Hithercroft Open 2025

For the inaugural running of what it is fervently hoped will be an annual tournament, over 30 players rocked up to Hithercroft on Saturday, September 6^th. The setting at Wallingford Sports Park had a real buzz about it with Hockey, Rugby and Football matches taking place in adjoining areas whilst the bar area was kept busy from early morning with numerous requests from their breakfast menu.

In amongst all this activity and utilising all 3 squash courts, James Hicks (Club Captain) had assiduously organised the Hithercroft Open with participants spread across 4 Grades.

Still basking from his success in the County Closed, Jason Varrie was hoping to add this championship to his list of achievements. After rather uncharitably sweeping aside the aforementioned Hicks in the Quarter Finals, the England Masters International encountered the Number One Junior in Oxfordshire, Kacper Kwiecinski, for a place in the A Grade Final. Footage of this encounter can be viewed below, suffice to say that Jason was the quicker out of the blocks and his court coverage was quite excellent. Kacper played his best squash in the 3^rd but alas too late – there will be other days.

The undoubted star of this category and who has come to Squash very belatedly courtesy of a Tennis and Badminton upbringing, Charlie Naylor defeated fellow Abingdon team-mate Ali De Visme in his Quarter Final before facing the second seed, Witney’s James Hempstead for the right to take on Mr Varrie. In a high quality epic, Charlie narrowly failed losing 10-12 in the fifth, both players clearly worn out by the end.

In the Final, after taking a 2-0 lead, Varrie was pegged back by a revitalised and determined Hempstead in the third but went on to claim the title 3 games to1 in a shade over 30 minutes.

In a Round Robin involving four very good and evenly matched players for the B Grade, the home club’s Ben Law surrendered a 2 love lead in his opener to Martin Packman of University. Surviving a brace of match points, he finally squeezed over the line 16-14 against his luckless opponent in the decider. Buoyed by this spirited comeback he then despatched Joe Burbank of Abingdon before taking on a slimmed down Mike Beck of Nuffield to determine the destination of the title. Having taken the opener quite comfortably, Beck who is really striking the ball quite beautifully, then struggled to compete with the superior fitness of the lad from the Forces (RAF, I believe) and succumbed 3-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-7.

In a category full of surprises, none of the top three seeds made it to the Final of the C Grade. The Number Three, Tom Riley lost out to fellow Hithercroftian Gavin Tarrant in the Semis whilst Helen Knowles (the No 2) looked to be carrying a slight niggle in her left hamstring but typically made no excuses when having been an earlier victim of this upstart Tarrant.

In the top half, Josh Cowen D’Arcy, recently returned from his travels overseas in his custom built van now acting as his temporary home in an Oxford pub car park, defeated hometown stalwart Julian Moss and then swept aside yours truly in the next round. He then went missing!

A frantic search of the locale resulted in his being unearthed asleep in said convertible. Literally seconds away from being timed out by the organiser, he scrambled on court to take on the top seed, Caroline Hazlewood of Racquets and perhaps unsurprisingly lost the first game. In a highly competitive affair by the end of which both combatants were absolutely exhausted, the Gladiator’s sole representative at this event overcame the bookies favourite to advance to the Final.

Probably benefiting JCD more, a significant delay before the denouement of this competition allowed a chance for some recuperation after which the giant killing heroics of Tarrant were eventually ended, Van Man running out the 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 winner.

Abingdon youngster Oscar Price took on Hithercroft’s David Street and the veteran Steve’s, Dance and Bonham in the D Grade, also arranged in a Round Robin format.

With 2 victories apiece Price and Street played off for the top prize with the former landing the spoils 11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5.

All were agreed this was a very enjoyable day out playing and watching squash. Adding most agreeably to the occasion, a pint of Rebellion cost £4.40 and for our entrance fee we all got a most colourful and well fitting T Shirt.

I’m sure this will be the first of many at Hithercroft and we now look forward to Abingdon S/C following suit in the New Year and perhaps one or two more clubs after that. This website will doubtless give you advance notice first!

For full results, go to – https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Hithercroft-Open

For video footage of Varrie v Kwiecinski, click on: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qXrjWSx2zusm8JsM9

Photos below

A Grade Champion – Jason Varrie (Hithercroft) receiving trophy from James Hicks