What a difference a year makes.

Last November, we reported on the dire state the Law Society's Squash Club found itself in, with just one annual fixture left in its calendar.

And that, against the East Sheen Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, led to a humiliating 5-0 drubbing.

However, since the club's plight was reported by Obiter, it has enjoyed something of a renaissance, attracting new members and adding fixtures against City law firms.

So the club returned to East Sheen this year in rather better heart, and though it lost again, its players put up considerably more of a fight.

After Paul Marchand (of White & Case) romped to victory in the opening rubber, Christopher English (Richards Butler), Matthew Coull (White & Case) and David Ashton (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) made their debuts with varying degrees of success.

Mr English wasted no time whatsoever in putting his opponent away for the loss of just seven points, but Mr Coull went down to the club captain and Mr Ashton went the way of other male City lawyers before him at the hands of Beverly Bunn, who we are told possesses a high serve and deadly drop shot.

'Surely there must be a lady solicitor who could rescue her male colleagues from this annual shame?' pleads Law Society club captain Giles Stimson, an in-house lawyer at the Financial Services Authority.

Mr Stimson himself enjoyed the distinction of taking part in the only match of the evening that went to more than three games, but sadly only one of those went his way as the team lost 3-2.

Obiter expects that, with another 12 months of development behind it, the Law Society's team in 2004 will sweep aside the East Sheen Law Tennis and Squash Club, Beverly Bunn and all.

Contact Mr Stimson: giles.stimson@fsa.gov.uk.