• SACD retain women’s Growthpoint Interprovincial Squash title after a close duel with Northerns

Tshwane, Pretoria; Joburg Squash became the Growthpoint interprovincial men’s squash champions in a dramatic finale against SA Country Districts as the title race went down to the wire at the Brooklyn Mall in Tshwane, Pretoria on Friday.

The Gauteng side claimed the Jarvis Cup trophy with a 16-9 win over the defending champions, a result all the more creditable as they were without their No 1, Growthpoint SA Nationals champion Christo Potgieter, who was injured.

In the women’s battle for the Kaplan Cup, holders SACD kept their nerve in a tense final encounter against Northerns A, winning 17-10 to take the title for the second year in a row.

There was nothing to choose between the sides in the men’s decider and after four matches, each team had won two.

That left it to a straight shootout between the No 2s, Dewald van Niekerk (SACD) and Devon Hendrikse.

Van Niekerk looked on course for victory when he won the third game 11-6 for a 2-1 lead, but Hendrikse fashioned a terrific recovery under immense pressure to take the match 3-2, and the title.

Joburg Squash ended the tournament on 93 points, ahead of SACD on 81.

The women’s decider was well-contested, with two of the five matches going the full distance. Helena Coetzee won one of them for Northerns at No 2 against Danell Douglas, but SACD took the second one through Cara Fourie.

The champions wrapped things up through wins by Lizelle Muller and Keschia Scorgie to crown another successful week of interprovincial squash.

At No 5, Lara Patrick continued an excellent tournament for Northerns A by winning her clash against Madonje Engelbrecht 3-1.

Friday’s A-section results were:

Finals

Men

Joburg Squash bt SACD 16-9 (Joburg names first)

Dylan Groenewald lost to JP Brits 6-11 11-3 13-11 5-11 6-11

Devon Hendrikse bt Dewald van Niekerk 4-11 11-8 6-11 11-8 11-7

Joshua van der Wath lost to Rudi van Niekerk 4-11 4-11 6-11

Amu Zitha bt Jonty Matthys 6-11 11-3 11-9 11-7

Michael Wood bt Alwyn Venter 11-7 11-9 11-7

Zambia Inv bt Northerns 16-8 (Zambia names first)

Kelvin Ndhlovu bt Ruan Olivier 11-3 11-7 11-6

Kundanji Kalengo bt Andrew Martin 4-11 11-6 11-8 11-7

Sam Siame bt Damian Groenewald 5-11 11-8 11-6 12-10

Manda Chilambwe lost to Craig Ruane 7-11 13-11 6-11 5-11

Ray Simbule lost to Sipho Ncube 11-8 10-12 2-11 9-11

KwaZulu-Natal bt Midlands 16-9 (KZN names first)

Matthew Boote bt Daniel Smith 11-13 11-9 11-8 11-3

Adrian Hansen lost to Luke McFarland 11-6 11-5 9-11 9-11 5-11

Justin de Neef lost to Daryn Pieters 7-11 9-11 6-11

Alex Holmes bt Alan McGuigan 11-7 8-11 9-11 11-2 11-2

Luke Bakke bt Eli Meyer 13-11 11-8 11-7

 

Final men’s standings:

1 Joburg 93

2 SACD 81

3 Zambia Inv 66

4 Northerns 62

5 KwaZulu-Natal 31

6 Midlands 24

 

Women

SACD bt Northerns A 17-10 (SACD names first)

Lizelle Muller bt Farrah Sterne 12-10 6-11 11-8 11-8

Danell Douglas lost to Helena Coetzee 11-9 8-11 8-11 11-9 2-11

Cara Fourie bt Kimberley McDonald 17-15 8-11 12-10 3-11 11-4

Keschia Scorgie bt Amy Farrell 11-4 11-8 9-11 11-3

Madjone Engelbrecht lost to Lara Patrick 11-9 3-11 6-11 10-12

Joburg Squash bt Midlands 17-8 (Joburg names first)

Teagan Roux bt Savannah Ingledew 7-11 11-2 4-11 12-10 11-7

Tayla Diepenbroek bt Noel Lee 4-11 11-8 11-9 11-5

Bongi Seroto bt Ana Chemaly 3-11 8-11 11-6 11-2 11-6

Nadia Ramchandra bt Alice Comrie 11-2 11-2 11-4

Jenna Mitchell (Midlands) w/o

Northerns B bt Zambia Inv 20-2 (Northerns names first)

Monique da Cruz bt Kaluba Mbewe 11-5 11-9 11-5

Nothando Ntimane bt Majory Mwamba 11-7 11-2 11-6

Valme Webster bt Namweene Muchaile 9-11 7-11 11-4 11-2 11-2

Jessica McDonald bt Natasha Engelbrecht 11-3 11-7 11-3

Deneil Beukes w/o

 

Final women’s standings:

1 SACD 94

2 Northerns A 86

3 Joburg Squash 67

4 Northerns B 47

5 Midlands 38

6 Zambia Inv 11