Team Winners 2009The Transport Team succeed while giant snowflakes wipe out Defence's hopes of yet another title!

Arctic conditions could not stop the annual CSSC Squash Team tournament, held in the Birmingham University Murray Sports Centre, from taking place. Only two competitors out of nine teams failed to battle their way through the snow-covered roads to reach the venue on time.

The nine teams formed up on day one into three groups of three to battle through a Round Robin style competition. Winning teams from these three groups would play each other on day two to decide who would win the coveted Title. Second place and third place teams would do similarly to decide the winners of the two Plate events.

For this year the team size was reduced from 5 to 4 players to try and encourage more teams to enter. This resulted in a few 2-2 results with countback on games and even points to decide winners, but no new teams!

Last year's winners DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratories) rather ironically encountered, in one of the first round matches, the team that would become the eventual winners - the 'Spartans' from the Department of Transport (SPARTA). This clash produced one of the best individual matches of the Tournament between number one players Tim Burrell (playing, as last year, for DSTL) and Adam Curry (a new find for SPARTA). Tim emerged the eventual winner in the fifth game of a hard fought contest but it would not save his team from defeat. In fact the two games that Adam won secured their victory in a narrow 2-2 result.

There was an unexpected failure of the Defence team (DSRA) to win through their Round Robin group to contest another title when in their first round match they went down to the strong DEFRA team. This result was however influenced by the failure of Defence's captain to make it past the Giant Snowflakes which had fallen in the Telford area leaving their team a player short!

In the third group the 1st team from RCSL (Revenue and Customs), themselves previous winners of the title, were in fine form seeing off strong opposition from both HASSRA and Land Registry.

So the Friday matches to decide the Team Champions would take place between RCSL 'A', DEFRA and SPARTA and would again be contested in a Round Robin format. The first encounter saw RCSL 'A' beating DEFRA 4-0. Darren Nalton playing at number one was the only RCSL 'A' player to drop a game. DEFRA then with a mountain to climb once again suffered a 4-0 defeat, this time at the hands of SPARTA. The final match between RCSL 'A' and SPARTA would decide the outcome of the tournament. Angela Kennedy playing for SPARTA had only just arrived on the Friday morning after an horrendous journey from the snow-ridden area of south Wales. Angela got off to a great start against England International Heather Tweedle but was eventually overhauled in the first game to narrowly lose 9-7. The next two games went to Heather as well for a 3-0 victory. The next match at number three position between Andy Robinson (RCSL 'A') and Mark Bangs (SPARTA) would be crucial to both teams and it proved to be a real 'nail biter'. The younger Spartan triumphed in the end winning the fourth game 10-8. The teams were now tied at one all, leaving RCSL A's captain Geoff Irwin with the Herculean task of beating SPARTA's captain, Mike Nicholls. The task was to prove too much for the Veteran Irish International and SPARTA edged ahead in the match for the first time 2-1. This left the number one players Adam Curry and Darren Nalton to decided the outcome. The excellent combination of touch and power from Adam Curry however eventually overcame the 'big hearted' efforts of the RCSL player and thus SPARTA had crowned themselves champions of the event for the first time.

Congratulations to Mike Nicholls, SPARTA's new captain, who having recently moved to Transport from HASSRA, managed to draw out some quality players from the Department's far corners. RCSL were runners up whilst DEFRA took third slot.

The Plate Round Robins for groups of second and third placed teams from day one were equally fiercely fought. HASSRA 'A' pipped DSTL to take the prize in the group of second placed teams and RCSL 'B' won the plate for third placed teams.

All the teams gave their 'all' over the two days' play in friendly competitive spirit. Of note, apart from individual results, was the ever persistent and far travelled Plymouth squad from the Land Registry who chalked up their first match win with a 3-1 result against HASSRA 'B'.

A friendly and efficient Sports Masseur was provided on day 2 by CSSC, treating numerous aches, strains and pains to keep all the players 'going'. It is hard to play four squash matches in two days and there were many players, including HASSRA's number one lady Jackie Codman, who were impressively 'unknotted'.

An Exhibition match was arranged for the Gallery at the end of the first day's play between Joel Hinds, former England Under 19 No 1 and World University Team Gold Medallist and the up and coming Welsh International and Under 19 No 1, Alistair Mutch.

The CSSRA (CSSC Squash), organisers of the event, presented the teams with their medals and expressed thanks to all concerned for the spirit in which the matches were played. The players themselves indicated a variety of reasons for enjoying the event, but common were the friendly, sociable atmosphere and the quality of the squash.


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