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PREMIER SQUASH LEAGUE

LEAGUE FIXTURES
2009-2010

Groups

First named is home team, start time 7pm

06 Oct

 Second Half, Reversed Fixtures

Nottingham 3-2 Duffield

Newport 1-4 Oxford

Surrey H&R 3-2 Guildford

  Playoffs

Esporta Oxford 4-1 TWP St George's Hill

Surrey Health & Racquets 3-2 MB Nottingham

 Final

Semi Finals

Esporta Oxford & Surrey Health To Contest PSL Final

Esporta Oxford pulled off a stunning 4/1 home win over TWP St George's Hill  in tonight's Premier Squash League (PSL) semi-final play-offs to earn their maiden appearance in the final of the world's most prestigious squash league – where they will face 2008 champions and fellow Esporta club Surrey Health & Racquets.

It was a night of high drama in which Croydon club Surrey Health had to wait until the final match of their home clash against 1999 champions MB Nottingham before top string Peter Barker, the world No8 from London, finally clinched his 11-4, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9 victory in 73 minutes over Dutch star Laurens Jan Anjema, the world No11, to secure the club's place in next month's final.

The hosts romped into the lead when French number one Camille Serme beat her English rival Sarah Kippax 2-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7 – then top-ranked Scot Alan Clyne despatched Nottingham late-comer Mark Fuller        11-9, 11-7, 11-8.

However, Nottingham mounted a mighty recovery when club stalwart Simon Parke, the former world No3 who led Nottingham to title success 11 years ago, beat fellow 37-year-old and former great Peter Nicol 8-11, 11-8, 11-7 14-12 after 72 minutes – left-hander Nicol, the former world number one and world champion, failing to convert four game-balls in the fourth game.

Then Nottingham pulled level when their Malaysian star Ong Beng Hee extended his unbeaten record over Davide Bianchetti by beating the top Italian 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8.

"Peter Barker was awesome in the decider," said a jubilant Surrey Health team manager Pete Smith after their 3/2 win.  "It was always going to be a close call, and I knew it could go down to the last match.

"We knew it would need someone like Pete to pull it off for us – and he did us proud.  It was always going to be a very special night."

The Esporta Oxford squad was clearly inspired by home advantage – but after Irish number one Madeline Perry gave the hosts a solid lead following her 11-1, 11-2, 11-3 win over the Weybridge club's Julie Peachey, St George's top-rated Hungarian Mark Krajcsak levelled the tie with a four-game win over Oxford stalwart Scott Handley.

The Oxford number three Chris Ryder, aged 29, then faced the night's youngest player Nicolas Mueller, one of the Tour's fastest-rising players from Switzerland.  Undeterred by dropping the first game – and losing to the youngster in the their previous encounter – Ryder played the game of his life to beat Mueller 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 6-11.

Inspired by his team-mate's extraordinary performance, Oxford's top-ranked German Simon Rosner continued the rout by beating the visitors' top England prospect Tom Richards 11-6, 14-12, 13-11 in 50 minutes to take his club into their first final.

By now the 'dead' top-string clash was certain to be an anticlimax – and the home club's Australian international Cameron Pilley earned his first career win over Daryl Selby, the Essex 27-year-old boasting a best-ever world No9 ranking, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 in 34 minutes.

"There's something about wanting to win in front of a home crowd," said Oxford team manager Jason Martin later.  "Chris Ryder was just awesome – he came off after losing the first game, and you could see that he knew he needed to get back and get in front, for the sake of the crowd.

"And once he got the bit between his teeth, he was unbeatable - and Simon Rosner was the same.  They were two incredible performances," added Martin.

Esporta Oxford, in only their fourth season in the PSL, were celebrating their first appearance in the semi-final play-offs after coming top – by a single point – of Group A.

"When we first came into the competition, we always wanted to win – and knew we could," Martin continued. 

"And the fact that it will be an all-Esporta final is incredible.  Of the 55 Esporta clubs around the country, only 11 have squash facilities.

"Let's hope our success in the PSL will now help lift the profile of the sport within the group!"

PSL Final:  4 May 2010 (venue tbc):

Esporta Oxford v Surrey Health & Racquets

RESULTS:  Semi-final play-offs, Tuesday 6 April 2010

Esporta Oxford 4  TWP St George's Hill 1

  Cameron Pilley bt Daryl Selby 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (34m)

  Simon Rosner bt Tom Richards 11-6, 14-12, 13-11 (50m)

  Chris Ryder bt Nicolas Mueller 10-12, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 (63m)

  Scott Handley lost to Mark Krajcsak 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 6-11

  Madeline Perry bt Julie Peachey 11-1, 11-2, 11-3

Surrey Health & Racquets 3  MB Nottingham 2

  Peter Barker bt Laurens Jan Anjema 11-4, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9 (73m)

  Davide Bianchetti lost to Ong Beng Hee 11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11

  Peter Nicol lost to Simon Parke 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 12-14 (72m)

  Alan Clyne bt Mark Fuller 11-9, 11-7, 11-8

  Camille Serme bt Sarah Kippax 2-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7

10th Round Report
Esporta Oxford Celebrate PSL Semi-Final Breakthrough

In a dramatic tenth and final round of the Premier Squash League (PSL), Dutchman Dylan Bennett celebrated his first outing of the season for Esporta Oxford by winning the decider against former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield – a straight games victory which not only took his team to top of the Group A points table, but also into the semi-final play-offs of the world's most prestigious squash league for the first time.

The 3/2 victory put Oxford on 146 points for the season – just a single point ahead of fellow Group A semi-final qualifiers MB Nottingham, the 1999 champions who lost 4/1 away from home to last season's champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton. 

The leadership of Group B was settled in the all-Surrey tie between TWP St George's Hill and Surrey Health & Racquets – in which Croydon-based Surrey Health, the 2008 champions, earned a powerful 4/1 away win to finish in top place and claim a semi-final slot for the fourth year in a row.

Thus, the Tuesday 6th April semi-final line-up will see Esporta Oxford host fellow first-time semi-finalists TWP St George's Hill, while Surrey Health & Racquets will entertain MB Nottingham, the East Midlands side making their first appearance in the knockout stage since finishing as runners-up in 2003.

A capacity crowd at the Duffield club in Derbyshire were looking forward to celebrating their team's fifth successive appearance in the play-offs – and the omens looked good when Laura Hill beat Katherine Quarterman 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 and Duffield hero Nick Matthew, the reigning British champion and world number two, despatched the visitors' Chris Ryder 11-8, 11-8, 13-11.

But Oxford's fire-power was boosted on the night by a pair of Dutchman – and after Piedro Schweertman, from The Hague, twice came from behind to pip the home side's Chris Fuller 12-10 in the fifth, Eindhoven-based world No73 Dylan Bennett played one of the most crucial games of his life to beat Duffield stalwart Andrew Whipp 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 in the tie decider.

"It was the first time Dylan had played for us this season and it was a big match to come into," said Oxford team manager Jason Martin.  "But he was very much up for it – and he was awesome.  To have a full house cheering for your opponent wasn't easy, but he took it his stride – he was definitely our 'man-of-the-match'.

