandy Burnett but couldn't win in the game that mattered, the final one, losing 4-9 3-9 9-3 9-4 3-9. At 4th string Chris Pullen struggled with a bad cold and nearly won, but went down against John Medley 9-7 10-8 7-9 5-9 2-9. Finally 5th string Peter Hopkins produced some of his best squash in beating opponent Tony Isherwood 9-2 9-6 9-2. Marlow won the match 3 matches to 2, and close the gap on Henley.



22nd November 2009
League leaders Abingdon visited Henley on Tuesday, in a match that second place Henley needed to win in order to consolidate their position. As normal, Abingdon fielded two professional players at first and second strings, meaning Henley had to win at numbers 3, 4 and 5 in order to take the tie. With poor performances from Simon Street and Harry Carr, the team lost 4/1 (18/6).
 
At first string Henley’s Paul Johnson was no match for ex world top 10 and National Champion Mark Cairns. Whilst Johnson battled admirably, Cairns was too strong and Johnson lost 3/0 (4/9, 3/9, 1/9). England over 40’s veteran Ricky Weatherall was no match for Scotland ’s Kristen Johnson , a player 19 years his junior. Weatherall took the third game with impressive skills and gutsy determination, however went on to lose 3/1 (4/9, 0/9, 9/2, 5/9). At 3, Simon Street started impressively against Guy Tupper, taking a 7/0 lead. However, tired from a strenuous inter-county weekend, Street struggled to cope when Tupper’s retrieving improved. Whilst Street managed to hold on and win the first game 10/9, he was ‘running on empty’ losing 3/1 (10/9, 0/9, 2/9, 1/9). Harry Carr played the experienced Alan Horton at fourth string and also lost 3/1 (6/9, 7/9, 9/3, 8/10). Carr struggled to find his game and his erratic play saw an 8/1 lead gradually slip away in the 4th game, as Horton avoided making any mistakes to close out the match. At 5, Henley’s new recruit Dave Weston nearly lost the deciding game against Gary Cross, when he let an 8/2 lead slip, only to win the tie break 10/8 to take a deserved 3/2 victory (6/9, 9/4, 9/4, 4/9, 10/8). Unfortunately, this result moves Henley down to third place, 9 points behind Wallingford and 35 behind leaders Abingdon. Next week Henley travel to Wallingford for another difficult tie – a match they must win if they want to finish second at the Christmas break.
 
Henley 2nds recorded a vital 18-6 win in their bid to avoid relegation from the 2rd division against Paramount 1sts. Making his second start for Henley, Mark Hodgekiss at 4th string started well taking the first game comfortably, but eventually lost out in a very tight match to Stephen Cooper 3-2. On court at the same time was an equally close and entertaining match, in which Henley's Paul Sayers came back from 2 games down to win 3-2 playing at number 3. With the match evenly poised, Henley's number 1, James Quinn made short work of a below par Gerard Whittaker. Quinn's precise and varied shots proved too much for his opponent and he ran out a comfortable 3-0 winner. Derek Oswald at 5th string had to fight hard for the first game against veteran Peter Ibson, but Oswald then picked up the pace and won the next 2 games very comfortably to seal the victory for Henley. Nigel Richardson then finished off the evening with a victory at 2nd string. His opponent, Nick Mason, started well and took the first game, but Richardson's fitness and ability to move his opponent around the court helped him to a 3-1 win. Although Henley remain bottom of the division, they are now only 2 points behind the 5th placed team with a game in hand. 
Henley 3rds hosted high-flying Westminster in Division 6.  Richard Griffiths began proceedings against Jim Day in the 5th string match.  Griffiths started slowly and played averagely throughout, but did enough to win 3-1 5/9 9/6 9/8 9/3.  Steve Berger took on Sean Manning at 2nd string.  In a game full of lengthy rallies and running, it was Manning that narrowly won 3-2 9/5 9/3 6/9 5/9 9/3.  Chris Pullen did not have time to get into the 4th string match against Rod Ainscough, losing promptly 3-0 9/2 9/3 9/0.  Skipper Pete Paddick put on a poor show at 3rd string in a 3-0 loss to Gideon Fielding, Paddick's serving being particularly weak.  At 1st string, Roger Booker played some cunning reverse angles, but ran into in-form opponent Mick Halsey.  Booker struggled to keep with the pace of the game and lost 3-0 9/4 9/4 9/3. Westminster won the tie 4-1 and claimed 17 points to Henley's 5.  Westminster remain undefeated at top the Division, Henley remain mid table.

In Division 8, 6th placed Henley 4ths visited 3rd placed Lord Williams School in Thame, who fielded a strong team. At 5th string James Gildersleve was hampered by his hip injury and could not move, losing 0-3 to Carol Howes (9-2, 9-2, 9-1). Paul Ireland showed determination in taking a 2-1 lead against 3rd string Adrian Pipkin, but could not sustain his challenge, losing 2-3 (9-1 8-10 3-9 9-4 9-2). Peter Hopkins was outclassed at 1st string by Eddie Smythe, losing 0-3 (9-3 9-6 9-0), although Hopkins briefly led the 2nd game 6-3 using some crafty serving. Dick Heath at 4th string did well to take a game off fit opponent Michael Cooke, losing 1-3 (9-4 8-10 9-6 9-5). Finally 2nd string Simon Stone played well but was overpowered by Richard Shoan, losing 3-0 (9-6 9-1 9-4).
 
The Henley Veterans team played away at Wellington School and recorded a resounding 5-0 victory. At 1st string Richard Kellagher showed his class in defeating Desiree Schalkwyk 3-1 (7-9 9-3 9-4 9-3), whilst at 2nd string Roger Booker defeated Steve Sweeney 3-0 (9-7 9-4 9-3) repeatedly catching his opponent out with his trademark reverse-angle boast. At 3rd string Steve Berger played well and beat Nigel Wallington 3-1 (9-4 9-10 9-4 9-4), whilst at 4th string Chris Pullen made a slow start, recovering from 0-7 down to win against Tom Cann 3-0 (9-8 9-2 9-2) with some accurate play. Finally at 5th string Peter Hopkins once again nearly let slip a 2 game lead but showed real determination to win in the 5th, 9-5 9-5 1-9 7-9 9-7. 



16th November 2009
Henley firsts travelled to Esporta Oxford this week, however they were greeted by a strong Esporta side who won 3/2 (14/7) to scupper any chances Henley had of winning the league title. At one, Matt Marshall was no match for England under 19s International Nathan Lake, losing 3/0. Marshall made too many errors, some unforced, and failed to get into the match until he was 2/0 down and it was too late. Berkshire’s County Champion Paul Johnson was no match for Oxfordshire’s Ross Gore at second string, as he lost a tight match 3/0. The key difference was Gore was too fit for Johnson. At three, England over 40s international Rick Weatherall was far too strong for Jonathan Geekie, winning comfortably 3/0, as he continued his return to form. Simon Street played at four for Henley and beat Oli Harding 3/1. Harding played well, but Street always looked in control, despite losing the 3rd game 10/9. At fifth string, Paul Sayers played his first match for the first team this season, but struggled to control his opponent Paul Whittle, losing 3/1. Unfortunately, this result leaves Henley in second place in the top division; however the gap has risen to 23 points behind leaders Abingdon. In addition, Henley are now only 2 points above Wallingford, and they play Abingdon next week in a tough away match.
 
Relegation-threatened Henley 2nds hosted fellow-strugglers Esporta 2nds but suffered a terrible blow at the beginning of the evening when no1 string James Quinn withdrew as he was unable to get away from his London office. As a result Henley were left with a team of 4 and everyone had to play up a string. Taking over at 1st string new recruit Mark Hodgekiss played a very tight game but his opponent Peter Winzeler pulled away in the final game, Hodgekiss losing 2-3. At 2, Chris Wallace played well on individual points but struggled against a strong opponent Mark Webster, losing 0-3. At 3, Roger Booker's opponent Derek Holt was very fit and fast as well as consistent, Booker losing 0-3. At 4, Steve Berger took a 7-1 lead against Ben Pinfold but failed to convert the first game. He came back in the second to win 10-9 but struggled to maintain consistency in the 3rd and 4th games. Henley took 3 points to Esporta's 19, and are bottom of Division 2.
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Didcot to take on their 2nd team.  Both teams were much in need of points to avoid relegation.  Chris Pullen took on Julian Moss in the 1st string match up. Pullen played some of his best squash of the season to control a tricky opponent. Pullen winning 3-1 9/3 5/9 9/7 9/6.  Paul Ireland at 5th string beat Tim Speight 3-1 5/9 9/6 9/5 9/6.  Ireland used superior fitness to see off his opponent in a closely fought match.  Simon Stone started slowly against Andy Morrison in the 3rd string match, gifting his opponent a two game head start.  Stone pulled himself together to fight back hard and level at 2-2.  With energy levels dropping it was Morrison who won the decider for a 3-2 result 9/6 9/2 5/9 3/9 9/1.  Peter Hopkins took a two game lead against Graham Urquhart in the 4th string match up, but went on to make life hard for himself.  Urquhart squared the match at 2-2 and took Hopkins into a tie break in the last game. Thankfully Hopkins clung on for a 3-2 win 9/4 9/1 5/9 7/9 10/8 in a match that perhaps should have been half as long.  Meanwhile, at 2nd string Richard Griffiths made quick work of Graham Gossedge for a 3-0 win 9/4 9/4 9/1.  Henley took 18 points to Didcot's 7, and now sit mid table in Division 6.
 
After last week's first win of the campaign, Henley 4ths hosted top of the table Kidlington 1sts and lost 5-0, but picking up 4 points. The results were  (1) Chris Bishop 2 Simon Fletcher 3 (5/9 9/1 9/7 2/9 1/9) (2) Dick Heath 0 Jonathon Boyce 3 (2/9 4/9 3/9) (3) James Gildersleve 1 Stephen Langford 3 (0/9 2/9 9/6 0/9)  (4) James Little 1 James May 3 (5/9 2/9 9/6 8/10)  (5) Richard Hopkins 0 Paul Wilkinson 3 (4/9 0/9 5/9). At 1, Chris Bishop playing his first competitive squash for 6 weeks, at 2-2 looked the likely winner. Unfortunately he tired in the 5th, overpowered by his opponent's accurate drives. At 5, an off-form Richie Hopkins did not have a good night, losing 3-0. Similarly at 2, Dick Heath never really got into the match, and was well beaten, again 3-0. James Gildersleve at 3, still hampered by injury went 2-0 down quickly, came back to take the third, but couldn't maintain accuracy, going down 3-1. Match of the night was at 4, where young James Little was making his debut for the senior team. Remarkably for one so young (he is only 12), he matched his twenty-something opponent for power, especially down the forehand wall. At 2-1 down, but playing very well, an upset looked possible, but the Kidlington player maintained too much pressure  for a 3-1 win. This loss keeps Henley just off the bottom of the table, but with new young players such as Richie Hopkins and James Little coming on rapidly, the future is looking bright 



9th November 2009
There were two wins out of three this week for Henley Squash Club as they begin the countdown to Christmas. Henley first team entertained Thame firsts and beat them comfortably 4/1 (16/3) to stay second in Oxfordshire’s top division. First string witnessed the battle of the Bucks numbers two and three, with Henley’s Matt Marshall ending Tom Power’s recent dominance as he won 3/0 (10/8, 9/1, 9/7). Marshall has always had the better racket skills, but Power’s superior fitness has been the key difference in recent encounters. However, Marshall ’s recent increased training programme enabled him to compete in the fitness stakes, thereby allowing his talent to edge a tight and top class match. At two, England over 40’s international Rick Weatherall played Will John, Buck’s promising young junior. Whilst Weatherall won 3/0 and the last game was fairly comfortable, there was some top class squash played by John and he only narrowly lost the second game on a tiebreak, as Weatherall won 9/4,10/8, 9/1. Darren Gray played at three for Henley and unfortunately had another bad day, with work and family pressures not letting him settle on court. Gray lost 3/0 to Tom White (6/9, 8/10, 7/9), a player he would expect to beat comfortably. At four, Simon Street completely outclassed his opponent Simon Martin, as he won 3/0 (9/3, 9/1, 9/2). At five, Harry Carr avenged last season’s poor loss to Chris Gildersleave as he also had a comfortable 3/0 victory, winning 9/0, 9/1, 9/3. This result sees Henley gain points on table topping Abingdon, with the gap reduced to 11 points.
 
Henley 2nds were away at Hithercroft and their relegation fears deepened with a 4-1 loss. Paul Sayers struggled to find his form and had a miserable match at no 2 string, losing 3 nil to teenager Jack Turnell. Chris Wallace at 4th string put up a good fight in some closely contested games, but did not have quite enough to match his opponent Mark Shand, losing 3 nil. At 3rd string Nigel Richardson competed well against opponent Alan Steptoe, but struggled to get going and left it too late, losing 3 nil as well. Roger Booker went down to a 3 nil defeat to Justin Hamilton-Martin at 5th string, but 1st string James Quinn arrived late and defeated Carey Sayer 3 nil in three close games of good accurate squash, with Quinn just managing to come out on top.
 
The 3rds didn't have a match, but Henley 4ths visited Gladiators in a bottom of the table clash in Division 8. Richard Hopkins played at 4th string against Richard Hall. Hopkins did well to get a game on the board, but lost out 3/1 (9/2 9/5 8/10 9/3).  At 5th string a hampered James Gildersleve took on Paul Bennett. Struggling to push off, Gildersleve made a competitive match of it, but lost 3/1 (9/7 7/9 9/5 9/3).  At 1st string Richard Griffiths was comfortable against Martin Harrison winning 3/0 (9/6 9/4 9/2).  Paul Ireland played Chris Mead in the 2nd string match. Ireland controlled the match to chalk up his first win for the 4ths, 3/0 (9/6 9/5 9/3). In the match of the evening, Dick Heath faced Neil Boston at 3rd string. Heath started slowly, losing the opening game 9/4. Boston's concentration seemed to suffer as Heath took the next two games 9/7 9/6. Boston then dominated the fourth game winning 9/6, to level the match 2-2. In the decider, Boston took a 8-4 lead, but could not finish the match. Heath seized control with tight serving, and deceptive play, leaving Boston frustrated. In a tie break Heath won 10/8 for a well deserved 3/2 result.  Henley 4ths took 15 points to Gladiators 8, but still sit bottom of the Division.



3rd November 2009
This week Henley first team continued their campaign in Division 1, as they played host to Oxford Brookes. Brookes are currently bottom of the division and fielded a weak team, with two of their second team players at 4th and 5th strings. Henley are currently second in the league so this was always going to be a fairly one sided match, with Henley winning 5/0 (19/1).
 
James Quinn started things off at fifth string with a closely contested first game against the junior Dominic Lyons. However, Quinn’s superior fitness allowed him to record a comfortable 3/0 victory (10/8, 9/2, 9/1). In his debut match for Henley, Dave Weston faced Joseph Harding at fourth string and dominated from the start. Despite a lapse in concentration in the third game, Weston produced an impressive 9/3, 9/4, 10/8 win. Returning to the first team at third string Harry Carr matched up with Irish Veteran Jim Lynn in the closest match of the night. Lynn fought hard to win the second game but could not cope with the pace set by Carr who won the match 3/1 (9/4, 8/10, 9/4, 9/6). At second string England over 40’s international Ricky Weatherall took on Simon Pick. Weatherall looked to continue his return to form, outplaying Pick with his wide variety of shots, taking the match 3/0 (9/6, 9/5, 9/3.) The first string match was between Henley’s Matt Marshall and Jason Varrie. Bucks County player Marshall made short work of Varrie, who failed to handle Marshall ’s commanding play, with Marshall winning 3/0 (9/6, 9/4, 9/6). Unfortunately, despite gaining a maximum 19 points, Henley failed to make progress against league leaders Abingdon, as they beat Thame 2 by 19 points to 1, leaving Henley comfortably in second place, 14 points above their nearest rivals Wallingford.
 
Henley 3rds were at home to Castaways and missed a good opportunity to push up into contention for promotion with a disappointing 2-3 loss. At first string Chris Wallace played Nick Barnett, and produced a match of good tight squash. Wallace was leading in two games but failed to translate these into a win as he lost 8/10 7/9 4/9. At second string Roger Booker took on Jon Childs and his opponent dictated the game, Booker losing 8/10 2/9 4/9. At third string Steve Berger faced Nick Watkins and Berger should have won, with his opponent dead on his feet but Watkins clung on and Berger slipped to a 8/10 9/6 9/10 2/9 defeat. At fourth string Pete Paddick won fairly comfortably against Dave Surrage, 9/4 10/8 10/8, having been leading 7-1 in one game and then taking his foot off the pedal. Finally at fifth string Chris Pullen was involved in a very one sided game against opponent David Ling, winning quickly 9/0 9/3 9/3. Henley took 7 points to Castaways 13 and remain mid-table.
 
The 2nd team and 4th team were without a match but the Veterans turned out at the weekend against Burghfield in Berkshire. On first Peter Hopkins and Chris Pullen got the team off to a promising start with Hopkins recording his first veterans win, against Brian Fielding 7/9 9/1 9/6 9/5 and Pullen winning against George Berry 4/9 9/6 9/5 9/10 9/1 partly thanks to some advice from a team mate at the start of the 5th game about how his opponent had stopped moving. Needing just one more win from the other three strings, Steve Berger and Roger Booker were unable to deliver the needed win, despite both players thumping their opponents 9 nil in one game. Berger lost to Graeme Langley 9/1 6/9 9/0 4/9 2/9 and Booker lost to Richard May 9/0 7/9 9/10 1/9. First string Tony Wheeler played well but could not cope with his opponent's deception and deft drop shots from all angles of the court but got in a few of his own, opponent Simon Chaplin winning 9/1 9/2 9/2.



25th October 2009
In Oxfordshire’s top division, third placed Henley entertained fourth placed Defence Academy this week. Henley fielded their strongest team of the season and won comfortably 4/1 (17/3) to go second above local rival Wallingford. At first string, Matt Marshall recorded an easy win against Julian Beckett, winning 3/0 (9/2, 9/2, 9/2). At two, Paul Johnson beat Rory Birtwhistle 3/0 (10/8, 9/2, 9/3). Johnson started slowly and it looked as if the match could be close as he narrowly won the first game tie brake. However, as play resumed, a more focused Johnson won the remaining games comfortably. Rick Weatherall played at three for Henley and beat Adam Giles 3/0 (9/4, 9/1, 9/7). Weatherall outclassed his talented opponent in the first two games and a fight back from Giles in the third game was not enough to stop Weatherall, as he showed the deftest of touches to leave his opponent frustrated and out classed. Darren Gray had a ‘bad day at the office’ as he recorded Henley ’s only defeat, losing 3/1 to Nigel Rowe (9/5, 0/9, 5/9, 0/9). This was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Gray and he will be disappointed with not getting a single point in two of the games, against an opponent he would expect to beat more often than not. At five, Simon Street beat David Ridgway 3/0 (9/5, 9/4, 9/5). Captain Street has now played in every position in the team and is ruing not being able to field a consistent team, as Henley sits 2nd at the half way point, just 13 points behind leaders Abingdon.

The 2nd team travelled to Abingdon in their Div 2 match up. Harry Carr at 1 lost against 14 year old Joe Brooke who he should never have lost to, but he was defeated 1-3. Derek Oswald at 2 was just out-played by Lewis Wood, another young and talented player, 0-3. Chris Wallace at 3 was on and off the court so quickly that he could not have got a point, losing 0-3 to Tom Wellstead. Roger Booker at 4 was again beaten by a better player losing 0-3, against Terry Dunwoody. Pete Paddick at five also lost 1-3 but had the best chance of winning, against Adrian Carey.
 
Henley 3rds hosted Carterton 1sts in match round 7. Peter Hopkins faced Timothy Beckett in what turned out to be a dramatic 5th string match. Hopkins took charge of the match with drives and drop shots to lead 2-0.  A routine 3-0 was expected, but Beckett fought back to level at 2-2, as Hopkins lost his way. In the decider Beckett looked the fitter and stronger and duly took a substantial lead, until a second wind and a late fight back from Hopkins secured a 3-2 victory 9/2 9/5 6/9 4/9 9/7.  Henley's Jill Campion started well against Peter Dixon in the 4th string match, taking the first game comfortably. Dixon struck back hard to level, and went on to dominate the match for a 3-1 win 1/9 9/3 9/3 9/3. At 3rd string Richard Griffiths took on wily veteran Brian Keen. In an awkward game full of controversial moments and difficult referee decisions, it was Griffiths that took the honours 3-1 9/1  5/9 10/8 9/3. Steve Berger at 1st string made quick work of Michael Cox in a 3-0 victory 9/2 9/0 9/6. Veteran Chris Pullen at 2nd string faced a young, extremely mobile Gary Webb.  Pullen dominated almost every rally, but could not find the killer touch, as Webb continually retrieved.  Webb won 3-2 9/5 4/9 6/9 9/5 9/5, in an enjoyable match.  Henley won the tie 16 points to 9, and need to keep on the winning trail to stay in Division 6.

The 4th team travelled all the way up to Brackley in Northamptonshire to play their 2nd team, which is the furthest any team has to travel. On first Richie Hopkins played well in the first game against Dave Silvestre, losing 5/9, but felt unwell on an airless court after a very long drive and ended up losing 3 nil. Greg Chilvers played against Tom Freeland, but lost 1-3 (4/9, 9/3, 3/9, 7/9). Duncan Nightingale played against Martin Hall and lost 3 nil (4/9, 2/9. 2/9). Nightingale is improving each match, and had the best shot of the evening with a pin-point drop shot into the front corner at full stretch, leaving him on the deck but his opponent was stranded. One team member sadly failed to realise the match was on a Wednesday instead of the normal Thursday match-night, and another had a hospital emergency so to give the hosts a game Peter Hopkins played against Brackley's Ladies Champion Kate Hardiman and won 3-1 (2/9, 9/6, 9/5, 9/5). 
 
Meanwhile in the Berkshire Veterans League, Division 3, Henley hosted Wellington 2nd team and lost 2-3. At first string Tony Wheeler lost to James Gibson 0-3 (0-9, 7-9, 2-9), whilst at 2nd string Trevor Cox beat Alistair Lloyd 3-1 (10-8, 6-9, 9-5, 9-7). At 3rd string Richard Kellagher beat Paul Vass 3-2 (10-8, 5-9, 9-8, 6-9, 9-6), whilst at 4th string Roger Booker lost 3 nil to Steve Attfield (4-9, 3-9, 4-9). Finally at 5th string Steve Berger lost 2-3 to Malcom Hay (9-4, 6-9, 9-2, 6-9, 4-9).



18th October 2009
The Henley 1st team but others Henley firsts travelled to Thame and beat their second team 3/2 (15/9). Matt Marshall played at 1 for Henley against his Bucks county team mate Tom Phipps. Phipps is 10 years younger than Marshall and is still playing at a professional standard and managed to hold on for a 3/0 victory. Whilst the first two games were fairly one-sided, the third game was very close and a tight call from the marker went against Marshall at a critical point, allowing Phipps to take the last game 9/7. At two for Henley was England over 40’s international Rick Weatherall, whose form appeared to be returning, as he disposed of Doug Struthers for a fairly comfortable 3/0 win. Simon Street played England over 45’s International Darren Withey at 3rd string, in what turned out to be the deciding leg. Street’s attacking play was the deciding factor, as he secured a fairly comfortable 3/1 victory. At 4, Harry Carr clinched the deciding game fairly easily against Dan Ford, to win 3/2. However, at 2/1 down and trailing 7/2, it didn’t look good for Carr and, despite coming back to lead 9/8, he still had to save several match points before eventually taking the 4th game 10/9. Ed Hopkins played at 5 for Henley and lost 3/2 to Dave Herron. Having won the first two games 9/0 and 9/5, Hopkins looked set for a comfortable 3/0 win. Unfortunately, a lack of fitness and match play contributed to his downfall as Herron won the next 3 games. Henley now lie 3rd in Oxfordshire’s top league, just 13 points behind leaders Abingdon and 11 behind second place Wallingford. However, Henley have played the top two teams already and they are yet to play each other, meaning the league could become closer in the forthcoming weeks.
 
