Edinburgh Sports Club hosted the third annual Festival of squash; this was a graded tournament culminating in Scotland v Rest of World featuring Current World No.1 Mohammed El Shorbagy. In the Graded Tournament, Gala Squash Club Captain Del Sharratt was flying the flag for the Borders.
Del lost his qualifier 2-0 to Young Dylan Pearman (Tyne Squash Club) 15-7, 15-9. This put Del in the Grade 4 Competition. In the first round Grange Squash Clubs Faye Fulton conquered 15-7, 15-10 over Sharratt. Sharratt was finding the ties tough going ithis tournament, all his opponents were younger and fitter and wouldn’t stop running.
This put Del into the Plate Tournament where he first met Anthony Rickets (also of Grange). This as a close fought match, both players seemed to be similarly matched in all areas but Del seemed to remain focussed and triumphed 15-7, 17-15. In the Plate Final it was Edinburgh sports Clubs own Jessica Shaw, the teenager had came through the youth system at Sports Club and fancied her chances against the more experienced Sharratt. Well Shaw took her chances and although Sharratt fought Valiantly the Edin Sports Club Lady took it 15-10, 15-13.
The Scotland v Rest of World Team match featured some of the worlds best. Team Scotland featured tHe Scottish No.1 and No.2 Gregg Lobban and Alan Clyne respectively; tHe Scottish Ladies Champion Lisa Aitken and the World Junior Champion Georgia Adderley. Team Rest of World Boasted no less than the Current World Champion and World Number 1. Mohammed El-Shorbagy, Englands World no. 54 Josh Masters, COmmonwealth Games Gold Medalist from New Zealand Donna Lobban and Polish Teenage Prodigy Karina Tyma. The matches were first to 11 and 2 games.
Scores (Team Scotland first)
G Adderley 2-0 K Tyma; L Aitken 1-1 D Lobban; Ladies Doubles Aitken/Adderley 1-1 Tyma/Lobban; G Lobban 1-1 J Masters; A Clyne 2-0 J Masters; A Clyne 0-2 M El Shorbagy; G Lobban 0-2 M El Shorbagy. This finished the match at 7-7, so as a decider, World Champion M El Shorbagy went on court 2 on 1 against Clyne and Lobban – The Scottish Duo won 11-3 for 8-7 victory for Team Scotland.
Gala Squash Club Captain Sharratt said of the event “The matches were touh, there are a lot of excellent up and coming teenagers in the East of Scotland Squash Circuit and there fitness levels are unreal. 13yo Dylan Pearman beat me and he just wouldn’t stop covering every inch of the court.
It was amazing to watch Mohammed El shorbagy Live too, what an inspiration he is for these Juniors that competed and it shows the level we can all strive for. Hopefully next Year some of Gala’s juniors will be featuring in amongst the Edinburgh Clubs Juniors too.”
