Defending champions Blown, Saints clash in today’s KPMG Squash final

Defending champions Blown and Saints will meet in the final of the KPMG Squash League tonight at the Liguanea Club.

In Tuesday’s semi-finals, Blown defeated Swift Swingers 2-1 in three games that could have gone either way. In the other semi-final, Saints ended the Jamaica Defence Force’s (JDF) good run in the competition by a similar 2-1 margin.

Swift Swingers started their semi-final on a high, having comprehensively beaten Blown 3-0 in the group stage. Captain Andre Wright started the ball rolling when he got his team on the score sheet with a 3-1 win over Blown’s Andrew Bicknell with scores of 18-21, 21-11, 21-16, 21-20. Blown’s captain, Jake Mahfood, then got the better of junior player Ethan Miller 3-0 (21-19, 21-18, 23-20. The deciding match between the experienced Fitzroy Smith and winner Fraser McConnell was a thrilling five-setter. Smith won the first two sets but did not have the fitness to combat the younger, fitter McConnell. Scores in the match were 23-21, 21-20, 13-21, 6-21, 11-21.

Mahfood had high praises for his teammates.

“Our star player, Andrew Bicknell, lost, and we were a bit worried. Fraser (McConnell) then pulled off an amazing victory. So we’re just grateful for the win, and we’re just looking forward to the final.”

The other semi-final lasted a little longer but was probably more dramatic.

Saints’ captain, Mario O’Connor, lost to JDF’s Derrian Barrant 2-3 after posting scores of 19-21, 15-21, 21-20, 21-15, 13-21. JDF’s captain, Jemel Sterling, put up a good fight but lost to the very fit and experienced Jerry Bell 3-1 (16-21, 21-18, 21-19, 21-20).

Saints’ Leigh Dwyer then defeated JDF’s Orville Bennett 14-21, 21-17, 21-16, 21-16.

O’Connor said that “it was always a dream” to make it to the finals. This year, we’re playing Blown, which is kind of a rematch from last year when we played them in the semi-finals. We lost then, and they made it to the finals and won, so we’re hoping to exact revenge this time and play a little smarter and see if we can get it this time.”

The final will begin at 6 p.m.