On Sunday 12th October, Cumbria played Lancashire and Northumbria in the Stage 1 matches. First up for Cumbria was Lancashire, with both teams much changed from the previous season. Cumbria handed debuts to three girls, and Lancashire gave two players their first taste of county squash. At number 5 for Cumbria, Megan Singleton (Windscale) started nervously, and although keeping in touch with her opponent Chloe Harrison, couldn't quite do enough to get in front and soon found herself two games down 9/11, 6/11. She turned the score round in the third as she settled in and played some more accurate shots, winning that game 11/9. The fourth game ebbed and flowed, as neither player could get too far in front to dominate the game, and at 9/9 it was finely balanced, however her opponent grabbed the next two points for an 11/9 game win and a 3-1 match score. On the other court Hannah Crichton (Windscale) was having a battle royal with Katrina Burrows. Hannah started slowly and Katrina pulled away to an 11/6 game. Undaunted, Hannah started to reel her opponent in and was unlucky to lose a tight second, 11/9 for a two nil deficit. Into the third game, where Hannah's powerful driving and better game control brought it's reward, leading her to success 11/7, quickly followed up in the fourth with an 11/8 score in her favour, two games all. The fifth game saw Katrina pull out a four point advantage, only for Hannah to reply by levelling the score, both girls then played their best squash to deliver the telling blows in the contest, and it was Hannah who pulled ahead by 9 points to 6. Katrina dug in and levelled at 9 all, a poor shot selection at this point cost Hannah the match as Katrina closed out the game and match 11/9, 3-2. A classic encounter.

Next up for Cumbria was debutant Victoria Watson (Carlisle), who had proved in the recent County Championships her improved form and confidence. Her opponent Ellie Cowie also a debutant started brightly, and with a combination of Victoria's serving errors, and her long reach, cut out anything Victoria hit loose, soon winning the first 11/6. Victoria improved in the second, and made her opponent work harder for the game, however Ellie again prevailed 11/7. The third saw Victoria start to dominate the 't', and with her opponent stuck at the back Victoria could play the ball around the front court to pick up the vital game points, and claimed the third 11/9. Digging deep in the fourth, both girls were looking to take control, and it was Victoria who had the first game ball chance, alas it passed her by and Ellie was soon serving for the match. The Cumbrian spirit shone through in Victoria, not only in saving that point, but again getting herself ahead to serve for the game. Once again Ellie wasn't to be denied, levelling and then getting herself back in front, she finally served out the game and match ball to win the fourth game 15/13, and the match 3-1. As this battle  ensued, over on the other court, Jessica Winder (Windscale) was up against Katie Lloyd, and as had happened all day so far, she was soon two games to nil down. The first was a very tight affair with never more than 2 points separating either player, but it was Katie's game 11/9. The second got away from Jessica at the start, with Katie hitting the better shots, and Jessica's mistakes costing her dearly. A five point lead was maintained throughout the game, and even extended at the end as Katie ran out an easy winner 11/3. A severe talking to, and better application in the third game, saw Jessica play a much better game, worthy of her current position as County Champion, and although Katie stuck to her task, she couldn't compete with Jessica's range of shots and excellent court coverage, Jessica pulling this one back 11/7, two games to one. The fourth was a carbon copy of the first, neither player more that two points clear at any time, as both looked to take the game. Katie's earlier form returning just in time to frustrate Jessica, and for the Lancastrian girl to claim the game 11/9, and the match 3-1.

Last up for Cumbria, and on her debut also, was Luisa Mc Gregor (Windscale). Against the days form so far, Luisa opened up her campaign with a first game win, comfortably beating her opponent Leah Molyneux 11/8, with an excellent array of shots from all over the court. The second, a virtual carbon copy of the first, again saw Luisa dominate the rallies, and her opponent, to record a second 11/8 game win. Leah had no more answers in the third either, and became increasingly more demoralised as Luisa increased the stranglehold she had in the game. It was only a matter of time before Leah's patience and resolve broke, and Luisa comfortably won the third, and match, 11/6, 3-0, for Cumbria's sole win of the match.

