Squash Racquets

%quasi) 'Retrospect.

The prospects for the Squash at the beginning of the year were not very bright. The loss of N. W. D. Yardley and A. V. Mackintosh was felt very keenly, and S. Dodds and J. W. Stead were the only members of last year's team left. Then S. Dodds left in the middle of the term. However, J. Stead, J. Biggin, and S. K. Kazerooni improved rapidly, playing quite good Squash, although the team lost three of the four last term's matches. We were glad to renew the fixture with an Old Peterite side, led by S. S. Pawle.

This term we were without the services of J. Biggin, but D. McLean improved and played very well at third string. Stead plays some very nice shots, but must learn to keep the ball lower and Must quicken up his game by volleying and half-volleying. Kazerooni is a most difficult player to beat as he retrieves the ball magnificently. His game is a lesson to all young Squash players, as he never gives up running for the ball. He must concentrate on more winning shots, as it is not always possible to win a match by tiring an opponent. D. McLean plays some delightful angle shots, but must learn to hit the ball to a much better length as his shots often come well out into the court off the back wall.

This term's matches consist of victories over the Staff, when the lower strings played very well, and Worksop. Also the School team, strengthened by Mr. Smith and Mr. Toyne, beat a strong York Garrison side.

SCHOOL v. STAFF. (Played on the School Courts.)

The School played their usual match with the Staff and won by four matches to one. The new slow ball was being used for the first time in a School match, and none of the players were fully used to it. However, the School players definitely showed that with more practice they might show to advantage with this ball.

In the opening match Stead was outplayed by F. Smith, but the latter was playing some delightful shots, keeping the ball low the whole time.

S. K. Kazerooni showed himself to be too fast about the court for S. M. Toyne. He lost the first game because his opponent was placing the ball accurately, but won the next three by good retrieving.

D. McLean played very well to beat P. K. Bourne 3-1. His opponent had used the new ball far more, but after losing the first game, D. McLean played some good angle shots to take the next three.

The match between N. A. Newman and R. M. Cooper went to five games, as both players played well and badly alternately. Both must learn to keep the ball much lower as a great many useless shots were made.

E. Robinson, after losing the first game to K. H. Rhodes, settled down to play some good Squash, winning the next three games in succession.

Scores :- J. W. Stead (School) lost to F. Smith (Staff), 4-9, 6-9, 5-9. S. K. Kazerooni (School), beat S. M. Toyne (Staff), 9-10, 9-0, 9-0, 9-3. D. McLean (School) beat P. K. Bourne (Staff), 4-9, 9-3, 9-5, 9-3. N. A. Newman (School) beat R. M. Cooper (Staff), 2-9, 9-5, 9-0. 9-2, 3-9, E. Robinson (School) beat K. H. Rhodes (Staff), 9-4, 9-2. 3-9, 9-7,

SCHOOL v. YORK GARRISON. (Played on the School Courts.) Result :-Won by 4 matches to 1.

A School team consisting of Mr. Toyne, Mr. Smith, and the School three strings beat York Garrison by 4 matches to 1.

F. Smith played delightful Squash to beat the well-known Army Squash player, Captain Gibbs, by 3 games to 1. His drop shots and placing were too good for Gibbs although the latter retrieved well.

J. W. Stead ought to have beaten Major Holbrook in the fourth game when he was leading 7-4. But he played too casually, and the match went the full course.

S. M. Toyne always had his opponent on the run through skilful placing, and, although the match went to five games, Toyne made no mistake about the final game.

S. K. Kazerooni lost a terrific match with Lieut. Hutchinson. Both players retrieved magnificently, and although Hutchinson lost the first two games, he rallied well to win the next two. The final game went to 8-all after a great struggle, and there were many changes of hand before Hutchinson ran out the winner 10-9.

D. McLean was too good for Lieut. Frampton, whom he beat in three games. His angle shots were good, but his opponent made a lot of mistakes off easy returns.

Scores :- F. Smith beat Capt. G. A. Gibbs (R.E.), 9-4, 9-5, 6-9, 9-7. J. W. Stead beat Major A. W. Holbrook (R.E.), 7-9, 9-7, 9-7, 7-9, 9-6. S. M. Toynt beat Capt. C. H. Cooper (Northumberland Fusiliers), 9-7, 9-3, 4-7, 1-9, 9-5. S. K. Kazerooni lost to Lieut. G. F. Hutchinson (R.E.), 9-5, 9-3, 7-9, 6-9, 9-10. D. McLean beat Lieut. G. Frampton (Manchester Regt.) 9-5, 9-4, 10-8.

SCHOOL v. WORKSOP COLLEGE. (Played on the Worksop Courts.)

This match was played after the Hockey match, and, consequently, both teams were tired. But the School players, once they had got used to the court, settled down to play good Squash, and were superior to their opponents in every department of the game. Worksop have not played very much Squash, and none of the School players dropped a game, although McLean's match went to 8-all in the last two games.

Scores :- J. W. Stead beat J. Lyth, 9-6, 9-4, 9-5. S. K. Kazerooni beat P. 0. Wilson, 9-5, 9-4, 9-3. D. McLean beat A. N. Other, 9-6, 10-8, 10-9.

INTER-HOUSE SQUASH.

SCHOOL HOUSE v. RISE.

A new innovation this term was the Inter-House Squash. The Day Boys did not enter a team, and so the School House and Rise contested the final. The Rise started favourites, for they had the School second, third, and fourth strings as their team. However, a good match was anticipated, and so it turned out ; the deciding match ran to five games, and the Rise won by two matches to one.

J. W. Stead (S.H.) and S. K. Kazerooni (R.) met in the first match, the latter taking the first game by energetic play. Stead, however, helped by a lapse of Kazerooni's, took the next two games. The final game was played at a terrific pace, Stead eventually winning 10-9 after Kazerooni had missed an opportunity of taking the match to five games.

E. Robinson (S.H.) played very pluckily against D. McLean (R.) a more experienced player. He took the first game, 9-7, playing the ball hard and low, but McLean won the next three games by good retrieving. Robinson put up a spirited resistance in the third game, but McLean's more varied shots won him the match.

The deciding match between N. A. Newman (R.) and M. Hollway (S.H.) was a decided strain on the audience in the gallery, and must have affected the players. But after the opening rallies, both settled to play excellent Squash. Hollway won a close first game, but Newman rallied and won the next two fairly easily. The game changed now, and Hollway took the fourth game to love. However, although there were many changes of hand, Newman won the final game fairly easily.