Keenly-fought matches grace squash club’s annual Finals Day

The day was the culmination of knock-out events that have been run over the past couple of months, with almost all of the club’s squash and squash57 [racketball] members participating.

Both of the Open event finals were hard-fought five-set affairs, with the runners-up gaining a two-game ascendancy before being overhauled by the eventual winners.

In the Open squash final, club and England coach Adam Fuller overcame first-team captain and England over-35s debutant Ali Coker, prevailing in the fifth game.

The standard of squash was extremely high in a hotly-contested match.

In the Open squash57 final, club stalwarts Kev Thorpe and Mark Shattock went neck-and-neck for five long games.

Shattock missed match ball opportunities in the third and fourth games, with Thorpe eventually capitalising to win out in the fifth.

In the ladies’ final, Chloe Spratt was crowned champion for the fourth year in a row, beating recent new member Helen Watson in another top-quality final.

Steve McBride won the vintage event, beating Grant Kleiner in the final, while Nick Lavery beat Richard Carr in the veterans’ final.

Calum Egan prevailed over Chloe Spratt in the under-19s event, while Jacob Shattock took the under-15s crown over Owen Davidson.

This past Sunday the club held an Open Day, where beginners, inexperienced players and those who had never played squash before were all welcomed. There was also a bouncy castle and a barbecue.

The club said: “Squash and Squash57 are great sports to enjoy and keep fit throughout the year.”

For more details about the club, in Lower Kings Road, Berkhamsted, visit their website at www.bltsrc.co.uk.