Junior Inter-County Report Sat. 13/11 BU19:

Vs Warwickshire: Lost 1-2

– Callum at 3 was far too good for his opponent to take the first string 2-0 (playing best of 3 due to 4 matches in a day……which puts a very different pressure & importance on the 1st game).

– Ollie then competed really well against Abd-Allah Eissa at 1, losing 2-0 but pushing a high quality opponent.

– Tommy dug back brilliantly to get a game ball in the first against Tom Watkins but couldn’t close out. Pushed him hard again in the 2nd but Tom’s speed & agility nullified Tommy’s good squash to take the match 2-0.

Vs Lincolnshire: Won 3-0

– Sadly Lincs. lost a player to injury the night before, so Callum received a w/o (but did kindly take their #1 U13 on for a hit).

– Ollie faced Alex Grogan and after losing the 1st battled bravely to take the 2nd in extra points. Having struggled to relax and find his best squash, the 3rd was far better and Ollie closed out the match 2-1.

– Tommy won comfortably at 2 with their #3 having to move up due to the missing player.

Vs Worcestershire: Won 2-1

– Again (frustratingly) the opposition only had 2 players. Aiming to get everyone a fair amount of competitive squash Ollie was rested moving Tommy & Callum up the order.

– Tommy played Sam Osbourne-Wilde @ #1 which was a great opportunity against one of the best players in the country. He played some great squash with a really positive and relaxed attitude and managed to get a game ball in the 2nd! Didn’t quite convert to take it into a 3rd but took loads of positives from the match.

– This left Callum to play at #2 for the match………..and what a performance he produced. Against a very athletic and hard hitting opponent he varied weight/height/direction brilliantly to create chances that he finished every time until a tin at 9-0 up. Jack (Awuye-North) did respond in the 2nd, but Callum kept his focus and although starting to tense up a little managed to win the game 11/9 and secure the fixture for the team.

Vs Shropshire: Won 3-0

– Just left the formality of finishing the day against the weakest side in the group, with all 3 boys winning 2-0 comfortably.

So a superb day to finish 2nd in the Midlands group and qualify for the National Finals in Nottingham on Sat. 15th Jan. and a chance to compete against the strongest juniors in the country. Thanks to parents Caroline & Darren and Matt for their great support of the team, and huge “WELL DONE!” to the players for being a pleasure to lead and all contributing to a great team performance over a long day!

Reported by Colin Griggs.