Mossel Bay – Defending champions Capital Fruit SA Country Districts (SACD) A and Northerns A moved another step closer to a mouthwatering showdown on Friday after maintaining their unbeaten records on the third day of the Growthpoint Jarvis-Kaplan Interprovincial squash tournament in Mossel Bay on Wednesday.
Both teams collected the maximum 20 points from their respective fixtures to remain level at the top of the Jarvis Cup standings with 60 points from three matches, underlining the gap between themselves and the chasing pack.
SACD A were given a competitive workout by a spirited Joburg Squash A side, who managed to earn three points despite ultimately falling well short of causing an upset.
Although the defending champions dropped a few games during the contest, they were rarely under serious pressure and always appeared in control.
Joburg were also somewhat weakened by the absence of regular No 3 Christo Potgieter.
Northerns, meanwhile, delivered a ruthless performance against Capital Fruit SACD B, completing a flawless 20-0 victory to keep their title challenge firmly on track.
Eastern Province A boosted their own campaign with a hard-fought victory over Western Province A in one of the closest contests of the day.
The outcome remained in the balance throughout as EP players Lawrence Kuhn and Siphelele Mpini both recovered from stern challenges to defeat Mighael Lombard and Brett Mclachlan respectively in five-game battles.
EP then suffered a setback when Jason le Roux was forced to retire with a leg injury while level at one game apiece against Daniel Cloete.
However, Gerard Mitchell ensured there would be no late drama, producing a composed 3-0 victory over WP No 2 Devon Osborne to seal the overall win for Eastern Province.
A similar pattern at the top is developing in the women’s Kaplan Cup competition.
Top seeds Northerns A comfortably accounted for Western Province A to draw level with Capital Fruit SACD A, who enjoyed a bye in the day’s fixtures.
The Pretoria outfit showcased their impressive depth by dropping just a single game on their way to a convincing 20-1 victory.
Combined with Tuesday’s maximum points haul, they now have 40 points from two matches.
The second women’s fixture produced an entertaining battle before Joburg Squash A pulled clear to record a 17-6 win over Capital Fruit SACD B.
Joburg made the perfect start when Gill van Vlaanderen claimed the opening match, but SACD briefly seized the initiative through victories by Leandri von Onselen, who edged Kate Rowe 3-2, and Madjone Engelbrecht, who defeated Melissa Martins 3-1.
That advantage proved short-lived, however, as Joburg’s leading players, Teagan Russell and Elske Garbers, produced commanding straight-games victories to swing the contest decisively in
their team’s favour and secure the valuable five bonus points.
Wednesday’s results were:
Women’s Kaplan Cup
Joburg Squash A bt Capital Fruit SACD B 17-6 (Joburg Squash A first): Teagan Russell bt Kyla Hartzenberg 3-0 (11-4 11-2 11-4), Elske Garbers bt Rachel Cilliers 3-0 (11-7 14-12 11-9), Gill van Vlaanderen bt Hanrie Duits 3-0 (11-7 11-6 11-5), Kate Rowe lost to Leandri van Onselen 3-2 (7-11 14-12, 8-11 11-8 11-6), Melissa Martins lost to Madjone Engelbrecht 3-1 (11-3 11-3 9-11 11-7).
Northerns A bt WP A 20-1 (Northerns A first): Helena Hudson bt Kim McDonald 3-0 (11-9 11-5 11-8), Lara Patrick bt Katie Mayhew 3-0 (11-5 11-6 11-3), Starla Phillips bt Cassandra Erasmus 3-1 (11-4 10-12 11-6 11-6), Kaylee Hunt bt Bianca Besener 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-3), Jordin Phillips bt Nicole Gliddon 3-0 (12-10 11-0 11-7).
Latest log (matches in brackets): Capital Fruit SACD A and Northerns A 40 (2), Joburg Squash A 27 (3), WP A 16 (2), Capital Fruit SACD B 9 (3).
Men’s Jarvis Cup
Capital Fruit SACD A bt Joburg Squash A 20-3 (SACD A first): Dewald van Niekerk bt John Anderson 3-0 (11-3 11-1 11-1), Reuel Videler bt Ethan Robinson 3-1 (11-5 11-9 7-11 11-6), JP Brits bt Jordan Wilkinson 3-1 (11-3 4-11 12-10 11-2), Gareth Craigen bt Amukelani Zitha 3-0 (11-4 11-3 11-3), Rudi van Niekerk bt Brian Mncube 3-1 (11-9 5-11 11-7 11-4).
EP A bt WP A 16-10 (EP A first): Dean Venter lost to Ruan Olivier 3-1 (11-7 11-4 7-11 11-4), Gerard Mitchell bt Devon Osborne 3-0 (11-7 11-5 13-11), Lawrence Kuhn bt Mighael Lombard 3-2 (11-6 11-4 9-11 3-11 11-6), Siphelele Mpini bt Brett Mclachlan 3-2 (6-11 11-8 12-14 11-5 11-8), Jason le Roux lost to Daniel Cloete 3-1 (retired injured at 1-1).
Northerns bt Capital Fruit SACD B 20-0 (Northerns A first): Damian Groenewald bt Jonty Matthys 3-0 (11-4 11-6 11-2), Luhann Groenewald bt Christian Swanepoel 3-0 (11-6 11-6 11-3), Judah Phillips bt Luke van Vuuren 3-0 (11-5 11-3 11-8), Jarrod Cousins bt Alwyn Venter 3-0 (11-7 11-6 11-7), Connor Earl bt Etienne Schutte 3-0 (11-4 11-5 11-5)
Log after three rounds: Capital Fruit SACD A and Northerns A 60, Joburg Squash A and WP A 33, EP A 20, Capital Fruit SACD B 4.
The A section teams are:
Women: 1 Northerns A, 2 Capital Fruit SACD A, 3 Joburg Squash A, 4 Western Province A, 5 Capital Fruit SACD B.
Men: 1 Capital Fruit SACD A, 2 Northerns A, 3 Western Province A, 4 Joburg Squash A, 5 Eastern Province A, 6 Capital Fruit SACD B.