Altogether this was a contest Cumbria could have won, despite the 4-1 score-line. Our girls played some excellent squash throughout the tie, and had it not been for going two nil down in all the individual matches we lost, and therefore giving ourselves too much leeway to make up, allied to losing 7 of the games by only two points, it could have been a winning start.

Our second match was against a strong, seasoned Northumbria side, who following our game with Lancashire; beat them easily 4 ties to 1.

Megan, following on from her morning exertions was understandably tired, and nerves again played a part in her demise. Never really able to cope with her left handed opponent Emma Hayle's angles, she lost in three games, but never the less can be proud of her debut, 4/11, 1/11, 1/11. At the same time on the other court Hannah was up against her old adversary, Maria Bainbridge. Never having taken a game off Maria before, Hannah showed Maria just how much she has improved lately by keeping within 1 point of her all the way to 9 points all, only for Maria to pinch the first game 11/9. Hannah faltered in the second as Maria put away anything loose and quickly the score was 2-0, as the second was lost 11/5. As in the morning, two nil down was a mountain to climb, so Hannah set about the task as before, patiently building confidence with tight shots, mixed with power and subtlety when called for, and this paid off with an 11/9 win in the third. Maria, now noticeably more agitated started slowly allowing Hannah a 5/1 lead, only for Hannah to then err, allowing Maria back in to level at five all, more steady squash saw Hannah again push on to a two point lead, only for Maria to level and pass into a two point lead of her own. In the end it was Maria who came out on top, with a deciding score of 11/8, to claim an exciting close match, 3-1.

Victoria was no match either for her seasoned opponent Anna Gibson, who having dropped down the order from the previous seasons number 3 team position, was too strong in her all round court craft. Victoria showed glimpses of what she was capable of, but Anna held all the answers to any questions that Victoria posed, and ran out a comfortable winner in three straight games 11/5, 11/5, 11/5. Alongside on the other court, two more adversaries were having a tough battle to decide who was best. Jessica, never having beaten, but often having taken games off Lucy Beecroft, was holding all the aces at 10/4 up, serving for the first game. Lucy, possibly having been in this position before didn't panic, nor was she about to surrender, and soon turned the screw on Jessica, having saved that game ball, and then by winning the next 7 rallies to have her own game ball serve. Jessica succumbed and a truly relieved Lucy was 1 game up, 12/10. Jessica, somewhat shell-shocked, but unbowed was right there again in the second, with points being shared evenly between the two girls. Lucy got to 9 first but couldn't make it count, to then see Jessica level it up at nine all, however it was now her turn to falter and again Lucy's nerve held the better to close out that game 11/9, for a two nil lead. Jessica having come so close was perhaps somewhat crestfallen in the third, and Lucy played by far the better squash to record an easy game win 11/3, and a hard won 3-0 match score.

Last onto court again, Luisa was in for a much tougher match than her mornings encounter. Jayne Oswald was equally adept at playing a similar sort of game to Luisa's, and it was point for point all the way, until, as had happened many times over the day, the winning crucial couple of points went against us, and Luisa was 1 down, 11/9. Jayne having learned from her mistakes in the first, played the better squash in the second as Luisa went for too many rally ending shots, only to make crucial mistakes, and give cheap points away. Jayne was now two games up, with an 11/5 game. Luisa had to change her approach, and duly took care to get the ball past her opponent, making her chase the ball, and getting her playing from the back of the court more often. This freed up the 't', for Luisa to dominate, and she comfortably won that game 11/4. However it was a temporary return to form and Jayne played the fourth like she had the first, and with Luisa making more unforced errors, the score-line 11/2, was a fair reflection in the state of the match, Jayne winning 3-1. This was a creditable performance against a very strong Northumbria side, when taking into consideration we were playing with three debutants. Over the course of the days ties, the stronger (more competition hardened) players and teams won, but the standard of Cumbrian Squash played is now much closer than seen in the previous season.