County Championships report

The Lincolnshire Squash County Championships 2011/12 were successfully played out at Boston Squash and Racketball Club last weekend, with Boston-based players Mark Hildred and Dave Stones winning county titles.

Hildred won the over 45s competition for the second time since entering the category in 2010. The honour followed a run through to the last eight of the over 45s European Championships in Portugal. Dave Stones, himself a former over 45s county champion, won the over 55s final to prise the crown away from Paul Tudor.

Dave Stones was the first of the finalists on court against an opponent who had won the over 55s category at the previous three championships. It was a relatively comfortable victory for Stones, who won 9/1, 9/1, 9/4. In the next youngest age category Mark Hildred faced Colin Fisher in the final. Hildred ran away with the first game 9/1, however the next stage of the match was markedly different. Fisher took an 8/5 lead and was on the verge of pulling level, but he let his lead slip and Hildred doubled his advantage to 2-0 via a 10/8 scoreline. The third game finished 9/4 to Hildred, thus securing him the over 45s county title after a competitive final which lasted 39 minutes. Hildred then lost to John Hand 15/13, 11/6, 11/4 in the over 35s showdown. The Bostonian was visibly fatigued by his previous match and a gruelling first game.

The closest and most impressive Ladies' final for a number of years followed on court, and Fran Wallis beat Lisa Tamplin in five sets: 11/6, 9/11, 12/10, 7/11, 11/7. The men's open concluded with 19-year-old Adam Auckland beating Richard Parsons 11/8, 11/1, 11/7 to retain the title of county champion.

There were two more successes for Boston as Jake Fountain beat OIlie Fixter 11/5, 11/7, 11/1 in the final of the main plate, and Ady Proctor overcame Gary Cheetham 9/0, 9/1, 7/9, 9/7 to win the senior plate final. The championships preceeded the start of the new season's Lincolnshire Leagues, in which Boston have entered three teams.