The Border Reivers and the visiting Deer Park squash teams collided in an exhilarating face-off, showcasing the best of the sport and sportsmanship. Deer Park, a team hailing from Livingston, is a fusion of the Xcite boys from the previous season and a couple of former Deer Park members, making for an encounter where the teams knew each other well.
The tie commenced with Reivers stalwart Iain Laing squaring off against the young and talented Sammy Caseby. Despite the age difference, Iain Laing brought to the court his vast experience and squash acumen. On the adjacent court, Richard Hebb faced Iain McIver. Both matches concluded with a 3-0 scoreline, but it was Laing who found himself on the wrong side of a 3-0 defeat, while Hebb triumphed 3-0. As the first round of matches concluded, the teams found themselves locked at 1-1.
The third-seed match saw Borderer Jordan Reid pitted against the youthful Euan McIver. This match was a high-speed showdown that led to several errors on both sides. However, the fast pace made for an exhilarating contest that kept the fans on the edge of their seats. Reid managed to make fewer errors in the end and secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
In the following match, Sam Collin from Peebles faced the wily campaigner Phil Brown. Phil, with a decent record against the Border Reivers, had typically come out victorious in most of their encounters. However, this time, the step up to the second seed proved to be too much for Phil Brown, as Sam took a convincing 3-0 victory, earning valuable points for the Reivers.
The main event of the evening featured the clash of old foes, Tony Elliot and Eric McMullen. Elliot had previously been victorious in both of their meetings, but McMullen entered this battle with unyielding determination. The match was a nail-biting, close contest, with each point coming down to mere inches. McMullen even managed to take a 2-1 lead, but Tony Elliot never allowed his spirits to waver and held off the valiant efforts of his opponent. In the end, Tony secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory, sealing the win for the Border Reivers.
The Border Reivers emerged victorious with a final score of 15-7.
Scores:
Tony Elliot 3-2 Eric McMullen (15-5, 14-16, 16-18, 15-12, 15-12)
Sam Collin 3-0 Phil Brown (15-9, 15-9, 15-7)
Jordan Reid 3-2 Euan McIver (12-15, 10-15, 15-10, 15-11, 15-9)
Richard Hebb 3-0 Iain McIver (15-13, 15-10, 17-15)
Iain Laing 0-3 Sammy Caseby (14-16, 8-15, 8-15)
The Border Reivers showcased their resilience and skill in this exciting showdown, leaving their fans with a thrilling victory to savor.