"We needed both our Dutchmen – and they made a big difference.

"I don't think we've beaten Duffield in about seven attempts – so to go to Derbyshire and beat them in their own back yard was something special.  I'm very pleased - and our sponsors are delighted, especially that we'll be hosting the semi-final," added Martin.

"For the last few seasons, we've been steadily getting closer to reaching the finals – then losing badly when we shouldn't have.  But the main thing for us this season has been our consistency.  I thought tonight might have been beyond us – but we did it!"

Emma Beddoes was the lone Nottingham star, beating Chapel Allerton regular Carrie Ramsey 11-6, 11-4, 11-1 in the opening match.  But a near full-strength Chapel Allerton squad saw the Leeds club take control as Chris Hall, Laurence Delasaux, Alister Walker all won, before former world champion Thierry Lincou beat his French national team-mate Renan Lavigne 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 in the top string battle to ensure the home side's 4/1 win.

Both TWP St George's Hill and Surrey Health & Racquets fielded near full-strength squads as they battled for the Group B title.  But it was the visitors' big guns that ultimately prevailed as France's rising star Camille Serme started the ball rolling with a straight games win over St George's Hill's Rachel Willmott – then later Surrey Health's world top ten stalwarts Wael El Hindi and Peter Barker wiped out the hosts' lower-ranked opposition in straightforward style after veteran team captain Tim Garner earned a commendable win over world-ranked Neil Hitchens.

However, St George's celebrated a notable consolation win when Joe Lee beat former England junior team-mate Adrian Waller 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5.

In other ties which were not contesting for places in the knockout stages, Pontefract celebrated their best win of the season in Group A by beating Welsh club Newport 4/1 at home – while Surrey Storm Guildford scored only their second win of the season with a 3/2 home victory over one-time Group B title contenders Exeter Diamonds, and Covers Chichester rounded off the season in fine style by despatching last season's semi-finalists Probuild Bristol 4/1 away from home.

RESULTS:            10th round, Tuesday 16 March 2010

    Group A:

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 4  MB Nottingham 1

  Thierry Lincou bt Renan Lavigne 11-3, 11-5, 11-7

  Alister Walker bt Simon Parke 11-8, 12-10, 11-8

  Laurence Delasaux bt Arthur Gaskin 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6

  Chris Hall bt Lewis Walters 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6

  Carrie Ramsey lost to Emma Beddoes 6-11, 4-11, 1-11

Pontefract 4  Newport 1

  James Willstrop bt Peter Creed 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6

  Lee Beachill bt Lewys Hurst 11-9, 11-4, 11-7

  Sam Wileman bt Nic Birt 6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-13, 11-9

  Karan Malik bt David Haley 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3

  Lauren Siddall lost to Deon Saffery 6-11, 3-11, 2-11

Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2  Esporta Oxford 3

  Nick Matthew bt Chris Ryder 11-8, 11-8, 13-11

  Andrew Whipp lost to Dylan Bennett 9-11, 4-11, 9-11

  Aqeel Rehman lost to Scott Handley 1-11, 6-11, 4-11

  Chris Fuller lost to Piedro Schweertman 11-9, 3-11, 11-5, 5-11, 10-12

  Laura Hill bt Katherine Quarterman 11-8, 11-4, 11-3

     Group B:

TWP St George's Hill 1  Surrey Health & Racquets 4

  Tom Richards lost to Peter Barker 3-11, 7-11, 9-11

  Nicolas Mueller lost to Wael El Hindi 10-12, 9-11, 11-3, 8-11

  Joe Lee bt Adrian Waller 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5

  Neil Hitchens lost to Tim Garner 8-11, 8-11, 10-12

  Rachel Willmott lost to Camille Serme 5-11, 6-11, 5-11

Probuild Bristol 1  Covers Chichester 4

  Hadrian Stiff lost to Robbie Temple 6-11, 8-11, 6-11 (30m)

  Peter Marshall bt Alex Gough 5-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-8 (59m)

  Michael Harris lost to Tim Vail 4-11, 9-11, 6-11 (24m)

  Ben Rodgers lost to Olivier Pett 5-11, 5-11, 2-11 (20m)

  Sarah-Jane Perry lost to Dominique Lloyd-Walter 8-11, 5-11, 11-13 (28m)

Surrey Storm Guildford 3  Exeter Diamonds 2

  Jesse Engelbrecht bt Jonathan Harford 12-10, 11-2, 11-6

  Stephen Meads lost to James Snell 3-11, 11-6, 11-7, 3-11, 8-11

  Alex Ingham bt Gavin Lee Perrett 11-8, 11-4, 11-8

  Mick Biggs bt Matt Baker 11-9, 11-2, 12-10

  Harriet Ingham lost to Emma Chorley 7-11, 5-11, 11-9, 3-11

9th Round

St George's & Surrey Health Through – But Champions Out In PSL

Maximum points wins by Surrey Health & Racquets and TWP St George's Hill have guaranteed the Group B clubs a place in next month's semi-finals of the Premier Squash League (PSL) – but a 4/1 Group A defeat in the ninth and penultimate round of the world's most prestigious squash league leaves title-holders LEBC Group Chapel Allerton out of contention.

Former champions MB Nottingham beat Pontefract 4/1 to retain their leadership of the Group A table with 140 points – eight points ahead of Esporta Oxford, home winners over Chapel Allerton.  But Benz-Bavarian Duffield led a late charge in the group to overcome Welsh newcomers Newport 4/1 to move into third place - leaving the three clubs in the running for the two places in the semi-final play-offs.

But, whilst champions Chapel Allerton – in fourth place in Group A, 21 points adrift of the leaders – cannot finish in the top two, the Leeds club entertain Nottingham in the final round (on 16 March) and a maximum points win for the hosts could scupper Nottingham's 2010 title hopes.

MB Nottingham have topped the Group A tables for most of the season – and dropped just four games in their home win over Yorkshire club Pontefract.   Vanessa Atkinson, winner of her 12th Dutch national title last month, gave the visitors a good start with a straight games win against local star Emma Beddoes – but 3/0 wins by Lewis Walters, Arthur Gaskin and John Rooney ensured Nottingham's eighth win of the season. 

Two life-long Yorkshire rivals Simon Parke and Lee Beachill entertained the crowd in the second string clash, with Nottingham stalwart Parke, a former world No3, edging home 11-5, 11-2, 12-14, 11-6 over ex-world number one Beachill.

Esporta Oxford raised their home supporters' hopes of a first-time appearance in the semi-final play-offs with their impressive 4/1 win over LEBC Group Chapel Allerton.  Again, the visitors took the early lead when Leeds teenager Carrie Ramsey beat Oxford's Katherine Quarterman 3/0.  Jaymie Haycocks led the comeback charge, fighting back from 2/1 down to beat the visitors' Adam Murrills 11-2, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 before Oxford regulars Scott Handley and Chris Ryder sealed straight games wins. 

The final match saw Australian Cameron Pilley celebrate his new career-high world No14 ranking by recovering from a game down to beat England's world No13 Alister Walker 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 – a win which cemented Oxford's second place in the group tables.

