The Cayman Squash Team
Sport
Rose Bowl Squash
Victory for Cayman
The Cayman Squash Team
The Cayman Islands National Squash Teampulled off a dramatic final day victory in the British CaymanianNorthern Caribbean Area Squash Championships, held at the SouthSound Club last week. Favourites in many minds, Bermuda, broughtdown a strong squad, but as it turned out, they were well matchedby Cayman's strong areas.
The Men's A Division saw Bermuda defeatCayman 4-1, with Russ Mucklow the sole winner at #5, and #3 JeffBroderick only going down 2-3. Bermuda then overcame Jamaica bythe narrowest of margins, 3-2, in a thrilling encounter. They,later, easily beat the Bahamas 5-0. Jamaica also defeated theBahamas 5-0 and Cayman 4-1, Mucklow winning again. However, #2 David Finch held two match balls in his game with Wayne Prescod,before losing in five. Cayman recorded a convincing 5-0 victoryover the Bahamas.
The Men's B Division, saw Cayman invincible,beating each of their three opponents, 5-0. They were far toostrong for the opposition and the squad of Phil Hyre, Andrew Day,Richard Hew, Ryan Breetzke and Ken Moore was never troubled.
The Women's team was similarly all-conquering,beating Bermuda and the Bahamas 5-0 and arch-rivals Jamaica 4-1on the final day. The experienced team of McCallum, Lawrence,Foster, Hindess and Sairsingh had played in far too many RoseBowls to lose this one !
It was the, perhaps understated, Veteransteam that could be said to have brought home the bacon in thefinal hour. Losing to Bermuda 1-4, but sneaking a win over theBahamas 3-2, they had to beat Jamaica on the final afternoon forCayman to regain the overall Rose Bowl Team Trophy, to go withtheir two Divisional Trophies. Despite the infusion of veteranstar Douglas Beckford, appearing in his only match of the tournament,Jamaica were unable to stop the juggernaut set in motion by CynthiaJoyce and team MVP, Valdis Foldats. At 2-0, #1 John Cameron pulledoff a fine win over his opposite number to put Cayman, as it turnedout, on the top spot. Despite a win from Jamaican evergreen GillBinnie, Ian Patrick put the rum in the Cayman cake to give Caymana marvellous and possibly unexpected, 4-1 victory.
Despite having won every division (exceptthe Veterans) at some time or another in the past, this is onlythe second time that the overall Rose Bowl Trophy has been wonby Cayman. There have been times when the home team has come heartbreakinglyclose to victory, so this success is welcomed and well-deserved.
The Cayman Islands team can now get readyfor the Senior Caribbean Championships in Freeport, Grand Bahama,in August, where teams from Northern and Southern countries meetin the battle for whole Caribbean Area supremacy.
Junior Squash Clinics recommence this Saturday,April 28, at 8.30a.m., and 1.00pm, for the respective clashes.