Grantham Squash and Fitness Centre welcomed the Karakal East of England Masters from 30 October to 1 November 2026, with 14 main and 10 plate age group draws producing memorable comebacks, seeded upsets and some outstanding individual performances. Some established champions added to their title collections, while new finalists made their mark during an absorbing weekend of Masters squash.
Women’s Over 60: Top seed Heather Tweedle (MSY) took the title without dropping a game in her two contested round-robin matches. She defeated Deborah Rogers (DYS) 11/2, 11/2, 11/0 before overcoming Susan Pynegar (NOT) 11/2, 11/7, 11/6. With second seed Julie-Anne Pegram (SFK) withdrawing, Pynegar secured the runners-up position through an emphatic straight-games victory over Rogers, who finished third.
Women’s Over 55: Jane Armstrong (WKS) justified her top seeding with an unbeaten round-robin performance. Straight-games wins over Katie Hancock (ESX) and Kath Gray (CBA) set up the decisive meeting with second seed Tamsin Bennett (SRY), who had also won both her earlier matches 3–0. Armstrong took the first two games, and although Bennett fought back to claim the third, Armstrong completed an 11/4, 11/9, 5/11, 11/7 victory. Hancock finished third after beating Gray in straight games.
Women’s Over 50: Catherine Ruffle (CBA) claimed the title without conceding a game. The top seed defeated Sarah Parr (BRK) in the semi-final before meeting second seed Louisa Dalwood (HFD), who had beaten Debbie Locke (WKS) and Kate Smith (YKS) in straight games. Ruffle maintained her assured form in the final, winning 11/5, 11/4, 11/8 in 23 minutes to complete an impressive weekend.
Women’s Over 45: Caroline Hazlewood (OFE) emerged unbeaten from the pool and play-off format to take the title. The second seed won her pool without dropping a game, while Natalie Townsend (WKS) upset top seed Kate Bradshaw (HFD), recovering from 2–1 down to win their pool encounter in five. Lynn Hetherington (CBA) also overturned the seedings by edging Nicky Davies (NOR) 14/12 in the fifth. In the title play-off, Hazlewood proved too strong for Townsend, winning 11/4, 11/2, 11/6 in 17 minutes. Bradshaw secured third place with a four-game victory over Hetherington.
Women’s Over 35/40: Kirsty West (CHS) won all three matches to secure the combined title. After a straight-games opening victory over Jennifer Wright (ESX), the top seed defeated Helen Walsh (HFD) in four before completing her campaign with an 11/4, 11/5, 11/7 win over second seed Heather Joy (BUX). Walsh’s earlier four-game victory over Joy proved decisive in securing second place. Wright’s final scheduled match against Walsh was recorded as an injury retirement.
Men’s Over 75: Chris Ansell (BRK) celebrated his 13th ESM Regional title after a memorable run through the draw. Competing in the Over 75s because there were insufficient entries to stage the Over 80 category, the 5–8 seed first beat Bryan Francis (MDX), then recorded his first ESM victory over top seed Barry Featherstone (HPH). Ansell led their semi-final by two games before Featherstone levelled, but held firm to take the fifth 11/8. Second seed Andrew Edmondson (LCN) also recovered from two games down in his semi-final against Patrick Butler (SSX). Ansell then won the final 11/9, 13/11, 11/5.
Men’s Over 70: Gordon Benbow (CNL) and Ripley Oyler (BRK) renewed their rivalry from the 2022 World Masters bronze-medal match in Poland, with Benbow again the winner. Oyler, seeded 5–8, produced two remarkable recoveries, overturning two-game deficits against 3-4 seed Rob Ballingall (BUX) in the quarter-final and second seed David Matthew (CNL) in the semi-final. Elsewhere, Robert Houldsworth (LNH) upset the other 3-4 seed Andrew Clarkson (YKS) in five before losing to Benbow. The top seed completed his campaign with an 11/4, 9/11, 11/5, 11/9 final victory.
Men’s Over 65: Alan Borrill (LCN) claimed his second ESM Regional title, defeating George Kousseff (HPH) 11/8, 11/2, 12/10 in the final. Both finalists arrived with one Regional title to their name and survived five-game quarter-finals: Borrill overcame Nick Gollaglee (NOR), while 5–8 seed Kousseff edged 3-4 seed Tom Burton (HWR) in 44 minutes. Kousseff then led top seed Allen Barwise (CBA) by two games when Barwise retired injured. Borrill progressed against second seed Stephen Edmondson (CBA), whose semi-final also ended in retirement, before taking the final in straight games.
