NORTON SQUASH Club hosted the fourth County Durham and Cleveland Primary Schools squash competition before February half-term. Eleven schools were invited from nomination or from winning local competitions, and nine competed. This was the largest Finals we’ve run so far, and the event as a whole is now the biggest primary schools team squash competition in the UK.

 

To maintain an action-packed tournament we ran a round-robin format. Three groups of three schools in round1 competed to progress through to the winners’, second, and third-placed play-offs in round2. With many more games to complete this year, we reduced their length to 7 (point-a-rally scoring) rather than the usual 11 points. The children use ‘advanced’ mini-squash balls and minor modifications to the rules to promote open games and longer rallies. These consisted of an alternate serving structure (the same as in tennis tie-breaks), second serves, and common-sense application of the rules governing a ‘good service’. Coaches and helpers marked the early matches, but then teachers and children took over for later matches. The children adapt more easily to these modifications than their watching elders!

 

800 children had been involved in coaching prior to the tournament through the England Squash and Racketball Grass roots Initiative and individual club initiatives. 150 children were involved in the competition’s preliminary rounds and 49 children (19 girls and 30 boys) played in the finals. Teams came from as far as Masham (a new outpost of Durham and Cleveland in the Yorkshire Dales?) in the west to Redcar in the east, and represented rural and inner-city areas and the state and independent sectors. Barnard Castle Prep defended their title and two–time winners Crooksbarn were looking to wrest the trophy back.

 

In the first round, St Bernadette’s, Nunthorpe lost 2-3 to Crooksbarn but came out top on individual points 28-24, which ensured their progression by a mere 4 points out of 62. The winners’ group was equally close with the final positions only being decided by the final string of the final match. After their near miss in the first round, Crooksbarn won their round2 group with a little to spare, but Kell Bank and Levendale were neck and neck in group3.

 

Luke D’Souza (Crooksbarn) repeated his feat of 2014, scoring maximum points in this year’s competition. His opponents will be glad to hear that he is too old next year! Joel Gibson and Tom Chambers (both St Bernadette’s) also claimed the maximum 28 points.

 

Final results: 1 St.Bernadette’s, Nunthorpe 2 Tilery, Stockton-on-Tees 3 Barnard Castle Prep 4 Crooksbarn, Norton; 5 Sedgefield (Rectory Row); 6 St Paulinus, Guisborough; 7 Kell Bank, Masham; 8 Levendale Yarm; 9 Wheatlands, Redcar

 

Many thanks to Dave Geldart (Norton) for hosting the competition, to Diane Harker for introducing new schools and areas to the competition through the Grass Roots initiative, and Jim Wright for taking the photos; to the coaches and teachers for organising their teams, facilitating the marking. Most of all, thanks to the children for participating in this competition, and for their high standard of play and sportsmanship, which always attracts lots of positive comments.

Submitted by James Larcombe