Their first visit to Wales proved fruitful for 2006 and 2007 champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield when they defeated Newport 4/1 – despite the absence of their high-profile stars Tania Bailey and Nick Matthew, the world number two who became the North American Open champion at the weekend.  Laura Hill, the last-minute replacement for the newly-married Bailey, defeated Welsh number one Deon Saffery in four games.

But, after former Welsh international Greg Tippings levelled the tie with a 3/1 win over the visitors' Chris Fuller, Duffield regained control as Austrian Aqeel Rehman and Derbyshire's Joel Hinds secured notable victories.  But it took Duffield stalwart Andrew Whipp, a part-time player for more than two years, to produce the night's standout result when he despatched Newport's Aaron Frankcomb, the world No39 from Australia, 11-7, 11-2, 11-9 in 37 minutes.

2008 champions Surrey Health & Racquets celebrated their fourth successive time in the semi-final play-offs with a commanding 5/0 home win over Probuild Bristol.  Two veteran performances stood out – firstly team co-manager Tim Garner's 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 win over Bristol newcomer Theodore Anderson, then former world number one Peter Nicol's  fightback 8-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-6 victory over ex-world number two Peter Marshall.

But the Croydon club's top string Davide Bianchetti, the Italian number one, rounded off the tie with a resounding 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 win over Bristol captain Hadrian Stiff to clinch his club's place in the semi-finals.

It was a dejected Exeter Diamonds team manager Adam Lings that admitted his 2010 campaign was over when he reported his club's 5/0 home defeat by TWP St George's Hill.  The Surrey club's visit to Devon with a less-than-full-strength squad proved hugely successful as the team earned its place in the play-offs for the first time at its fourth attempt.

Lauren Briggs, Neil Hitchens, Joe Lee and top-ranked Hungarian Mark Krajcsak all notched up notable wins against Exeter opposition – but none was as stunning as Nicolas Mueller's.   In his first appearance as top string for the club, the fast-rising Swiss 20-year-old, ranked 42 in the world, claimed one of the best wins of his life when he beat experienced Australian Stewart Boswell, the world No17 and a former world No4, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4.

Elsewhere in Group B, Covers Chichester celebrated only their second win of the season with a 5/0 away victory at Surrey Storm Guildford.  Malaysian top string Mohd Azlan Iskandar led the assault with distinction by beating the Guildford club's South African Jesse Engelbrecht in straight games – but perhaps the visitors' most impressive win was achieved by retired Alex Gough, the former world No4 from Wales who battled back from 2/1 down to beat home hero Stacey Ross 11-3, 9-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7.

10th round fixtures, Tuesday 16 March 2010

    Group A:

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton v MB Nottingham

Pontefract v Newport

Benz-Bavarian Duffield v Esporta Oxford

      Group B:

TWP St George's Hill v Surrey Health & Racquets

Probuild Bristol v Covers Chichester

Surrey Storm Guildford v Exeter Diamonds

RESULTS:            9th round, Tuesday 2 March 2010

    Group A:

Newport 1  Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4

  Aaron Frankcomb lost to Andrew Whipp 7-11, 2-11, 9-11 (37m)

  Peter Creed lost to Joel Hinds 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, 7-11 (45m)

  Nic Birt lost to Aqeel Rehman 6-11, 4-11, 6-11 (32m)

  Greg Tippings bt Chris Fuller 11-9, 11-4, 8-11, 12-10 (43m)

  Deon Saffery lost to Laura Hill 6-11, 11-5, 10-12, 7-11 (37m)

MB Nottingham 4  Pontefract 1

  John Rooney bt Andrew McDougall 12-10, 11-5, 11-7

  Simon Parke bt Lee Beachill 11-5, 11-2, 12-14, 11-6

  Arthur Gaskin bt Neil Cordell 11-7, 11-5, 11-3

  Lewis Walters bt Karan Malik 11-5, 11-4, 11-6

  Emma Beddoes lost to Vanessa Atkinson 9-11, 7-11, 5-11

Esporta Oxford 4  LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 1

  Cameron Pilley bt Alister Walker 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7

  Chris Ryder bt Shaun le Roux 11-3, 15-13, 11-4

  Scott Handley bt Chris Hall 11-9, 11-8, 11-8

  Jaymie Haycocks bt Adam Murrills 11-2, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9

  Katherine Quarterman lost to Carrie Ramsey 6-11, 3-11, 7-11

     Group B:

Surrey Storm Guildford 0  Covers Chichester 5

  Jesse Engelbrecht lost to Mohd Azlan Iskandar 4-11, 8-11, 5-11

  Stacey Ross lost to Alex Gough 3-11, 11-9, 11-4, 8-11, 7-11

  Alex Ingham lost to Tim Vail 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11

  Mick Biggs lost to Olivier Pett 5-11, 1-11, 9-11

  Victoria Lust lost to Dominique Lloyd-Walter 9-11, 4-11, 7-11

 Surrey Health & Racquets 5  Probuild Bristol 0

  Davide Bianchetti bt Hadrian Stiff 11-9, 12-10, 11-9

  Peter Nicol bt Peter Marshall 8-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-6

  Adrian Waller bt Ben Rodgers 11-6, 11-7, 11-6

  Tim Garner bt Theodore Anderson 11-4, 11-9, 11-9

  Lauren Selby bt Sarah-Jane Perry 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-2, 11-7

Exeter Diamonds 0  TWP St George's Hill 5

  Stewart Boswell lost to Nicolas Mueller 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 4-11

  Joey Barrington lost to Mark Krajcsak 5-11, 11-13, 3-11

  Jonathan Harford lost to Joe Lee 14-12, 9-11, 6-11, 1-11

  Aditya Jagtap lost to Neil Hitchens 6-11, 12-14, 7-11

  Emma Chorley lost to Lauren Briggs 3-11, 4-11, 13-15

8th Round

National Champions Lead PSL Teams To Victory 

New British National champions Nick Matthew and Alison Waters led their teams to victory in the eighth round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) – with Waters helping Croydon club Surrey Health & Racquets consolidate their leadership of Group B in the countdown to the end-of-season play-offs in the world's most prestigious squash league.

Londoner Waters, winner of the women's national title on Sunday in Manchester for the second time, beat Dominique Lloyd-Walter 13-11, 11-6, 11-7 as Surrey Health & Racquets forged a 3/2 away win against Covers Chichester. The south coast side put the pressure on former champions Surrey Health, with Olivier Pett and Robbie Temple gaining two notable wins – 21-year-old Pett, ranked 298 in the world, twice coming from behind to beat experienced Ben Ford 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 13-11, and 23-year-old Londoner Robbie Temple fighting back from two games down to topple the visitors' in-form Scottish international Alan Clyne 2-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.

But England international Peter Barker clinched the win for Surrey Health after beating Malaysian international Mohd Azlan Iskandar 11-4, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7 to maintain his club's supremacy in Group B from the beginning of this year.

