Nouse.co.uk » Adam Shergold’s Wednesday Round-up: 4 February

Adam Shergold’s Wednesday Round-up: 4 February

February 6, 2009
Adam Shergold

Thousands of schools nationwide closed to youthful rejoicing. 54-mile tailbacks on the M25. London transport schedules, capable of withstanding the Luftwaffe, but mysteriously paralysed by the white stuff. It must be that annual, one-week event that is the British winter. York was magically transformed into a wonderland as campus awakened on Monday morning. By Tuesday night, only slush remained, but the damage had already been inflicted on Wednesday’s sporting schedule, with crisp snow making a mockery of the all-weather surface and rendering grass pitches both unidentifiable and unplayable. With famous stiff upper lip, the indoor sports lighted the way for York University, despite the refrigerated conditions in the Tent, and they take centre stage in our weekly review here.

First port of call is the netball firsts, where a narrow 27-29 defeat against Northumbria thirds inflicted a significant dent in the team’s promotion challenge. Slow to establish their rhythm, the hosts found themselves outplayed for lengthy spells in the opening stages, but a thrilling late fightback rattled their opponents despite falling just short. This was the second close encounter between these two adversaries this season, the return finished 26-25 in York’s favour, but attentions must quickly shift to an all-important home fixture with table-topping Huddersfield next Wednesday. Meanwhile, there was disappointment for the netball thirds, who went down 45-40 away to Sheffield Hallam.

Another side suffering a setback to their ambitions of promotion were the women’s squash team, who were beaten 3-1 by Leeds University seconds, the current, unbeaten league leaders. Although they retain an interest in the BUCS knockout cup, a trip to Liverpool awaiting them next week, they have run out of opportunities in a successful league campaign, with a home game with Bradford concluding the schedule. On the next courts, the men’s firsts crushed Newcastle thirds 3-0, their fifth successive whitewash in all competitions, to put one hand on the title in BUCS League 3A, with a potential silverware double – they tackle Manchester Met next in the BUCS Cup – still on.

In men’s badminton action, the firsts, having won seven out of seven, strengthened their grip on the title in BUCS league 2B with a comfortable 6-2 triumph against Newcastle seconds in their first test of 2009. Late heroics from Chris Ashley and James Somerside rescued the seconds from a debilitating defeat at home to Sheffield seconds, the team who had ended their cup hopes last week. With three league fixtures remaining, the team sit rather nervously five points clear of Teesside, with the two pencilled in to meet at the beginning of March.

Some tennis action survived the weather, with the men’s firsts losing 6-4 away to high-flying Hull firsts, where a valiant effort was insufficient to claim their first league win of the season. The women’s firsts drew 5-5 against Leeds University seconds and are well-placed to challenge the teams above them, with several rearranged games still to be played.

The women’s volleyball team expected nothing from their away day at Leeds Met and so it transpired, with a straight-sets defeat which achieved little to hoist them from mid-table. Next week, the team welcome Sheffield University in a stern BUCS Cup quarter-final test.

Last Wednesday, the golf team successfully negotiated a tricky away tie at Sunderland to reach the last eight of the BUCS North Cup. Their 3.5-2.5 victory was built on individual wins by Chris Parker (2&1), Richard Coleman (3&2) and first-year Michael Hamilton. Their reward is a fixture at home to Leeds Met in the quarter-final stage on February 11th.