East of England Racketball open 2021
TOURNAMENT REPORT
The A grade ended up a bit depleted with Billy Jones injuring his ankle on the Friday night before the competition (playing squash, stupid sport), and Hedley Muscroft doing his back in on Wednesday, so we lost the top two players a couple of days before the event. I will leave it to you, but the players who played the A grade also played the B. It may be simplest to just take the B grade competition as the “Open” from a ranking points view point.
The tournament attracted 32 players in total this year, a bit down on the average. But an autumn timing and post-Covid has reduced those playing and travelling.
The B grade had 17 competitors and was a very competitive grade. The four group winners were Paul Dodds, Gary Slator, Sean Brodrick and Mark Banfield. Paul paced himself well throughout the tournament and ended the day having played 11 competitive games of singles on the day in the B and Over 50’s grades - no wonder he didn’t play the doubles! His class shone through with several close-fought matches throughout the day.
In the O50’s, Spencer Harris cam through winning all his box league matches, including Paul Dodds 2-1. Spencer also played the B grade, suffering an early upset losing to Gordon Lamb who played one if his best ever games of racketball to beat Spencer 2-0 - lots of well-timed nicks. Spencer threw everything into the challenging over 50’s grade without a weak player in that grade at all. Spencer beat reigning Over 50’s champion Mark Banfield and won a very hard-fought game against Paul Dodds 2-1 which decided the grade.
In the O60’s Akhtar Khokhar played a strong tournament beating Stephen Burnett 2-0 in the final. Stephen had beaten Gordon Lamb in the box league earlier round. Gordon fresh from his victory over Spencer Harris in the B grade couldn’t repeat the magic and Stephen’s greater mobility paid off retrieving and putting Gordon under pressure as the rallies extended.
The C grade was won by David Kitchens, after a good group stage without dropping a match and a comfortable semi-final, David played Tanya Ruff in the final. Tanya had come through a tough semi against Paul Bryden and the final proved equally close. Dave winning 2-1 with just that little bit of greater fire power, but pushed all the way by Tanya’s accuracy and length.
Tanya won the ladies competition, but only two entrants was a little disappointing. This shows a little bit of work to encourage more female competitors to racketball - at least into this competition.
The doubles contest was great fun. Quite a few of the singles contenders did drop out as they needed their legs for deciding rubbers in the singles. However, racketball doubles was played with great spirit and fun. The eventual winners were Tim Millington of Peterborough paired with Bradley Sawyer of Swavesey, beating the local pair of Gordon Lamb and Sean Brodrick from Hunts County. Lots of chatter and laughter, and no little blame for a partner having opened the court too much!! Of course that was the reason you couldn't get the ball back.
My thanks to everyone who took the time and effort to come to Peterborough to play in the East of England Open. My thanks to the club membership who helped run the tournament and to Karakal for their help with the prizes of rackets and racket bags - particularly welcomed by the winners and runners up.
Everyone got at least three matches in, and the smiles at the end reflected a good days sport.
Finals Results
A Grade
Winner - Brett Perkins (Boston)
Runner Up - Shaun Cramer (Barnham Broom)
B Grade
Winner - Paul Dodds (Durham)
Runner Up - Gary Slator (Spalding)
C Grade
Winner - David Kitchens (Clements)
Runner Up - Tanya Ruff (City of Peterborough)
Over 50’s Grade
Winner - Spencer Harris (Woking)
Runner Up - Paul Dodds (Durham)
Over 60’s
Winner - Akhtar Khokhar (Woodford Wells)
Runner _Up - Stephen Burnett (Cleethorpes)
Ladies
Winner - Tanya Ruff (City of Peterborough)
Runner-Up - Alicia Tremlett (City of Peterborough)
Open Doubles
Winners - Tim Millington (City of Peterborough)/Bradley Sawyer (Swavesey)
Runners Up - Sean Brodrick/Gordon Lamb (both of Hunts County)
C Doubles
Winners - Dave Kitchens (Clements)/David Clark (City of Peterborough
Runners Up - Tanya Ruff/Robin Soar (both of City of Peterborough)
The A grade ended up a bit depleted with Billy Jones injuring his ankle on the Friday night before the competition (playing squash, stupid sport), and Hedley Muscroft doing his back in on Wednesday, so we lost the top two players a couple of days before the event. I will leave it to you, but the players who played the A grade also played the B. It may be simplest to just take the B grade competition as the “Open” from a ranking points view point.
