Prestigious squash trophy stays put

Marlborough’s squash team retained the Heaphy Shield in convincing form over the weekend, winning with a record 29 matches to Nelson’s 17 and West Coast’s 2.

The home side’s dominance was reflected by the fact they only dropped three men’s matches all weekend.

Marlborough set the tone from the outset, racking up eight wins on Friday evening, then 14 on Saturday and seven on Sunday.

There were some notable milestones. Clark Ellery of the West Coast played in his 41st consecutive Heaphy Shield competition, having debuted as a 16-year-old. Marlborough captain Grant Craig has played in 28 shield challenges.

The competition concluded on Sunday with a superb match between Henry Aitken from Nelson and Marlborough’s Tom Marshall, with Henry prevailing narrowly in the fifth set.

David Winstanley, who along with Nelson’s Neil Senior set the competition up in 1976, was on hand to present the trophy to the winning combination.

The Marlborough men’s team comprised, in playing order, Thomas Jordaan, Tom Marshall, Hannes Schoeman and Henry Moran.

The local women’s team welcomed back former international Megan Craig at number one, with Mickayla Kerr at two, Leonie Marshall at three and Julie Brown at four.