TAVISTOCK?S Companies League squash team started the second half of the season with a fine win and plenty of valuable points against the old foe of David May Motor Services.
Having narrowly lost the away fixture the Tavistock regulars were keen for a reversal.
First on court playing the second string match was Phil Honey against Martin Newberry. The pair were well matched, both struggling to get to grips with the cold court.
In the first game Martin gained the upper hand to win 9-3. In the second Phil bounced back with tight shots and accurate length that left Martin floundering. But he was restored to health after the break to take the third and fourth and hence the match.
At fourth string John Jameson took on Mike Brightwell. The contrasting styles of John?s classic line and length squash and Mike?s drops and cross-courts made for some difficult decisions for the referee. In a game that swung in favour of both players, John held his nerve to win 9-7 in the final game.
At third string Pete Middleton renewed an old battle with Dave Cuthbert. Pete took a comfortable 2-0 lead. The third game developed into a scrappy tussle, ending with Dave being hit in the eye with the ball - the game was abandoned for a quick visit to hospital.
The honour of playing Dave May was left to Bob Cowen. In the warm up Dave looked to have his full array of shots ready to play, but once started Bob?s superior mobility and accuracy gained him the upper hand. Periodically, Bob would relax and allow Dave to play some good shots but normal service was soon resumed and Bob took an easy 3-0 victory.
Steve Tripp was clearly looking forward to a close game with Cliff Drew but it was not to be. Cliff was obviously affected by the injury to Dave and Steve was not letting him off the hook. Steve put on a display of superb squash shots that gave Cliff no chance to find his rhythm and get into the game. Steve won the game 9-0, 9-7, 9-1 to give Tavistock a clear victory.