National Squash League

Semi-final (second leg), Tuesday 3 May 2005

Wolverhampton 3  Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury  2
    Anthony Ricketts beat Ong Beng Hee 6-9, 9-3, 9-3, 9-4
    Alex Gough lost to Rodney Durbach 10-8, 8-10, 4-9, 9-6, 10-12 (68m)
    Scott Handley lost to Alister Walker 9-7, 4-9, 9-3, 4-9, 5-9 (48m)
    Mark Cairns beat Daryl Selby 9-5, 9-6, 7-9, 9-3 (68m)
    Shelley Kitchen beat Jennifer Wright 9-0, 9-1, 9-0

Wolverhampton Clinch National League Final Debut

After a second dramatic semi-final encounter between the two clubs, Wolverhampton again secured a 3/2 victory over Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury to clinch their first ever appearance in the final of the National Squash League.

In the first leg battle two weeks ago in Tewkesbury, the west midlands club's top string Anthony Ricketts sealed victory for the visitors with a straight games win over Malaysian No1 Ong Beng Hee.

In tonight's tie, the pair again played out the decider after Tewkesbury's Rodney Durbach and Alister Walker pulled back the deficit caused when Shelley Kitchen and Mark Cairns created a 2/0 lead for the hosts.

Kitchen, the world No11 from New Zealand, was simply too strong for Strings stand-in Jennifer Wright, the 21-year-old from Wales who was deputising for the injured England international Jenny Tranfield.  Kitchen won 9-0 9-1 9-0, then former British National champion Mark Cairns avenged his defeat by Daryl Selby 14 days ago by beating the Strings No4, 15 years his junior, 9-5 9-6 7-9 9-3 in a 68-minute marathon.

But in another 68-minute clash, there was also a further reversal of first leg fortunes:  Tewkesbury's South African No1 Rodney Durbach gained revenge for a five-game defeat by Welsh No1 Alex Gough to beat the Wolverhampton second string 8-10 10-8 9-4 6-9 12-10.  Alister Walker had earlier repeated his win over the visitors' Scott Handley, but this time Handley picked up a valuable two games before going down 7-9 9-4 3-9 9-4 9-5.

So whilst Ricketts settled the outcome of the tie by beating Ong Beng Hee 6-9 9-3 9-3 9-4, Wolverhampton had already amassed enough 'game' points to have guaranteed an overall win on games countback even if the visitors had clinched the tie.

"We're very pleased indeed to have made the final in only our fourth year in the event," said a jubilant Wolverhampton team manager Stephen Russell afterwards.  "But best of all have been the excellent crowds we have attracted over the second half of the season - it really has been a virtual sell-out for all our recent home matches.  And I'm confident that we'll have strong support in the final in Nottingham," Russell added.

Wolverhampton will meet title-holders Manchester/Pontefract in the final at Nottingham Squash Club on Tuesday 24 May.

For more details, visit the official website:  www.nationalsquashleague.co.uk