Relegation threatened Henley 2nds hosted high-flying Defence Academy in a Division 2 match-up. On first at 5th string, Roger Booker lost 3 nil to Richard Bailey (1/9,6/9,3/9), whilst at 2nd string Paul Sayers lost two tight tie-breaks in the 2nd and 4th games, and lost the match 3-1 (7/9,9/10,9/5,8/10) to Neville Buckle. Derek Oswald gained some valuable points for Henley as he battled to a 3-2 win over Brian Bell at 4th string (9/5,9/4,7/9,0/9,9/6), but Chris Wallace lost at 3rd string to Mike Hyland (9/10,4/9,9/2,4/9). Finally James Quinn showed how it should be done with an easy win at 1st string, beating opponent Derek Bray for the loss of only 3 points, winning 9/1,9/1,9/1. Henley took 8 points to Defence Academy's 15.
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Oxford to take on University 2nds, needing to win the tie to avoid dropping into the relegation zone. At 5th string Jackie Colvin took on Phil Davison. Although Colvin has been in good form of late, she did not compete at her usual standard, losing 3-0. Similarly, Richard Griffiths could not raise his game to a competitive level against Tom Thorton, losing miserably 3-0 at 3rd string. On a brighter note, club veteran Chris Pullen controlled fellow vet Ken Reid from start to finish for an emphatic 3-0 victory at 4th string, and skipper Pete Paddick picked up from where he left off last week with another solid performance to beat Martin Stokes 3-0 in the 2nd string match up. The tie was decided in the 1st string match between Steve Berger and Miles Nunn. Nunn started the quicker, and with some powerful hitting went 1-0 up. Berger crept back into the match, gradually wearing out his opponent to level at 1-1, and then take a 2-1 lead. Berger had plenty of chances to finish the match, but let Nunn back in to square the match at 2-2. Nunn looked the stronger in the 5th game, and went on to win 3-2. University won the tie 13 points to 8, leaving Henley in the relegation places.
 
Henley 4ths hosted fellow Division 8 strugglers Drifters and lost 2-3 (8 points to 14). Richard Hopkins returned to the team at 5th string but was still rusty from a long lay-off and lost 1-3 to Dave Belcher (2/9 6/9 9/3 2/9). Duncan Nightingale played at 4th string against Alex Wales but lost 0-3 (2/9 2/9 2/9). Turning the tide, 1st string Peter Hopkins went on against John Weal and won 3 nil (9/4 9/7 9/4), and match of the evening was from Simon Stone at 2nd string, who was making his return to the team after a two year layoff with arthritis. Stone beat Mike Stepney 3-1 (9/6 4/9 9/4 9/6) in a courageous display of squash. With the match standing at 2 all, it was up to Dave Forster to try to snatch a win at 3rd string but he found he could not move properly with a back injury and lost to Kevin Edwards 1-3 (8/10 9/4 4/9 8/10).



13th October 2009
Henley firsts fielded their strongest team of the season to date, as they entertained table topping Wallingford this week. However, whilst Henley will be pleased with the win, the result should have been a lot more convincing, as Wallingford were without one of their professionals. Henley won 3/2 (13/9) and the result would have more one sided if there numbers two and three hadn’t been involved in a gruelling County Final two days earlier and fatigued still.
 
At first string Matt Marshall played well against Scott Handley, Oxfordshire’s top professional, but lost 3/0 (2/9, 4/9, 0/9). Whilst Marshall competed in every rally, Handley was too quick and applied too much pressure for Marshall to cope with. Despite losing to Henley’s Paul Johnson in the final of the Berkshire Closed on Sunday, Rick Wetherall played at two for Henley against Steve Dodridge, an opponent he beat comfortably on his way to the final. However, this time, it was clear from the start that Wetherall was too tight to move freely and, despite a late rally in the third, lost 3/0 (0/9, 4/9, 8/10). Paul Johnson, Berkshire’s new County Champion played at three for Henley , in what turned out to be the deciding match of the tie. Johnson was also showing signs of fatigue from Sunday’s final, as he went two games down to Steve Brackley and at 7/7 in the third the home team started fearing the worst. However, Johnson dug deep and managed to take the third game 9/7, before winning the next two games comfortably for a 3/2 win (7/9, 7/9, 9/7, 9/2, 9/2). Simon Street started slowly at four for Henley against Stefan Lubek, with Street shielding a tight back from last week’s match. Whilst Street lost the first game, the next three were comfortable, as he won 3/1 (7/9, 9/5, 9/1, 9/4). At five, Harry Carr had a short match as his opponent, Russell Roles retired with a ham string injury in the second game. Carr won the first 9/1 and was leading 8/2, when Roles was forced to stop, giving Carr a 3/0 victory (9/1, 9/2, 9/0).
 
Henley 2nd team travelled to North Oxfordshire for a division 2 match up.  On first at 2nd string Nigel Richardson played his best squash of the year to overcome Tim Dowling.  Richardson used an excellent variety of power drives and long range drops to work his opponent for a 3-1 victory. On next, Henley’s Paul Sayers stunned his team mates by winning 3-0 at 3rd string over Andy Cummings despite going for a 150 mile bike race just 2 days earlier. On at no.1 string Ed Hopkins unfortunately could not cope with Darren Rix’s strong all round game. On next, Henley’s Derek Oswald fought a long battle against Mark Nichols. After levelling the match at 2-2 the tense deciding game went 9-7 to Nichols. On at 5th string for the deciding match of the tie Roger Booker faced Steve Glanvill.  Despite a spirited effort from Booker, Glanvill proved to be too good and won 3-0 to win the tie for the North Oxford side.
Henley 3rds hosted Thame's Racquets 4ths in a mid table encounter in Division 6. Peter Hopkins got Henley off to a good start at 5th string, beating Roger Ridler 3-1 (10/8, 9/3, 6/9, 9/6). At 2nd string, Richard Griffiths took the opening game, but faded against opponent Stephen Dearing to lose 3-1 (9/7, 6/9, 3/9, 2/9). In the match of the evening Pete Paddick faced Alex Swanton at 4th string. Paddick started slowly and seemed destined to lose the match, but gradually fought his way back. At 2 games all, and after some gruelling rallies, the match headed into the deciding 5th game. Both players served for the match, but it was Paddick that claimed victory 3-2 (2/9, 10/9, 9/1, 6/9, 10/8). At 1st string Steve Berger got a game on the board, but ultimately struggled against Neil Medland, losing 3-1 (9/6, 1/9, 6/9, 5/9). Chris Pullen took on Jonathon Pink at 3rd string, but could not make an impression losing in straight games 3-0 (5/9, 8/10, 3/9). Racquets won the tie 16-8.
 
A somewhat injury blighted Henley 4th team travelled to Wantage to play their second team. Mostly the results were very disappointing - although Paul Ireland playing at first string made a superhuman effort and nearly clawed his way back to what would have been a very hard fought victoy, in the end losing out narrowly to Tim Strain 3-2. Duncan Nightingale at 5th string seemed set to win the first game of his match against Trevor Brown, but was overhauled after getting to eight points first and Brown then ran out a 3-0 winner. 2nd string Dick Heath was overpowered 3-0 by hard-hitting opponent Chris Ayres. 3rd string Dave Forster, suffering from a back injury, lost out 3-1 to Calum Clark. Playing at 4th string, James Gildersleve was suffering from a hip injury and never got into his match against Trevor Edlington, losing 3-0.



6th October 2009
All four Henley teams were in action this week, but with mixed results. A weakened Henley first team was beaten convincingly by a strong Abingdon team 4/1 (17/4). Abingdon fielded two professionals at positions one and two, meaning the team was too strong for Henley, who were missing their top players. Darren Gray played at one for Henley and lost 3/0 to Mark Cairns, a former world top 10 and British Champion. Gray enjoyed the first game, as Cairns rallied graciously, however Cairns upped his game from the start of the second and completely dominated Gray. At two, Simon Street played Kristen Johnson, but a back injury in the second forced Street to retire prematurely, losing 3/0. Harry Carr played at three for Henley and recorded their only win of the fixture, beating Guy Tupper 3/1. Carr’s superior fitness was the key issue, as he managed to control the game, recording a very good win. Ed Hopkins lost 3/0 to Alan Horton at fourth string, as he struggled to deal with Horton’s disguise and cunning play. At five, Nigel Richardson put in a gutsy display against Gary Cross, however ultimately failed to cope with his opponent’s superior shots and attacking game. This result leaves Henley third in Oxfordshire’s top division, as they entertain Wallingford, the county’s top team, next week.
 
The second team entertained Oxford Paramount and beat them 3 matches to 2 (17 points to 9). At first string, James Quinn made short work of Gerard Whittaker who could not deal with Quinn's superior fitness and racquet skills, Quinn winning 9/6, 9/7, 9/7. At second string Nick Mason suffered due to Paul Sayers fitness and was gradually worn down to a standstill with Sayers winning 9/10, 9/1, 9/1, 9/1. At third string, Chris Wallace could not deal with Bob Tomes superior fitness although they were well matched on racquet skill with Wallace relaxing whenever he took the lead eventually allowing Tomes to win 8/10, 9/3, 9/6, 4/9, 7/9. Derek Oswald was unable to capitalise on his two games to one lead and Stephen Cooper was allowed to gain the upper hand winning the fourth and fifth comfortably. The score was 6/9, 9/2, 9/4, 1/9, 1/9. In the last match of the evening, Roger Booker quickly established a two love advantage against Pete Ibson and then stupidly allowed him to get back in the game after his teammate had identified weaknesses and given some sound advice. However, Ibson could not maintain the pressure and lost the fifth after a marathon effort by both players each of whom represents Oxon in the O'55 and O'60 intercounty matches. Booker winning 9/7, 9/5, 2/9, 4/9, 9/2. 
 
Henley 3rds travelled to Westminster in Division 6 and lost heavily. Richard Griffiths at 1st string faced a more experienced and crafty player in Mike Halsey. After some long and entertaining rallies it was Halsey that came out on top at the crunch end of each game, for a 3-0 win 9/5 9/5 9/5. Peter Hopkins had a close match at 2nd string with Martin Duffin, but failed to register a game, losing 3-0 10/9 9/7 9/1. Richard Hopkins played Jim Day at 5th string. Although striking the ball well, and being quick on his feet, Hopkins jnr looked in need of some regular squash, as Day won comfortably 3-0 9/4 9/2 9/1. Jackie Colvin played at 3rd string and won Henley's only point of the night against opponent Rod Ainscough. Colvin played some good squash having not played a team match for 3 months, but could not control her opponent, losing 3-1 9/4 8/10 9/1 10/9. At 2nd string Chris Pullen took on Gideon Fielden. Fielden's well rounded game and fitness were a too much for veteran Pullen, who put up a good fight, 3-0 9/6 9/6 10/8. Westminster won the tie 19-1, and sit top of Division 6. Henley 3rds must improve to stay in the Division. It should be noted that Westminster won Division 6 comfortably last winter and it remains a mystery why Oxfordshire Squash Committee did not promote them to Division 5, Westminster remain far too strong for division 6.
 
Henley 4ths hosted Lord Williams School from Thame and lost by 6 points to 18. The scores were: (1) Greg Chilvers 0 Eddy Smythe 3, (2) Paul Ireland 1 Adrian Pipkin 3, (3) Dick Heath 0 Michael Cooke 3, (4) David Forster 3 John Avery 2, (5) Duncan Nightingale 2 Carol Howes 3. Team captain Greg Chilvers described the result as grim.



28th September 2009
It has been a good week for Henley Squash Club with Teams 1, 2 and 3 all winning. Henley first team beat the league’s early leaders Esporta Oxford by 5 matches to nil (19/4), to go top of Oxfordshire’s division 1, jointly with Wallingford. At first string Bucks’ Matt Marshall beat Oxfordshire’s Ross Gore by 3 games to 1 (7/9, 9/6, 9/6, 9/5). Gore is extremely fit, but Marshall is the more talented player and, having trained hard over the summer, had the edge. At two, Darren Gray beat the extremely petulant Jon Geekie 3/2 (9/4, 4/9, 9/6, 6/9, 9/2). Unfortunately, Geekie’s behaviour was rude and unsporting and he was fortunate not to have the match awarded against him for some of his tantrums. At three, Simon Street was too strong for Ollie Harding, winning 3/0 (9/7, 9/5, 9/6). Whilst Harding played some spectacular shots, Street’s experience and consistency under pressure were the key differences. Sam Carr played 4 for Henley and beat Peter Winzeler 3/1, despite dropping the first game through a lack of concentration. From the start of the second game the result never looked in doubt, as Carr won 3/9, 9/2, 9/4, 9/5. Harry Carr played at 5 for Henley and was far too strong for Ben Pinfold, winning 3/0 (9/4, 9/0, 9/4). Next week Henley travel to Abingdon for a very tough match.
 
Henley's second team travelled to Esporta in Oxford aiming to make up for their defeat in the opening match of the season the previous week. Henley were helped by Esporta failing to field a full team and were awarded a 3-0 walkover at fifth string. First on court for Henley was James Quinn playing at number one. James had to work hard against tricky opponent Anil Vaidya and managed to win 3-1 (8/10, 9/0, 9/7, 9/0). Paul Sayers at number 4 struggled against a very fit opponent, Dave Corran, and was unable to make in-roads in the match losing 3-0 (3/9, 2/9, 4/9). Henley's number 3, Nigel Richardson, was next up attempting to wrap up the fixture. Nigel was striking the ball well and battled hard against a wily opponent, James Noble, but was unlucky to lose two tie-breaks eventually losing 3-0 (5/9, 8/10, 8/10).  With the fixture poised at 2 matches apiece, Henley's Ed Hopkins took on Irish international player Kerri Lancaster in the deciding match. Ed played a solid game adopting effective tactics to keep his talented opponent at bay. Ed ran out a deserved winner 3 games to 1 (9-4, 5-9, 9-7, 9-3). The 3-2 win for Henley provided valuable points in the division and they will look forward to building on this win in their next match against Paramount.       
 
Henley 3rds were at home to Didcot's 2nd team, with Henley seeking to build on their good start to the season. It was a close match, with Henley just managing to win by 3 matches to 2, taking 17 points to Didcot's 9. The scores were (1) Chris Wallace 2 Ludovic Bonnet 3, (2) Derek Oswald 3 Roger Young 1, (3) Roger Booker 2 Graham Urquhart 3, (4) Steve Berger 3 Christophe Muller 1, (5) Peter Paddick 3 Julian Badger 1. The result moves Henley up to 3rd in Division 6, just outside the promotion places.
 
Henley 4ths haven't hit their stride yet and unfortunately came up against a strong Kidlington 1st team. Peter Hopkins at 2nd string initiated the away fixture and despite some deft drops, was outplayed by his nimble opponent Graham Durham, losing 3-0 (1-9, 2-9, 1-9).  James Gildersleve at 5th string started strongly, winning his first two games, but a recurrent injury then limited his movement and he lost 3-2 against Stephen Langford (10-9, 9-4, 6-9, 4-9, 0-9).  Meanwhile, 3rd string Greg Chilvers also started his match well, taking the first game off Jonathan Boyce, but tailed off to lose 3-1 (9-6, 7-9, 2-9, 7-9) as the humid court conditions took their toll.  Despite a late come-back, Paul Ireland at 4th string had a disappointing match, losing 3-0 to Matt Grant (2-9, 4-9, 4-9).  It was then up to 1st string Chris Pullen to re-gain some honour for Henley against Simon Fletcher, but unfortunately, due to a rare scheduling over-sight by the home side, the court time ran out.  Although Pullen was awarded the match 3-2, a more conventional finish would have been preferred.



20th September 2009
Week 2 of the Oxfordshire Squash Winter Leagues saw a competent first outing for the new 4th team, and a convincing performance from the revamped 1st team playing in the top flight. A strong Henley first team travelled to Thame and beat their first team 5 nil (19 points to 1). Matt Marshall, Bucks county player, is Henley’s latest recruit and played at number one against his former team-mate Will Gardener. Marshall won 3/0 without too much effort. Berkshire’s Paul Johnson, another new recruit, played at 2 for Henley and he beat the talented and highly ranked junior Will John, by three games to nil. At three, Simon Street was too strong for Beth John as he won 3/0, dropping just 1 point in the match. Harry Carr played at four for Henley and, despite a break in concentration, managed to beat the experienced Simon Martin 3/1. Martin, a former National Racquetball Champion and a very talented squash player, lacked the fitness to compete against Carr. At five, Sam Carr had an easy match against Chris Backhouse, wining 3/0 comfortably. The result leaves Henley 1st team 3rd in Oxfordshire's top division, just behind Esporta and Wallingford.
 
Henley 2nds face a challenging season after gaining promotion to the heights of Division 2. They hosted Hithercroft 1st team, who withdrew their 1st team last year but Hithercroft managed to draft in their old number 1 player Ryan Thompsonto play Henley's James Quinn. Quinn put up a spirited performance but lost 3 nil, (1-9 4-9 5-9). At 2 Nigel Richardson played Alan Steptoe. The games were long and with similar style, long rallies on the side wall were the order of the day. Steptoe won the first game 9-3, but Richardson played well to win games 2 and 3 by scores of 9-4 9-7, and the 4th game was crucial with Richardson winning 9-7 for a well-earned 3-1 win. At 3rd string Paul Sayers played a young Jack Turnell. Turnell won the first 9-3, but Sayers worked hard to win the 2nd 9-6, but although he found a winning formula, he had run out of legs and succombed 2-9 3-9 to lose the match 1-3. The 4th string match of Chris Wallace versus Kevin Turnell started well for Wallace but he found points hard to come by, losing the first two games 9-2 9-0, but Wallace played well in the 3rd game but lost it 10-8 to lose 3-0. Finally at 5th string Derek Oswald played veteran Trevor Cox who played very well to win the first two games 9-3 10-8 but Cox appeared hampered by his knee thereafter and Oswald played well to take games 3, 4 and 5 by scores of 9-1 9-0 9-0 to win 3-2. The result of the tie was Henley 2nds 7 points to Hithercroft 1sts 16 points. The 2nds are bottom of Division 2 but have only played one game whereas the others bar North Oxfordshire have played 2.
  
The 3rds had a week off, but meanwhile the 4ths had their long-awaited first outing, playing Oxford Gladiators at home. At 2nd string Paul Ireland lost the first, won games 2 and 3 easily, then folded in games 4 and 5 as his opponent found new heart and length. At 3rd string Dick Heath, the team's new pensioner, couldn't celebrate his bus-pass, going down 3-1, despite winning a tight first game. At 4th string James Gildersleve blamed his quad-bike injury to his shoulder, however the marker thought his leaden legs were the main reason for his 3-1 loss. At 5th string Dave Forster entertained as ever with his ne'er say no style, going 2-0 up easily, losing the 3rd from match point up, and eventually grinding out a 9/7 win in the 4th. At one, Pete Paddick, club skipper, stretched effectively, but looked short of match practice, running out of steam in the 5th against a much younger opponent, whom Paddick hopes will be enjoying his squash at Durham University during the return fixture. The scores were Henley 4ths 9 points, Gladiators 1sts 18 points (1) Peter Paddick 2 Ben Harrison 3, (2) Paul Ireland 2 Martin Harrison 3, (3) Dick Heath 1 Richard Hall 3, (4) James Gildersleve 1 Pete Beasley 3, (5) David Forster 3 Martin Langton 2. The result leaves the 4th team in 5th place in Division 8, but with a game in hand.



10th August 2009
Henley finished the summer season on a high, with all three teams winning and having mid-table finishes. Henley firsts travelled to league leaders Defence Academy at Shrivenham and beat them 3/2 (14/8). At first string, a focused Darren Gray beat a nervous Nigel Rowe 3/0. Rowe knew he needed a victory to give his team a chance of winning the league title and it affected his game. At two, Simon Street lost a close encounter with Adam Giles 3/1. Giles was unbeaten all year in his first season back having had a long break. But the form that made him an internationally ranked junior should see him playing higher in the winter. Sam Carr played at 3 and beat David Ridgway 3/2 in a close match. Ridgway is a talented player who is fitter this season and with a bit more confidence could have caused an upset. At 4, Harry Carr disposed of Darren O'Sullivan 3/0 without breaking into a sweat. At 5 Chris Wallace struggled with the tricky Mike Holland, losing 3/0. In the end, Henley will be pleased with their 5th place in the league, but they could have won it if they had fielded a stronger team from the start. It now looks like second place Wallingford will take the title once they have played their game in hand.
Henley 2nds entertained Telecoms 1st team and finished their season with an excellent 4-1 win, by 16 points to 7. At 1st string Roger Booker did not make the most of his opportunities, over-hitting the ball and then succumbing in the 3rd game, losing 6-9 6-9 1-9 to Carey James. At 2nd string Steve Berger started badly and his opponent Pete Walker hit good length shots which died at the back, but Berger played better as the game progressed and he won 3-2 (4-9 9-4 9-5 7-9 9-2). At 3rd string Chris Pullen worked hard and dug in to win 3-2 against Ian Foggett whom he had beaten easily in the away game. The deciding game was a 10-9 nail-biter and Pullen won 7-9 9-4 10-9 1-9 10-9. At 4th string Jackie Colvin played well and only at the end gave her opponent Andy Aldworth any chances as she won 9-4 9-1 10-8. At 5th string Dick Heath, the oldest player, played Ian Foggett's son Tom, the youngest player in the match, aged 14. In this instance age and experience were the difference as Heath won 9-4 9-1 9-4. The whole evening was played in good spirits and excellent sportsmanship and good squash for the last game of the summer leagues.
 
Henley 3rds took on Abingdon Court Vultures in the final match of the summer league. Derek Oswald played Bobby Pearson in the 1st string match up. Oswald controlled the match from start to finish, making his opponent do some impressive retrieving. Oswald won 3-0 9/5 9/0 9/8. Meanwhile, Duncan Nightingale took on promising junior Jack Dingwall, and showed too much strength for his young opponent. Nightingale won 3-0 9/7 9/5 9/6. At 3rd string Paul Ireland beat Alan Gilmour in straight games 3-0 9/4 9/4 9/7. David Forster faced another promising Abingdon junior, Sam Palmer, and in a close match at 4th string managed to win 3-0 9/7 9/5 9/4. Richard Griffiths returned to the team for his first match in 3 months, and faced Max Booker at 2nd string. Griffiths was well off the pace, but put up a reasonable fight, losing 3-0 9/4 9/7 9/7. Henley 3rds finish mid table, and now prepare for the start of the winter leagues in September.



1st August 2009
This week a strong Henley first team entertained 3rd place Oxford Brookes and recorded a convincing 5/0 victory (19/4). At first string Paul Johnson started slowly against Jason Varrie, losing the first game 9/3. Johnson was more focused from the start of the second game though and was soon in control, going on to win the match 3/1 (3/9, 9/4, 9/2, 9/2). At 2 for Henley was Darren Gray and he disposed of the talented Hans Rainer-Kloeckner with an impressive 3/0 win (9/5, 9/3, 9/1). Rainer-Kloeckner is a ‘confidence player’ and can be very tricky if allowed to control the game, however it was a focused Gray that prevailed, as he completely dominated his opponent and didn’t let him get into his stride. Simon Street played 3 for Henley and started slowly against Robin Sparkes, losing the first game 9/2. Street then started attacking from the start of the second game and took the next 3 games for the loss of just 3 points, winning 3/1 (2/9, 9/0, 9/1, 9/2). Sam Carr underestimated his elder opponent, Jim Lynn, and got off to a poor start, losing the first 2 games easily. Lynn should represent Ireland at 1 in the over 55’s home internationals this season, so is not a player to take lightly. However, Carr regrouped for the start of the 3rd game and won the next 3 games fairly comfortably, winning 3/2 (2/9, 2/9, 9/2, 9/3, 9/5). Harry Carr played at 5 for Henley against Simon Pick and won rather effortlessly 3/0 (9/4, 9/0, 9/5). Pick seemed to prejudge his destiny and only brief lapses of concentration from Carr resulted in points for the visitor. This win was vitally important for Henley in their quest for survival in Oxfordshire’s top division. However, their survival in Division 1 will be decided in the final game of the season, away to league leaders Defence Academy at Shrivenham next week.
 
