Mixed fortunes for LDSC

The seconds suffered another battering in the Bedfordshire Squash League, losing 15-5 to Biggleswade, while in the Herts League a weakened side lost heavily 17-6 at Gosling.

Strong Mowsbury started the evening well as they led both the fourth and fifth string matches, but Scot Adam and Steve Wells fought back to gain hard-earned 3-2 and 3-1 victories.The returning Steve Davies eased to a 3-0 victory over county veteran Steve Barlow to seal LDSC’s triumph as two dead rubbers followed. Declan Osborn and Matt Mulara’s matches at numbers 2 and 3 in the order proved to be the most entertaining of the night.

Third string Matt Mulara was pushed all the way by the tricky Paramjit Diu as he won 3-1, while second string Declan Osborn’s game ebbed and flowed ad he battled back from 2-1 down and then 8-3 down in the fifth to win a very close match 3-2 as LDSC won all five games.

Attention will now turn to the second round of the National Club Championships where LDSC entertain Edgbaston Priory in early January.

LDSC IIs’ evening started well against powerful Biggleswade as first string Kachinga Kabwe notched up a 3-0 win against Bruce St Ledger.

Kabwe won the first game on a tie-break on his fifth game ball before sailing to victory.

Fourth and fifth strings Chris Ridgway and John Stevens were both beaten 3-0 by Dan Easton and Marcus Gray, while captain Matt Carey also lost 3-0 at third string despite pushing Martin Wright hard throughout. A close second string clash saw Craig Basham battle back from 2-0 down before succumbing to Simon Gray in the fifth 3-2. LDSC IIs are next in action on January 7 at Bunyan.

Missing three regulars LDSC were always up against it at Gosling IIIs.

John Stevens, making his debut, succumbed pretty meekly at fifth string against Mike Byrne, while Matt Carey showed plenty of fight on his debut against the experienced Martin Hockaday as he went down 3-1.

Captain Paul Main, playing higher than usual at fourth string, made a sluggish start, but fought hard and was unlucky to lose the second on a tie-break as he lost 3-0.

Scot Adam, also playing higher than usual at second string, was involved in a titanic battle against Paul Williamson, eventually going down 3-2. Kabwe showed an impressive array of shot-making to completely dismantle the young and precocious talent of Chris Roper 3-0 in the top seed match.

Despite the loss, LDSC are still well placed at the top of the division and will be hoping that their returning players can finish the job in their inaugural campaign.

LDSC have only lost two matches, both at the Gosling site, so they will be looking to break their hoodoo on their final visit there in the new year.

Results

Mowsbury 6 LDSC 18: Steve Barlow 0 Steve Davies 3; Gus Smith 2 Declan Osborn 3; Paramjit Diu 1 Matt Mulara 3; Will Johnson 2 Scot Adam 3; Dean Simpson 1 Steve Wells 3.

LDSC II 5 Biggleswade 15: Kachinga Kabwe 3 Bruce St Ledger 0; Craig Basham 2 Simon Gray 3; Matt Carey 0 Martin Wright 3; Chris Ridgway 0 Dan Easton 3; John Stevens 0 Marcus Gray 3.

Gosling III 17 LDSC 6: Chris Roper 0 Kachinga Kabwe 3; Paul Williamson 3 Scot Adam 2; Martin Hockaday 3 Matt Carey 1; Tom Horton 3 Paul Main 0; Mike Byrne 3 John Stevens 0.