This year’s Penrith squash club championship held on Saturday 20th April heralded a new winner in the final of the main ‘A’ competition in the guise of Steven Birkett beating David Gray who had beaten last year’s title holder Mark Jackson in the semi-final.
It was a fitting finale to a well contested and well supported championship seeing 15 club members fighting it out in in both a men’s A & B draw and a Ladies final.
All games were heavily contested at all levels.
The plate finals (those who were first round losers) in both A & B draws were close matches with Jonathan Christian getting the better of Dan Fawcett 3-0 in the A Draw and Richard Lee beating John Scott 3-0 in the B Draw.
The ladies final was between Nicola Parker and Kath Gray with Nicola coming out the winner 3-1.
The men’s B Draw final saw the old timer Richard Utting competing a much younger, fitter and taller Ben Morrison.
Despite these advantages Richard used his guile around the court to defeat his opponent 3-1.
What followed was the final of the main competition between David Gray and Steven Birkett with the younger man coming out on top 3-0.
Steven has returned to the club he once played at up to the age of 18 before moving away to University. Playing there, in London and for the Bondi Beach club in Australia where he resided for a number of years, Steven has returned to Penrith where he was born and brought up.
Richard Utting, the chair of the club commented by saying ‘It’s great to have a new name on the championship trophy. With Steven returning to the club where he learnt to play the game this has given our other top players a real challenge to achieve the clubs No.1 position.
Thanks go out to all participants for a great contest as well as John Scott who organised the whole event’.