Henley 2nds travelled to Westminster College, part of Oxford Brookes University, on the west side of Oxford. The team expected a tough match, with Westminster lying above them in Division 4. First on for Henley were the Hopkins father and son team, Ed and Peter, playing at 1st and 5th strings against Mick Halsey and Nick Tomkins respectively. Both began slowly with Ed Hopkins just edging his first game 9-6, and Peter Hopkins losing his first two games 9-3 9-6. However both then upped their games, Ed Hopkins playing top class squash winning the next two 9-0 9-0 and Peter Hopkins winning his next three 9-3 9-0 9-7 to get Henley off to a promising start to the evening. Next on were Chris Wallace and Nigel Richardson. At 3rd string Wallace dropped the first game 9-3 to Rod Ainscough but battled hard with some solid play to win the next three games 9-5 9-6 9-4. Nigel Richardson faced Gideon Fielden at 2nd string and played very well in the first two games, winning 9-4 9-4, but then felt unwell and eased off, losing the next two games 9-2 9-1, however Richardson dug deep to snatch the 5th game 9-7. Finally at 4th string Roger Booker was too resourceful for opponent Sean Manning, Booker winning  3-0 (10-9, 9-3, 9-3). Henley took a maximum 19 points to Westminster's 5, and this should ensure the team's place in Division 4 for next summer.
 
The 3rds had a night to forget over at Wantage. Wantage 2nd team were pushing for promotion and fielded a strong team, whilst Henley were without a number of key players. At first string Chris Pullen had a cracking match against Neil Barson but lost 5-9 7-9 4-9. At 2nd string James Gildersleve played well the first game, winning 9-4, but tired quicker than his opponent Andrew Day, losing the next three games 5-9 5-9 3-9. Playing up at 3rd string Dave Forster lost in straight sets to Calum Clark, 5-9 3-9 6-9. At 4th string Duncan Nightingale played Trevor Edlington and lost 3-9 2-9 5-9, though he was 5-3 up in the 3rd and could have taken a game. At 5th string young Richard Hopkins was 7-1 up in the 2nd game and really should have won it, but lack of recent match play allowed errors to creep in and his opponent Trevor Brown won 9-1 10-8 9-2 in the end.



30th July 2009
Henley travelled to Wallingford this week, but failed to impress as they lost 4/1 (17/4). At first string Paul Johnson lost 3/0, as expected, to professional Scott Handley. Johnson never looked like wining a game, as Handley controlled every aspect of the game. At two, Simon Street again failed to deliver as he lost 3/1 to Stephen Dodridge in a very tight match. All the games were close but Street failed to convert 6 game balls in the fourth game and Dodridge won the last game 10/9 with his first match ball. At 3 Sam Carr scraped victory off of Steve Brackley 3/1, to record Henley’s only win of the fixture. Brackley played inconsistently, but Carr recovered well from 7/1 down in the fourth game to win 9/7, as his superior fitness paid dividends. At four, Harry Carr played poorly and recorded a disappointing 3/0 loss to Alex Holmes. Carr failed to control his opponent and could not capitalise on his superior fitness due to his loose game. An unfit Ed Hopkins played at 5 for Henley and lost 3/0 to Russell Roles. Whilst Roles played well and dominated the game, Hopkins’ length and width were loose and indicative of his lack of team matches of late. Next week Henley host 3rd place Oxford Brookes in a must win match.
 
Henley 3rds hosted Division 6 leaders Kidlington and found the competition too strong. Kidlington brought down a very strong team, in their attempt to win Division 6 for the summer. On first at number one string, Chris Pullen played well against Simon Fletcher but was unable to take a game, losing 6-9 7-9 1-9. Paul Ireland went on next at 4th string against Stephen Langford and lost the first two games 7-9 9-10 before staging a remarkable comeback, showing great tenacity to win the next three 9-4 9-2 9-2 to win his match 3 games to 2. By contrast at fifth string Dave Forster won his first two games against Paul Wilkinson 9-0 9-2 but somehow managed to lose the next three 7-9 4-9 4-9. Peter Hopkins and Dick Heath both lost convincingly at 2nd and 3rd strings respectively, Hopkins losing to drop-shot specialist Jonathan Boyce 2-9 1-9 1-9 and Heath losing to Matt Grant 4-9 4-9 4-9. Henley 3rds remain near the foot of the table. 



20th July 2009
Henley first team beat Thame seconds 4/1 (17/5) in an important match that may prove crucial in their quest to avoid relegation from Oxfordshire’s top division. At first string Darren Gray made hard work of beating Tom White, but managed to win 3/2 (9/5, 4/9, 9/2, 1/9, 9/5). At two, Simon Street started well against Dan Ford, dominating well on an extremely lively court. Street won the first and was 6/1 up in the second before hitting the wall, due to an excessive training regime, and lost 6/9 and the match 3/1 (9/3, 6/9, 5/9, 7/9). At third string Sam Carr beat Chris Gildersleeve 3/0 (9/1, 9/2, 9/4) and his younger brother Harry beat Dave Herron equally convincingly 3/0 (9/4, 9/4, 9/3). James Quinn played 5 for Henley and was too fit for Roland Taylor, again winning 3/0 (9/6, 9/2, 9/0). In a very tight league, Henley remains 5th, with 3 tough matches left.
 
The Henley 2nd team were away at Witney and lost heavily. The scores were: WITNEY 1st team 17 points HENLEY 2nds 6 (1) Steve Watts 3 Roger Booker 0, (2) Paul Wightman 1 Steve Berger 3, (3) Charles Quarterman 3 Chris Pullen 1, (4) Edward Morris 3 Jackie Colvin 2. At fifth string Holly Cox won 3-0. 
 
The 3rd team were away at Abingdon Squash Club to play their team amusingly called Drifters, and came away with a well earned 3-2 win. At first string Peter Hopkins took on Eddie Murray and made a strong challenge in the 3rd game, holding a game ball, but succombed 3-0 (0-9, 6-9, 9-10). Meanwhile 4th string Paul Ireland battled for a good 3-1 win over Bill Flockton (9-5, 2-9, 9-6, 9-5), and at 2nd string Greg Chilvers returned to form with an excellent 3 nil over Kevin Edwards (10-8 9-6 9-4). At 3rd string Dick Heath lost 3-1 against Pat O'Regan (3-9 9-7 2-9 7-9) but at 5th string James Gildersleve put in another slick performance to win 3 nil (9-6, 9-5, 9-3). Henley took 14 points against 7 points for Drifters, but remain near the foot of the table, but with a game in hand.



13th July 2009
Henley firsts suffered a bad loss against Abingdon in week 10, 3-2 (16 points to 7), in what could be an important match in the club's quest to avoid relegation from Oxfordshire’s top division.
 
At first string Paul Johnson was too fit for Guy Tupper and won 3/1. Tupper displayed some exquisite shots, but Johnson never looked in doubt of losing, despite the closeness of some of the games. Simon Street played at two for Henley and lost 3/1 to Steve Rogers. The match was very physical, tight and lasted over 80 minutes, with Street narrowly losing one game in the tie break. Rogers was euphoric and screamed “that’s been due for 25 years”, after winning the fourth game. At three, Sam Carr avenged his younger brother’s first half loss to Alan Horton, by winning 3/2. However at 2/1 down and 8/2 down, Carr had to rescue 3 match balls before clinching the game on the tie break. Carr never looked in doubt of losing the deciding game though as his superior fitness helped overcome Horton’s tricky play. Nigel Richardson played at four for Henley and started slowly against Gary Cross. Richardson was 2/0 down and 8/0 down before he starting battling and fought his way back courageously to 7/8, saving numerous match balls. Sadly, it was all to no avail as Cross closed out 9/7 to win 3/0. Roger Booker was promoted to 5 for Henley, as Ed Hopkins pulled out through injury. Booker had to play Joe Brooke, who is over 50 years his junior and it showed as the teenager won fairly comfortably 3/0. Next week Henley entertain Thame 2 in a must-win match.
 
Meanwhile a makeshift Henley 2nds hosted Banbury 1sts and lost heavily, 4-1. The team was comprised of players usually at home in the 3rd team, but battled bravely for 4 points to deny Banbury a whitewash. On first were the 3rd and 4th strings, Peter Hopkins and Greg Chilvers. Chilvers overhit the ball and succombed without giving his opponent Stuart Madle too much trouble 3-0 (9-4 9-3 9-5), but Hopkins, after a poor start (losing the first game 9-3) fought back well against Nick Stanley to take the 2nd game 9-3 with clever serving and took a 5 nil lead in the third game, before two exhausting long rallies tipped the advantage back to his fitter opponent, who took the 3rd game 9-6, and the 4th game 9-2 to take the match 3-1. Jackie Colvin came on at 2nd string and tried a lot of her deceptive drop shots, but they weren't quite low enough and her opponent Michael Norton began to read them, Colvin going down 3-0 (5-9 7-9 2-9). Meanwhile Paul Ireland came on at 5th string against Dave Kelly and battled hard, reaching 2 games all (9-4 9-1 6-9 9-10). In the 5th game, Ireland had a terrible start, staring defeat in the face at 2-8, facing 6 matches balls against him, but valiantly fought back to take the game 10-9, and the match 3-2. Chris Pullen came on finally at 1st string against a fit young Sean Smith, and switched his style of play intelligently to take a brief lead in the 3rd game, but Smith's power-hitting was too much in the end (1-9 5-9 7-9). Henley took 4 points to Banbury's 18. The result leaves Henley still mid-table.
 
The 3rd team did not have a match due to the odd number of teams in Division 6.



7th July 2009
At first string Henley’s latest recruit, Paul Johnson, beat the talented junior Rory Birtwhistle 3/1 (9/4, 2/9, 9/5, 9/5). Johnson, an ex-professional and full time coach, had too much for Birtwhistle and his presence should help strengthen Henley’s squad and quest for survival in the top division. Darren Gray played at 2 for Henley and beat Mark Webster comfortably 3/0 (91, 9/5, 9/3). Gray never looked troubled, as Webster failed to adjust to the conditions and could not control his length or width. At 3, Simon Street beat James Noble 3/0 (9/7, 9/0, 9/5). The hot courts suited Noble’s tricky game and Street nearly dropped the opening game, going 7/1 down, before settling to dominate the game and record an easy win. Harry Carr played above his older brother at 4 for Henley and beat David Corran for the loss of just 1 point (9/0, 9/1, 9/0)! Sam Carr also had a fairly easy game at 5 for Henley, as he beat Josh Tipping 3/0 (9/5, 9/7, 9/3). Next week Henley travel to Abingdon for another crucial tie.
 
The 2nd team were away at Hithercroft and lost 4-1.  On first for Henley Greg Chilvers at no.4 string faced Jerry Marshall. The match proved to be close encounter but unfortunately Chilvers could not match his opponent's talented attacking game. Despite taking the first game Chilvers lost 3-1. On the opposite court at no.5 string Henley's Paul Ireland face a young and fit opponent in Hithercroft's Tom Hancock. In a hard fought match Paul was unable to match Hancock's relentless volleying and eventually lost in a close 3-0. Next on at no.1 string for Henley Ed Hopkins played Hithercroft's Justin Hamilton-Martin. In a high-paced battle Hopkins suffered a right ankle sprain in the 2nd game which he was unable to fully recover from, despite borrowing team mate Paul Ireland's ankle brace Hopkins was unable to close out the match and lost 3-1. On at the same time at no.3 string Henley's Steve Berger lost a close and well-spirited match against Richard Kellagher 3-1. In a match for pride Nigel Richardson performed very well to salvage points for Henley by defeating Trevor Cox in a comfortable 3-0 win. Henley 2nds gained 6 points to Hithercroft's 16, and remain mid-table in Division 4.
 
The 3rd team hosted Oxford Gladiators but lost 3-2. On first at 5th string 13 year old Richie Hopkins played very well, winning the first two games, but could not quite defeat experienced opponent Martin Langton, losing 3-2 (9-1 9-7 1-9 5-9 4-9). James Gildersleve came on at 2 against Chris Mead and pulled off Henley's best win of the evening winning 3-2 (9-5 9-6 1-9 4-9 9-7). Dave Forster then went on at 3rd string and gained revenge for a defeat earlier in the season, beating Paul Bennett 3-1 (9-2 4-9 9-6 9-1). Peter Hopkins stepped up to take the 1st string position and lost narrowly 3-1 against Martin Harrison (9-1 4-9 7-9 7-9). Finally Duncan Nightingale made his debut for the team at 4th string and had a close game in the 2nd game but overall lost 3-0 (1-9 6-9 3-9). Henley 3rds gained. Henley 3rds gained 9 points and remain mid-table in Division 6.



29th June 2009
A weakened Henley first team were narrowly defeated by Thame this week, 3/2 (16/7). At first string Simon Street lost to the talented and now fit Matt Marshall 3-0 (2/9, 4/9, 0/9). On a very lively court Street failed to get into the match and was out-played in every department. Short of players, Sam Carr was a welcome return from university at second string for Henley. Unfortunately, a stale performance from Carr resulted in him losing 3-1 to the fresher Will John (2/9, 9/5, 5/9, 6/9). Sam’s younger brother Harry played at 3 for Henley against the fit Jim Usherwood. Whilst leading 2/0, a lack of concentration from Carr nearly resulted in him losing this match as two games were lost quickly for only 2 points. However, Carr regrouped for the deciding game and won without dropping a point (10/9, 9/6, 2/9, 0/9, 9/0). Ed Hopkins returned to the team at 4th string, having not played for many weeks. As expected, Hopkins was rusty and unable to cope with the extremely gifted Simon Martin. Martin is the last player you want to play in your first match back after a lay-off and Hopkins lost 3-0 (7/9, 5/9, 0/9). The best display was saved for the last match of the evening, as Nigel Richardson entertained the young Alex Noakes at 5th string. Man of the Match Richardson arrived late, having been in Barcelona all day, but had to focus in order to beat Noakes, a top England junior. The match was long, with many demanding rallies, however Richardson won 3/1 (5/9, 9/0, 10/8, 9/4). Next week Henley travel to Esporta Oxford for a must-win match if they are to avoid slipping into the relegation zone.
   
The 2nd team were away at University (in Oxford). Roger Booker at first string played a much younger guy whom he beat 3-0 the last time they played, however Booker was still in the office and at no point looked like he was going to get a game losing comfortably 3-0. Steve Berger won, and Pete Paddick played Ken Reid, whom he had never beaten but having a better form of late won in the end comfortably 3-0 despite it taking 7 match points to get there. Chris Pullen played a younger fitter opponent, just missing out on the first game, comfortably won the second but finally lost 3-2. Greg Chilvers who usually plays in the 3rd team upped his game and play very well to win reasonably comfortably 3-0. The results were: (1) Alister Leslie 3 Roger Booker 0, (2) Laurence Robb 1 Steve Berger 3, (3) Ken Reid 0 Peter Paddick 3, (4) Simon Banks 3 Chris Pullen 2, (5) Stephen Cobbold 0 Greg Chilvers 3
 
The 3rd team were away at Castaways in Oxford, and lost 4-1. Peter Hopkins at first string lost 3 nil to Nick Barnet (4-9, 0-9, 4-9), whilst Dick Heath was promoted to second string and lost 3-0 to Jon Childs. Paul Ireland also lost 3-0 at third string to Dave Surrage, and it was left to James Gildersleve and Dave Forster at fourth and fifth strings to salvage some respect for the Henley side, with Gildersleve gaining two points, losing 3-2 (5/9, 9/4, 6/9, 10/9, 1/9) to Paul Bedford whilst Forster gained Henley's only win of the evening with a 3 nil win over Stephen Thompson (9/4, 9/0, 10/9).



22nd June 2009
Henley were outgunned by the Defence Academy from Shrivenham, with Henley losing 5 nil (4 points to 19) in week 7 of the Oxfordshire Squash Summer Leagues. At first string Simon Street lost 3-2 (9/4, 4/9, 7/9, 9/6, 0/9) to Wiltshire’s top over-35’s player Nigel Rowe. Whilst Rowe fully deserved the win, playing excellent squash in the deciding game, Street will be disappointed that he failed to ‘get out of the blocks’ in the last game, losing 0/9. Harry Carr played at 2 for Henley and came up against the talented Adam Giles. Carr lost 3-1 (3/9, 7/9, 9/5, 7/9) to the more experienced Giles, as he failed to deal with his attacking style. At three, Nigel Richardson struggled with his width and length and lost 3-1 (6/9, 7/9, 9/5, 1/9) to David Ridgway. Chris Wallace played at 4 for Henley, but was beaten easily, in a fairly one sided match by Anthony Dennington. Wallace lost 3 love (1/9, 1/9, 2/9). At fifth string Roger Booker enjoyed his first outing for the first team for a few seasons, but even the legendary ‘Booker Boast’ wasn’t enough to trouble his opponent Mike Hyland. Booker provided some resistance in the first game, but eventually lost 3 nil (7/9, 1/9, 4/9). Henley remains mid-table in Oxfordshire’s top league, but will need to strengthen if they are to avoid slipping into a relegation battle in the second half.
 
In Division 4, the 2nd team travelled to Witney to play Telecoms 1st team. On first at 5th string, Peter Hopkins battled hard against determined opponent Bruce Anderson, and lost 3-2 (9-6, 3-9, 9-6, 4-9, 3-9). Steve Berger, playing at 1st string, took on Telecoms top Junior Lewis Wood, and lost 3-0 (2-9, 5-9, 0-9). Derek Oswald played Carey James at 2nd string and took the 1st game 9-8, but could not sustain his challenge and lost the next 3 games (3-9, 4-9, 3-9). Finally Chris Bishop and Chris Pullen got on court, and both managed to claim straightforward 3-0 wins: Chris Bishop beat Andy Aldworth 9-3, 9-4, 9-2 at 4th string and Chris Pullen beat Ian Foggett 9-3, 9-3, 9-1 at 3rd string, with Foggett appearing almost to give up towards the end of the match. Both sides got 9 points for the games won, but Telecom walked away with the 4 point bonus for winning the tie by 3 matches to 2. The result leaves Henley 2nds mid-table.
 
The 3rd team were away at Abingdon, and managed their second win of the summer. David Forster won 3-1 playing a 14 year old player and it could have gone either way as Forster was playing his unpredictable game. Gildersleve lost comfortably 3-0 against another school boy. Paul Ireland won 3-0 against a guy who was never going to win as Ireland was just a better all round player. Greg Chilvers won against Roger Booker's brother who made more mistakes giving Chilvers the win. Pete Paddick played a young fit player whom he struggled to keep up with though he did push the last game to 9-9 before losing 3-0. The scores were Abingdon Court Vultures 7 points Henley 13 points (1) Bobby Pearson 3 Pete Paddick 0, (2) Max Booker 0 Greg Chilvers 3, (3) Ian Dingwall 0 Paul Ireland 3, (4) Josh Allen 3 James Gildersleve 0, (5) Craig Ross 1 David Forster 3.  The result moves Henley up the table.



15th June 2009
In week 6 of the Oxfordshire Summer Squash Leagues, a weakened Henley first team travelled to league leaders Oxford Brookes and narrowly lost 2/3 (10 points to 16). At first string Darren Gray had a physical tussle with Jason Varrie, but lost a tight match 2/3. Gray wasn’t happy with how Varrie constantly pushed him in the back and, whilst it wasn’t dangerous, it upset Gray’s rhythm and impacted on the result. At two, Simon Street recorded a good victory, beating the talented Hans Rainer-Kloeckner 3/1 to avenge an earlier defeat. Street needed to work very hard to win, as Rainer-Kloeckner used a lot of deception and disguise, but Street’s retrieving caused the Oxford player to make too many errors. Harry Carr went 2/1 down against Robin Sparkes, but came back well to win 3/2 at third string. Sparkes can be an awkward opponent, but the deciding game was fairly one sided as he couldn’t live with Carr’s superior fitness. Unfortunately Nigel Richardson let a 2 game lead slip as he lost 2/3 to Jim Lynn. Lynn is Ireland ’s top player in the over 55’s category and he used all his experience to claw his way back into the match. At fifth string Chris Wallace was no match for the fitter Simon Pick, as the Henley man lost 0/3. Henley remains mid table in Oxfordshire top division, but will have to start converting some of the tighter matches to victories if they want to avoid slipping into the relegation zone.
 
In division 4, the 4th placed Henley second team hosted 6th placed Westminster 1st team, but lost 1-4 (7 points to 16). At first string Roger Booker lost to Michael Halsey 0-3 (3-9, 7-9, 4-9), whilst at second string there was a close battle with Steve Berger losing to Gideon Fielden 0-3 (7-9 7-9 8-10). At third string Chris Pullen put up a great fight, losing 2-3 to Rod Ainscough (7/9,2/9,9/6,9/3,0/9), whilst at 4th string Pete Paddick recorded Henley's only win of the evening, beating Martin Duffin 3-0 (9/7,9/5,9/7). Finally at 5th string Jackie Colvin lost 2-3 to Jim Day (1/9,9/5,10/9,8/9,4/9).
 
In division 6, 5th placed Henley 3rd team hosted 3rd placed Wantage 2nd team. At 5th string James Gildersleve continued his good form winning 3-0 against Trevor Brown (9/6 9/0 9/3) and at 4th string Dick Heath played excellent squash to win 3-2 against David Jarvis (5/9 9/4 9/1 5/9 9/3). However Henley were unable to convert this 2 nil lead into a victory, with the remaining strings all losing: at 3rd string Paul Ireland lost to Calum Clark 1-3 (9/7 4/9 3/9 5/9), and at 2nd string Greg Chilvers lost 1-3 to Tim Strain (9/3 1/9 3/9 8/10). Finally Peter Hopkins lost 0-3 at 1st string to the hard-hitting Chris Ayres (0/9 0/9 7/9).



8th June 2009
In round 5 of the Oxfordshire Squash Summer leagues, Henley first team entertained a strong team from Wallingford that included two professionals, and lost 2/3 (8 points to14).
 
At first string, Wallingford fielded Scott Handley, who is a previous world top 40 player who is recovering from a groin injury. Wallingford also played England’s number 1 over 35’s player Clive Ewins at second string, so they were always guaranteed two wins. Simon Rodwell played at one for Henley and lost 0/3 to Handley (4/9, 3/9, 0/9), struggling to live with Handley’s speed on the ball. Simon Street played at second string for Henley and was rewarded for all his hard work as he took a game off of Ewins, losing 1/3 (3/9, 2/9, 9/2, 2/9). The critical match was always going to be at third string and unfortunately for Henley, Harry Carr could not continue with his early pace or game plan against Steve Dodridge. Dodridge, an experienced county player, used all his guile to transform the way the match was played. From the start, Dodridge could not cope with Carr’s attacking style as Carr took the opening game 9/3. However, in the second game Dodridge slowed the pace and Carr struggled to control the match, losing 1/3 (9/3, 2/9, 3/9, 3/9). Nigel Richardson recorded a good win at forth string for Henley against Wallingford’s Russell Roles, Oxfordshire’s number 1 veteran player. Richardson won the first two games, but Roles recovered well taking the next two, breaking Richardson’s momentum. However, the Henley player came back well in the deciding game and dictated from the start, winning 3/2 (9/2, 9/5, 1/9, 6/9, 9/3). At five, Henley’s Chris Wallace was awarded a walk over as Wallingford failed to field a player. This defeat leaves Henley mid table in Oxfordshire’s top division.
 
Henley's 2nd team did not have a match due to the uneven number of teams in their division, but the 3rd team travelled to Kidlington to play the Division 6 league leaders. James Gildersleve went on first, at 4th string, against Paul Wilkinson. Gildersleve lost the first game but confided to his team mates that he was determined to win, and recovered to win 9-7 in the 5th. Gildersleve has now won all his matches so far this season and has emerged as the team's most consistent player. Peter Hopkins and Paul Ireland then played Graham Durham and Jonathan Boyce at 1st and 2nd string respectively but both lost 0-3 against strong opponents, Hopkins losing 2-9, 4-9, 2-9. Kidlington failed to field a 5th string, giving Henley a walkover, leaving Dick Heath at 3rd string with the key match to settle the tie. Heath lost the first two games but fought back to level at 2-2 in a gripping match against Stephen Langford, but could not quite sustain the challenge and lost the 5th and final game, so Henley lost the tie 2-3 but still picked up a useful 8 points against the league leaders.