Men’s Over 60: Former British Open Masters champion Stephen McLoughlin (HPH) secured his 10th ESM Regional title with victory over first-time finalist Karl Hardy (CHS). Top seed Howard Nuttall (MSY) had needed 57 minutes to overcome Marvin Rust (HFD) in four games, but subsequently withdrew injured before facing Hardy in the semi-final. McLoughlin’s semi-final against Alex Betts (MDX) also ended through injury retirement. Hardy pushed the second seed to 15/13 in the opening game of the final, but McLoughlin then took control, completing a straight-games victory in 28 minutes.
Men’s Over 55: Jason Burgon (CBE) turned his second successive final appearance into a first ESM Regional title with a stirring comeback against Mark Steeden (KNT). Burgon had recovered from losing the opening game against Nigel Rowe (WLT) in the semi-final, while Steeden defeated second seed Jason Fletcher (SRY) in four to reach his first Regional final. Steeden then established a two-game lead in the final, but top seed Burgon responded superbly, winning 8/11, 4/11, 11/9, 11/8, 11/7 in 43 minutes.
Men’s Over 50: Former National Masters champion Paul Boyle (BUX) claimed his 12th ESM Regional title after a cracking five-game final against Adam Dominey (IOW). Appearing in his first Regional final following fourth place at the 2026 World Masters Championships, Dominey had already beaten second seed Ian Cox (NOR) in five and recovered from two games down against Wayne Beglan (SRY) in a demanding 59-minute semi-final. Boyle’s route included an injury withdrawal by Matthew Stephenson (YKS) and an injury retirement by top seed Mark Davis (CBE). Twice behind in the final, Boyle fought back to win 10/12, 11/6, 8/11, 11/7, 11/8 in 40 minutes.
Men’s Over 45: Paul Warner (LCN) secured his second consecutive ESM Regional title and fifth overall, recovering from losing the opening game to beat Nick Hargreaves (NOT) in the final. Hargreaves, seeded 5–8 and appearing in his fifth Regional final, had upset 3-4 seed Ben Shakespeare (BFD) before defeating Grant Bryant (SFK). Bryant had produced another notable quarter-final upset by beating second seed Mick Biggs (MDX) 3–0. In the other half, Steven Davies (BFD) overcame James Greenhead (SRY) in a 48-minute quarter-final before losing to Warner. The top seed finished strongly to win the final 4/11, 11/9, 11/7, 11/4.
Men’s Over 40: Current British Open Masters champion Matthew Sampson (CBE) took the round-robin title following the pre-event injury withdrawal of top seed Dale Diment (AVN). Sampson defeated George Shoulder (HPH) 11/9, 11/6, 7/11, 11/8 in 41 minutes, then overcame Paul Wallace (ESX) 11/7, 11/7, 9/11, 11/8 in 40 minutes. Wallace secured second place with a straight-games win over Shoulder.
Men’s Over 35: James Snell (DVN) collected his seventh ESM Regional title, defeating Luke Bishop (SOM), who reached the final on his ESM debut. Snell progressed without dropping a game against Mark Lafferty (ESX) and David Allman (AVN). Lafferty had earlier upset higher-seeded Richard Underhill (NOT). The competition’s longest recorded match was Jamie Douglas’s (NLD) 74-minute quarter-final victory over Simon Roach (MDX), with Douglas recovering from 2–1 down to win in five. Bishop then defeated Douglas in four before testing Snell in the final, where the top seed prevailed 11/7, 9/11, 11/4, 11/1.
Our thanks go to our sponsor, Karakal, for their continued support of England Squash Masters, and to Grantham Squash and Fitness Centre, its staff and volunteers for hosting the event – Bryn Vivian, General Manager, Rachel Truman, Events Manager, David Goodridge, Squash Chairman, Vic Skier, House Chairman, Caroline and the catering team. We also thank the ESM event team for their work throughout the weekend, and all the players whose commitment and sportsmanship contributed to such an enjoyable tournament.
The ESM Correspondent