Squash: Whanganui and Ohakune players in winning Central Districts team over Waikato

Whanganui Squash Club's Kent Darlington and Ohakune's Tina Steedman were in the Central Districts Senior team that narrowly defeated Waikato 14-10 in New Plymouth on Saturday.

Playing at the Kawaroa Park Club, the teams were made up of six men and six women, who all played two matches of five sets each during the day.

Central Districts took a 8-4 lead after the morning round, which proved crucial as they split the afternoon results with Waikato 6-6.

A number of Central's afternoon wins were by just 1-2 points after five sets, which could have all the difference if they went the other way.

In the Men's grade, Darlington defeated Courtney Coetzee in the morning by three straight sets 16/14, 11/6, 11/6, but lost in the afternoon to Ben Calvert in a tight five set match, 11/7, 8/11, 12/14, 11/6, 13/11.

Steedman had bad luck in the Women's grade as she was injured in the third set of her matchup with Amber Helm, having to default when the scores were 9/11, 11/7, 2/4.

She then also defaulted her afternoon match to Aleisha Coombes.

It is the fifth year of this annual representative clash, with Waikato having won the first three before Central Districts have now pulled it back with two victories.

This was the first season the teams played for the Leevey Shield, donated by the well-known Waikato and Taranaki squash family, which includes Commonwealth Games silver medallist Tamsyn Leevey.