Comberton squash goes online.

This weekend the new computer-based online booking system will be installed at the Club. There will be a touch-screen terminal outside court 3 and you will be able to check bookings there.

If you are a junior with full booking rights (and a key) then you will be able to book your courts for matches using the booking terminal there at the club OR over the internet from home or school computers. You will need a membership number and password code to enter. Derek Fuller can give you one of those.

If you have any questions then just ask one of the coaches or one of the Club committee members. This Sunday evening from 7.30 there will be a short show and tell about the terminal. There will also be a wonderful demonstration match being played to entertain you.

Since the whole Club will run through the terminal please look after it and make sure your friends realize how important it is.

Since you are probably more internet skilled than average, please can you help out any of the older members that you see struggling with the new technology!

Saturday Junior Coaching 1st December

This Saturday (1st December) we will be running all three coaching sessions. The first session is from 9.00 to 10.30 for beginners and the second is from 10.30 to 12.00 for more advanced players. And the final most advanced session (Gods, Godesses, and DemiGods) is from 12.00 to 2.00pm.

Remember that eye-protection must be worn for all junior sessions.

9.00 - 10.30 session. Coaches: Ray Scrivens and Steve Swanton.
10.30 - 12.00 session. Coaches: Steve Swanton, Mike Macnamee, and Ray Scrivens.
12.00 - 14.00 session. Coaches: Mike Macnamee, Martyn Symmons, and Andrew D'Alessandro.

Comberton Second Team in Sparkling Form

Comberton Junior Second Team turned on some terrific performances in their County Junior League Division Two matches on Sunday 25 November.

I had picked a younger team for this fixture as I’d been told that our opponents on the day would not be very strong, but Crown Lodge had sent two strong players to oppose Tom Blair at 1 and Marcus Connolly at 2. I feared for our prospects, as both the Crown players were well above Tom and Marcus on the County ladder. But I needn’t have worried – our twelve-year-olds showed great skill and maturity in overcoming fourteen-year-old Matthew Allison and sixteen-year-old Adam Rawlings in straight games! Our number three was Will Harris, standing in for his brother Jeremy who had pulled a muscle. As Crown only sent two players Will played a friendly against the Melbourn no. 3, and had a comfortable 3-0 win.

Overall score: Comberton 12 (including 3 bonus points), Crown Lodge 0.

Our other opponents were Fenland, and Will got us off to another good start, beating Matt Ramsdale 3-0 and conceding only 5 points in the match. Marcus looked to be heading for another 3-0 against Emily Philpott, but at 2 games down Emily began a determined fight-back which threw him off his stride and levelled the match at two games all. With Emily way ahead in the fifth it looked a foregone conclusion, but it was Marcus’s turn to fight back, and he saved a succession of match balls before eventually going down 10-9! Tom was by comparison untroubled by Hayley Green, who faded rapidly after losing the first game, allowing Tom to wrap up an impressive 3-0 win.

Overall score: Comberton 11, Fenland 3.


Ray Scrivens
Junior Team Manager

Comberton Premier Team off to a good start.

The Comberton Junior 1st team plays in the Premier division of the Tucker Gardner County Junior League. They started well with two wins at home last Sunday 18th November against Hunts Leisure and Hunts County. Nils at number one put in brave performances against County Team players Rob Dadds and Dan McGinn with some hard-fought rallies. Euan and Ben had much easier games at positions two and three although Euan had concentration lapses in his game against Paul Macdonald - dropping to 2:0 down initially.

To help with the other league matches played on Sunday, Comberton's own Matt Cole kindly turned out to replace an injured St Ivo 1st team player. He won an excellent, highly competitive, match against Hunt Leisure number two Sean Gant.

Full Results:

Comberton vs Hunts Leisure
1. Nils Downes vs Rob Dadds
39 49 09
2. Euan Macnamee vs Sean Gant
94 92 92
3. Ben Stutchbury vs Alex Green
90 91 91

Comberton vs Hunts County
1. Nils Downes vs Dan McGinn
39 09 19
2. Euan Macnamee vs Paul MacDonald
910 69 92 95 90
3. Ben Stuchbury vs Jonathan Pittams
95 90 91

Comberton School under-15 team qualify for second round!

On November 8th the Comberton School Team in the England Squash Under-15 national competition drove down to Chelmsford for their second match in the first round. This qualifying round is an area league involving schools in southern East Anglia. This was their first real challenge as they had a walkover against their first opponents who did not get organize a date for the match within the time limit set by England Squash.

The Chelmsford match was against the King Edward's Grammar School team who play at Writtle College. The Comberton boys made no mistakes in this match - all the team came away not having conceded a single game to their opponents. And the two reserves playing at positions 6 and 7 also won 3:0 each.

With only 4 teams in our area league this win together with the walkover guarantees the team a place in the top half. They have now certainly gained a place in the second round. Well done lads!