1st June 2009
In week 4 of Oxfordshire Squash Leagues all three Henley teams were in action and all three teams won. Henley 1st team travelled to Thame to play their 2nd team. Thame have two teams in Oxfordshire’s top division and split their strength between them, making this a tough match for a weakened Henley team. However, Henley recorded an impressive 4/1 win (16 points to 8). At first string, Simon Street lost 0/3 to Bucks’ Will Gardener. Street played as ‘sacrificial lamb’, having only just returned from a charity cycle ride from Lands End to John O’Groats. Whilst the rallies were long and the match tight, Street didn’t have the legs to compete at the end of each game. At second string Harry Carr managed his own version of a great escape, beating Dan Ford 3/2. Carr was two games down and trailing 7/0, before he managed to find the composure needed to beat his experienced opponent. At three, Ed Hopkins beat David Herron fairly comfortably, 3/0. The closest match of the evening was at fourth string. Henley’s Paul Sayers beat Alex Noakes 10/9 in the deciding game to record an impressive 3/2 win against his 13 year old opponent. Noakes is one of England ’s finest players in his age group, so this result could prove ‘one for the scrap book’ for Sayers. At fifth string Chris Wallace played his first match for the first team, beating Roland Taylor 3/1 without ever looking troubled.
 
The 2nd team were at home to Witney 1st team. At first string Roger Booker lost 2-3 in a very tight match to Matthew Jones (9/3,9/10,9/3,9/10,4/9), whilst Steve Berger at 2nd string lost 1-3 to Edward Morris (8/10,9/6,6/9,4/9). However Henley fared much better with the remaining matches with Chris Pullen in perfect form beating Mark Wood 3-0 (9/5,9/6,9/1), and Jackie Colvin also won 3-0 against her opponent Sue Wilson (9/0,9/4,9/7). The fifth string was awarded as a walkover to Henley as Witney failed to field a player, so Henley won the tie 3 matches to 2.
 
Henley 3rd team had a home match against Drifters of Abingdon and won a close tie by 3 matches to 2, taking 17 points to 9 for Drifters. The scores were (1) Peter Paddick 1 Steve Learoyd 3, (2) Paul Ireland 3 Mike Stepney 2, (3) Dick Heath 2 Geoff Twinn 3, (4) James Gildersleve 3 Alex Wales 0, (5) David Forster 3 William Flockton 2.



24th May 2009
In week 3 of Oxfordshire Squash Summer leagues, the Henley 1st team hosted the Abingdon 1st team in a division 1 match up. First on court, 2nd string Harry Carr took on Abingdon's Gary Cross. From the start Carr played dominantly and never relinquished his lead winning 9-6 9-4 9-4. Next on court Henley's 1st string Darren Gray faced Abingdon no.1 Steve Rogers. After a slow start Gray quickly regrouped and battled on to a close 4-9 10-8 9-7 10-8 victory. The third match on saw Henley no.3 string Ed Hopkins take on Jimmy Brooke. Unfortunately Hopkins was unable to maintain a consistent attacking game and the close match ended with Brooke winning 3-1 ( 3-9 9-7 6-9 7-9). On at no.4 string James Quinn went on against Jimmy's younger brother Joe Brooke, in a thrilling match which lasted well over an hour. Quinn was unable to control Brooke's tricky attacking game and lost 9-7 9-4 2-9 5-9 8-10. The final and deciding match of the tie saw no.5 string Nigel Richardson play Carwyn Jones in another epic battle which lasted over an hour. Unfortunately for Henley Richardson could not hold on to a 2-1 game lead and lost 3-2 (2-9 9-4 9-1 5-9 1-9). Abingdon won the tie 3-2 matches overall.
 
In Division 4, Henley 2nds travelled to Banbury and narrowly lost the match. At first string Chris Wallace never quite got into the game with Andy Cummin and despite better racquet skills could not contain his opponent losing 7/9, 3/9, 2/9. At third string Roger Booker ran out of steam against Sean Smith, a much younger opponent who took advantage with Booker losing 9/5, 6/9, 9/7, 1/9, 1/9. At second string Steve Berger appeared to be able to contain Nick Stanley, but much to the surprise of the capacity crowd allowed his opponent to come back in the 4th and 5th games losing 9/3, 5/9, 9/6, 1/9, 4/9. Chris Pullen had too many racquet skills for John Fleming winning a tight game 9/4, 9/6, 6/9, 9/5. At 5th string Peter Hopkins looked dead and buried at 2-0 down and losing the third game 0-7. But Hopkins never gave up and gradually established superiority with his variety and tricky shots beating Andrew Moody 5/9, 1/9, 9/7, 9/5, 9/1. Henley 10 points Banbury 16 points.
 
Henley 3rd team had a rest week because of the uneven number of teams in Division 6.



17th May 2009
Week 2 of the Oxfordshire Squash Summer Leagues for Henley Squash Club began with a tough away loss to Esporta Oxford. The match started well with new no.2 string Darren Gray comfortably beating his younger opponent John Geekie 3-0. Unfortunately this proved to be the team's only win of the tie. On next at no.1 string Simon Rodwell battled hard against Ross Gore but was unable to match Gore's impressive speed and efficient movement losing 0-3. The next match on was Henley no.5 string Nigel Richardson against Esporta's James Noble. The match was close all the way but Noble eventually came through to win 3-1. Next on Harry Carr started strongly taking the first game 9-7 against Rory Birtwhistle, despite the successful opening game Carr was unable to keep up with the pace for the entire match and eventually lost 1-3. The last match on saw Henley's Ed Hopkins battle for nearly an hour and a half against Derek Holt in an eventual 2-3 loss for Hopkins. The final score was Esporta 16 Henley 7.
 
Henley 2nds narrowly lost a closely contested match with Hithercroft 2nds. At first string Roger Booker overwhelmed the skilful Trevor Cox in the first game, who fought back to take the next two games. Booker with his normal running game managed just to take the fourth but could not continue the good work and lost 9/4, 4/9, 1/9, 10/9, 1/9. Steve Berger at 2 had a tough match with Richard Kellagher who made mistakes and Berger should have won.  However he could not capitalise and lost 4/9, 6/9, 10/9, 5/9. Chris Pullen had a difficult game with Nick Johnson and had chances to win all three games but could not develop the opportunities going down 7/9, 2/9, 4/9. Pete Paddick had an epic struggle with Jerry "Air " Marshall and finally won an error strewed match 10/9, 9/5, 3/9, 8/10, 9/2. Jackie Colvin produced her normal tricky game to just squeak past Tom Hancock who while very young and fit could not cope with Colvin's excellent shot selection with Colvin winning 6/9, 10/8, 9/10, 9/7, 10/8. Henley took 9 points to Hithercroft's 17points.
 
The 3rds were away at Oxford Gladiators and did well to field a full team considering how many players were missing from the 1st and 2nd teams. Peter Hopkins had to play at 1st string for the first time, and was pitched against the Gladiators' top player Rob Derbyshire, with Derbyshire winning easily 3-0 as expected. But Henley's team had strength in depth and the other matches were all close. Greg Chilvers had to play at 2nd string, and played very well but couldn't quite defeat his opponent Chris Mead, losing 2-3. At 4th string James Gildersleve continued his excellent form with another convincing victory, beating Martin Langton 3-1. Promoted up the order to 3rd string, new Henley player Paul Ireland almost beat opponent Richard Hall, but lost a very close encounter 2-3. Finally at 5th string Dave Forster was involved in the most entertaining match of the evening against Paul Bennett, but somehow lost despite being 2-1 up and then 8-5 up in the 5th, losing 10-9 in the end, a match he really should have won. So Gladiators took the tie by 4 matches to 1, but Henley still picked up a useful 9 points compared to Gladiators 17, leaving Henley mid-table after round 2.



11th May 2009
Henley first team travelled to Thame in week 1 of the Oxfordshire Squash Summer leagues to play Thame’s first team and returned with a decent 3/2 (13 points to 7) victory. Surprisingly for the summer league, Thame were strong at one and two as they fielded two of Bucks’ top county players Tom Powers and Matt Marshall. Unfortunately for Henley , they were too strong and Simon Rodwell and Simon Street both lost 0/3. At third string there was a battle of the under 19’s as Henley’s Harry Carr took on Will John. Strangely, Carr plays for Bucks and John for Oxfordshire, but Carr dominated his opponent with his impressive attacking game. John had no reply, as Carr recorded an excellent 3/0 victory. At fourth string Ed Hopkins put in a decent display and beat Craig Bartlett 3/0. Hopkins ended the winter season with a dip in form, but recovered this week to demonstrate his capabilities. The final and deciding match saw Nigel Richardson take on the talented county junior, Beth John. Whilst John had the superior shots, she lacked mobility and Richardson exploited her unforced errors as he punished her with his good width and length to win 3/1.
  
Henley 2nd team started the summer season with an excellent win against University, an Oxford side. Chris Wallace dominated Miles Nunn for long periods of the match but always gave his opponent a chance by taking his foot off the pedal. The score was 9/7, 9/7, 9/5. Roger Booker was still not back to his old form but was too fit for Alister Leslie who found keeping up with Booker very difficult, Booker winning 10/9, 9/5, 10/9. Steve Berger at 3rd string was far too strong for Martin Stokes for two games and then let his opponent back in, making a lot of mistakes and losing 9/3, 9/1, 7/9, 7/9, 5/9. In the battle of the oldies, Chris Pullen after losing the very closely fought first game managed to overcome Ken Reid 9/10, 9/0, 9/4, 9/5. In the match of the night Jackie Colvin was far too tricky for Dave O'Shaunnessy for two games, when O'Shaunnessy stepped up the pace by whacking the ball around he drew level at 2 all. However Colvin managed to regain the upper hand in the last tense game and won 9/7, 9/6, 5/9, 2/9, 9/6.
 
The 3rd team were at home against Oxford Castaways. On first at 2nd string, Peter Hopkins got off to a flying start, winning the first game easily against Steve Adcock 9-0, and getting to 8-5 in the second game, but his fitter opponent caught up, took the second game 10-8 and the next two games 9-2 9-4. Meanwhile Paul Ireland made his debut for the Henley team at 5th string and registered Henley's first win of the evening, beating opponent David Ling 9-3 9-4 9-4. Greg Chilvers, playing at 3rd string, had a similar fate to Hopkins, winning the first game but losing the next three (9-3, 8-10, 3-9, 1-9) against Dave Surrage, but James Gildersleve gave Henley hope by winning the next match 3 nil, beating opponent Stephen Thompson 9-2 9-5 9-7. With the match poised at 2 all, Captain Pete Paddick played very well at 1st string to win the first game 9-5 against Castaways top player Nick Barnett but lost the next three 2-9 4-9 3-9. Henley ended with 9 points annd Castaways also on 9 but with the bonus of 4 for winning the tie 3 matches to 2.



13th April 2009
In the final week, week 14, of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, Henley Squash Club put itself in a strong position to claim two promotions.
 
Henley 1st team entertained last season’s champions and this year’s number one team, Abingdon, in the final match of the season. Abingdon won 4/1 (16/4), however Henley survived their first season in Oxfordshire’s top league, finishing a credible 5th. At first string England over 40’s international Ricky Weatherall played Mark Cairns and lost 0/3 (4/9, 4/9, 0/9). Cairns, a former world top 10 player, is arguably the world’s best player at over 40’s now and Weatherall struggled to dominate or control the rallies. At two, an out of shape Simon Rodwell saw a reoccurrence of his ham string injury in the first game, as he lost 1/3 (9/7, 0/9, 4/9, 3/9) to Guy Tupper. Simon Street played at 3 for Henley and recorded their only win of the fixture. Street completely dominated his opponent, Steve Rogers, winning 3/0 (9/1, 9/5, 9/1). At fourth string Harry Carr stormed to a 6/0 lead in the first game, against the experienced veteran Alan Horton. However, Horton soon took control and Carr lost 0/3 (6/9, 6/9, 2/9). Ed Hopkins played at 5 for Henley, but still looked out of condition and short of matches, as he lost convincingly to Gary Cross 0/3 (0/9, 2/9, 5/9).
 
Henley 2nds completed their best ever season with a 16 points to 6 win over bottom of the table Didcot 1sts. Chris Wallace at number 4 got Henley off to a great start, never looking troubled in a comfortable 3-0 win over Timothy Speight. Derek Oswald at 5th string had a tougher match, but his power and speed proved too much in the end for Philip Avery, with the Henley man running out a 3-1 winner. Next on court Henley's number 1 James Quinn cruised to a 3-0 victory, outclassing his opponent Jason Hadland with some accurate squash to maintain his 100% record for the 2nd team. The score was reversed in the 2nd string match, with Henley's Paul Sayers never really getting into the match, losing 3-0 to an in-form Steve Nicholls. In the final, and what proved to be the longest match, Nigel Richardson's superior fitness saw him triumph 3-2 over Didcot's Simon Hartwright. The victory confirmed Henley's promotion to the 2nd division.
 
In their final match Henley 3rds hosted Lord William School 1sts.  Henley began the tie top of Division 7, 4 points ahead of North Oxfordshire 3rds.  A points tally of 15 would be enough to secure the title. Peter Hopkins faced John Avery at 4th string, and helped Henley get off to a strong start. Playing with guile and determination, Hopkins kept errors to a minimum for an impressive 3-0 victory 9/3 9/1 9/3.  Steve Berger at 2nd string was in fine form in a comfortable win over Neil Rose 3-0 9/4 9/0 9/1.  Roger Booker at 1st string allowed opponent Adrian Pipkin to dominate their match for a 3-0 win, although a close third game could have gone either way 9/6 9/4 10/8. Richard Griffiths at 3rd string stepped onto court to face Michael Cooke, needing two games to secure the division title. With some hard hitting Griffiths kept his opponent cornered for a prompt 3-0 victory 9/1 9/1 9/5. Henley won the tie 16 points to 3 to claim the Division 7 title.



5th April 2009
After week 13 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, Henley Squash Club is preparing to celebrate a double promotion.
 
In Division 1 the 1st team did not have a match as their opponents Hithercroft had pulled out earlier in the season, being unable to raise a team. In Division 3 Henley 2nds made sure of promotion with an excellent win over Oxford Rackets 2nd team. At first string James Quinn beat Joseph Harding 3-1 (2/9,9/5,9/5,9/3), whilst at 2nd string Kiwi Derek Oswald had a good battling win over Aussie Richard Callaghan 3 nil (9/5,10/9,9/3). At 3rd string Chris Wallace used his experience to defeat John Cripps 3-0 (9/5,10/8,9/4), whilst at 4th string Roger Booker continued his return from surgery with a 1-3 loss to the talented Tamara Curnow (8/9,5/9,9/4,7/9). Finally at 5th string Steve Berger wrapped up the win with a 3-1 win over Alexandra Hollington (9/3,6/9,10/9,9/1). The win gave Henley 17 points to Oxford Rackets' 5 points and leaves Henley safe in the 2nd promotion space, unable to be caught.
 
In Division 7 Henley 3rds were hosted by Kidlington 1sts in the penultimate tie of the season. David Forster was welcomed back to the team at 5th string, and returned to form with a 3-1 win over James Crawford (9/5 9/2 8/10 9/2). Both players demonstrated good sportsmanship in a game of tight calls and decisions. Peter Hopkins at 4th string started slowly against Paul Wilkinson, but found his composure to dominate a weakening opponent 3-1 (6/9 9/4 9/1 9/0). At 3rd string Richard Griffiths took on Stephen Langford in a bizarre match which saw an interval of thirty minutes due to a court booking error. Griffiths started well winning the first game comfortably, and taking an 8/3 lead in the second, only to lose 10/8. At one game each, and 5-3 to Langford in the third, the match was suspended.  The 2nd string had begun their match on the other court, where Chris Pullen played Jonathon Boyce. In an unorthodox match Boyce took his chances at the front of the court to beat Pullen 3-1 (9/10 9/5 10/8 9/3). Much now rested on Griffiths to maintain Henley's lead in the title race. However, on resumption Langford took the third game to lead 2-1. With a chance to refocus, and some advice from team mates, Griffiths dug deep to take the next two games for a marathon 3-2 victory (9/2 8/10 6/9 9/4 9/2). At 1st string an unfit, injury hampered Pete Paddick could not make an impression on Graham Cosgrove, losing 3-0 (6/9 4/9 1/9). Paddick had stepped in to replace an absent team member. Henley won the tie 14-10 and lead Division 7 by just 4 points.



30th March 2009
In week 12 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, all three of the Henley teams found themselves playing against North Oxfordshire. The 1st team needed as many points as possible in order to steer clear of relegation trouble, whilst the 2nds required another good win in order to keep up their push for promotion. The 3rd team, despite being the unbeaten Division 7 leaders, knew they would be in for their toughest match so far, against the team lying second, just 2 points behind them.
 
Henley 1st team entertained a strong 1st team from North Oxfordshire, as the visitors battled to avoid relegation. At first string England’s over 40s player Ricky Weatherall beat England over 35s player Ashley Bowling 3/2. Whilst some games were one sided, there were elements of scintillating squash on display, as both players play with finesse and guile. In the deciding game, Weatherall seemed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, as he won the tie break and the match 9/5, 0/9, 3/9, 9/5, 10/8. At two, Simon Street lost to Wales over 35s number 1 Steve Evans. This match was closer than the scoreline suggests and whilst Evans dominated the first two games, Street deserved to win the third, losing a close tie break – 2/9, 5/9, 9/10. Harry Carr played at 3 for Henley and encountered another promising junior, Matridi Ali. Carr did not perform to his best and Ali won the key points, as Carr lost 8/10, 6/9, 2/9. At 4, Ed Hopkins played Darren Rix, but Hopkins' lack of matches accounted for him losing by three games to one – 5/9, 1/9, 9/2, 4/9. At 5th string Paul Sayers was too ill and conceded 0/3 to Tim Dowling. Overall the team lost by 4 matches to 1, with North Oxon taking 18 points but Henley gained 4 valuable points to try to stay clear of the relegation battle below them.
 
Henley 2nds needed another win and got it with a hard fought 3-2 victory. Nigel Richardson was in superperpetual motion mode and his speed and hard hitting gave Tom Tuthill no chance with Richardson winning 9/7, 9/5, 9/5. Derek Oswald had a tougher game against Steve Glanvill and after a long ding-dong battle managed to bring his opponent under control, 4/9, 9/8, 9/7, 3/9, 9/7. Steve Berger had match point against him and having saved the match point survived long enough for his opponent Dave Sutlieff to pull a hamstring and retire 6/9,4/9,10/8, ret. Roger Booker was unable to overcome post-operative fatigue and allowed Mike Nichols to win 5/9, 6/9, 0/9. Pam Eagles was too strong for Chris Pullen who lost 7/9, 5/9, 9/10. Henley took 13 points to North Oxford's 10 points, and are maintaining a strong second position in Division 3 with a high expectation of promotion to Div 2.
 
Henley's third team continued their impressive unbeaten season with a tight 3-2 win over title rivals North Oxfordshire. Greg Chilvers won a close match against Ben Marshall 3-0, 9/7 9/6 9/5, at 4th string.  At 3rd string, Peter Hopkins played well to overcome a tough opponent, Sean Hardy 3-2, 7/9  9/5 9/1 7/9 9/7. Richard Griffiths at 1st string allowed his opponent Phil Chesser to win 2-3 after taking a comfortable two game to love lead, 9/7 9/5 0/9 1/9 7/9, with injury and fatigue being a possible factor.  At 5th string James Gildersleve put in a good performance for Henley, but fell short of victory, losing 2/3 to Ian Broome 6/9 6/9 9/3 9/1 3/9.  Playing at 2nd string, Jackie Colvin put in the top performance of the evening, winning 3-0 against Steve Plummer 10/9 9/5 9/2. Henley 3rds took 17 points to North Oxfordshire's 8 and increased their lead at the top of Division 7, with the rearranged away fixture against North Oxfordshire likely to decide the league title.



21st March 2009
After week 11 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, the Henley Squash Club is on the brink of its most successful campaign ever, with the 1st team set to survive in the top division, its 2nd team now looking good for promotion to Division 2, d anthe 3rd team virtually certain to be promoted, with a strong chance of being Division 7 champions as well. Furthermore Club Chairman Pete Paddick is now planning to enter a 4th team in the Leagues; only three other clubs in Oxfordshire have the depth to run 4 teams.
 
Henley first team travelled to Esporta Oxford, but were beaten comfortably by a strong team. At first string Ricky Weatherall had a tight game against Britain's newly crowned under 19s champion Anthony Graham. Unfortunately, despite using all his experience, the England veteran could not handle the younger man’s fitness and retrieving capabilities and lost 0/3. At two, Simon Street played Ross Gore, a full time professional, whose superior fitness was again the key difference, as Street lost a tight 0/3. Harry Carr played at 3 and recorded Henley ’s only point of the tie, losing 1/3 to Stewart Licudi. Licudi is a Scotland over 35’s international and former champion, but Carr will be disappointed to lose. At 4, Ed Hopkins lost 0/3 to Jonathan Geekie and Hopkins’s lack of match play and fitness resulted in a fairly one sided match. Paul Sayers was struggling with a bad cold, but still gave a spirited performance at fifth string. Unfortunately, Sayers lost 0/3 to a very fit Kevin Dykes.
 
Henley 2nds consolidated their position in second place of division 3 with a convincing win over a slightly weakened Brize Norton 1st team. Steve Berger at fourth string started slowly and dropped the first game, but found his form to play some of his best squash to take the next three games convincingly. Derek Oswald at number 3 had a similarly slow start and lost the first game, but came back strongly with some powerful squash to win the second game to love, and ran out a comfortable 3-1 winner. Nigel Richardson played an awkward opponent and took a very close first game 10-9, then quickly moved to a 2-0 lead and although he dropped the third game, also ran out a 3-1 winner. At first string James Quinn had far too much speed and guile for Richie Pike who struggled to compete in the first two games which James won for the loss of only 2 points. The third game was much closer, but James closed out the match and sealed a convincing win for Henley.
 
Henley 3rds hosted Gladiators in Division 7. Peter Hopkins began proceedings against Richard Hall. This was potentially a challenging prospect for Hopkins, who was playing up at 3rd string for the first time. In a hard fought match it was Hopkins that took the honours 3-1 9/2 9/7 2/9 9/7. Meanwhile at 2nd string, Richard Griffiths beat Chris Mead 3-1.  Griffiths lost focus in the third game, prolonging what should have been a straight forward victory 9/0 9/6 9/10 9/2. In the 4th string match Greg Chilvers struggled to find his best form, and came up against a strong opponent in Pete Beasley. Beasley won 3-1 9/2 5/9 9/0 9/7. David Forster made his return to the team to face Martin Langton in the 5th string match. Forster had trouble with his rhythm and timing, and promptly lost 3-0 10/8 9/3 9/3. Finally, at 1st string Chris Pullen played some outstanding squash to beat a younger and physically strong opponent, Steve Watts. Pullen wore down Watts with tight line and length to win 3-0 9/6 9/3 10/8. Henley won the tie 14 points to 8, and remain top of the division. Back to back games against title rivals North Oxfordshire follow, and should decide the division champion.



