It has been a bad week for Cromer Squash Club, with both the first and second teams suffering disappointing 3-1 defeats in the Anaco-sponsored Norfolk SRA Summer Leagues.

The first team, who were without the injured Ben Herrieven and Henri Paul, went down 14-4 at home to Barnham Broom II in Division One. The second team were without John Baker, who was on first team duty, Steve Watts, Matt Copeman and technical director Barry Starling, who was again troubled by his long standing knee injury, for their Division Three match away to Broadland Hunters and did well to take the match to the wire before going down 14-7.

Former club champion John Baker was, for the second successive week, in sparkling form for the first team and he won his fourth string match in straight games but this was the team's only victory of the evening.

Veteran Alec Burrows is currently finding it hard to win three games in a match and he was beaten 3-1 while in the second string match Norfolk junior player Alex Oliver, who is a regular member of the club's tennis squad but who had been playing competitive squash for Fakenham, came in for his first match for the club but, despite looking a good prospect, lost 3-0 to the visiting captain.

Finally club champion and acting captain Richard Keeble also found his opponent too strong and he too was beaten in straight games although he could and perhaps should have won at least one of the first and third games.

Results: Richard Keeble lost to Peter Hubbard 8-9 4-9 8-10, Alex Oliver lost to Adam Goodson 4-9 5-9 0-9, Alec Burrows lost to Adie Martin 9-6 7-9 4-9 7-9, John Baker beat Craig Mattless 9-5 9-7 9-4.

Starling was able to put out a relatively strong second team. Michael Holdom was free of work commitments on the evening and he was able to make a rare but welcome appearance in the first string slot while Nick Dunnett, after a series of impressive internal league results, came into the team at number four. Martin Sanville again captained the team on court, playing the second string match with pensioner John Chandler playing at number three.

Dunnett looked as though he would make a dream debut when he led 2-1 but his lack of match play experience proved decisive and he had to settle for a 3-2 defeat but on the adjoining court Chandler again showed that his one on one training sessions with Martin Pearse have been beneficial and he brought the scores level by winning 3-1.

Unfortunately for the Cromer team this was their only success of the evening as Sanville was beaten 3-2 despite recovering well from the loss of the first two games while Holdom was beaten in straight games in a match which was closer than the score might suggest.

Results: Michael Holdom lost to Terry Mayes 6-9 5-9 6-9, Martin Sanville lost to Phil Magem 8-10 5-9 9-3 9-3 6-9, John Chandler beat John Munday 9-5 9-2 4-9 9-5, Nick Dunnett lost to Richard Hall 4-9 9-3 9-5 4-9 3-9.