But only one point behind the group leaders are TWP St George's Hill, who stormed to a maximum points 5/0 away win at county rivals Surrey Storm Guildford.  Again it was a National Championships star who played a decisive role – Daryl Selby, who reached the men's semi-finals against the odds for the first time, beating Guildford's South African international Jesse Engelbrecht in four games to ensure a whitewash for the visitors.

Exeter Diamonds strengthened their grip on third place in the Group B points table with a 3/2 win at Probuild Bristol.  New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes, together with Joey Barrington and local star James Snell, gave the west country visitors an unassailable lead – but Bristol-based university student Mohamed El Shorbagy, the world No14 from Egypt,  and England's world No10 Adrian Grant reduced the deficit with five-game wins over Exeter's Jonathan Kemp and Australian Stewart Boswell, respectively.

Nick Matthew, who successfully defended his men's national title at the National Squash Centre at the weekend, was able to reproduce the same form for Benz-Bavarian Duffield – and the Derbyshire club became the only home winners on the day, beating reigning champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 3/2 in Group A.  But whilst Matthew beat French rival Thierry Lincou, the former world No1, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6, it was his South African team-mate Stephen Coppinger who clinched victory for former champions Duffield by beating England's higher-ranked Alister Walker 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9.

But former champions MB Nottingham scored the biggest win in the group – and extended their lead in the Group A points table – with a 4/1 victory at Newport, the league's Welsh newcomers.  A succession of wins by Emma Beddoes, Lewis Walters, Arthur Gaskin and team stalwart Simon Parke, gave the East Midlands a decisive lead – but Australian Aaron Frankcomb provided a consolation win for the hosts when he beat Nottingham top string John Rooney 11-9, 1-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-3.

Pontefract entertained Esporta Oxford and provided two popular wins when top string James Willstrop made up for a disappointing Nationals' final appearance with a brilliant straight games victory over Australian international Cameron Pilley, and former club number one Lee Beachill showed that retirement hasn't blunted his attack by despatching the visitors Scott Handley in three games.

But it was ultimately Oxford's night as 11-time Irish champion Madeline Perry battled back from two games down to beat the home team's Dutch star Vanessa Atkinson after a tie-break in the decider, and Jaymie Haycocks and Chris Ryder also scored notable triumphs.  The 3/2 win moves Esporta Oxford up the second position in the Group tables, just eight points behind leaders Nottingham.

RESULTS:            8th round, Tuesday 16 February 2010

    Group A:

Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3  LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 2

  Nick Matthew bt Thierry Lincou 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6

  Stephen Coppinger bt Alister Walker 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9

  Andrew Whipp lost to Chris Simpson 5-11, 11-4, 4-11, 9-11

  Joel Hinds bt Laurence Delasaux 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5

  Tania Bailey lost to Jenny Duncalf 6-11, 5-11, 11-7, 5-11

Newport 1  MB Nottingham 4

  Aaron Frankcomb bt John Rooney 11-9, 1-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-3

  Jethro Binns lost to Simon Parke 8-11, 8-11, 8-11 (47m)

  Peter Creed lost to Arthur Gaskin 8-11, 6-11, 2-11 (38m)

  Nic Birt lost to Lewis Walters 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 3-11, 8-11 (74m)

  Deon Saffery lost to Emma Beddoes 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 12-14 (41m)

Pontefract 2  Esporta Oxford 3

  James Willstrop bt Cameron Pilley 11-4, 11-6, 11-8

  Andrew McDougall lost to Chris Ryder 7-11, 7-11, 1-11

  Lee Beachill bt Scott Handley 12-10, 11-8, 11-0

  Neil Cordell lost to Jaymie Haycocks 7-11, 7-11, 7-11

  Vanessa Atkinson lost to Madeline Perry 11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 10-12

    Group B:

Surrey Storm Guildford 0  TWP St George's Hill 5

  Jesse Engelbrecht lost to Daryl Selby 9-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-13

  Stacey Ross lost to Tom Richards 10-12, 11-7, 5-11, 4-11

  Stephen Meads lost to Mark Krajcsak 3-11, 6-11, 4-11

  Sammy Chambers lost to Joe Lee 7-11, 3-11, 4-11

  Victoria Lust lost to Lauren Briggs 8-11, 11-7, 4-11, 5-11

Covers Chichester 2  Surrey Health & Racquets 3

  Mohd Azlan Iskandar lost to Peter Barker 4-11, 12-10, 9-11, 7-11

  Robbie Temple bt Alan Clyne 2-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8

  Tim Vail lost to Adrian Waller 2-11, 11-9, 9-11, 2-11

  Olivier Pett bt Ben Ford 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 13-11 (62m)

  Dominique Lloyd-Walter lost to Alison Waters 11-13, 6-11, 7-11

Probuild Bristol 2  Exeter Diamonds 3

  Adrian Grant bt Stewart Boswell 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8 (50m)

  Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Jonathan Kemp 14-12, 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7 (42m)

  David Evans lost to Joey Barrington 6-11, 11-6, 7-11, 5-11 (43m)

  Peter Marshall lost to James Snell 11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 8-11, 6-11 (66m)

  Leonie Holt lost to Jaclyn Hawkes 0-11, 6-11, 7-11 (19m)

6th Round
Esporta Oxford & Surrey Health Head PSL Tables

Contrasting victories by Esporta Oxford and Surrey Health & Racquets in the sixth round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) see the clubs return to the top of the Group tables at the beginning of the second half of the season of the world's most prestigious squash league.

In Group A, Esporta Oxford visited Newport, and came away with a 4/1 away win over the league newcomers from Wales.  Irish international Madeline Perry started off the visitors' winning run with a straight games victory over Welsh international Stacey Preece - but former Welsh international Greg Tippings battled to an 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4 victory over Oxford's Anthony Graham to draw level.

But wins by Jaymie Haycocks, Scott Handley and Chris Ryder saw Esporta Oxford home and back to the top of the tables for the first time since the beginning of the season in October.

A more dramatic encounter in Croydon saw England international Peter Barker clinch victory for Surrey Health & Racquets over county rivals Surrey Storm Guildford.  The left-hander from London defeated South African Jesse Engelbrecht 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 to clinch a 3/2 home win which takes the former champions to the top of the Group B tables on 'ties won'.

A 3/2 home win by MB Nottingham in the East Midlands derby against Derbyshire's  Benz-Bavarian Duffield saw the former Group A leaders drop to second place in the tables - a single point behind Esporta Oxford.

Reigning champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton brought in distinguished Frenchman Thierry Lincou for his debut this season against fellow Yorkshire club Pontefract.  The former world number one despatched the home side's top string Harinder Pal Sandhu, from India, in straight games - and led the Leeds club to a maximum points 5/0 win.

But the success only lifted Chapel Allerton to third place in the Group A tables - seven points behind top-placed Oxford.