15th March 2009
In week 10 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, the Henley 1st team won, the 2nds lost, and the 3rds maintained their 100% winning record. Henley first team entertained Defence Academy from Shrivenham and recorded a comfortable win (16 points to 3) that should ensure Henley maintain their place in Oxfordshire’s top league next season, with four matches remaining. At first string, Rick Weatherall comfortably disposed of Julian Beckett, by three games to love, barely breaking into a sweat. Weatherall was simply too strong in all areas and completely dominated Beckett, winning 9/2, 9/4, 9/3. At second string a ‘rusty’ Simon Rodwell lost 3/0 to Nigel Rowe. Rodwell was not playing to his normal high standards as a month long holiday in South Africa looked to have taken its toll on his physique. Whilst Rodwell lost the first two games easily, he battled in the third game and only just lost the tie break, losing 1/9, 2/9, 9/10. Simon Street played at three for Henley and, despite relaxing in the second game, beat David Ridgeway, with a fairly comfortable 3/0 - 9/3, 10/9, 9/3. At fourth string Harry Carr looked set to white-wash Dean Richardson for an easy three nil victory, until his opponent rallied in the third game and nearly disrupted Carr’s rhythm. Carr managed to maintain his concentration, despite his opponent’s best attempts to break it, and won 3/0 – 9/1, 9/1, 9/7. Henley’s number 5, Ed Hopkins, was awarded a walk over as Defence Academy failed to field a fifth player. Next week Henley travel to Esporta in Oxford for what should be a tough match.
 
The 2nd team travelled to Oxford Paramount Club's 1st team, and narrowly lost 14 points to 9. The results were (Henley names second): (1) Gerard Whittaker 0 James Quinn 3, (2) Nick Mason 3 Paul Sayers 1, (3) Robert Tomes 1 Nigel Richardson 3, (4) Stephen Cooper 3 Chris Wallace 1, (5) Simon Scott 3 Roger Booker 1. However promotion rivals RAF Brize Norton and University Club lost heavily, allowing Henley to edge ahead into the 2nd promotion spot.
 
Henley 3rds were hosted by Didcot 3rds, and took away another convincing win. Greg Chilvers continued his impressive form at 5th string, winning 3-0 9/3 9/6 9/1 against Julian Badger. Peter Hopkins started well against Karen Last in the 4th string match up, taking an early 2 game to love lead. However, fatigue set in and the match went the way of his determined opponent 3-2 9/4 9/2 7/9 3/9 5/9. In the 3rd string match Richard Griffiths beat opponent Alexandra Keibel 3-1 9/0 3/9 9/7 9/1. Chris Pullen at 2nd string used all his experience to handle the rather tall Christophe Muller. In an unorthodox match, Pullen won 3-1 9/6 8/10 9/6 9/3. Finally, at 1st string Derek Oswald gradually wore down his opponent Graham Urquhart for a 3-1 win 6/9 9/3 9/0 9/2. Playing with power and accuracy, Oswald frequently forced Urquhart into each corner of the court, before killing the ball. The 18 points to 6 win keeps Henley top of Division 7.



9th March 2009
In week 9 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, the Henley 1st team lost, the 2nds won, and the 3rds extended their unbeaten run to 8 matches whilst title rivals North Oxfordshire lost for the first time.
 
Henley first team travelled to Wallingford, but recorded another bad defeat. At first string Rick Weatherall started very well as he took the first game off of Scott Handley. However, Handley, a recent world top 40 player, soon took control and Weatherall was beaten 9/2, 2/9, 3/9, 2/9. Weatherall will be pleased with the way he played though and it was only Handley’s superior fitness and disguise at the front of the court that was the difference between the two players. At two, Simon Street lost a tight match to Steve Dodridge 9/10, 6/9, 9/5, 8/10. Street was heavy legged, after extensive cycle training for a Lands End to John O’Groates trip in May and will be disappointed in losing the two tie breaks. Harry Carr played at three for Henley and played his best match for the club this season. Carr controlled his opponent, Steve Brackley, and worked hard to earn the openings. Carr’s straight drives caused Brackley a lot of problems as he won 10/8, 10/8, 9/7. At fourth string Ed Hopkins struggled to control a very lively ball that better suited his opponent Alex Holmes - Hopkins lost 3/9, 0/9, 0/9. James Quinn played at 5 for Henley, but despite a spirited effort in the forth game, did not perform as well as he can. Suffering with a cold, Quinn lost 9/3, 6/9, 5/9, 9/10.
 
Henley 2nds entertained University 1sts and won 19 points to 4. Nigel Richardson dominated Tony Eaude who is a very awkward player. Richardson on top form won  9/4, 9/2, 9/1. Paul Sayers, after a shaky start dominated the court against David Franklin, showing him no mercy in his 2/9, 9/7,9/4, 9/0 win. Derek Oswald started slowly against Miles Nunn but greater determination and racquet skills had him winning easily in the end 9/10, 9/3, 9/3, 9/6. Roger Booker had a nightmare first two games against Laurence Robb whose extraordinary shots caused Booker a lot of trouble. Booker's superior fitness and more orthodox game gradually reined in his opponent and Booker finally won after a hard grafted hour on court 7/9, 7/9, 9/5, 9/4, 9/7. Peter Paddick was his normal variable self but managed to overcome Francesco Pinto quite easily in the end 9/2, 9/5, 10/8. This win leaves Henley in 4th place still but only 2 points off 2nd place and promotion to Div 2.
 
Henley 3rds welcomed Brackley's 1sts in match round 9. At 5th string Greg Chilvers began proceedings against Dave Silvester, and suffered a heavy loss in the opening game 9/1. However, Chilvers found his form and won the next three games comfortably enough 9/3 9/5 9/6, for a 3-1 result. Peter Hopkins faced an in-form Tom Freeland in the 4th string match. Freeland looked in control from the start, using superior fitness and strength to overcome Hopkins 3-0 9/3 9/6 9/1. Richard Griffiths faced Paul Hardiman in the 3rd string match. Griffiths was slow to start and duly dropped the first game 9/6. The second game was closely contested with both players having game point, but it was Griffiths that scrapped through 10/9. Griffiths managed to win the next two games for a 3-1 result, but looked slightly out of form 6/9 10/9 9/7 9/5. At 2nd string Chris Pullen played Kenton Bromby. Pullen's tight service game won many cheap points, as Bromby struggled to return effectively. Although Pullen lost the second game, he never looked in danger, winning 3-1 9/2 2/9 9/5 9/5. Steve Berger at 1st string faced a fired up Martin Hall, who was seeking to avenge a previous defeat. Berger frustrated his opponent, by making very few unforced errors, winning comfortably 3-0 9/3 9/0 9/6. With a 4-1 win Henley take 16 points to Brackley's 6. Henley's undefeated 3rd team are currently top of Division 7, as promotion rivals North Oxfordshire lost their first game of the season.




1st March 2009
Henley 1sts played away at Thame and recorded a disappointing result, with none of the team playing to their capabilities. At first string Ricky Weatherall lost 2/3 to Tom Power (9/3, 3/9, 9/2, 7/9, 1/9). Whilst Power is number two in Bucks, Weatherall should have won and had his opportunities to close out the match in the 4th, when leading 7/2. Unfortunately, fatigued by a heavy schedule, he failed to capitalise and didn’t have the fitness to compete in the deciding game. At two, Simon Street lost to Bucks’ top over 35’s player Doug Struthers 6/9, 4/9, 9/10. Injured playing for Oxfordshire in the over 35’s at the weekend, Street struggled, but nearly got into the match as he fought back from 7/2 down in the last game - unfortunately, too little, too late! At third string, Harry Carr lost 1/3 to Bucks number 5 Will Gardiner (2/9, 6/9, 9/6, 0/9) and again struggled with his length and width. At four, Ed Hopkins lost 1/3 to Tom White, a previous county champion and current Bucks over 35’s player. Hopkins’ lack of recent matches took its toll against his experienced opponent. James Quinn, playing at fifth string, suffered his first defeat of the season, losing 0/3 to Nigel Pattison (1/9, 6/9, 1/9). On paper this match should have been a lot closer, however Quinn was clearly fatigued after his marathon at the weekend, where he just failed to break the 3 hour mark. A disappointing result leaves Henley mid table in Oxfordshire’s top division.
 
Meanwhile Henley 2nds entertained Wantage 1sts. At first string Paul Sayers had no answer for Rob Camden's running and skill, normally the type of game that Sayers plays very well. Sayers lost in short order 3/9,1/9,3/9. Chris Wallace had a really long match with Ed Westmacott and had him under control for most of the hard hitting match but relaxed too early losing 9/6, 7/9, 2/9, 9/0, 8/10. Roger Booker was back to something like his normal excellent form showing Mark Tracey no mercy, powering the ball all round the court and winning 9/6,9/5,9/7. Pete Paddick had a long drawn out match with Tim Strain eventually losing disappointingly 5/9,9/5,9/3,9/10,7/9. Wantage did not field a fifth player so gave Henley that game. During the evening news came through that the 1st team had been whitewashed losing 5/0 to Thame 1sts, so Booker's win was the solitary real success of the evening. Henley 2nds take 10 points to Wantage 1sts 13 points, leaving the team mid-table.
 
Later in the week Henley's 3rd team travelled to Abingdon to face Drifters Squash Club. Greg Chilvers played Dennis Walker in the 5th string match, and won convincingly 3-0 9/2 9/2 9/0. At 4th string Peter Hopkins put in another solid performance for the team, beating Pat O'Regan 3-0 9/5 9/6 9/5. In the match of the evening Richard Griffiths faced Kevin Edwards at 3rd string. The court was particularly warm, resulting in a high bounce and some lengthy rallies. It was Drifters' Edwards that adjusted to conditions better winning 3-1 9/4 1/9 9/3 10/8. Chris Pullen at 2nd string won comfortably enough 3-0 against John Weal, with only the final game being closely contested 9/1 9/5 10/8. Finally, Derek Oswald faced Mike Stepney in the 1st string match. Oswald controlled his opponent well, keeping him at the back of the court with good length shots 3-0 9/4 9/4 9/3. Henley won the tie 4-1, collecting 17 points to Drifters' 3. However promotion rivals North Oxfordshire took maximum 19 points from their round 8 match and overtake Henley into 1st place in Division 7.
 
Meanwhile in the Berkshire Veterans Leagues the Henley Veterans team travelled to Wellington College. An understrength team lost 3-2 with Tony Wheeler at No1 coming up against a very fit opponent and his racquet skills could not rescue him. Trevor Cox at 2 was the star of the night winning 3/1. Richard Kellagher at 3, playing for the vets for the first time, could not get his opponent under control, losing 3/2. Roger Booker at 4 held game point in the first game before losing it, going on to lose 3/1. Chris Pullen, the other Henley hero, had a great victory, winning 3/2.




23rd February 2009
In week 7 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, the Henley 1st team lost but the 2nds and 3rds both managed good wins. Henley first team visited league leaders Abingdon, with Henley suffering their second defeat of the season by 18 points to 3. At first string Ricky Weatherall played Mark Cairns and lost 5/9, 1/9, 3/9. Weatherall was runner up last week at the National Championships for the over 40’s, but Cairns showed that he is still Britain’s best player in this age group, despite not entering the tournament. At second string Simon Street played Kristen Johnson, a professional half his age and duly lost 3/9, 4/9, 6/9. Harry Carr played at three for Henley, but failed to produce his best form, losing to Guy Tupper 5/9, 3/9, 2/9. In his first match for Henley this season, Eric Garson suffered a similar defeat at fourth string against Steve Rogers, losing 4/9, 6/9, 2/9. Henley’s only saving grace came at fifth string, as James Quinn’s superior fitness saw him earn a deserved win against Gary Cross, coming back from two games down to win 6/9, 9/10, 9/1, 9/6, 9/1. The result leaves the team 3rd in the table, but with a game in hand.
 
Henley seconds continued their winning streak beating Didcot firsts 3/2. Nigel Richardson had a tough game against Steve Nicholls with Richardson's superior fitness and court awareness giving him a win 9/5, 9/6, 10/8. Chris Wallace also had a tough opponent in Steve Naylor but Wallace's superior racquet skills eventually won the day 5/9, 9/2, 9/4, 10/8. Derek Oswald started slowly against Jason Hadland but eventually overwhelmed his opponent through his fitness and determination 1/9,9/7,9/1,9/2. The least said about Roger Booker's game the better. He allowed Ludovic Bonnet to win 9/5,10/8,9/5. Jackie Colvin played some lovely shots to momentarily discomfit Phil Avery but eventually succumbed 7/9, 4/9, 8/10.  Henley 13 points Didcot 8 points. This win means that Henley move up to 4th position in the table, ready to challenge for top spot.
 
Henley's 3rd team travelled to Lord Williams School of Thame, with hopes of staying top of Division 7. Henley's Greg Chilvers began proceedings against John Avery at 4th string. Chilvers put in a dominant performance winning 3-0 9/3 9/3 9/6, making use of a clever reverse angle shot his opponent could not read. David Forster at 5th string unexpectedly lost the opening game against Carol Howes, before gathering himself in the interval to comfortably win 3-1  6/9 9/2 9/3 9/3. At 3rd string Richard Griffiths was not tested in defeating Neil Rose 3-0 9/2 9/5 9/1. Chris Pullen at 2nd string returned to his best form, beating Michael Cooke 3-0 9/2 9/7 9/7. The match of the evening was undoubtedly the 1st string match between Henley's Steve Berger and Adrian Pipkin. Both players demonstrated excellent retrieval skills, but it was Berger's patience in the longer rallies that led to a 3-1 victory 9/6 9/3 1/9 9/1. Henley lead Division 7 by a narrow margin, after a resounding 19-2 defeat of Lord Williams School



15 February 2009
In week 6 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, all three Henley obtained good victories. Henley 1st team were handed a 19 nil victory when their opponents Hithercroft failed to raise a team. There is some irony with this result as several of Henley 1st team players, including Rick Weatherall, Simon Street and the Rodwell brothers, used to play for Hithercroft. The result should guarantee that Henley 1st team stay up in Division 1, even if they suffer a loss of form from now on. Indeed this result leaves Henley second in the table.
 
Meanwhile Henley 2nds won a close fought match away against Oxford Rackets 2nds. First on court was Chris Wallace at 3rd string who played some excellent squash to defeat Joe Bartlett-Marques 3-2 in a very close match. On the other court, Nigel Richardson, playing at number 2 against the hard hitting Joseph Harding found himself 2 games down and facing match point in the third. After some incredibly long rallies the Henley player took the game 10-9 and then went on to take the remaining two games to win 3-2. Pete Paddick at 4th string and Chris Pullen at 5th string did not fare so well, losing 3-0 to Richard Callaghan and John Cripps respectively. So in what proved to be the deciding match, Paul Sayers at 1st string took on Paul Talbot. In an long and entertaining match Sayers eventually clinched the deciding match 3-1 for Henley.
 
Finally Henley 3rds hosted a fellow promotion-seeking team, Kidlington's 1st. At the start of the tie Kidlington sat top of the table, albeit having played a game more, with Henley in third position. Unfortunately Kidlington were unable to field a full team due to injuries. A man short, they conceded at 5th string 3-0. Peter Hopkins at 4th string beat opponent James Crawford 9/3 9/6 9/6 to give Henley a strong start. Richard Griffiths at 3rd string faced James May, and followed in a similar vein winning 3-0 9/1 9/5 9/2. Steve Berger at 2nd string completed a comfortable victory over Paul Wilkinson 3-0 9/6 9/3 9/2. In the final match, Henley's Derek Oswald played Jonathon Boyce at 1st string. Boyce played a clever tactical game, disrupting Oswald's rhythm throughout, using some very well measured drop shots. Oswald took the first game 9/4, before losing the next two games 9/6 9/4. Oswald found his composure at 2-1 down, and although not at his best, won the next two games 9/2 9/3 for a 3/2 victory. With a 19-2 victory, Henley sit top of Division 7, and continue a good start to the season with 5/5 wins.



9 February 2009
In week 5 of the Oxfordshire Winter squash leagues, Henley 1st team and 3rd both had their matches postponed due to appalling driving conditions, but Henley 2nds had an excellent win over North Oxfordshire seconds, 19 points to 3.
 
James Quinn at first string had an close game against Ian Davies and only just managed to take the points 9/2,10/9,10/8. Quinn was not on his usual form. Paul Sayers' fitness was too much for Andy Baxter where Sayers ran down everything and generally frustrated his opponent winng 9/7, 10/9, 8/10, 9/7. Nigel Richardson was back on form after a difficult game last week and won easily against Steve Glanvill 9/1, 9/5, 9/4. Chris Wallace had an easy game against Dave Sutlieff where Wallace's racquet skills proved decisive 9/6, 9/6, 9/4. Roger Booker had a difficult game against Pam Eagles finding it difficult to deal with her return of serve and, having had two match points against him, won 6/9, 9/6, 4/9, 10/9, 9/5. This result against a previously unbeaten team keeps Henley in mid table in a strong position to challenge for top position.
 


2 February 2009
In week 4 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Squash Winter Leagues the Henley 1st team were at home to Esporta of Oxford. On first at 1st string Rick Weatherall faced the no.3 under 19 player in the country Anthony Graham. The match proved to be an amazing battle involving brilliant shot making and frantic retrieving, in the fifth game Graham came back from 6-2 down to win the game and match 5-9, 9-5,9-1,7-9,6-9. On next Harry Carr fell to Jason Martin 5-9, 9-10, 9-6, 6-9. Carr fought well but was unable to overcome the controlling game of his experienced opponent. Next on James Quinn produced a solid performance to win 9-5, 9-4, 10-8 at no.5 string against Kerri Lancaster. The next match on saw Ed Hopkins lose out to John Geekie 6-9, 3-9,9-4,3-9. Despite a promising start Hopkins was unable to hit consistent length which was needed to control his attacking opponent. In the last match of the day Simon Street faced Ross Gore at no.2 string. Street started well but after not having played for two weeks he was unable to maintain the fast pace set by Ross Gore. Gore went on to take the match 5-9,1-9,3-9.
  
The 2nd team travelled across the county to play RAF Brize Norton, who are the leaders of Div 3. Henley failed by one game to secure a win. The first match completed was Derek Oswald's defeat of Duncan Smith 9-4,9-5,9-1. Smith was not on his best form and Oswald had an easy match. Chris Wallace went 2-0 up against Rob King but lack of fitness meant that he could not push home his advantage and his increasingly desparate shot selection showed that he needed to finish the rallies quickly. Wallace lost 9-7, 10-8, 2-9,6-9,0-9. The match of the evening was between Nigel Richardson and Simon "Chubbie" Chubb. Richardson was 0-2 and 0/5 down before he found winning form taking advantage of Chubb tiring in the later part of the match winning 8-10, 3-9, 10-8, 9-7, 9-6. Paul Sayers had recently returned from a business trip to China and was a bit jet lagged but put up a very creditable performance against the talented Richie Pike eventually losing 0-9, 3-9, 9-3, 0-9. In the last match of the evening, it fell to Roger Booker to win against Jason "Sparkie" Sparks but he failed in the fifth game after a well fought and skilful exchange with Booker losing 9-7, 5-9, 0-9, 9-4, 3-9. That result gave Brize Norton 1sts 15 points and Henley 2nds 11 points. Henley 2nds remain mid-table but are now 1 and 3 for the season so far and need to start winning if they are to avoid relegation. 
  
Henley's 3rd team, looking to stay in the promotion places, were hosted by Gladiators. On court first was Peter Hopkins at fourth string, winning untroubled 9/3 9/3 9/3 against Martin Langton. Richard Griffiths at third string won 9/4 10/9 9/4 against Chris Mead, doing well to recover from 0/6 down in the second game. At first string Chris Pullen faced an energetic, younger opponent in Ben Harrison, losing 3-2 9/3 9/0 3/9 4/9 9/6. Pete Paddick ensured a victorious evening for Henley, winning his game comfortably at second string 9/5 9/4 9/3 against Richard Hall. Greg Chilvers made his debut for the team at fifth string, and after a nervous start, rounded off a successful evening for Henley with a 3-1 win 5/9 9/4 9/3 9/3 against Paul Bennett. Henley currently stand second in the table behind North Oxfordshire, with a top of the table clash set for round 5.



30 January 2009
In week 3 of the Oxfordshire Squash Legaues the Henley 1st team travelled to Shrivenham for their week 3 match up against Defence Academy 1st team. On first at no.2 was Simon Rodwell who started well, taking the first two games convincingly. After a minor lapse of focus in the third game Simon went on to take the match 3-1 (9/3, 9/5, 8/10, 9/6). Next on was Henley's no.1 Rick Weatherall who has been enjoying a rich vein of form recently. Rick got off to a solid start and never looked in trouble winning comfortably 3-0 (9/5, 9/1, 9/4). The next match saw Simon Rodwell's brother Adam cruise to a 3-0 (9/1, 9/7, 10/9) victory over Defence Academy no.3 David Ridgway. The next match saw no.5 string Ed Hopkins overcome a tentative start in order to beat the "hard to read" Mike Hyland 3-0 (9/5, 9/5, 9/3). The last match of the tie saw Henley's no.4 Harry Carr take on Buzby Williams in a see saw encounter. Harry started strongly winning the first two games 9-5, 9-4, Buzby responded well the next two games winning them 4-9 3-9. The final game came to a frantic finish with Buzby saving a match point and winning the game 8-10. The victory leaves Henley 2nd in division 1, a great start to the season.
 
Henley 2nds lost out 3-2 to Oxford Paramount 1sts in a closely contested match in the 3rd division. At first string Paul Sayers, who was recovering from illness, lost out to Gerard Whittaker 3-2 after having taken the first two games (9/2 9/7 3/9 4/9 2/9). Derek Oswald put Henley back on level terms, winning comfortably in the end after having dropped the first game, beating Peter Ibson 7/9 9/1 9/4 9/0, Nigel Richardson looked short of match practice as he lost in straight games at number 3, losing to Robert Tomes to 1/9 5/9 0/9. On court at the same time, Chris Wallace fought back well to take the third game, but went down 3-1, losing to Stephen Cooper 1/9 1/9 10/8 3/9. James Quinn was last on court and after dropping the first game, played some excellent squash to win 3-1, beating Nick Mason 0/9 9/3 9/3 9/5.  The result leaves Henley 2nds mid-table.
 
Henley's 3rd team hosted Didcot Leisure Centre. Merv Myers played at 5th string, winning very comfortably 3-0 against a determined Lisa Reade (9-2, 9-1, 9-0). At 4th string David Forster attempted a brave comeback after a slow start, losing a tight deciding game to Timothy Speight 3-2 (6-9, 5-9, 9-2, 9-2, 7-9). Richard Griffiths won at 3rd string against Alexandra Keibel, who ran out of energy towards the end of the match (9-3, 9-5, 9-1). Chris Pullen, at 2nd string, had a controversial match against opponent Mike Stace. A number of referee decisions were questioned by Chris, a distraction resulting in a 3-2 loss (9-4, 9-5, 5-9, 4-9, 4-9).  At 1st string Roger Booker, a regular for Henley's 2nd team, made his debut for the 3rd team. Roger won comfortably 3-0, and played generously, giving his opponent Graham Urquhart an enjoyable match (9-1, 9-6, 9-7). Henley won the tie 3-2, and narrowly lead Division 7.



24 January 2009
In week 2 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, Henley 1sts continued their fine start to the season with a convincing 4-1 win over Wallingford, who have been the most dominant side in the county over the last 15 years. At first string, England over 40s international Ricky Weatherall entertained Clive Ewins, who recently finished 3rd at the World Championships in New Zealand in the Over 35s category. In a fine display it was the younger man who just managed to win a tight match by three games to one (9-6, 4-9, 6-9, 7-9). Simon Rodwell played at 2 for Henley and beat Berkshire Over 35s player Steve Dodridge by three games to one (8-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-5). At 3rd string, Simon Street started slowly against Ben Burbank, but after a close first game won the next two games comfortably (10-9, 9-3, 9-1). At 4th string Harry Carr beat Alex Holmes fairly comfortably 3-0 (9-7, 9-7, 9-2), with his superior fitness being the key difference. At 5, Ed Hopkins came from 2 games to 1 down and 5-7 down in the 4th to beat Oxfordshire Over 40s number one Russell Roles 3/2 (8-10, 9-3, 7-9, 9-7, 9-0). The result leaves Henley 1st team 3rd in Division 1 after 2 matches played, with 3-2 and 4-1 victories under their belt already.
 
