Final Game of the Summer Season

Melbourn 2 travelled to Ickleford for the last match of the summer campaign, with second place in the league on the line. Everyone knew it was going to be a tough, high-pressure evening of squash.

3rd String – Sean Hamilton vs. Andy Phillipson

First up was Sean against Ickleford captain Andy. Sean looked nervous in the opener, his length a little loose, and Andy edged it 13–15. But Sean regrouped brilliantly, calming down, hitting solid drives, and finishing rallies with sharp drops. From there he never looked back, cruising through the next three games 15–9, 15–7, 15–13. A 3–1 win and the first point of the night for Melbourn.

2nd String – Will Bradshaw vs. Jimmy Muldoon

Next came Will against Jimmy, and on paper it looked like a mismatch: Will’s 1000 ranking versus Jimmy’s 2500. But Will wasn’t intimidated and nearly stole the first game, only just losing out 13–15. The crowd could sense an upset! Unfortunately, Jimmy raised his game and started finding perfect lines, while Will began to overhit in an effort to counter. The second and third games went quickly 4–15, 7–15, giving Jimmy a 3–0 win. Still, Will showed that he’s closing the gap fast — and a future victory looks well within reach.

1st String – Moises Estrelles vs. William Aardweg

The deciding tie saw Moises take on William in a battle of the first strings. Both players pushed hard with long, physical rallies, but it was William who held the edge, taking the opener 10–15. The second game was even closer, reaching 13–13 before a controversial refereeing call gave the crucial point to the home player — and William closed it out 13–15. Fatigue started to show in the third as William kept the ball tight and deep, eventually sealing it 9–15. A 3–0 win for Ickleford.

Result: Ickleford 2 win 2–1 (7–3 in games)

All three Melbourn players fought hard, and although the result didn’t go their way, it was a night of competitive squash followed by a well-earned dinner. With this result, Melbourn finish the summer season in 3rd place — a strong showing and plenty of positives to build on for next year.