R2: Bexley take the win at Chichester
Team Chichester’s first home match of this PSL’s season was against Bexley. The squad, in the first round, had defeated Coolhust, away, 1-4 and currently stand top of the table. Omar Abdel Meguid [EGY WR27] and Mathieu Castagnet [FR WR32] were making their eagerly awaited debuts for Team Chichester.
First on court, Chichester’s Jasmine Hutton [WR229] played Kace Bartley [WR103]. Jasmine was always on the back foot in the first game as Kace played with subtle touches to take it 5/11. In the second Jasmine stepped up the pace and, with her all court speed, she won it 11/5.
She continued in the same vein in the third and again ran through to win it 11/6 to take a 2-1 lead. Kace managed to keep her concentration and keep in contention. Once again [with some great touches] she pulled away to take the 4th, 7/11. In the fifth, Kace always had the upper hand and finally won the match 5/11.
Meanwhile, on the glass-back court, Team Chichester’s stalwart player, Tim Vail, played the ‘in-form’ Rui Soares [POR WR148]. Soares set the pace from the start whilst Vail failed to find his length and lost the first game 3/11. The second game was a closer encounter; Vail was hitting deeper to more effect. Soares, however, played the big points much better to take it 11/13. In the third Vail seemed to lose his form again and just couldn’t find the length. Soares wrapped it up 3/11.
0-2 to Bexley
Miles Jenkins [Chichester WR169] followed on from Jasmine’s match to play Bradley Masters [WR174]. This match proved to be a very tight battle indeed. Both players play a similar game – hitting straight and moving quickly. Jenkins took the first two games on a tie break before Masters persistently fought back to take the 3rd, 6/11. Jenkins nevertheless, quickly regained his composure in the fourth (11/4) to take his match 3-1.
Omar Abdel Meguid was next on the championship court to play against Bexley’s Olli Tuominen [FIN WR48]. Meguid stormed ahead in the first. His play, combining some great touches with power squash, enabled him to comfortably win it 11/6. The next three games, however, were all very evenly contested. Both players played at terrific speed and displayed some deft touches despite the ‘traffic issues’ they encountered. Tuominen, nevertheless, converted the big points when it mattered and won them all 11/13, 10/12, 9/11 to give Bexley a winning 0-3 margin.
The match between the number 1 strings, Mathieu Castagnet [WR32] and Bexley’s Mohamed Abouelgar [EGY WR13] proved to be a fantastic clash.
Both played superb all-court squash, particularly the lob and using the front well. With both playing such similar games, it naturally went to a fifth game. At 7-all Castagnet began to tire and just couldn’t muster anymore points and was finally defeated 7/11.
Mike Phillips – Team Manager
Team Chichester 1-4 Bexley
Mathieu Castagnet 2-3 Mohamed Abouelghar 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 7-11
Omar Abdel Meguid 1-3 Olli Tuominen 11-6, 11-13, 10-12, 9-11
Tim Vail 0-3 Rui Soares 3-11, 11-13, 7-11
Miles Jenkins 3-1 Bradley Masters 12-10, 14-12, 6-11, 11-4
Jasmine Hutton 2-3 Kace Bartley 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 7-11, 5-11
Chichester’s next home game is on December 5th against St. George’s Hill. It is hoped that both Castganet and Meguid will, once again, head the squad. The next match [round 4] for Team Chichester is away to The RAC on 21 November.