RESULTS:            6th round, Tuesday 19 January 2010

    Group A:

MB Nottingham 3  Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2

  Laurens Jan Anjema bt Andrew Whipp 11-5, 11-4, 6-11, 11-5

  Renan Lavigne lost to Joel Hinds 11-9, 7-11, 5-11, 11-7, 10-12

  Eddie Charlton bt Chris Fuller 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6

  Mark Fuller bt Paul Hargrave 11-7, 14-12, 14-12

  Emily Whitlock lost to Laura Hill 5-11, 8-11, 1-11

Pontefract 0  LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 5

  Harinder Pal Sandhu lost to Thierry Lincou 6-11, 5-11, 6-11

  Neil Cordell lost to Chris Truswell 11-5, 14-12, 5-11, 9-11, 11-13

  James Earles lost to Stephen Siveter 2-11, 9-11, 5-11

  Sam Wileman lost to Adam Murrills 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 10-12

  Kirsty McPhee lost to Jenny Duncalf 3-11, 4-11, 5-11

Newport 1  Esporta Oxford 4

  Rob Sutherland lost to Chris Ryder 8-11, 8-11, 11-8, 2-11

  Lewys Hurst lost to Scott Handley 7-11, 7-11, 4-11

  Nic Birt lost to Jaymie Haycocks 7-11, 2-11, 9-11

  Greg Tippings bt Anthony Graham 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4

  Stacey Preece lost to Madeline Perry 5-11, 0-11, 2-11

      Group B:

Surrey Health & Racquets 3  Surrey Storm Guildford 2

  Peter Barker bt Jesse Engelbrecht 11-5, 11-8, 11-9

  Davide Bianchetti bt Stacey Ross 11-9, 12-10, 11-7

  Peter Nicol bt Stephen Meads 11-9, 11-8, 13-11

  James Robbins lost to Alex Ingham 5-11, 7-11, 9-11

  Stephanie Brind lost to Victoria Lust 12-10, 5-11, 6-11, 5-11

Probuild Bristol 5  TWP St George's Hill 0

  Adrian Grant bt Daryl Selby 11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 14-12

  Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Tom Richards 14-16, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7

  David Evans bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 11-9, 11-8, 2-11, 11-1

  Hadrian Stiff bt Joe Lee 5-11, 11-7, 11-5, 4-11, 11-7

  Sarah-Jane Perry bt Rachel Willmott 11-5, 11-6, 14-12

Covers Chichester 1  Exeter Diamonds 4

  Mohd Azlan Iskandar bt Stewart Boswell 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4

  Alex Gough lost to Jonathan Kemp 5-11, 9-11, 7-11

  Tim Vail lost to Joey Barrington 11-6, 12-10, 5-11, 6-11, 11-13

  Peter Genever lost to James Snell 10-12, 11-8, 11-13, 11-13

  Annabelle Collins-Ballands lost to Emma Chorley 5-11, 9-11, 6-11

 5th Round Report

Surrey Health & Chapel Allerton End PSL Leaders' Unbeaten Runs

MB Nottingham and Surrey club TWP St George's Hill failed to extend their unbeaten runs into the second half of the Premier Squash League (PSL) season after going down 3/2 to reigning champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton and former champions Surrey Health & Racquets, respectively, in the fifth round of the world's most prestigious squash league.

But, despite losing in the final round before the Christmas mid-season break, Nottingham and St George's Hill hold onto their top positions in the Group A and Group B tables, respectively.

England International Peter Barker led Croydon-based 2008 champions Surrey Health & Racquets to a dramatic home win over county rivals TWP St George's Hill with an 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 victory in the final match over fellow Essex man Daryl Selby.  The tie was evenly poised before the top string decider - with Londoner Alison Waters and top Scot Alan Clyne having put the home side into a solid lead, before the rising English star Tom Richards and Swiss number one Nicolas Mueller pulled back the deficit for the visitors.

Mueller, a promising 20-year-old from Zurich, faced legend Peter Nicol, the now retired former world champion and four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist who was enjoying his third PSL outing this season - and looking for his third win.  But Mueller was clearly able to focus on the job in hand in his first meeting with the distinguished left-hander - and battled courageously for 50 minutes to see off Nicol 11-5, 7-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-5.

And the decider was also a notable clash - with Barker cautiously in action for the first time since withdrawing from last week's Dutch Open following an ankle injury, and Selby playing his first match since winning the Rotterdam event and leaping six places to a career-high world No11 this month.  But world No7 Barker was able to call upon all his experience to dismiss his St George's Hill opponent in straight games - and give his Croydon club a significant lift going into the next half of the season.

The key tie in Group A saw two of the hottest English players on the current international circuit weave their magic for LEBC Group Chapel Allerton as the Leeds club ended MB Nottingham's winning streak.   Three major WISPA World Tour title triumphs in November led Yorkshire's British National champion Jenny Duncalf to a career-high world number two ranking this month - and the 27-year-old from Harrogate showed her class as she despatched national rival Sarah Kippax 11-6, 1-3, 11-8.

Chris Hall extended the visitors' lead with a four-game win over Nottingham's Oliver Holland - but it was Hull star Laurence Delasaux who clinched the all-important third match for Chapel Allerton.  Fresh from his PSA Tour title success in Canada at the weekend - his third event triumph in five weeks as a qualifier - Delasaux recovered from a game down to beat Irish international John Rooney 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 to give Chapel Allerton their 3/2 win.

Elsewhere in Group A, league newcomers Newport trounced Yorkshire club Pontefract 4/1 to record their first PSL win.  And the club that became the first from Wales to compete in the PSL this decade relied on four Welsh players to achieve their breakthrough success.  Cardiff-born Stacey Preece set the club on its way with a straight games win over Pontefract debutante Andrea Santamaria, while Newport-based Rob Sutherland needed just 16 minutes to overcome Indian Karan Malik 11-2, 11-4, 11-3.

And after Caerphilly's Peter Creed notched up a four-game win over the visitors' Sam Wileman, it was left to Cardiff-based Kiwi Campbell Grayson to extend the lead to 4/1 following his 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 victory over Indian Harinder Pal Sandhu.

The other Group A tie saw former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield keep alive their hopes for a place in the final for the fourth time in five years by beating Esporta Oxford 3/2 away from home.  After an uncharacteristic loss by the Derbyshire club's long-time winner Tania Bailey - who had to retire after just two games against Irish international Madeline Perry as a result of sinus problems - Joel Hinds and debuting Austrian Aqeel Rehman lifted Duffield spirits with battling wins before squad number one Nick Matthew, the new world No4 from Sheffield, clinched victory for the visitors with a straight games victory over the Oxford top string Chris Ryder.

Exeter Diamonds inflicted the fifth successive defeat on Surrey Storm Guildford to strengthen their position in third place in the Group B tables.  It was an all-South African battle which proved the decider when the Devon club's Clinton Leeuw, from Cape Town, defeated Durban-born Jesse Engelbrecht 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8.  The top string clash saw Guildford unveil new squad member Julian Illingworth - but the top-ranked American was unable to celebrate a winning start as Exeter's Jonathan Kemp ground out an 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 victory in 48 minutes to give the Diamonds a sparkling 4/1 home win.

After celebrating their first win of the season in the previous round, Covers Chichester were looking to extend their winning streak at home as they entertained Probuild Bristol.  But the Avon side was too strong - and top string Adrian Grant closed out a 4/1 win for the club as he beat Gloucestershire left-hander Robbie Temple in three games.

