Squash

Former champions are on-song in convincing win

The Norfolk SRA League season is now under way and it is going to be interesting to see how the new-look teams fare in Division One.

East Anglia III have former Norfolk champions David Youngs and John Cordeaux at numbers one and two and they helped their team to a 16-8 victory over visiting Potters. Youngs beat the current Norfolk champion, Jamie Goodrich, in straight games, while Cordeaux won 3-1 against Rob Hambrook, as did Nigel Gillick who beat Dave Cook in the fifth string match.

Potters' two victories came from Archie Swann, who beat Gary Snelling 3-0, and Paul Field, who came from 0-2 down to beat Steve Mooney 2-9, 8-10, 9-1, 9-1, 10-9.

East Anglia II are the reigning champions but they lost 17-5 at Barnham Broom, who have got former Watton players Simon Howling, Alan Soame and Ian Thompson in their line-up.

Thompson beat Paul Gretton 3-1 and Howling won in straight games against Matt Green, while Matthew Bolt won the first string match against Ian Douglass 3-1, and young Sam Hales beat veteran Simon Cullum 3-0. East Anglia's one victory came from Mark Rolfe who beat Alan Soame 3-0.

East Anglia have recruited Dave Gouldby to play at number one for their first team and his straight-game victory over Andy Trim helped his team beat King's Lynn 16-7.

Brian Healy also won in straight games, beating Nick Gollaglee at number three, while Richard Hunt beat former Downham Market player Rob Murfitt 3-1. Earlier, King's Lynn had won the fourth and fifth string matches, where both Peter Scott and Trevor Sturrock won 3-1 against Matt Johnson and Brian Hawkes respectively.

Results - Divison One: East Anglia III 16, Potters 8; East Anglia 16, King's Lynn 7; Barnham Broom 17, East Anglia II 5. Division Two: Broadland 5, Oasis 18; Diss 18, North Walsham 5; East Anglia IV 17, Barnham Broom III 4; Barnham Broom II 20, Watton 4; Broadland 15, Diss 6; Watton 17, North Walsham 6; Barnham Broom III 14, Cromer 11; Oasis 20, Cromer 3; Diss 15, Watton 10; Broadland 5, East Anglia IV 20; Barnham Broom II 17, Barnham Broom III 8. Division Three: Wensum Lodge 20, UEA II 1; Oasis II 14, Bannatyne's II 9; UEA 20, Cromer II 5; Bannatyne's II 20, Cromer II 2; Oasis II 6, Wensum Lodge 20; UEA 19, East Anglia V 4; Fakenham 17, UEA 7.









Oasis, Barnham Broom II, and East Anglia IV are the early season pacemakers in Division Two, with all three teams having won their opening two matches. Oasis opened their campaign with an 18-5 victory at Broadland and followed this with a convincing 20-3 maximum against Cromer to edge one point clear at the top of the table. Barnham had a resounding 20-4 victory at home to Watton and then had a much closer 17-8 win against their third team, as both Ben Rawsthorne and Adie Martin were taken to 10 in the fifth game by Neil Sutton and Wesley Hicks respectively.

East Anglia IV beat Barnham Broom III 17-4 and had their maximum at Broadland, winning 20-3. The Barnham third team were involved in one of the closest matches as they just beat Cromer 14-11, with Wes Hicks coming from 0-2 down to beat Alex Foster 7-9, 8-9, 9-7, 9-2, 10-8, while Colin Winkworth was also taken to five games by Alec Burrows and Neil Sutton won 3-1 against Ben Herrieven. Both Louise Taylor and Steve Mutton won their matches 3-0 for Cromer.

The other close match was at Diss, where the newly promoted home team beat Watton 15-10. Dev Mahatme and Kevin Blake won the fifth and fourth string matches for Watton, but Diss replied through Paul Newis who won 3-2, and Mark McNally and Jack Bell both of whom won 3-1 against Bobby Hunt and Paul Goodchild respectively.

The closest match in Division Three was at Oasis, where the home club's second team beat league newcomers Bannatyne's II 14-9. Martin Browne and Shaun Nichols both won in straight games for the visitors, while the home team replied through Richard Hall, Mark Cullum and Mike Riches, all of whom won 3-1. The other close match in this division was at Fakenham, where the home team beat UEA 17-7, thanks to straight game wins from Connor Doy and Adam Sinkins and a 3-1 win for Steve Horn. The students replied with two good wins at the top of the order, where Dom Markham beat Ian Raisbury 3-1 and Dom Williams won 3-2 against Michael Baron.

Results

Divison One: East Anglia III 16, Potters 8; East Anglia 16, King's Lynn 7; Barnham Broom 17, East Anglia II 5. Division Two: Broadland 5, Oasis 18; Diss 18, North Walsham 5; East Anglia IV 17, Barnham Broom III 4; Barnham Broom II 20, Watton 4; Broadland 15, Diss 6; Watton 17, North Walsham 6; Barnham Broom III 14, Cromer 11; Oasis 20, Cromer 3; Diss 15, Watton 10; Broadland 5, East Anglia IV 20; Barnham Broom II 17, Barnham Broom III 8. Division Three: Wensum Lodge 20, UEA II 1; Oasis II 14, Bannatyne's II 9; UEA 20, Cromer II 5; Bannatyne's II 20, Cromer II 2; Oasis II 6, Wensum Lodge 20; UEA 19, East Anglia V 4; Fakenham 17, UEA 7.