The squash team have recently returned from a third successful tour across the Atlantic in six years. They played a schedule of five matches in as many days in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The eight-man team, captained by Finlay Boultwood (H) won two out of five of their matches and contested well in almost every individual string.
A victory at Streetsquash, Harlem (7 - 1) after two previous losses in 2011 and 2014 was followed up the next day by an epic encounter at Blair Academy, New Jersey in which our strength in depth told in a 5 - 3 team win. The highlight was a thrilling encounter at number 2 in which Finlay Boultwood fought hard for over an hour before succumbing 11 - 13, 15 - 17, 13 - 11, 11 - 9. Winners on that occasion were Jamie Inch Sam Rackind, Max Say, Seb Payne and Luis Enriquez. Simon Gray suffered a foot injury in another close match and was forced to take a rest on the following day. At Rye Country Day number 1 Harry Holliday looked poised to take a 2 - 1 lead before losing out 10 - 12 - reminder of the typical fitness and disciplined play of our American opponents. At Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut, our most regular opponents, we had another exciting encounter. The final match was back in Brooklyn, New York at Poly Prep Country Day School who put on great hospitality in their new squash centre which includes two all-glass courts. Seb Payne’s game was best suited to the slower conditions and the lower bouncing white ball and he played an array of accurate drop shots in his 3 - 1 win, whilst Harry Holliday at no 1 lost 2 - 3 in a very close battle, a suitable climax to the tour.
After a day of sightseeing in New York including a trip to the top of the Rockefeller Centre and skating in snowy Central Park the team returned to the UK, exhausted, but at the same time fitter, wiser and prepared for the second half of the season.
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Photographs top to bottom: team in Grand Central Station, Harry Holiday in action at Poly Prep, the team at Blair Academy, the team in Central Park.