But special attention should be given to Chichester's sole winner Peter Genever, the club stalwart who saved four match balls in the third game against Peter Marshall before going on to beat the former world number two 7-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-7.

RESULTS:            5th round, Tuesday 1 December 2009

    Group A:

MB Nottingham 2  LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 3

  Renan Lavigne bt Alister Walker 12-14, 12-10, 11-2, 8-11, 13-11

  John Rooney lost to Laurence Delasaux 11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 2-11

  Simon Parke bt Stephen Siveter 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8

  Oliver Holland lost to Chris Hall 8-11, 11-9, 3-11, 2-11

  Sarah Kippax lost to Jenny Duncalf 6-11, 3-11, 8-11

Newport 4  Pontefract 1

  Campbell Grayson bt Harinder Pal Sandhu 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 (26m)

  Rob Sutherland bt Karan Malik 11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (16m)

  Peter Creed bt Sam Wileman 12-14, 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (33m)

  David Haley lost to George Wileman 13-11, 9-11, 4-11, 11-9, 6-11 (48m)

  Stacey Preece bt Andrea Santamaria 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (18m)

Esporta Oxford 2  Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3

  Chris Ryder lost to Nick Matthew 8-11, 9-11, 5-11

  Scott Handley bt Andrew Whipp 11-13, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9

  Kristen Johnson lost to Aqeel Rehman 12-14, 4-11, 11-6, 8-11 (47m)

  Anthony Graham lost to Joel Hinds 2-11, 7-11, 10-12

  Madeline Perry bt Tania Bailey 11-7, 11-4 ret.

    Group B:

Surrey Health & Racquets 3  TWP St George's Hill 2

  Peter Barker bt Daryl Selby 11-9, 11-8, 11-9

  Davide Bianchetti lost to Tom Richards 2-11, 4-11, 6-11

  Peter Nicol lost to Nicolas Mueller 5-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 5-11 (50m)

  Alan Clyne bt Joe Lee 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6

  Alison Waters bt Rachel Willmott 11-2, 11-2, 11-4

Covers Chichester 1  Probuild Bristol 4

  Robbie Temple lost to Adrian Grant 6-11, 10-12, 11-13

  Alex Gough lost to Mohamed El Shorbagy 9-11, 7-11, 8-11

  Tim Vail lost to David Evans 7-11, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11

  Peter Genever bt Peter Marshall 7-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-7

  Dominique Lloyd-Walter lost to Laura Massaro 5-11, 11-5, 11-13, 2-11

Exeter Diamonds 4  Surrey Storm Guildford 1

  Jonathan Kemp bt Julian Illingworth 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 (48m)

  Clinton Leeuw bt Jesse Engelbrecht 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8

  James Snell lost to Stacey Ross 5-11, 10-12, 11-13

  Marwan El Shorbagy bt Alex Ingham 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7

  Emma Chorley bt Victoria Lust 12-10, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5

4th Round Report
St George's Hill & Nottingham Extend Unbeaten PSL Runs

MB Nottingham and Surrey club TWP St George's Hill maintained their unbeaten records in the Premier Squash League (PSL) this season with contrasting wins in the fourth round of the world's most prestigious squash league.

It was squad number one Daryl Selby who clinched victory for St George's Hill in their close-fought Group B home battle with Devon's Exeter Diamonds.  A pair of league debutantes gave the visitors an early lead - New Zealand international Jaclyn Hawkes and 16-year-old Egyptian Marwan El Shorbagy coming from behind to beat St George's Hill's Lauren Briggs and Neil Hitchens, respectively.

But Swiss star Nicolas Mueller and Hungarian Mark Krajcsak steadied the ship for the hosts, leaving Selby to fight their cause in the decider.

Reproducing the same form which saw the 27-year-old reach the last sixteen of the World Open last week in Kuwait, Selby defeated Exeter's Jonathan Kemp 11-5, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 in 45 minutes to keep St George's Hill's unbeaten run this season in tact.

A near full strength Nottingham squad secured a 4/1 away win at Yorkshire club Pontefract in Group A.  The home side's Indian star Dipika Pallikal, an 18-year-old from Chennai making her PSL debut, claimed the only Pontefract win, beating former Nottingham club player Ria Kennerley, also in her first appearance in the league, 11-7, 11-4, 11-4.

And it was all Nottingham from then on, as Arthur Gaskin, Simon Parke, Ong Beng Hee and Dutch champion Laurens Jan Anjema all claimed wins - though Anjema, the world No17, dropped a game to Lee Beachill, the former world number one who retired at the beginning of this year.

But Nottingham's lead at the top of the Group A tables has been cut to just one point - as rivals Esporta Oxford crushed title-holders LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 5/0.  The opening game saw the return to home soil of Jenny Duncalf, the England international who stormed to a sensational victory in last week's US Open in New York - beating long-time unbeaten Malaysian world number one Nicol David, for the first time in her career, in straight games in the semi-finals.

Having just stepped of her transatlantic flight - and celebrating her 27th birthday - it was hardly the ideal timing for the Harrogate squash star.  But Duncalf battled to a 2/1 lead over Oxford's Madeline Perry before the world No9 from Belfast took control to close out the match 11-5, 2-11, 8-11, 11-2, 12-10.

And in the top string clash between two players who excelled in Kuwait, it was the visitors' Australian international Cameron Pilley that prevailed, beating the Leeds club's England international Alister Walker 11-6,11-5, 4-11, 11-9 to clinch Esporta's maximum points win.

Former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield made up for their disappointing start at the beginning of the season to beat league newcomers Newport 5/0 at home.  The Derbyshire club's Tania Bailey survived a tough test from Newport's Donna Urquhart, a fast-rising Australian on the WISPA World Tour who was making her first appearance in the Premier League.

Bailey beat Urquhart 13-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7 to pave the way for a succession of Duffield wins which gave the club its first maximum points win of the season.

Elsewhere in Group B, 2008 champions Surrey Health & Racquets suffered their first defeat of the season with a less-than-full-strength squad which went down 4/1 to Probuild Bristol.  The Croydon club took the opening points when Lauren Selby beat Bristol's 17-year-old Rebecca Quiney in straight games.

But the Avon club took over thereafter - team captain Hadrian Stiff recovering from a game down to beat the league's first representative from Chinese Taipei, Cheng Yao Huang 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 13-11, and top string Mohamed El Shorbagy making up for a disappointing visit to Kuwait by beating Scottish number one Alan Clyne 12-10, 12-14, 11-5, 11-8.

And Covers Chichester also had reason to celebrate in Group B after recording their first win of the season, against long-time rivals Surrey Storm Guildford.  Team regulars Mohd Azlan Iskandar, Alex Gough and Tim Vail all recorded straight games wins, while Robbie Temple and Dominique Lloyd-Walter just dropped one game each as the south coast side marked up a 5/0 triumph.