In Division 3, University 1st team beat Henley 2nds by 4 matches to 1, taking 18 points to Henley ’s 4. At 1st string James Quinn beat Alex Iltchev 3-2 (9/3, 3/9, 1/9, 10/8, 0/9), but Philip Browning beat Chris Wallace 3-1 (9/1, 8/10, 9/5, 9/3), Tom Higham beat Roger Booker 3 nil (9/5, 10/8, 10/9), Jaco Vermaak beat Chris Pullen 3 nil (9/4, 9/1, 9/4), and David Franklin beat Pete Paddick 3 nil (9/0, 9/4, 9/4). The result leaves Henley 2nds mid-table.
 
Henley's 3rd team were hosted by Brackley in Northamptonshire for second fixture of the season and Henley won 4-1. First on court was Henley's James Gildersleve, versus Paul Jennings for the 5th string match up. In a close, competitive game James took control of the match with some tight serving when it mattered, winning 3-1 (10-8, 7-9, 9-7, 9-7). Peter Hopkins at 4th string played John Hall, an opponent he has now faced three times this year. Peter got his tactics spot on, keeping John deep back in the court, enabling him to complete a 3 nil victory 9-5, 9-1, 9-6. Merv Myers ran into a very in-form opponent at 3rd string, Paul Hardiman, and lost 3 nil (9-7, 9-4, 9-4). Richard Griffiths at 2nd string beat an eccentric Kate Hardiman 3-1, losing focus briefly in the second game, before an impressive 9-0 in the third 9-4, 6-9, 9-0, 10-8. Steve Berger at 1st string never looked in danger, playing patiently for a 3-0 victory against Martin Hall 10-8, 9-3, 9-4. Henley's 3rd team could well be challenging for Divisional honours after a strong start to the season, winning 5 nil and now 4-1, which puts them top of Division 7.



19 January 2009
In week 2 of the second half of the Oxfordshire Winter Squash Leagues, Henley 1sts continued their fine start to the season with a convincing 4-1 win over Wallingford, who have been the most dominant side in the county over the last 15 years. At first string, England over 40s international Ricky Weatherall entertained Clive Ewins, who recently finished 3rd at the World Championships in New Zealand in the Over 35s category. In a fine display it was the younger man who just managed to win a tight match by three games to one (9-6, 4-9, 6-9, 7-9). Simon Rodwell played at 2 for Henley and beat Berkshire Over 35s player Steve Dodridge by three games to one (8-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-5). At 3rd string, Simon Street started slowly against Ben Burbank, but after a close first game won the next two games comfortably (10-9, 9-3, 9-1). At 4th string Harry Carr beat Alex Holmes fairly comfortably 3-0 (9-7, 9-7, 9-2), with his superior fitness being the key difference. At 5, Ed Hopkins came from 2 games to 1 down and 5-7 down in the 4th to beat Oxfordshire Over 40s number one Russell Roles 3/2 (8-10, 9-3, 7-9, 9-7, 9-0). The result leaves Henley 1st team 3rd in Division 1 after 2 matches played, with 3-2 and 4-1 victories under their belt already.
 
In Division 3, University 1st team beat Henley 2nds by 4 matches to 1, taking 18 points to Henley’s 4. At 1st string Alex Iltchev lost to Henley's James Quinn  2-3 (9/3, 3/9, 1/9, 10/8, 0/9), but Philip Browning beat Chris Wallace 3-1 (9/1, 8/10, 9/5, 9/3), Tom Higham beat Roger Booker 3 nil (9/5, 10/8, 10/9), Jaco Vermaak beat Chris Pullen 3 nil (9/4, 9/1, 9/4), and David Franklin beat Pete Paddick 3 nil (9/0, 9/4, 9/4). The result leaves Henley 2nds mid-table.
 
Henley's 3rd team were hosted by Brackley in Northamptonshire for second fixture of the season and Henley won 4-1. First on court was Henley's James Gildersleve, versus Paul Jennings for the 5th string match up. In a close, competitive game James took control of the match with some tight serving when it mattered, winning 3-1 (10-8, 7-9, 9-7, 9-7). Peter Hopkins at 4th string played John Hall, an opponent he has now faced three times this year. Peter got his tactics spot on, keeping John deep back in the court, enabling him to complete a 3 nil victory 9-5, 9-1, 9-6. Merv Myers ran into a very in-form opponent at 3rd string, Paul Hardiman, and lost 3 nil (9-7, 9-4, 9-4). Richard Griffiths at 2nd string beat an eccentric Kate Hardiman 3-1, losing focus briefly in the second game, before an impressive 9-0 in the third 9-4, 6-9, 9-0, 10-8. Steve Berger at 1st string never looked in danger, playing patiently for a 3-0 victory against Martin Hall 10-8, 9-3, 9-4. Henley's 3rd team could well be challenging for Divisional honours after a strong start to the season, winning 5 nil and now 4-1, which puts them top of Division 7.



12 January 2009
In week 1 of the Winter League 2nd half, Henley Squash Club first team started their campaign in Oxfordshire’s top division with a good victory over Thame, who finished fourth in the first half of the season.
 
On first, England over 40’s International Ricky Weatherall recorded a fantastic result against Thomas Phipps, a professional half his age, to get Henley off to a great start. Ricky’s training over the Christmas period paid dividends, as he won 3/0. In stark contrast, a very rusty and out of shape Simon Street put in a dismal performance at second string losing 3/0 to Bucks first team player Matt Marshall. At three, Sam Carr also looked to be affected by the Christmas festivities as he struggled with his width and length, losing 3/0 to Doug Struthers. In what turned out to be the deciding game, Harry Carr beat Bucks over 35’s and ex county champion, Tom White, by three games to one. At fifth string Ed Hopkins easily beat Duncan Speake 3/0.
 
Henley 2nd team, having been awarded a double-promotion from Division 5 to Division 3, were at away against Wantage. James Quinn playing at first string had the most entertaining match against Simon Lucas and won 10/8 in the fifth after a long match, his opponent losing an Oxon match for the first time in eighteen months (5/9,7/9,10/8,9/0,8/10). Nigel Richardson played his normal athletic game to defeat the skilful Rob Camden 3/1 (6/9,8/10,10/8,8/10). Chris Wallace should have had an easier match against Martin McCauley but allowed his opponent to take two games (9/6,5/9,3/9,9/5,3/9). Similarly Derek Oswald was kind to Kevin Comely winning 3/2 (9/3,9/4,0/9,1/9,2/9). Roger Booker had a nightmare game against Tim Strain and lost to an opponent he would normally beat easily (9/7,9/3,9/7). A good start to the second half of the season in the elevated position of Division 3. Henley 2nds 16 points to Wantage Ists 10 points.
 
The 3rd team were at home against Drifters and won 5 nil, taking 19 points to Drifters 3 points. At 1st string Chris Pullen took a comfortable 2-0 lead against Mike Stepney 9/5 9/2, but found the next two games alot tougher, swapping 10/9 games with his opponent. Ultimately his experience and calmness under pressure won through, 3-1. Team captain Pete Paddick had a nightmare start against David Belcher losing the opener 9/2. During the interval he shook off the rust to win the next game 9/0! Pete was in control there after winning the next two games 9/8 9/3, for a 3-1 victory. Much the same story for Iron Man Steve Berger, looking out of sorts for the first game against opponent Mike Barlam losing 9/5, thereafter dominating the next three games 9/4 9/2 9/1. At 4th string Richard Griffiths was very comfortable against Royce Clay winning 9/3 9/0 9/1, in an uneventful match. Similarly Mervyn Myers won at 5th string against a slightly immobile Tony Simms 9/0 9/0 9/3. After spending all of the first half of the season either bottom or next to bottom of Div 7, Henley 3rds find themselves in an unexpected place at the top of the table, albeit after only one match.



23 December 2008
In round 14 of the Oxfordshire Squash leagues, Henley firsts finished their fine season by white-washing their opponents Defence Academy, without the loss of a single game. This result means they are promoted to Oxfordshire’s top division as champions, undefeated all season. Whilst next season will prove much tougher, Henley have produced one of the league’s most emphatic seasons in history.
 
At first string Ricky Weatherall beat Derek Bray 9/0, 9/0, 9/1. Simon Street completed a similar demolition of Neville Buckle, winning 9/0, 9/0, 9/2 at second string. At three, Harry Carr demonstrated that his first half display against Mike Hyland should have been more one sided as he won 9/2, 10/9, 9/2. At fourth string Ed Hopkins also won convincingly, beating Brian Bell 9/2, 9/2, 9/0. Unfortunately, James Quinn was awarded a walk over, as Defence Academy failed to field a fifth string.
 
The Second team were denied a match as their opponents Wantage failed to produce a team, but the Seconds were awarded a 19-0 walkover and finished Division 5 as Champions by a huge margin, winning 13 matches and losing only one. As a result Oxfordshire Squash have agreed a double-promotion for the team and for the second half of the winter season in January the team will be playing not in Division 4 but in Division 3.
 
The thirds were unable to field a full team against opponents Didcot and had to concede the final match.The team remain in Division 7 but will look for promotion in the coming season. Although there are more players coming forward to play for the club there are not quite enough to form a 4th team, for which a large pool of players is required. The Club welcomes new members and memberships forms can be downloaded from the website www.henleysquash.co.uk and anyone interested in playing for the teams should contact Pete Paddick on 07939 078115. Club evenings are held on Saturdays from 5.15 to 6.45 when league players and aspiring team players are encouraged to turn up.



6 December 2008
In the 13th round of the Oxfordshire Squash leagues, Henley firsts secured their eleventh consecutive win of the season in their toughest match so far, as they visited second place North Oxfordshire. At first string, Simon Street’s unbeaten record for the club was lost as he was beaten by Welsh International Steve Evans. The match was closer than the 3/0 score line suggested, but Evans was incredibly fit and won an extremely physically demanding match. Unfortunately a collision in the first game left Street with a dead leg whilst leading 7-2; otherwise the result may have been different. At second string Harry Carr struggled on a slippery court, however heroically managed to beat Darren Rix 3-2 and 10-9 in the deciding game, after his opponent tinned an easy winner on match point. Ed Hopkins played Tim Dowling at three and again seemed to be cruising to an easy victory, when a loss of concentration saw him lose the third game. To his credit, Hopkins re-grouped and won the fourth fairly comfortably. At fourth string Paul Sayers played the talented, but not very mobile Dave Alexander. Paul struggled to move his opponent and was outclassed by his superior racket skills, losing 3-1. At fifth string Nigel Richardson played Tom Tuthill, who had beaten him 3-0 in their first match this season. Whilst Richardson started loosely, he managed to turn the game around in the second game, playing his best match of the year and winning the deciding leg by 3 games to 2. Henley firsts march on and look set to maintain their unbeaten record against Defence Academy next week.
 
Meanwhile Henley 2n Team were expecting a close game on Tuesday with Carterton 1st team but due to injury and absenteeism Caterton captain Brian Keen had to play at No1 instead of No3 with all the lower order players elevated to fill the vacant positions. As a result the Henley team of No1 Chris Wallace, No2 Derek Oswald, No3 Chris Pullen, No4 Steve Berger and No5 Jackie Colvin had easy wins with only Steve dropping a game, to win 19 points to 1 and earn promotion to the higher division next year. The game was made memorable by the new Henley team shirts sponsored by Invesco arriving and the Henley Standard photographer was there to record the event.
 
The 3rd team lost 2-3 to Chipping Norton. At 3rd string Peter Hopkins was below par, losing 6-9, 2-9, 6-9 to Richard Wilkins, whilst Dave Forster lost 4-9, 9-2, 8-10, 5-9 to Peter Pinfold. At 2nd string Richard Griffiths overcame professional lion-tamer Michael Howes 9-4, 9-1, 9-5, and James Gildersleve gained his first win of the season with a 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 win over his 5th string opponent, who lacked match experience. Peter Paddick was off form and lost at 1st string 0-9, 4-9, 7-9 to Royston Williams.
 
Henley Veterans team were in action against Bounty in Berkshire division 2 was a close match. It started late due to court booking problems with 5th string Steve Berger and 4th string Chris Pullen kicking off. Berger outlasted his opponent in 5 winning 9-2 in the fifth game. Pullen won 3-1 due to fitness and a better short game beating a tiring opponent 9-1 in the fourth. 3rd string Roger Booker played well and dominated his opponent who had no answer to his accurate reverse angle shots! Tony Wheeler at 1st string and Trevor Cox at 2nd string both had games against much younger players and went down 3-0. The team was indebted to Trevor for playing despite the death of his brother.



1 December 2008
In round 12 of the Oxfordshire Squash Leagues Henley 1st team were handed their tenth win of the season, to increase their lead at the top of the table, after their opponents University Club withdrew when they could not raise a team due to injuries and holidays. Henley were awarded the tie 19 points to 0, and University Club received a 10 point penalty.
  
Meanwhile Henley 2nd team is almost certain to be promoted from Division 5 of the Oxfordshire leagues as Champions after their latest win at Abingdon. Paul Sayers playing at first string was too skilful for Eddie Murray and won convincingly 3-0. Chris Wallace had an off-night against Dave O'Shea and succumbed 1-3. Nigel Richardson was not nearly as fluent as normal and allowed Andy Foster to take two games, eventually easily taking the fifth, winning 3-2. Derek Oswald had an easy game against Derek Thomas winning 3-0. The match to watch though was between Roger Booker and Henry Brown. It started on the glassback court at Abingdon at 9.15, and after a 5 minute delay mid-match due to the lights failing, finished on another court at 10.50 with Roger winning the fifth game 10-9. As the players were interviewed after the match, Roger stated that his superior fitness had allowed him to maintain pressure on his opponent to the last to win a very tight match 3-2. Henry was very generous in his praise of his opponent more than twice his age. Henley took 17 points to Abingdon's 7 points.
 
The 3rd team were away against 2nd placed Castaways 1st team, who play out of the Barcelo Hotel in Oxford. Henley were able to field a stronger team than in the home leg, where they had lost 2-3, but Castaways were also stronger and were too good for the Henley 3rds. First on at 5th string was Peter Hopkins and he played below his best but managed to scrap a good 3 nil win, 9-7, 9-7, 9-5 over Paul Bedford. After a poor start to the season Hopkins has now won 3 out of his last 4 matches. Chris Pullen went on at 1st string, but did not have any luck against Castaways top player Nick Barnett, losing 0-9, 4-9, 3-9. Jackie Colvin played at 3 against Steve Adcock, and took a well-earned 2-0 lead with skilful play, winning the first two games 9-8, 9-1, but then lost her way, losing the next two games 3-9, 6-9. However Colvin refocussed and played superbly, taking the 5th game comfortably 9-2 and thus the match 3-2. With the match standing at 2-1 to Henley, the team needed one more win to take the tie, but Richard Griffiths was up against a very good opponent at 4th string, Dave Surrage, and lost 0-9, 2-9, 4-9, and Pete Paddick played well but also lost in straight games 7-9, 9-10, 3-9 at 2nd string against Nick Watkins. Paddick had game balls in the second game but was just unable to clinch the vital points. Henley lost the tie therefore 2 matches to 3.
   


24 November 2008
In round 11 of the Oxfordshire Squash Leagues Henley 1st team secured their ninth win of the season, white-washing their opponents, to increase their lead at the top of the table. At first string, Ricky Weatherall again cruised to a comfortable victory, disposing of Alan Steptoe for the loss of just six points, 9-4, 9-0, 9-2. Still suffering with a stiff back, Simon Street played a determined Justin Hamilton-Martin at second string. Despite his injury, Street dominated the match and rather sadistically moved his opponent from corner to corner, exhausting him in the process, winning 9-4, 9-6, 9-3.   Harry Carr played at three and put last week’s dismal performance behind him as he enjoyed the banter with an opponent who tried every trick in the game to break his young opponent’s concentration, Harry beating Trevor Cox 9-3, 9-3, 9-6. At fourth string Ed Hopkins seemed to be cruising to an easy victory over Richard Kellagher, winning the first game 9-1, when a loss of concentration saw him 8-4 down in the second game. To his credit, Hopkins re-grouped and won the tie break 10-8, before winning the third game without the loss of a point. At fifth string James Quinn was awarded a walk over as Hithercroft failed to produce a player. With three matches to play, and 57 points to play for, Henley firsts only need 4 points to guarantee their promotion to the top league.

Team                          Played   Won Lost   Points
Henley 1                         9             9      0       165
North Oxfordshire 1        10            7      3       148
Defence Academy 2         9            7      2        112
Abingdon 2                     10            3      7        87
Racquets 2                      8            3      5         75
Hithercroft 2                     9            2      7         61
University Club 1              9            1      8         47
Witney 1                          0            0      0          0
 
Meanwhile Henley 2nd team returned to their winning ways in their match against Esporta winning 5 matches to nil (19 points to 1). Nigel Richardson at first string was too fast for Aubrey Bell, winning 9/2, 9/3,9/3. Paul Sayers at second string made his opponent Paul Whittle do a lot of running and in the end allowed Paul Sayers won comfortably 9-5, 8-10, 10-8, 9-5. Chris Wallace had too many racquet skills for Stuart Pinkerton who had an off night. Chris won 9-3, 9-4,9-3. Derek Oswald came up against a determined Andy O'Neill and eventually wore him down to win 9-7,9-2,9-8. Roger Booker took the first seventeen points against Huw Warren but could not keep up the pressure eventually winning 9-0,9-3,9-6. Henley 2nds just need to win one more match in order to guarantee promotion.
 
Team                          Played   Won Lost   Points
Henley 2                       11           10      1       176 
Telecom 1                     11            6      5       137
Esporta 4                      11            7      4       135
Carterton 1                    11            6      5       121
Oxford Rackets 3           11           5      6        118
Didcot Leisure 2            11           4       7        108
Abingdon 4                    11           3      8         97
Wantage 2                    11           3      8          81
 
The 3rd team hosted Westminster College 1sts (part of Oxford Brookes), who are the current league leaders. Although Henley were able to field a stronger team than in the away leg, Westminster were also stronger, and were far too good for the Henley 3rds. First on at 3rd string was Peter Hopkins but he was beaten by a very good opponent, Gideon Fielden, losing 4-9,1-9, 0-9. Richard Griffths went on at 2nd string but was tired and was defeated rather easily 1-9, 0-9, 2-9 by Sean Manning. James Gildersleve met a similar fate at 4th string, losing 3-9, 4-9, 5-9 to Tony Tompkins, although he put up a good fight. Finally there was some cheer for the home team when valiant 5th string Dave Forster clinched a nail-biting win over Nick Tompkins. Dave was unable to convert 2 match balls in the 4th game, and went match ball down in the 5th, before putting it away on his 3rd match ball, the score being 7-9, 9-4, 9-6, 9-10, 10-9. Chris Pullen finished off the evening in the 1st string match, playing very well and taking a game off the Westminster top player Mick Halsey 9-7, 5-9, 6-9, 3-9. Westminster took 18 points to Henley's 4. 
 
 

Team                          Played   Won Lost   Points
Westminster 1                10           9      1       167
Castaways 1                   9            8      1       143 
Chipping Norton 2            9            6      3       128
Brackley 1                      9            5      4        104
Gladiators 1                     10           3      7        75
Henley 3                         9            2      7         69
Didcot Leisure Centre 3   10           0      10        41
 

 
Meanwhile in the Berkshire Leagues the Veterans team played Prince's (Heathrow) and lost narrowly 4-1. Tony Wheeler lost quite convincingly 0-3. Trevor Cox was on top for most of his match but contrived to lose a thrilling match 2-3. Roger Booker was dead and buried at 0-2 but came back to 2-2, only to lose the last game to a 2-3 defeat. Chris Pullen was the team's only winner 3-1. Steve Berger the youngster of the team lost another thriller 1-3 being unable to make his superior fitness tell.
 
The Club welcomes new members and memberships forms can be downloaded from the website www.henleysquash.co.uk and anyone interested in playing for the teams should contact Pete Paddick on 07939 078115. Club evenings are held on Saturdays from 5.15 to 6.45 when league players and aspiring team players are encouraged to turn up.



16 November 2008
In round 10 of the Oxfordshire Squash Leagues Henley 1st team hosted Thame Racquets Club, and they won easily again, to increase their lead at the top of the table.
 
Ricky Weatherall cruised to a comfortable victory at first string, rarely troubled, as he disposed of Martin Sizer in three straight games, 9-5, 9-1, 9-6. Simon Street, injured on county duty at the weekend, played at second string and dropped his first games of the winter campaign. Street struggled to go forward against a gifted and nationally ranked junior, who was about half his age. His opponent, Will John, played extremely well and attacked the front court in the first game, forcing Street to change tactics to win the second. However, down two games to one, Street had to save six match balls in the fourth, one of them a mammoth rally that hurt both players, before finally winning the tie break. Street then maintained his focus and went on to take the deciding game, with the game scores being 5-9, 9-5, 5-9, 10-8, 9-5. A poor performance from Harry Carr at third string resulted in a straight games loss, his first defeat of the season, to Bucks over 35’s county player Chris Gildelsleve, 0-9, 4-9, 5-9. Carr’s lack of concentration and focus were disappointing and he will need to show more maturity if he wants to progress after Christmas when Henley are promoted to the top division. In contrast, Ed Hopkins maintained his focus, as he ‘white-washed’ Roland Taylor without dropping a point, 9-0, 9-0, 9-0. Whilst Hopkins played well, his opponent ‘bowed down’ to the inevitable result, without fighting to earn his point. At fifth string Paul Sayers demonstrated that he can win in three games, cruising to a comfortable victory against a rather inexperienced opponent, Mike Watkins, 9-3,9-3, 9-0. Henley 1sts took 16 points to Thame's 5, and lead Division 2 by a long way. The top two clubs in a league get promoted; the bottom two get relegated.

Team                          Played   Won Lost   Points
Henley 1                         8            8      0       146
North Oxfordshire 1        9            6      3       129
Defence Academy 2        9            7      2       112
Abingdon 2                     9            3      6        84
Racquets 2                     8            3      5        75
Hithercroft 2                   8            2      6        61
University Club 1            9            1     8         47
Witney 1                         0            0      0         0
 
Meanwhile the 2nd team lost their first match of the winter, away to Telecom 1st team. At first string Nigel Richardson lost 3-0 to Junior County Champion Lewis Wood, a good match, but Nigel was always trailing. At second string Derek Oswald also lost 3-0 to Carey James. Carey was clearly enjoying his match and hitting winners. Roger Booker gained a point for the team at 3rd string, losing 3-1 to Peter Walker. Roger took the first game easily but became distracted by arguments between his opponent and the referee. Chris Pullen won comfortably 3-0 at 4th string against Bruce Anderson, in a friendly match, whilst at 5th string Steve Berger was too fit and got everything back that his opponent Ian Foggett could hit, Steve also winning 3-0. Telecom took 13 points to Henley's 7, but Henley 2nds still lead Division 5 by a long way with only four matches left, two of which are against the bottom two clubs Abingdon and Wantage, although title rivals Esporta are next.
 
