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16/07/2010 - Squashgym hosted the final of the 92.2 More FM Premier Interclub Competition on Wednesday night. Top qualifier Inspire Net Palmerston North Blue fought out a close final with Palmerston North Boys High School (PNBHS). The game came down to the wire with PNBHS managing to defend the title that they won last year. |
First on court was Jason Fletcher who got PNBHS off to a good start with a 4 set win over Ben Murphy, avenging a loss earlier in the series.
Tyron Fourie had to battle hard for 5 sets against Inspire Net Palmerston North Blue's Jarrad Boyle to put the schoolboys 2-0 up.
Josh Greenfield put in a clinical display against PNBHS's up and coming Tom Nash to keep his team in the tie, and give his doubles pair the chance to secure the title.
PNBHS's Grant Smith and Rob Brownrigg edged out Jason Burton-Brown and Geoff Spencer in a tense 3 set match to ensure that PNBHS defended the title that they won last year.
In the playoff for 3rd and 4th, Higgins Palmerston North Green played Rangitikei, with Rangitikei keen to turn around last weeks 3/1 loss to Higgins Palmerston North Green.
They did this in some style with wins to Mike McSherry over Glenn Carson, while Dylan Tasker repeated his upset win over Blair Landers from the week before.
Danielle Fourie came back from 2/1 down to Yeshan Ekanayake to win 12/10 in the fifth to pick up the player of the night award. Higgins Palmerston North Green picked up the last match with a 5 set win in the doubles to Dave Clifford and Nick Reed, over Croyden Rutherford and Roger McLeod.
The last match of the night saw Sports Arena Masterton and Harvey Round Motors Wanganui battle out for 5th and 6th place.
Without injured No.1 Kent Darlington, and with Wanganui's Matt Doyle suffering a ruptured archilles tendon in the doubles match, Wanganui were always going to struggle and Masterton completed a 4-0 win to claim 5th spot.
The series provided valuable matchplay for the Palmerston North team that is set to defend the Cousins Sheild - the National Club Teams Championship that Squashgym won last year.
This years team is boosted by the return from injury of Kent Darlington and the continued development of local talent such as Joseph Watts and Tom Nash.
The team will be seeded in the top 4 and are determined to defend their title that was won last year for the first time in nearly 50 years.
There will be strong opposition from Auckland Clubs such as Remuera, Herne Bay and North Shore, as well as top Wellington Clubs such as Thorndon.
Squashgym is also sending a development team led by experienced campaigners Glenn Carson and Tim Preston to give the next tier of up and coming Squashgym players some exposure to national competition. The event is being held in Hawkes Bay on the 23rd to 25th July.
Following that event sees the tenth year of the Protector Insurance players series which sees the Central North Island top 30 players playing in mixed teams under sponsors banners in a format of three singles match and a doubles match, and culminates in a Grand Final on Friday 3rd September at Squashgym.
Photo - 2010 Manawatu/Wanganui Premier Interclub Team – PNBHS.
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