The tournament attracted 32 players in total this year, a bit down on the average. But an autumn timing and post-Covid has reduced those playing and travelling.
The B grade had 17 competitors and was a very competitive grade. The four group winners were Paul Dodds, Gary Slator, Sean Brodrick and Mark Banfield. Paul paced himself well throughout the tournament and ended the day having played 11 competitive games of singles on the day in the B and Over 50’s grades - no wonder he didn’t play the doubles! His class shone through with several close-fought matches throughout the day.
In the O50’s, Spencer Harris cam through winning all his box league matches, including Paul Dodds 2-1. Spencer also played the B grade, suffering an early upset losing to Gordon Lamb who played one if his best ever games of racketball to beat Spencer 2-0 - lots of well-timed nicks. Spencer threw everything into the challenging over 50’s grade without a weak player in that grade at all. Spencer beat reigning Over 50’s champion Mark Banfield and won a very hard-fought game against Paul Dodds 2-1 which decided the grade.
In the O60’s Akhtar Khokhar played a strong tournament beating Stephen Burnett 2-0 in the final. Stephen had beaten Gordon Lamb in the box league earlier round. Gordon fresh from his victory over Spencer Harris in the B grade couldn’t repeat the magic and Stephen’s greater mobility paid off retrieving and putting Gordon under pressure as the rallies extended.
The C grade was won by David Kitchens, after a good group stage without dropping a match and a comfortable semi-final, David played Tanya Ruff in the final. Tanya had come through a tough semi against Paul Bryden and the final proved equally close. Dave winning 2-1 with just that little bit of greater fire power, but pushed all the way by Tanya’s accuracy and length.
Tanya won the ladies competition, but only two entrants was a little disappointing. This shows a little bit of work to encourage more female competitors to racketball - at least into this competition.
The doubles contest was great fun. Quite a few of the singles contenders did drop out as they needed their legs for deciding rubbers in the singles. However, racketball doubles was played with great spirit and fun. The eventual winners were Tim Millington of Peterborough paired with Bradley Sawyer of Swavesey, beating the local pair of Gordon Lamb and Sean Brodrick from Hunts County. Lots of chatter and laughter, and no little blame for a partner having opened the court too much!! Of course that was the reason you couldn't get the ball back.
My thanks to everyone who took the time and effort to come to Peterborough to play in the East of England Open. My thanks to the club membership who helped run the tournament and to Karakal for their help with the prizes of rackets and racket bags - particularly welcomed by the winners and runners up.
Everyone got at least three matches in, and the smiles at the end reflected a good days sport.
Finals Results
A Grade
Winner - Brett Perkins (Boston)
Runner Up - Shaun Cramer (Barnham Broom)
B Grade
Winner - Paul Dodds (Durham)
Runner Up - Gary Slator (Spalding)
C Grade
Winner - David Kitchens (Clements)
Runner Up - Tanya Ruff (City of Peterborough)
Over 50’s Grade
Winner - Spencer Harris (Woking)
Runner Up - Paul Dodds (Durham)
Over 60’s
Winner - Akhtar Khokhar (Woodford Wells)
Runner _Up - Stephen Burnett (Cleethorpes)
Ladies
Winner - Tanya Ruff (City of Peterborough)
Runner-Up - Alicia Tremlett (City of Peterborough)
Open Doubles
Winners - Tim Millington (City of Peterborough)/Bradley Sawyer (Swavesey)
Runners Up - Sean Brodrick/Gordon Lamb (both of Hunts County)
C Doubles
Winners - Dave Kitchens (Clements)/David Clark (City of Peterborough
Runners Up - Tanya Ruff/Robin Soar (both of City of Peterborough)
east of england racketball open Introduction
This is a last call for entries to celebrate the return of Racketball open competitions at the City of Peterborough Sports Club on Saturday November 20th 2021.