RESULTS:            4th round, Tuesday 10 November 2009

  Group A:

Benz-Bavarian Duffield 5 Newport 0

 Nick Matthew bt Aaron Frankcomb  13-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9

 Stephen Coppinger bt Rob Sutherland  11-3, 11-5, 3-11, 5-11, 11-4

 Andrew Whipp bt Nic Birt  11-7, 11-6, 11-6

 Paul Hargrave bt David Haley  11-3, 11-3, 11-6

 Tania Bailey bt Donna Urquhart  13-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7

Pontefract 1 MB Nottingham 4

 Lee Beachill lost to Laurens Jan Anjema  6-11, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11

 Karan Malik lost to Ong Beng Hee  5-11, 7-11, 7-11

 James Earles lost to Simon Parke  7-11, 7-11, 8-11

 Sam Wileman lost to Arthur Gaskin  6-11, 2-11, 7-11

 Dipika Pallikal bt Ria Kennerley  11-7, 11-4, 11-4

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 0 Esporta Oxford 5

 Alister Walker lost to Cameron Pilley  6-11, 5-11, 11-4, 9-11

 Chris Truswell lost to Chris Ryder  5-11, 6-11, 6-11

 Adam Murrills lost to Simon Rosner  4-11, 8-11, 4-11

 Neil Guirey lost to Scott Handley  4-11, 4-11, 5-11

 Jenny Duncalf lost to Madeline Perry  5-11, 11-2, 11-8, 2-11, 10-12

  Group B:

Covers Chichester 5 Surrey Storm Guildford 0

 Mohd Azlan Iskandar bt Jesse Engelbrecht  11-6, 11-7, 11-6

 Robbie Temple bt Stacey Ross  7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7

 Alex Gough bt Anthony Brindle  11-9, 12-10, 11-8

 Tim Vail bt David Wardle  11-5, 11-4, 12-10

 Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Victoria Lust  11-9, 11-1, 9-11, 11-8

Probuild Bristol 4 Surrey Health & Racquets 1

 Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Alan Clyne  12-10, 12-14, 11-5, 11-8 (35m)

 David Evans bt Stefan Leifels  12-10, 11-3, 11-3 (26m)

 Hadrian Stiff bt Cheng Yao Huang  9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 13-11 (46m)

 Peter Marshall bt Ben Coleman  11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5

 Rebecca Quiney lost to Lauren Selby  8-11, 4-11, 10-12

TWP St George's Hill 3 Exeter Diamonds 2

 Daryl Selby bt Jonathan Kemp  11-5, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 (45m)

 Mark Krajcsak bt Joey Barrington  11-13, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7 (56m)

 Nicolas Mueller bt James Snell  14-12, 11-9, 11-8 (42m)

 Neil Hitchens lost to Marwan El Shorbagy  13-11, 7-11, 7-11, 3-11 (40m)

 Lauren Briggs lost to Jaclyn Hawkes  4-11, 11-9, 11-3, 6-11, 8-11 (58m)

Round 3 Report

Nottingham & St George's Hill Top PSL Tables

While MB Nottingham have moved into top position in Group A in the Premier Squash League (PSL) for the first time this season, Surrey club TWP St George's Hill extended their lead in Group B with a resounding 5/0 win over Surrey Storm Guildford in the third round of the world's most prestigious squash league.

St George's Hill were in devastating form in their Surrey derby match against long-time campaigners Guildford - with all but one of their squad achieving straight games wins.  Only Harriet Ingham, who lives only a stone's throw from the host club, looked likely to cause a dent in a St George's perfect score.  The 17-year-old, making her debut this season for Guildford, fought back to level the match from 2/0 down - but the more experienced Rachel Willmott ultimately prevailed 11-8, 11-2, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8 to ensure maximum points for the home side.

MB Nottingham also claimed their third successive win this season, by beating league newcomers Newport 4/1 at home.  The Welsh visitors started well when Deon Saffery, fresh from her unexpected WISPA World Tour victory at the Finnish Open at the weekend, put Newport ahead with a straight games win over promising star Emily Whitlock, a 15-year-old from Colwyn Bay.

But strong victories by Laurens Jan Anjema, Renan Lavigne, Arthur Gaskin and Lewis Walters gave Nottingham the 17 points which takes the former champions to the top of the Group A tables.

Esporta Oxford also claimed a 4/1 win, beating Pontefract at home to secure their second win of the season.  Local girl Lauren Siddall was Pontefract's sole winner, beating Oxford newcomer Kerri Lancaster 3/0 - but it was one-way traffic for the Oxford hosts thereafter as Anthony Graham, Scott Handley, Chris Ryder and Cameron Pilley forged significant victories to push Esporta home.

Former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield recorded their first win of the season in a 3/2 away victory at LEBC Group Chapel Allerton - reversing the outcome of last season's national final!  The Derbyshire club opened strongly as Tania Bailey beat the Leeds host club's Fiona Moverley in four games - and later club stalwart Andrew Whipp claimed a notable win over the home side's Laurence Delasaux, who had just returned from PSA Tour title success in the Niagara Classic in Canada.

But home wins by Shaun le Roux and Chris Simpson left England team mates Nick Matthew and Alister Walker to fight out the decider.  Long-time Duffield number one Nick Matthew, playing his first match since sustaining an ankle injury, eventually prevailed 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10 to give the visitors their long-awaited first win of the season.

Eleanor Epke, the 11-year-old from Bristol who made history by becoming the youngest player to compete in the Premier League, put in an impressive performance against 17-year-old Victoria Temple-Murray as her club Probuild Bristol faced Exeter Diamonds away from home.  The youngster took the opening game - and then stretched her more experienced opponent to five games - but it was eventually Exeter's Temple-Murray who emerged triumphant 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3 as the Diamonds went on to win the tie 3/2.

Elsewhere in Group B, 2008 champions Surrey Health & Racquets entertained south coast rivals Covers Chichester.  Former English world number one Peter Nicol was again in action for the home side - and again notched up a notable win, beating former Welsh world No5 Alex Gough 11-9, 11-4, 11-1.  France's Camille Serme had earlier made a triumphant debut for the Croydon club, beating England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6 - and the straight games win by Egyptian international Wael El Hindi over Chichester's Robbie Temple gave Surrey Health their 3/2 win.