Team                          Played   Won Lost   Points
Henley 2                       10            9      1       157 
Esporta 4                     10            7      3       134
Telecom 1                     10            6      4       130
Carterton 1                   10            6      4       114
Didcot Leisure 2            10           4      6       101
Oxford Rackets 3          10           4      6         99
Abingdon 4                   10            2      8         86
Wantage 2                    10           2      8          65
 
Finally the 3rd team travelled to Brackley Squash Club in Northamptonshire, just over the county boundary. Peter Hopkins was on first, at 4th string, and he played the best he has played all season, defeating John Hall 3-0 (9/6, 9/6, 9/4). Next on at 5th string was Dave Forster against Tom Freeland, but he lost 1-9, 4-9, 9-7, 9-1, 3-9, despite a stirring fight back in the 3rd and 4th games. However, whilst these two matches were going on it transpired that the 2nd team was short of a player, and under League Rules it is mandatory to fill up the higher teams, so the 3rds team's 1st string player suddenly had to drive over to Witney. This meant that these first two matches had been played out of position and had to be forfeit under league rules. In a quick rearrangment of team position, Richard Griffiths stepped up to 1st string position and managed a 3-2 win over Kenton Bromby, 9-5, 4-9, 9-10, 9-4, 9-0, really hitting top gear in the final game, but promotion to 2nd string was a step too far for James Gildersleve who lost 3-0 to skilful opponent Kate Hardiman 6-9,1-9, 4-9. The 3rd string match had to be forfeit as a walkover, so in the end Brackley took 18 points to Henley's 3, but since the team is not in the running for promotion or relegation it does not matter, and encouragement can be taken from the generally good performances of the team.  There was some consolation for the depleted 3rd team as Brackley provided a superb after-match meal, the best of the Division. Henley's next match is against league leaders Westminster at home. Division 7 now stands as follows:
 
Team                         Played   Won Lost   Points
Westminster 1                9            8      1       149
Castaways 1                   8            7     1        126 
Chipping Norton 2           8           5       3       109
Brackley 1                       9            5      4        104
Gladiators 1                    9            3      6        72
Henley 3                         8            2      6        65
Didcot Leisure Centre 3   9            0      9        40



9 November 2008
In round 9 of the Oxfordshire league this week the 1st team and 3rd team both had byes, The only match was for the second team who won convincingly against Oxford Brookes second team 5-0. Nigel Richardson was too fast and unrelenting for a skilful Tamara Curnow and won 9-5,9-3,9-2. Nigel is now playing some of his best squash ever, unfortunately for Tamara. Chris Wallace was too skilful for Helen Knowles and controlled the game to win 9-7,9-2,9-3. Chris with his exceptional racquet skills was able to make his opponent run all over the court at will. Derek Oswald had a torrid time for the first two games against a fast and hard hitting Jonny Horne. However Derek gradually reined in his opponent to win 2-9,7-9,9-5,9-1,9-1. His opponent really should have won and but his lack of match experience let him down. Roger Booker aggravated a wrist injury against Andy Bridgman and twice allowed an out of form opponent back into an uneven match, but, eventually won by the very unlikely score 9-1,5-9,9-0,6-9,9-0. Roger needs to attend more of the team training sessions to get his squash tactics refreshed. Chris Pullen, apart from a lapse in the 2nd game, had a good match against Caroline McGahey who played beautifully, but Chris was very focused. Henley 2nds took 19 points to Brookes' 5, and Henley 2nds are now virtually uncatchable at the top of Division 5. 
 
The latest table for Division 5 now reads:
 
Team                         Played   Won Lost   Points
Henley 2                        9            9      0       150 
Telecom 1                      9            5      4       117
Esporta 4                       8            6      2       110
Carterton 1                    9            5      4        98
Didcot Leisure 2             9            3      6        85
Oxford Rackets 3           9            3      6        85
Abingdon 4                    9            2      7        78
Wantage 2                    8            2      6        52
 
Meanwhile, the Henley Veterans team played Wellington Vets and won 3 matches to 2. Steve Berger, the youngest Veteran on the team, played at fifth string against an obdurate opponent and despite having to change his racquet part way through prevailed 3-2. Chris Pullen at 4th string lost 3-0. Roger Booker, the oldest member of the team, was by all accounts extremely lucky against a very skilled opponent, and managed to run him into the ground just managing to beat him 3-0. Trevor Cox at second string came up against an out of form opponent and won easily 3-0. Tony Wheeler at first string was weighed down with a heavy cold and relaxed once he saw that the team had got the match in the bag, and his opponent won 3-1. Henley Vets are now challenging for top position in the Berkshire Vets league Div 2B.



3 November 2008
In round 8 of the Oxfordshire Squash Leagues Henley 1st team travelled to Abingdon.  On first was James Quinn at no.5 string. James had an excellent debut winning 3-0 with ease against an occasionally tricky opponent in Andy Foster. Next on was Ed Hopkins at no.3 string against Jack Cheung, Ed started strongly and never eased off the pressure winning 9-1, 9-2, 9-2. On next at 1st string was Rick Weatherall who also cruised to an easy 3-0 victory over Doug Terry. At the same time Paul Sayers had to an endure a five game battle to overcome Andy Cleaves. The last match of the day saw Harry Carr take on Adrian Carey. Harry never looked out of position, winning comfortably 3-0. Henley took 19 points to Abingdon's 2, and at just past the half way stage lead Division 2 by a long way. The top two clubs in a league get promoted; the bottom two get relegated.
 
Team                          Played   Won Lost   Points
Henley 1                        7            7      0       130
North Oxfordshire 1        7            5      2       101
Defence Academy 2        7            5      2        83
Racquets 2                     6            3      3        68
Abingdon 2                     7            3      4        67
Hithercroft 2                   7            1      6        47
University Club 1            7             0     7        25
Witney 1                         0            0      0         0
 
Meanwhile the 2nd team won their eighth match on the trot thanks to a good all round performance. Nigel Richardson had a difficult time against Richard Swinden but his superior fitness told in the end, as he won 9/3,5/9,9/4,9/2. Chris Wallace was always struggling against Simon Hartwright and lost a tough battle in the fifth, 9/4,9/4,6/9,5/9,5/9. Derek Oswald had an easy match against Julian Moss, winning 9/2,9/4,9/3. Roger Booker made a meal of his match against Graham Gossedge but his superior shot selection and general all round skill eventually overcame his opponent 9/3,2/9,9/2,9/4. Jackie Colvin had an easy game against Michael Stace and her superior skills always kept her ahead, as she won 9/3,9/5,10/8. Henley took 18 points to Didcot's 5, and after 8 rounds Henley lead Division 5 on 131 points. 
 
Team                         Played   Won Lost   Points
Henley 2                        8            8       0       131 
Esporta 4                       8            6      2       110
Telecom 1                     8             5      3       109
Carterton 1                    8            5      3        95
Oxford Rackets 3            8            3      5        80
Didcot Leisure 2             8            2      6        71
Abingdon 4                     8            1      7        59
Wantage 2                     8            2      6        52
 
Finally the 3rd team hosted Oxford Gladiators and were looking to avenge their 3-2 defeat from the away leg. The evening started well with Peter Hopkins, at 4th string, playing well and defeating Martin Langton 3 nil (9/2, 9/6, 9/7). Playing at 3rd string, Richard Griffiths was involved in the most entertaining match of the evening, scrambling to a 3-2 win over Ben Harrison, winning 9/7, 7/9, 9/2, 5/9, 9/2 which was warmly applauded by the gallery at the end. Next on at 5th string was Dave Forster against Rus Bradley. Dave surprisingly dropped the 2nd game 5/9 after winning the first easily 9/0, but refocused thereafter to win 9/4 9/5 in games 3 and 4. Team Captain Pete Paddick went on next at 2nd string and was too strong for his opponent Neil Boston, winning 9/5, 9/2, 9/6. The last match involved number one strings Chris Pullen against Rob Derbyshire, with the Gladiators player proving too good and winning easily 3 nil. Henley took 16 points as against only 6 for Gladiators and move above them in the table in Division 7.
 
Team                         Played   Won Lost    Points
Westminster 1               7            6       1       116
Chipping Norton 2         7            5        2       105
Castaways 1                 6            5       1         93 
Brackley 1                      7            4       3         77
Henley 3                        7            2       5        62
Gladiators 1                   7            2       5        52
Didcot Leisure 3    7            0       7        28




25 October 2008
In round 7 of the Oxfordshire Leagues, Henley firsts continued their 100% win ratio, with their fifth maximum of the season, continuing their total dominance of Oxfordshire’s second division. Playing away at Defence Academy near Shrivenham, at first string, Simon Street dropped just 5 points as he outclassed Neville Buckle. At two, a frustrated Harry Carr struggled against an experienced, talented and awkward opponent (Mike Hyland), just scraping home 10/9 in the deciding game. Harry will need to maintain his concentration, focus and have better mental strength if he is to fulfil his potential in the top division after Christmas. Forgetting his shorts didn’t affect Ed Hopkins' game plan, as he comfortably disposed of his opponent Brian Bell to the loss of just 6 points, having borrowed shorts from Paul Sayers. Retrieving his shorts, Paul played a talented but not very mobile opponent, Dean Watkins, at fourth string. Paul had to dig deep as he took the game to the decider, but managed to win the fifth game fairly easily, as his opponent tired. Nigel Richardson played at five and returned to winning ways as he disposed of Anthony Doyle fairly comfortably, with only a break in concentration to blame for dropping the third game. Henley took 19 points to Defence Academy's 5, and the team look certain to gain promotion to Division 1 of Oxfordshire Squash after Christmas.
 
In their replay following the flooding at Henley Leisure Centre, Henley firsts continued with yet another maximum win over local rivals Hithercroft. Ricky Weatherall and Simon Street, playing at one and two, disposed of their opponents to just 5 and 6 points respectively, without too much effort. At three, a focused Harry Carr beat Justin Hamilton-Martin 3/1, but the star performance came from Ed Hopkins who dropped just 2 points in his demolition of Oxfordshire veteran Trevor Cox. At fifth string, Paul Sayers made hard work of his match, beating another Oxfordshire vet by three games to two, as he struggled with his opponent’s deft touches. However, superior movement and fitness meant the deciding game was never in doubt, as Paul clinched it 9/2. At the half way point, Henley look set for promotion to Oxfordshire’s top league, leading their nearest rivals North Oxfordshire by 26 points and third place Defence Academy by 42.
 
Meanwhile the 2nd team were at home to Wantage 2nd team, and scored a terrific victory to consolidate their place at the top of Division 5. Chris Wallace surprisingly dropped a game against Andy Day. James Quinn, a new member to the club, continued to impress with his fitness. Both Derek Oswald and Roger Booker had surprisingly easy matches. Jackie Colvin another recent member really justified her regular place in the team with her skilful play and excellent shot selection. The team are closely pursued by several other teams and have to maintain their 100% record to stay ahead. The scores were (1) Chris Wallace 3 Andrew Day 1, (2) James Quinn 3 Tim Strain 0, (3) Derek Oswald 3 Neil Barson 0, (4) Roger Booker 3 Chris Ayres 0, (5) Jackie Colvin 3 Trevor Brown 0, with Henley scoring a maximum 19 points to Wantage's 1.
 
The third team finally scored their first win of the season in a home match against bottom club Didcot. Richard Griffiths went on first, at 3rd string, and went 2-0 up (9/4, 10/9) against Andy Morrison, before his foot injury returned, causing him to lose the next two games 6/9 2/9, but he dug deep to win the fifth and deciding game 9/2 to get the team off to a winning start. Chris Pullen, playing at 1st string, had a similar match winning the first two games 9/5, 9/5, then losing the next two 8/10 6/9 before taking the decider 9/2, against Graham Gossedge. Steve Berger, playing at 2nd string, had been suffering a loss of form and lost his first game 2/9 against Graham Urquhart before rediscovering his form and winning  the next three games easily 9/1 9/0 94. Club Captain Pete Paddick made his return from injury, playing at 4th string, and battled his way to a 10/8, 9/4, 9/5 win over Mike Stace despite claiming that he didn't play very well. Peter Hopkins, playing at 5, was prevented from delivering a 5 nil whitewash by skilful opponent Karen Last, losing in 4 games 6/9, 10/8, 6/9, 0/9. Henley took 17 points to Didcot's 8 and the result should ensure that Henley 3rds don't finish bottom of the League.



18 October 2008
In round 6 of the Oxfordshire Squash Leagues, Henley First Team beat North Oxfordshire First Team 4-1 (taking 16 points to 3). Henley firsts thus continued their 100% win ratio, although suffered their first player defeat of the season. At first string, England ’s second best over 40’s player, Ricky Weatherall, battled against Wales' best over 40 and most consistent player of all time, Steve Evans. However, the man in ‘white’ dictated the game and out-played his gutsy opponent, winning 3/0 in 75 minutes ((9/6, 9/5, 10/8). At second and third strings Simon Street and Harry Carr continued their 100% success rates, again dominating their opponents without dropping a game, Simon winning 9/1, 10/8, 9/1 against Darren Rix, and Harry winning 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 against Tim Dowling. Despite a somewhat nervous start, Ed Hopkins managed to put last week’s poor performance behind him and recorded an excellent 3/0 win against a talented, but not very mobile opponent (Dave Alexander), winning 9/5, 9/2, 9/4. Nigel Richardson, Henley ’s number five, carried his ‘bad day at the office’ onto the squash court and, despite rallying at the end, couldn’t find the form to beat his opponent, losing 2/9, 5/9, 7/9 against Tom Tuthill. However, this was a good team performance against a side that are also title contenders this season. Henley first team remain top with 73 points from North Oxfordshire 1sts on 66, Defence Academy 2nds on 64, and Abingdon 2nds on 52 - and have a game in hand on all these others.
 
In Division 5 the 2nd team were away at Carterton and won 4-1, taking 16 points to 5. At first string Carteron's Dave Middleton beat Derek Oswald 3-0, whilst at second string Michael Webb lost to Henley's Chris Wallace 3-1. At third string veteran Brian Keen lost to Henley's ultra-fit  James Quinn 3-0, whilst at fourth string Michael Cox lost to Henley's Roger Booker 3 nil. Finally at fifth string Tim Beckett lost to Henley's Chris Pullen 3-1. The result leaves Henley 2nd team still top of the Division on 94 points, from Telecoms 1st team on 91, Esporta 4th team on 78 and Carterton 1sts on 67.
 
In Division 7 the 3rd team were away at Chipping Norton and lost 5-0. Paul Jacobs beat Dave Forster 3-0 (9/4,9/2,9/7) at 4th string, with Dave unlucky not to convert the 3rd game when leading 7-2. Meanwhile James Gildersleve at 3rd string lost out to skilful veteran ladies player Anna Cherry 3-0 (9/3,9/6,9/3). Royston Williams then beat Jackie Colvin at 2nd string (9/1,9/3,9/4). At 5th string Peter Hopkins fought bravely, and managed to win Henley's first point of the evening, but lost 1-3 against Peter Pinfold  (9/4,9/4,2/9,9/5). Finally at 1st string Richard Griffiths tried hard but also lost 1-3 as his fitness deserted him in the 4th game against George Pinfold, 9/3,9/6,1/9,9/3. The third team have now played 5 lost 5 and are near the foot of the table, and play bottom club Didcot next and must look to win that to avoid ending the season in last place.
 
A number of squash team players took part in the Henley Half Marathon recently. 2nd team member James Quinn finished in a very fine 1 hour 28 minutes, Club member Helen Cornwall ran it in 1 hour 41, Club member Andy Ball ran it in 1 hour 46, former Club Chairman took Mike Shepherd took 1 hour 48, and finally 3rd team member Peter Hopkins completed it in 2 hours 05 minutes. James Quinn's time earned him second prize for fastest male with an RG9 postcode. The Club's internal leagues are functioning again and anyone wanting to play squash or racketball over the winter can download a membership form from the website www.henleysquash.co.uk and anyone interested in playing for the teams please contact the Chairman Pete Paddick on 07939 078115.



13 October 2008
In the Berkshire Veterans League Henley Vets recorded an excellent win away at Burnham. Trevor Cox started the evening well, winning 3-1 (9/7, 9/2, 2/9, 9/4) against John McIntyre. Tony Wheeler played brilliantly but ran out of steam against Nick Carson, losing 2-3 (9/6, 2/9, 9/5, 3/9, 1/9). Peter Hopkins lost 3 love to Kevin Wood (1/9, 8/10, 1/9) but should have taken the second game when 8/5 up. Needing to win the last two matches, Roger Booker and Chris Pullen did exactly that, with Chris using all his experience to win 3 nil ( 9/7, 9/7, 10/8) against Guy Van Dooren, and Roger Booker beating John Booker (no relation) 3-1 (9/3, 9/3, 7/9, 9/5) persisting with his trademark shot the Booker-boast and using it to good effect.
 
Meanwhile in the Oxfordshire Leagues the Henley 1st team cruised to their fourth win of the season and their fourth maximum score, over Oxford University Club. At first string Simon Street was too strong for Phil Browning, easing to another comfortable win, whilst only dropping a few points. At two, Harry Carr also dominated his opponent and won without breaking into a sweat. Ed Hopkins played at three, but struggled with his length, width and tactics, making hard work of what should have been an easy victory. However, dogged determination prevailed in the end, as Ed won the tight deciding game. At fourth string Paul Sayers started slowly, dropping the first game, but the result never looked in doubt as he won the last three games convincingly. At five, Nigel Richardson quickly demolished his opponent, not letting him into the game from the first whistle. Henley first team remain on course to seal promotion into Oxfordshire’s top league. The scores were: (1)  Simon Street  3  Phil Browning  0; (2).   Harry Carr 3 Jaco Vermaak 0; (3)   Ed Hopkins 3 Tom Higham 2;  (4).  Paul Sayers 3  David Franklin 1; (5).   Nigel Richardson  3 Laurence Robb  0.
 
The 2nd team continued their fantastic start to the season with a strong win over Abingdon 4ths. The scores were HENLEY 2nds 14 points ABINGDON 4ths 6 points (1) Chris Wallace 3 Steve Learoyd 0, (2) James Quinn 3 Derek Thomas 0, (3) Roger Booker 1 Andy Foster 3, (4) Steve Berger 0 Henry Brown 3, (5) Jackie Colvin 3 Peter Dallaway 0. Henley 2nds remain top of Division 5. James Quinn was notable for winning 3 love on his debut for the team.
 
Henley 3rds took on Oxford Castaways and came the closest yet to gaining their first win of the season. The scores were: HENLEY 8 points to 15 for Castaways and the individual scores were (1) Chris Pullen 2 Nick Watkins 3, (2) Richard Griffiths 3 Steve Adcock 0, (3) Peter Hopkins 0 David Surrage 3, (4) David Forster 3 Paul Bedford 2, (5) James McNaughton 0 Stephen Thompson 3. Junior County player James McNaughton showed how well he could play in the first game before having to retire injured. Dave Forster came from 2-1 down to complete another memorable comeback and secure the first win for the team of the evening, winning 9/2, 7/9, 8/9, 9/3, 9/0. Peter Hopkins fought hard against a better opponent but could not get a game, losing 2/9, 0/9, 7/9. Richard Griffiths again put in a strong performance at 2nd string and won a tight game 3 games to love, 9/7, 9/5, 9/6.  The match now rested on Chris Pullen but he lost eventually in 5, 9/2, 3/9, 9/6, 6/9, 2/9. Anyone interested in joining Henley Squash Club can contact Chairman Pete Paddick via the club's website www.henleysquash.co.uk 



2 October 2008
In round 4 of the Oxfordshire Leagues Henley Squash teams took on Hithercroft, Westminster College, and Esporta of Oxford.
 
The first team had a bizarre outcome to the match when water started to pour through the ceiling of the foyer of Henley Leisure Centre, after a valve had been left undone, causing the Centre to be evacuated and the match was abandoned without a game being played. Fortunately Henley will not be penalised, as long as the match can be rearranged soon.
 
The third team, still weakened  by the loss of regulars from the teams like Pete Paddick, Howard Poll and Fiona Dixon all due to injury, travelled to Westminster College, now part of Oxford Brookes University, in Botley. At first string Jackie Colvin came up against a very good opponent, Mike Halsey, and he beat Jackie 9/3, 9/4, 9/4. At second string James Gildersleve gave it everything but succumbed 9/1, 9/3, 9/4 to Gideon Fielden. Peter Hopkins, at third string, battled hard and took the first game but went down 9/7, 3/9, 1/9, 8/10 to Martin Duffin. At fifth string Richard Hopkins also battled bravely against veteran Jim Day, losing the first game 3/9, but was overpowered and lost in straight sets. Match of the evening however was fourth string Dave Forster who played an amazing match against an experienced and unconventional opponent Niyi Anubi. Anubi won the first 8 points, but somehow Dave Forster managed to come back from 8 nil down to win the first game 10/8.  To do this is an astonishing feat, and very rare. The following games were much closer as they edged towards a thrilling conclusion, but Dave eventually prevailed 10/8, 10/8, 10/8, and came away with a 3 nil scoreline.
 
The second team were away at Esporta in Oxford and squeaked a win 3 games to 2. Nigel Richardson at first string was too fit and had too many shots for his talented opponent Aubrey Bell, winning 10/8, 3/9, 9/6, 10/8. Roger Booker at 2nd string easily overcame Alastair Dent after Alastair had some arguments with the marker and allowed it to affect his game.9/3, 9/6, 9/7. Steve Berger struggled against the wily Barry Orton and although he came back well in the third game, could not maintain the pressure and lost 3/9, 3/9, 9/5, 2/9. Chris Pullen easily overcame Younas Samad 9/6,9/0, 5/9, 10/9. Richard Griffiths was a little unlucky to lose to Andy O'Neil as he was very close to winning the third game and would have been able to win the match if he had. The scores were 2/9, 2/9, 8/10. Henley 14 points Esporta 8 points. Henley 2nds stay on top of Division 5 of the Oxon leagues.




26 September 2008
In the third round of the winter leagues of Oxfordshire Squash, the first team cruised to a comfortable win, the second team just scrapped a narrow win and the third team lost heavily, again, missing some key players.
 
In Division 2 the first team easily beat Thame 5 nil with England Over 40s International Rick Weatherall returning to the Club for the first time in a few years. He beat Bucks over 35s county player Nigel Patterson 3 nil,  9/3, 9/1, 9/4. At second string team captain Simon Street demolished his opponent Chris Gilderleeve for the loss of only 5 points, winning 9/0, 9/0, 9/5. Playing at 3 was Sam Carr, who will now miss the rest of the season as he returns to Loughborough University. Sam made hard work of his match against talented junior Will John but never looked in doubt of winning the deciding game. At fourth string Sam's younger brother, Bucks Junior Champion Harry, completely demolished Harry Gildersleeve. At fifth string Ed Hopkins outclassed the talented but sometimes petulant Beth John without dropping a game. The scores were Henley 1sts 19 points Thame 2nds 2 points, Rick Weatherall beat Nigel Patterson 3 -0 (9/1, 9/3, 9/4), Simon Street beat Chris Gildersleeve 3-0 (9/0, 9/0, 9/5), Sam Carr beat Will John 3-2, (10/9, 1/9, 9/2, 8/10, 9/3), Harry Carr beat Harry Gildersleeve 3-0 (9/1, 9/3, 9/2), and Ed Hopkins beat Beth John 3-0 (9/0, 9/5, 9/4).
 
In Division 5 the second team managed to overcome the challenge of the Telecoms 1st team. Nigel Richardson battled for his 3-2 victory, and former Surrey County player Jackie Colvin used her skill and experience to beat her opponent by a similar margin. First string Paul Sayers struggled against the little flicks and boasts of opponent Oxfordshire Junior County Champion Lewis Wood, whilst the two veterans of the team had contrasting fortunes, with Roger Booker suffering a slight loss of form whilst Chris Pullen won by 3 games to 1. The scores were HENLEY 2nds 14 points TELECOMS 1sts 11 points (1) Paul Sayers 0 Lewis Wood 3, (2) Nigel Richardson 3 Carey James 2, (3) Roger Booker 1 Peter Walker 3, (4) Chris Pullen 3 Ian Foggett 1, (5) Jackie Colvin 3 Bruce Anderson 2. The result leaves Henley 2nds still top of Division 5 with 50 points from Esporta 4th team on 48 and Telecoms 1st team on 42.
 
In Division 7 the third team continue to miss ther inspirational captain Pete Paddick as well as ironman contestant Steve Berger, and the weakened side went down 4 -1 to a useful Brackley side that had strength in depth - their number 5 was nearly the same standard as their number one. Richard Griffiths played really well at one, winning 9/3, 9/5, 9/4, and Peter Hopkins battled away for a point at 3rd string, losing a tight match 6/9, 9/7, 2/9, 6/9. At second string James Gildersleve played near his best form and nearly turned the match round in the very tight third game, losing 8/10. At 4th and 5th strings Dave Forster and promising junior 12 year old Richie Hopkins both put up a good fight but lost in straight games to very good opponents. The scores were HENLEY 3rds 4 points BRACKLEY 1sts 16 points (1) Richard Griffiths 3 Martin Hall 0, (2) James Gildersleve 0 Paul Hardiman 3, (3) Peter Hopkins 1 John Hall 3, (4) David Forster 0 Paul Jennings 3, (5) Richard Hopkins 0 Adrian Swain 3. The result leaves the team next to bottom of the league, but other teams have played 3 to Henley's 2 matches and there is long way to go. The result leaves Brackley 2nd on 49 points whilst Henley lie 6th with 15 points but with a match in hand.