This is the annual competition that has run from 2013 for six years. We have had an enforced break for a couple of years, but hopefully everyone has been able to enjoy this terrific sport again (or start it anew), and this competition is an ideal way to have a fun and competitive day.
There are several grades for players of all standard to participate in:
A grade – for strong players of good club and county standard
B grade – for good players, not elite, but have decent playing experience
C grade – for players new to the sport and of lower squash leagues looking to try Racketball/Squash 57
Ladies – for female players to have their own competition
O50’s – for any player over this age, which is a very popular age to be playing Racketball just as some of the intensity for squash itself reduces
O60’s – another popular category for players who have reached a certain age
Doubles – alternative shots, a high/low draw for partners. A different competition which is great fun!
City of Peterborough has fantastic facilities for a day of sport, with a bar, food and now has the terrific addition of a fifth and glass-back show court. The club is easy to get to, has ample parking in the club car park and excellent spectator facilities. If you have played in this event before you will know that it is a great day of sport, and that it is always run as a friendly competition. You will get a warm welcome from organisers and fellow players alike.
We guarantee two games, but every year the competition has been held everyone has had at least three matches. We stick to best of three sets to make it competitive but not so draining as tough five setters can become.
There are good prizes in every grade, but more importantly a commemorative medal for the winners to put on your mantelpiece/display cabinet. (Come on, you know you want one!).
Please email Rennie Kapila rennie.kapila@ntlworld.com to enter or for any questions. The deadlines for entries is Monday 15th November.
We hope to see you on the day, either returning players who are now friends, or new faces who intend to become so. The aim is for you to have a great day’s sport, meet some friendly like-minded souls and to send you home a bit knackered but with a big smile from the day.
This is the annual competition that has run from 2013 for six years. We have had an enforced break for a couple of years, but hopefully everyone has been able to enjoy this terrific sport again (or start it anew), and this competition is an ideal way to have a fun and competitive day.
There are several grades for players of all standard to participate in:
A grade – for strong players of good club and county standard
B grade – for good players, not elite, but have decent playing experience
C grade – for players new to the sport and of lower squash leagues looking to try Racketball/Squash 57
Ladies – for female players to have their own competition
O50’s – for any player over this age, which is a very popular age to be playing Racketball just as some of the intensity for squash itself reduces
O60’s – another popular category for players who have reached a certain age
Doubles – alternative shots, a high/low draw for partners. A different competition which is great fun!
City of Peterborough has fantastic facilities for a day of sport, with a bar, food and now has the terrific addition of a fifth and glass-back show court. The club is easy to get to, has ample parking in the club car park and excellent spectator facilities. If you have played in this event before you will know that it is a great day of sport, and that it is always run as a friendly competition. You will get a warm welcome from organisers and fellow players alike.
We guarantee two games, but every year the competition has been held everyone has had at least three matches. We stick to best of three sets to make it competitive but not so draining as tough five setters can become.
There are good prizes in every grade, but more importantly a commemorative medal for the winners to put on your mantelpiece/display cabinet. (Come on, you know you want one!).
Please email Rennie Kapila rennie.kapila@ntlworld.com to enter or for any questions. The deadlines for entries is Monday 15th November.
We hope to see you on the day, either returning players who are now friends, or new faces who intend to become so. The aim is for you to have a great day’s sport, meet some friendly like-minded souls and to send you home a bit knackered but with a big smile from the day.