The final first-round opponents are likely to be the most challenging as they are coached by Chris Vine at Frinton Squash Club. Chris is a level IV professional coach who is well known to Comberton players as an excellent squash guru. Chris has in fact coached many of our juniors as a visiting coach at our Gods of Squash summer workshops.

Sounds like an excellent match to determine who is the top in the National Schools Area League this year.

Saturday Junior Coaching 24th November

This Saturday (24th November) we will be running all three coaching sessions. The first session is from 9.00 to 10.30 for beginners and the second is from 10.30 to 12.00 for more advanced players. And the final most advanced session (Gods, Godesses, and DemiGods) is from 12.00 to 2.00pm.

Remember that eye-protection should be worn for all junior sessions.

9.00 - 10.30 session. Coaches: Ray Scrivens, Steve Swanton, and Tim Mears
10.30 - 12.00 session. Coaches: Steve Swanton, Ray Scrivens, and Ben Stutchbury
12.00 - 14.00 session. Coaches: Mike Macnamee and Martyn Symmons

Who put that door handle there!

We were having a discussion in the third team about what happens if the squash ball hits the door edge, or the door handle, and does something funny that means the player misses their shot. Is this automatically a let?

The answer seems to be no - you just have to play on. Whatever strange bits there are in the court you just have to put up with them since they are just part of the playing surface. This includes anything that does not change in the course of a rally. So that covers the door handle, the door edge, or even holes in the plaster or floor. It also covers the door handle not put back into place properly. If the ball hits any such irregularity then the rally just continues and it is the luck of the bounce which of the players gets the advantage.

There are some exeptions to this.

Firstly if the ball hits anything left on court by one of the players then it is a let. (But the rules say you are not supposed to bring anything onto the court in fact - not even if you put it down by the tin at the front.)

Secondly if the ball actually becomes stuck in a crevice or hole - then it is a let.

Thirdly, I think, if something changes during the rally and then the ball hits it then it is also a let. This change in conditions rule is most often used to covers things like the lights going off or flickering off when you were going for your shot. But it will also cover the case that there is a loose floorboard or door and one player dislodges it or partly opens the door by colliding with it. And then the ball hits it.

So look closely at that court you are on during the warm-up. Whatever you see is what you have to cope with for the whole match! You can ask for a let when the ball is sent ricocheting off - but the rule is that it is NO LET!.

Saturday Junior Coaching 17th November

This Saturday (17th November) we will be running all three coaching sessions. The first session is from 9.00 to 10.30 for beginners and the second is from 10.30 to 12.00 for more advanced players. And the final most advanced session (Gods, Godesses, and DemiGods) is from 12.00 to 2.00pm.

Remember that eye-protection should be worn for all junior sessions.

9.00 - 10.30 session. Coaches: Ray Scrivens, Steve Swanton, and Nick Dickens
10.30 - 12.00 session. Coaches: Steve Swanton, Ray Scrivens, and David Downes
12.00 - 14.00 session. Coaches: Martyn Symmons and Mike Macnamee

Saturday Junior Coaching 10th November

This Saturday (10th November) we will be running all three coaching sessions. The first session is from 9.00 to 10.30 for beginners and the second is from 10.30 to 12.00 for more advanced players. And the final most advanced session (Gods, Godesses, and DemiGods) is from 12.00 to 2.00pm.

Remember that eye-protection should be worn for all junior sessions.

9.00 - 10.30 session. Coaches: Steve Swanton, Ray Scrivens, and Tim Mears
10.30 - 12.00 session. Coaches: Steve Swanton, Mike Macnamee, and Ben Stutchbury
12.00 - 14.00 session. Coaches: Mike Macnamee and Martyn Symmons

See Comberton Team Results Online

The Comberton III team that plays in the Cambridgeshire Adult Leagues (Division 4) is a development team for advanced juniors supported by coaches.

There are reports on the matches here on the blog but you can also log on to the very excellent Results Zone website for the league results (a little delayed but with full analysis of team and player performance).

http://www.cambridgeshire.resultszone.com/

You can follow the other teams which also have juniors playing for them. Nils has turned out for the first team. And Andy will be playing most regularly for the second team.

Saturday Junior Coaching 3rd November

This Saturday (3rd November) we will be having all three sessions. The first session is from 9.00 to 10.30 for beginners and the second is from 10.30 to 12.00 for more advanced players. And the final most advanced session (Gods, Godesses, and DemiGods) is from 12.00 to 2.00pm.

Remember that eye-protection should be worn for all junior sessions.

9.00 - 10.30 session. Coaches: Steve Swanton, Ray Scrivens, and Nick Dickens
10.30 - 12.00 session. Coaches: Andy Thorne, Steve Swanton, and Ray Scrivens
12.00 - 14.00 session. Coaches: Mike Macnamee and Martyn Symmons