A WIRRAL sports club is now hosting elite level squash.

The Neston Club’s first team gained promotion to Division 1 of the North West Counties Squash League and played their first match earlier this week against Liverpool Cricket Club.

Squash at Neston is enjoying a boom with the club now operating six teams in the league, two racketball teams and healthy junior coaching and ladies offerings. There are also regular social club nights on Monday evenings with all standards mixing in.

The resurgence of squash at the club has been spearheaded by head coach Andrew Evans, a former Welsh international and international coach.

The first team has secured headline sponsorship from Tula Medical Experts, which provides clinician-led expertise in medical negligence and catastrophic injury. Other sponsors of squash at The Neston Club include Cloud Jungle, AP Mitchell, Rent Wirral, Beplas and Oakwood Farm.

It is the first time in over a decade that The Neston Club has showcased top level squash and has signed world ranked professionals Emyr Evans (Welsh No 2 and world ranked 75), Sam Buckley (Irish No 1 and world ranked 154) and Matt Gregory (world ranked 299).

The 1st team squad also includes several regular Neston players including captain Jon Hunter, Rachael Chadwick, Mark Thomason, Alex Kirkpatrick and Welsh junior international Jamie Silvester.

Following a hard-fought loss away to Liverpool Cricket Club on Tuesday, the first team’s first home match of the season takes place on Tuesday, October 8.

The other five teams also play in the North West Counties Squash League on Thursday evenings, while the club’s two racketball teams play in the Merseyside and Cheshire League on Tuesday nights.

Jon Hunter, first team captain, said: “It is a fantastic achievement for the club to be part of the premier division of squash in the North West. It is something we have been building towards over the last few years and was accelerated by the arrival of Andrew Evans as our head coach three years ago.

“We look forward to welcoming some of the best players in the world to The Neston Club who I’m sure will serve up a feast of squash.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about squash and racketball at The Neston Club should contact Andrew Evans – starssquash@gmail.com / 07796 177197 or visit the club anytime after 6pm in the evening.