15 September 2008
Henley Squash Club served notice of its winning intentions as it began the new winter season with strong performances by the first and second teams. Club Chairman Pete Paddick has entered a new 3rd team into the leagues and is hoping that all three teams can win promotion. A particular aim for new team captain Simon Street is for the first team to win promotion to the top division of Oxfordshire, Division One. 
 
The first team started the season by hosting Abingdon 2nd team in Division 2 of the Oxfordshire leagues, and won easily, 19 points to 2, taking them immediately into a promotion place at 2nd in the table. At first string the talented Simon Rodwell was a comfortable winner against a gutsy opponent. At 2nd string Simon Street was clinical in his disposal of county veteran Terry Dunwoody, dropping only 4 points. Both Harry Carr at 3rd string and Nigel Richardson at 5 played well, winning easily. At 4th string Paul Sayers would have won more convincingly if he had remained more focused throughout. The scores were: (1) Simon Rodwell 3 Jimmy Brooke 0 (9-4, 9-10, 9-4)  (2) Simon Street 3 Terry Dunwoody 0 (9-1, 9-2, 9-1) (3) Harry Carr 3 Andrew Smith 0 (9-1, 9-6, 9-2) (4) Paul Sayers 3 Doug Terry 2 (1-9, 9-2, 1-9, 9-4, 9-4) (5) Nigel Richardson 3 Joe Brooke 0 (10-8, 9-6, 9-1). The result means that North Oxfordshire lead the division on 19 points from Henley also on 19 (on point difference) from Racquets 2nd team on 16 and Defence Academy 2nd team on 14.
 
In division 5 the 2nd team pulled off a fantastic win to give a great start to the season with Roger Booker particularly impressive. Derek Oswald at 1st string had an easy match against Julian Moss winning 9/1,9/1,9/4. Chris Wallace at 2 also was not put under any pressure by Graham Gossedge and won 9/5,9/5,9/6. Roger Booker at 3rd string started well against Mike Stace and was put under increasing pressure towards the end but managed to wind himself up sufficiently to nail his opponent 9/0,9/3,10/8. Chris Pullen also was able to easily deal with Andy Morrison who made a good showing in the 3rd game but was pulled back by some inventive squash from Chris 9/4,9/7,2/9,9/3. Pete Paddick had a nightmare of a game with some marginal calls going against him. He lost 9/6,3/9,4/9,8/10. Henley 2nds won 17 points to 4 a very good start to the season. The win leaves Henley 2nd in the table with Telecoms 1st team on 19, being chased by Esporta 4th team on 13 points.
 
The newly formed 3rd team began their campaign for the division 7 title with a faltering start at Oxford's Gladiators Club, losing by 10 points to 14. James McNaughton played well on his debut for the Club, winning his first game but his much more experienced opponent swung the match round. Peter Hopkins also began well against an opponent who took a long time to warm up, and at 2 nil up Hopkins relaxed just as his opponent started to play really well and the match slipped away. At 4th string Dave Forster let slip big early leads in the first two games but managed to hang on and came away with a deserved 3 nil win. At 2nd string James Gildersleve battled it out with a young opponent who eventually wore him down in 5. At 1st string there was a bizarre match in which Richard Griffiths just managed to take the first game, but slipped and injured his ankle. He hobbled round the court in the 2nd game, hardly moving, and duly lost the game 9 love, and the match looked over. However his opponent then announced that his toenail had come off and promptly conceded the match, handing Richard an unexpected win. The scores were (1) Neil Boston 1 Richard Griffiths 3(7-9, 9-0, 0-9, 0-9) (2) Ben Harrison 3 James Gildersleve 2 (9/7,7/9,9/1,4/9,9/1)  (3) Richard Hall 3 Peter Hopkins 2 (0/9,3/9,9/6,9/5,9/6)  (4) Paul Bennett 0 David Forster 3 (9/10,8/10,4/9) (5) Martin Langton 3 James McNaughton 1 (1/9,9/2,9/5,9/3). The result leaves Henley 3rd team mid table, with work to do to gain promotion, with Brackley and Westminster both on 19 points, Gladiators on 14, Henley on 11, and Chipping Norton on 9.
 
Henley Squash Club are always on the lookout for new team players so anyone interested should contact club chairman Pete Paddick through the Club website henleysquash.co.uk.



30 July 2008
In the 13th round of the Oxfordshire Squash Summer Leagues, a weakened Henley 1st team travelled to Oxford to play second in the table Esporta 1st team and won every match with the winning points being 19 to 5. At the first string Simon Street had a tough game against a young and spirited Jonathan Geekie and won a sometimes bad tempered match 3/1. At second string Sam Carr, who had played all afternoon with internationally ranked Scott Handley was very tired and initially went down 2/0 to Derek Holt. He then rallied and scraped the third and the increasingly tired opponent gradually lost his grip on the game with Sam winning 3/2 (10/9 in the last game). Harry Carr had also spent the afternoon with Scott but had an easier time against Dave Corran winning 3/0. Nigel Richardson at 4th string played his normal consistent game against Kevin Lorimer winning 3/0. At 5th string Henley had to rely on pensioner Roger Booker who played the young Ben Pinfold. Roger was winning 2/1 when Ben played a solid fourth and Roger relaxed a bit Ben winning 9/1. However Roger's superior fitness told in the fifth game and Roger ran out quite an easy winner 3/2 after an hour on court. This result ensures that Henley, who are sponsored by Invesco Perpetual, will be promoted to Division 1 as champions. The formal results were as follows (Esporta names first) (1) Jonathan Geekie 1 Simon Street 3, (2) Derek Holt 2 Sam Carr 3, (3) David Corran 0 Harry Carr 3, (4) Kevin Lorimer 0 Nigel Richardson 3, (5) Ben Pinfold 2 Roger Booker 3.



26 July 2008
In round 12 Henley 1st team hosted Paramount squash club 1st team. First on court at 5th string was Richie Hopkins making his debut for the first team at only 12 years old. Richard had an excellent debut and had a comfortable win 9-0 9-0 9-2 over 14 year old Sam Cooper. Next on court was Nigel Richardson who faced Sam's dad Steve Cooper. In an entertaining match with many intense rallies Nigel fought well to win 9-4 4-9 9-0 9-1. On next was Ed Hopkins at no.3 vs. Simon Scott. Unfortunately the match started badly with the Paramount player demanding a change of marker after only 3 points, the marker (Harry Carr) rightfully did not change and the match continued. Despite the controversial start the match went on to be quite uneventful with Ed winning 9-5 9-1 9-5. On afterwards was Harry Carr playing at no.2 who faced Gerard Whittaker; Harry started strongly and never looked in trouble winning 9-0 9-4 9-0. On last was Simon Street at no.1 who faced a tough opponent in Nick Mason. Simon played a controlled game with few unforced errors and consistent length. Simon never eased off the pressure and won 9-1 9-4 9-1.
 
Meanwhile Henley 2nd team travelled to The Park Squash Club, at Wheatley, looking for a big win to give them any hope of avoiding relegation from Division 4 after their poor start to the season. Unfortunately Henley 2nds were again unable to field a full team, and with key players missing succumbed to a heavy defeat 19 points to 3.
 
With all teams having played 12 matches, and only two matches to play, the win for the Henley 1st team places them top with 197 points, with Esporta second on 181, and Thame Racquets third on 161 and Harwell fourth on 144. With a maximum of 19 points available each match (one for each game and 4 for winning the tie) Henley are 36 points ahead, so whilst mathematically it is possible to be caught, in reality the team have achieved promotion to Division 1, and in all likelihood will be Division 2 champions.
 
The Club are always keen to welcome new players for the teams, and plan to enter a third team in the winter leagues starting in September, as well as a Veterans team and possibly a Ladies team. Anyone interested should contact the Club Chairman Pete Paddick through its website



21 July 2008
In round 11 of the Oxfordshire Squash Leagues, Henley 1st team played Harwell Squash team. On first was Ed Hopkins at no.3; the first two games were won comfortably by Ed 9-0 9-0. The third saw his opponent Bernard Chubb go on the attack resulting in a tougher game, Ed eventually ran out the winner 9-5. On at no.5 string Nigel Richardson started slowly losing the first game to Trevor Howard, but after this Nigel got his game together to take the next three games without too many difficulties. Next on at no.2 it was Harry Carr who faced a tricky opponent in Mark Bond. Harry lost the first narrowly 8-10, after being 1-7 down in the second Harry showed great determination to claw his way back and win the next three 9-7 10-8 10-8. Simon Street showed a real dominance at no.1 beating Paul Bennett 9-3 9-0 9-0. At no.5 Roger Booker battled hard in the most entertaining match of the evening but eventually lost in five games in a very well spirited match up against Jim Henshaw.
Meanwhile in Division 4 Henley 2nd team continued their recent good run with a 3-2 run over Carterton. At first string Eric Garson beat Simon Chubb 9/6, 9/2, 9/10, 9/2, whilst at 2nd string Derek Oswald had the best win of the night, recovering from 2 games down against Duncan Smith to win 3/9, 7/9, 9/2, 9/3, 9/4. at third string former Surrey Ladies player and new team member Jackie Colvin played well despite experimenting with a new racket but lost to Dave Middleton 3/9, 4/9, 1/9. At fourth string Chris Pullen narrowly lost out to fellow Oxfordshire veteran Brian Keen 8/10, 9/2, 6/9, 10/9, 5/9 in a match full of incident. Finally at 5th string Richard Griffiths won his third match in a row, beating Ken Smith 9/2, 9/2, 7/9, 9/4.
 
These results leave Henley 1st team well clear at the top of Division 2 with only 3 matches to go, so they are almost certain to be promoted to the top flight, which will be a terrific achievement for a club which has only two courts, and even they were closed for refurbishment for over a year recently. Henley 2nds have done extremely well to win their last 4 matches in a row, after losing their first 5, and have given themselves a slim chance of survival but they will depend on other results. The 2nd team's final match will be against their relegation rivals The Park, so a big win is needed.



14 July 2008
In round 9 of the Oxfordshire Mens Summer Leagues both Henley teams recorded overwhelming victories. In Division 2, Henley 1st team are the runaway leaders and recorded a 5-0 victory over opponents University 1st team, with Henley taking 19 points to 1. The scores were (University names first) (1) James Machin 0 Simon Street 3, (2) Jaco Vermaak 0 Sam Carr 3, (3) Philip Browning 0 Harry Carr 3, (4) Tom Higham 0 Ed Hopkins 3, (5) David Franklin 1 Nigel Richardson 3.
 
Meanwhile in Division 4, Henley 2nd team continued their resurgence with a 4-1 victory over opponents University Club 2nd team. Derek Oswald at 1 had a relatively easy game against Tony Eaude, though dropping the first game, winning 7/9, 9/3, 9/0,9/3. Roger Booker at 2 played outstandingly well to beat Miles Nunn 9/5, 9/6, 10/8. Chris Pullen at 3 was well and truly beaten by a young and wild opponent, Alister Leslie, losing 4/9, 7/9,9/10. Pete Paddick at 4 beat a tricky opponent, Ken Reid, whom he lost against on the away leg, winning 1/9, 9/0, 9/2, 9/7. Richard Griffiths at 5 finally chalked up his first win after joining the club when he moved from Wales earlier this summer, beating Stephen Cobbold 3 nil, 10/8, 9/1, 9/1, in a game where both players suffered from heat exhaustion by the end of a tight first game, and Richard's hard work on his fitness paid off as his opponent wilted in the second and third games. 
 
In round 10, Henley Mens 1st team hosted opponents Didcot 1st team. First on court, at 4th string, was Ed Hopkins, who ran out a comfortable 3 nil winner, winning 9/0, 9/0, 9/2, against Simon Hartwright.  At 5th string Nigel Richardson struggled in the first game but came back strongly to win the next three games for the loss of only 5 points, 5/9, 9/0, 9/4. 9/1. Harry Carr was next on court, at 3rd string, and despite a disappointing first game he came through to win in 4, winning with a slightly bizarre score of 9/10, 9/0, 9/0, 10/8. Older brother Sam Carr won convincingly at 2nd string, 9/3, 9/4, 9/0, and finally Simon Street at 1st string rounded off the evening with another 3 nil win, 9/1, 9/3, 10/9. Henley took 19 points to Didcot's 2, and Henley are running away with the Division.
 
Meanwhile in round 10 of Division 4, Henley 2nds travelled to Wallingford and won 5 nil, taking 19 points to Wallingford's 4. The team welcomed back Eric Garson, who used to play for Henley a couple of years ago, and at first string Eric easily beat his opponent Mark Brewer 9/6, 9/1, 9/2. At second string Roger Booker took a while to focus, losing the first game 5/9, but, once he got his eye in, his opponent Morgan Pearce stood no chance and Roger took the next three games for the loss of only 11 points, winning 9/4, 9/1, 9/6. At third string Chris Pullen had a bit of a struggle but his racquet skills eventually told as Chris beat opponent Andy Peet in a tense five setter 9/5, 3/9, 9/5, 8/10, 9/0. At fourth string Pete Paddick also had a bit of a struggle but his fitness was too good for his opponent John Simmonds and Pete won in straight sets 10/8, 9/2, 9/6. At fifth string Richard Griffiths played really well and deservedly won despite dropping the first game, beating opponent Will Thornton 8/10, 9/5, 9/2, 9/3. With this recent run of wins Henley 2nd team have lifted themselves out of the relegation zone but the teams below them have games in hand and Henley must continue to win to survive in Division 4.



29 June 2008
In round 8 of the Oxfordshire Squash Summer Leagues, Division 2 leaders Henley 1st team continued their terrific form and beat Oxford Rackets Club comprehensively 5 nil.  At number one string Simon Street displayed a calm and controlled performance to beat Richard Callaghan 3-0. Coming in at no.2 after being away from the team for a while Sam Carr got off to a good start to take to the first game comfortably 9-1. While apparently cruising in the second Sam appeared to lose concentration and lost the second 7-9 after being 5-1 up. After surviving multiple game balls in the third Sam stepped up the pace to win the third 10-9 and the fourth 9-0 to take the match. At no.3 string Harry Carr played a solid game to win comfortably 9/3, 9/0 9/6. Playing at no.4 Ed Hopkins wore down his opponent each game to win 9/6 9/4 9/0. Coming in at no.5 Paul Sayers brought his game together well after the match was tied at 1-1 to win 9-4 6-9 9-4 9-4.
Meanwhile in Division 4 the Henley 2nd team began their long-awaited resurgence with an excellent 4-1 win over Abingdon 3rd team. At 1st string Nigel Richardson got the team off to a great start with a 9/2, 9/6, 8/10, 9/3 win over Eddie Murray. At 2nd string Derek Oswald lost the first game 8/9 to Andy Foster but then rediscovered his form win the next three games easily 9/2, 9/0, 9/0. At fifth string Team Captain Pete Paddick battled his way to a win against Henry Brown, losing the first two games 2/9, 3/9, but shows great determination by winning the next three games 9/5, 9/2, 9/7. Meanwhile at 3rd string Roger Booker allowed his opponent to dictate play for the first game, losing it 8/10, but he took control in the second and won the next two games 9/4 9/4 before in the 4th game his opponent Steve Learoyd walked off in a strop, conceding the game and the match. Chris Pullen at 4th string nearly made it a 5 nil win, winning the first game 9/6, but then struggled against Dave O'Shea losing the next three games 3/9, 7/9 and 9/10. But overall Henley 2nds are pleased to end their losing run with a good 4-1 win.




1 June 2008
Henley Squash teams were back in action last week in the fourth round of the Oxfordshire Summer Leagues.
 
In Division 2, the Henley 1st team hosted the Harwell 1st team at the Henley Leisure Centre on the superb new courts, and continued their excellent start to the summer season with a 3-2 victory. Playing at 1st string, new team member Simon Street had an easy win. At 2nd string Harry Carr struggled a bit, whilst at 3rd string Chris Wallace led in every game but could not push home the advantage. Paul Sayers's fitness enabled him to win a hard match at 4th string, whilst Roger Booker had an off night. The scores were (1) Simon Street beat Paul Bennett 9/1,9/8,9/5, (2) Harry Carr beat Mark Bond 9/5,9/6,7/9,9/2, (3) Chris Wallace lost to Bernard Chubb 8/10,6/9,9/3,4/9 (4) Paul Sayers beat Jim Henshaw 9/6,7/9,9/3,9/6 (5) Roger Booker lost to Trevor Howard 9/10,9/10,3/9.
 
Meanwhile in Division 4, the 2nd team travelled to the opposite side of the county to play Carterton, near Burford. The 2nds continued their poor start to the summer season, losing 4-1, though it was a tough match playing Carterton's 1st team, and several regulars were still missing such as Fiona Dixon, Steve Berger and Howard Poll. Chris Pullen lost 3-0 at 1 to Simon Chubb, 30 years his junior, Pete Paddick lost 3-1 at 2, having hardly slept over the bank holiday weekend when sailing. Playing his second match for Henley since his move from Cardiff, Rich Griffiths was promoted up the team order, at 3rd string, but lost 3-1 to Brian Keen, after struggling with new and uncomfortable squashshoes, Once he had discarded them after the second game he won the next 9-0, but failed to keep his momentum and lost the fourth game and the match. James Gildersleve lost 3-0 at 4, very rusty and hobbling on a not-fully-recovered ankle, but showed flashes of his true form when he narrowly lost the third game 10-9. At 5th string Peter Hopkins fought hard to come back from 0-2 down and 7-7 in the 3rd game to win 3-2 in the fifth (and having been 3-6 down in 5th) against Dave King.
 
The scores were: (1) Simon Chubb beat Chris Pullen 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-3), (2) Duncan Smith beat Pete Paddick 3-1 (10-8, 9-2, 7-9, 9-4), (3) Brian Keen beat Rich Griffiths 3-1 (9-5, 9-1, 0-9, 9-5) (4) Ken Smith beat James Gildersleve 3-0 (9-1, 9-2, 10-9) and (5) Dave King lost to Peter Hopkins 2-3 (9-5, 9-5, 7-9, 5-9, 6-9).


21 May 2008
Last week Henley 1st team travelled to Didcot Leisure Centre and lost 2-3. Chris Pullen played at number 5 against Simon Hartwright and despite levelling the match at 1-1 could not maintain momentum and lost 3-1. Roger Booker at number 4 looked down and out at 2-0 down against Richard Swinden but managed to claw back to 2-2 and 8-8 in the fifth before playing a negligent shot at match point and lost the next point to lose 9-8. Nigel Richardson played Jason Hadland at number 3 and was never able to recover from losing the first two games, and lost 3-1. Harry Carr played Steve Nicholls and easily won 3-0. Simon Street was far better than Marc Nelson and won at a canter, 3-0. Didcot Leisure Centre earned themselves 13 points, with Henley travelling back with 10 points.
 
The 2nd team had a home match against Wallingford 3rd team. On the evidence of the evening's play the team all need to start playing a bit more regularly; there was too much rustiness. Fiona Dixon was ahead in all four games, but faded in three of them against a tall and agile opponent who wore her out using volleying and all four corners of the court to great effect. New team player Richard Griffiths won the first game of his match but could not quite pull off a win on his debut, losing 3-1, but looks a great new prospect for Henley Squash teams. Pete Paddick also lost 3-1 but worked incredibly hard against an opponent who stayed fresh, the Wallingford player using better length to tire his opponent out. Howard Poll had a very close match, but lost 3-1, whilst Derek Oswald salvaged some pride for the team with a good win at first string in the final match of the evening. best shot of the evening went to Fiona, with a superb high overhead angled drop shot from the door of the court which sent her opponent the wrong way.
The scores were: (Henley names first) Derek Oswald 3 Stephen East 1(10/8,8/9,10/9,9/2), Peter Paddick 1 Mark Brewer 3 (3/9,2/9,9/4,2/9), Howard Poll 1 Morgan Pearce 3 (2/9,7/9,9/7,7/9), Fiona Dixon 1 Andy Peet 3 (7/9,6/9,10/8,6/9), Richard Griffiths 1 John Simmonds 3 (9/4,4/9,3/9,7/9).


16 May 2008
Henley Squash Club's teams have been back in action for the new summer season. However a lot of players take a break over the summer, and there are only 6 divisions instead of 7, and division 4 (in which the 2nd team have entered) has only 6 teams in it instead of the usual 8. Some of the Henley team players are also taking a break, or are injure, and so the teams have an unfamiliar look about them, and the summer matches are treated as a bit of fun and match practice for the real action in the winter season.
 
Recently in Division 2 the First team hosted the 2nd team of newly formed Oxford Rackets Club. This was the first time Henley had hosted a match on the new courts at Henteamley Leisure Centre. Harry Carr won after a slow start, and Nigel Richardson battled hard but ran out of puff in the fifth. Roger Booker and Pete Paddick were distracted and both lost, whilst Chris Pullen was well rested after his holiday and won. The scores were:
(1) Harry Carr 3 Paul Talbot 1, (2) Nigel Richardson 2 Rich Callaghan 3, (3) Roger Booker 1 John Cripps 3, (4) Pete Paddick 1 Ali Hollington 3, (5) Chris Pullen 3 Jenny Brown 0.
 
The second team travelled to Abingdon, one of the strongest clubs in the county. Fiona Dixon gave the best performance of the evening, narrowly losing 2-3 to an experienced opponent, but gaining the only points for Henley. Peter Hopkins had about 7 games balls in the third game but was unable to convert any of them, and lost 0-3 though the match was closer than the score suggests.
 
The scores were (1) Tim Hannon 3 Chris Pullen 0 (9-2 9-5 9-4) (2) Andy Foster 3 Pete Paddick 0 (9-3 9-2 9-3) (3) Steve Learoyd 3 Fiona Dixon 2 (9-4 7-9 3-9 9-5 9-1) (4) Dave O’Shea 3 Peter Hopkins 0 (9-4 9-4 9-8) (5) Henry Brown 3 David Forster 0 (9-6 9-0 9-2).
 
In its most recent match the 1st team played host to University Club 1st team from Oxford. The Henley team managed to take a tight 3-2 victory after the top three strings all won.
 
The scores were: 
(1) Simon Street 3 Philip Browning 0, (9/3,9/3,9/0), (2) Harry Carr 3 Tom Higham 0, (9/0,9/3,9/1) (3) Paul Sayers 3 Jaco Vermaak 1, (3/9,10/8,9/4,9/1) (4) Nigel Richardson 1 Tony Eaude 3, (9/7,2/9,4/9,2/9) (5) Roger Booker 0 Miles Nunn 3, (4/9,5/9,8/9).
 
Finally the 2nd team travelled away to Oxford University to play their 2nd team, and unfortunately came away with another 5-0 loss, though they played a lot better and really should have won 2 or possibly three of the matches and so really should have won the tie.
 
Chris Pullen and Pete Paddick were in good form but just couldn't quite finish off their opponents; Chris in particular had match ball in the 4th game. Fiona Dixon played well and fought back extremely well in the third game, having lost the first two by the narrowest of margins (10-8), to win the third 9-0 but couldn't quite maintain her momentum. Peter Hopkins managed to take the second game off his opponent but then ran out of puff and needs to improve his fitness. Dave Forster took a while to get used to the courts but slowly got into the match and had a chance to take the match into a 4th and 5th game which he may well have won using his superior fitness.
 
The scores were:
(1) Alister Leslie 3 Chris Pullen 2, (9/6,5/9,9/10,10/8,9/4) (2) Ken Reid 3 Pete Paddick 2, (7/9,3/9,10/9,9/7,9/5) (3) Mark McBeth 3 Fiona Dixon 1, (10/8,10/8,0/9,9/6) (4) Martin Castell 3 Peter Hopkins 1, (9/7,4/9,9/1,9/0) (5) Stephen Cobbold 3 David Forster 0 (9/0,9/4,9/5).