CLAY WILSON
After a year on the other side of the Whangamoas, the Heaphy Shield returned to Blenheim after the Marlborough men’s and women’s squash teams beat Nelson and West Coast in Nelson recently.
Marlborough broke a 13-year drought to win the shield in 2009, but Nelson claimed it back last year with a four-point win.
This year the margin of victory was again four points. However, it was Marlborough who took home the spoils, their 23 points enough to beat out Nelson (19) and West Coast (6) for the major prize.
The home side started well, earning a three-point advantage at the end of the first round, but five points out of a possible eight meant by the end of the second round Marlborough were within two points. The third and fourth rounds were all Marlborough, the eventual victors dominating with seven out of the maximum of eight wins in each round to secure the prestigious shield.
Standout players for Marlborough were men’s No1 Josh King, women’s No1 Megan Craig and men’s No3 Pete Flynn who won all four of their matches. Ranked 10th and fifth, respectively, in the country, King and Craig were particularly impressive, neither dropping a game.
Players to pick up three wins were Grant Craig and Adele Cuthill. Russell O’Flaherty and Lynne Fitzpatrick had two wins each, while Dorothy Boyce had one victory.
An outstanding men’s side finished with 13 wins from 16 matches, while the women weren’t far behind with 10 from 16.
Team spokesman Grant Craig said it was especially satisfying to claim the shield on Nelson’s home patch and, after immediately losing it back to Nelson in 2010, it would be nice to “string a few [wins] together now”.
he pointed out the advantage of having top players King and daughter Megan available and highlighted impressive performances from Flynn, Cuthill and O’Flaherty.
Marlborough results:
round 1: Men – Josh King def Clark Ellery (WC) 3/0, Nick Wiffen (Nel) def Grant Craig 3/1, Pete Flynn def Tristan Palmer (Nel) 3/1, Jamie Rhodes (WC) def Russell O’Flaherty 3/1. Women – Megan Craig def Erin Dippie (WC) 3-0, Leigh Rodd (Nel) def Adele Cuthill 3/2, Lynne Fitzpatrick def Anne Campbell (WC) 3/0, Maree Smith (Nel) def Dorothy Boyce 3/0. Points: Nelson 7, Marlborough 4, West Coast 1.
round 2: Men – Craig def mark Kerr (Nel) 3/2, King (Marl) def Ian Pattinson (WC) 3/0, Flynn def Jimmy Campbell (WC) 3/2, Palmer (Nel) def O’Flaherty 3/0. Women – Susan O’Connell (Nel) def Boyce 3/0, Craig def Rachel Rhodes (WC) 3/0, Cuthill def Keren Barcas (WC) 3/0, Rodd (Nel) def Fitzpatrick 3/2. Points: Marlborough 5, Nelson 4, West Coast 3.
round 3: Men – Craig def Pattinson (WC) 3/1, King def Wiffen (Nel) 3/0, O’Flaherty def Brendon Monk (Nel) 3/1, Flynn def Rhodes (WC) 3/1. Women – Boyce def Rhodes (WC) 3/0, Craig def Smith (Nel) 3/0, Christine Palmer (Nel) def Fitzpatrick 3/0, Cuthill def Campbell (WC) 3/0. Points: Marlborough 7, Nelson 4, West Coast 1.
round 4: Men – Flynn def Marcus Rose (Nel) 3/1, King def Kerr (Nel) 3/0, O’Flaherty def Campbell (WC) 3/0, Craig def Ellery (WC) 3/0. Women – Cuthill def Palmer (Nel) 3/1, Craig def O’Connell (Nel) 3/0, Fitzpatrick def Barcas (WC) 3/0, Dippie (WC) def Boyce 3/0. Points: Marlborough 7, Nelson 4, West Coast 1.
Final result: Marlborough 23, Nelson 19, West Coast 6.
– The Marlborough Express
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ycb1Orq7y4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]