RESULTS:            3rd round, Tuesday 27 October 2009

    Group A:

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 2  Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3

  Alister Walker lost to Nick Matthew  11-9, 10-12, 4-11, 11-6, 10-12

  Chris Simpson bt Stephen Coppinger  11-8, 3-11, 11-5, 11-7

  Laurence Delasaux lost to Andrew Whipp  6-11, 12-10, 7-11, 12-10, 4-11

  Shaun le Roux bt Joel Hinds  11-7, 11-6, 12-10

  Fiona Moverley lost to Tania Bailey  2-11, 11-8, 10-12, 2-11

MB Nottingham 4  Newport 1

  Laurens Jan Anjema bt Aaron Frankcomb  11-1, 11-7, 11-6

  Renan Lavigne bt Campbell Grayson  12-14, 11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 15-13

  Arthur Gaskin bt Jethro Binns  11-7, 11-3, 11-8

  Lewis Walters bt Lewys Hurst  10-12, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7

  Emily Whitlock lost to Deon Saffery  5-11, 7-11, 4-11

Esporta Oxford 4  Pontefract 1

  Cameron Pilley bt Harinder Pal Sandhu  13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3

  Chris Ryder bt Lee Beachill  11-7, 11-6, 11-4

  Scott Handley bt Neil Cordell  11-4, 11-4, 11-4

  Anthony Graham bt Sam Wileman  11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 11-3

  Kerri Lancaster lost to Lauren Siddall  6-11, 4-11, 3-11

      Group B:

TWP St George's Hill 5  Surrey Storm Guildford 0

  Daryl Selby bt Jesse Engelbrecht  11-6, 12-10, 11-9

  Tom Richards bt Stacey Ross  11-4, 11-6, 11-4

  Mark Krajcsak bt Stephen Meads  11-7, 11-7, 11-5

  Joe Lee bt Alex Ingham  11-8, 11-6, 11-5

  Rachel Willmott bt Harriet Ingham  11-8, 11-2, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8

Surrey Health & Racquets 3  Covers Chichester 2

  Peter Barker lost to Mohd Azlan Iskandar  9-11, 3-11, 8-11

  Wael El Hindi bt Robbie Temple  11-6, 11-8, 11-2

  Peter Nicol bt Alex Gough  11-9, 11-4, 11-1

  Adrian Waller lost to Tim Vail  11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 4-11, 7-11

  Camille Serme bt Dominique Lloyd-Walter  11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6

Exeter Diamonds 3  Probuild Bristol 2

  Stewart Boswell bt Adrian Grant  11-4, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 (64m)

  Jonathan Kemp lost to Mohamed El Shorbagy  11-5, 9-11, 4-11, 10-12

  Joey Barrington bt David Evans  11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (32m)

  Clinton Leeuw lost to Hadrian Stiff  12-14, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 15-17 (97m)

  Victoria Temple-Murray bt Eleanor Epke  6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3 (30m)

Round 2 Report
 

St George's Hill Top PSL Tables For First Time

Surrey club TWP St George's Hill recorded the most decisive win in the second round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) by beating Covers Chichester 4/1 away from home to top the Group B table for the first time in their fourth season in the world's most prestigious squash league.

The Weybridge club, unbeaten this season, is one point ahead of county rivals Surrey Health & Racquets, the 2008 champions who beat Exeter Diamonds 3/2 to also maintain their unbeaten record.  Avon club Probuild Bristol put paid to a Surrey hat-trick by overcoming Surrey Storm Guildford 3/2 at home.

There was dramatic action in Group A where all ties finished 3/2 - and defending champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton reclaimed pole position in the tables by beating league newcomers Newport.  Despite a better 'matches won' total, the Leeds club shares 32 points with East Midlands rivals MB Nottingham, who were 3/2 home winners over Esporta Oxford - while fellow Yorkshire club Pontefract recovered from 2/0 down to beat former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield, from Derbyshire.

St George's Hill team manager Danny Lee was delighted with his club's performance in Chichester.  Dominique Lloyd-Walter put the home side ahead with an 11-7, 5-11, 12-10, 11-3 over Lauren Briggs - but Danny's son Joe Lee brought the visitors back into contention with a straight games win over Robert Downer and Hungarian number one Mark Krajcsak continued the fightback with an impressive win over Chichester stalwart Tim Vail.

Rising England star Tom Richards clinched victory for St George's Hill with a straight games win over fellow countryman Robbie Temple, before Mohd Azlan Iskandar and Daryl Selby - both having just returned from PSA Tour duties in Hong Kong - fought out a weary top string battle, which Selby ultimately clinched for the visitors 12-10, 10-12, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3.

"We've persevered with a young squad ever since our arrival in the PSL - and this is now beginning to pay off," said Lee senior.  "I'm really pleased with the team's performance tonight - across the board - and there's a great team spirit too."

Surrey Health & Racquets brought former world number one and world champion Peter Nicol out of retirement in their bid to beat west country side Exeter Diamonds.  And, despite not having played a competitive match since his previous appearance for the Croydon club in April 2007, 36-year-old Nicol showed that he has still not lost his touch as he beat promising Devon 21-year-old James Snell 11-6, 12-10, 5-11, 9-11, 11-3 in 64 minutes.

"Pete was moving well and played with such accuracy," said Surrey Health team manager Pete Smith.  "James tried to play a fast game at the beginning but Pete stuck with him - and eventually won the fifth very easily."

It was two-all when the top strings went head-to-head - and there was revenge at stake for the home side's Peter Barker, whose last meeting with Stewart Boswell was in England's deciding match in the world team championship play-off for third place against Australia earlier this month in Denmark. 

London left-hander Barker, higher-ranked than the Australian, went down in four games - but, in Croydon, recovered from a game behind to despatch Boswell 8-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-4 to clinch a confidence-boosting win for himself, and a tie-winning result for his hosts.

Barker's England team-mate Adrian Grant was also called upon to pull off a tie-winning triumph when facing PSL newcomer Mohd Ali Anwar Reda, from Egypt, in the decider for Probuild Bristol against Surrey Storm Guildford.  World top 20-ranked players Laura Massaro and Mohamed El Shorbagy had provided two important wins for the home side - England's world No9 Massaro making her Bristol debut - but former touring professionals and  Guildford stalwarts Stephen Meads and Stacey Ross, on the eve of his 36th birthday, had levelled the tie.

It was the longest match of the night, but Grant beat Reda 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8 in 44 minutes to give the Avon club its first win of the season.

There were two more tie-winning performances by England internationals in second round clashes in Group A.  Newport, the first Welsh club in the PSL this decade, were poised for a maiden victory when Australian international Aaron Frankcomb took on former LEBC Group Chapel Allerton team-mate Alister Walker, the England number five.  Frankcomb got off to a flying start and took the opening game - but Walker bounced back to take the match 9-11, 11-3,11-3, 11-2 to take the Leeds club back to the top of the Group A tables.

It was a case of '11 times lucky' for MB Nottingham's second string Renan Lavigne when the French international faced Chris Ryder with visitors Esporta Oxford leading 2/1.  Long-time Nottingham player Lavigne had 11 match balls against his English opponent - six in the third game - before finally clinching victory by an 11-4, 11-6, 12-14, 10-12, 12-10 scoreline.

A Dutch/Australian battle brought the night to close when four-time Dutch champion Laurens Jan Anjema beat Cameron Pilley 4-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 to give victory to Nottingham.

The tie between Pontefract and Benz-Bavarian Duffield had all the ingredients necessary to ensure a satisfied crowd from the beginning of the night through to the end.  They first saw a long-awaited revenge victory for England comeback queen Tania Bailey over Dutch star Vanessa Atkinson in which Bailey made up for defeats in last month's British Open and World Open to finally overcome the former world champion 11-9, 4-11, 11-4, 2-11, 11-8 - and put visitors Duffield into the lead.

Retired Pontefract star Lee Beachill began the comeback for the hosts, showing signs of the brilliance which once took him to the top of the world rankings by beating Duffield's Andrew Whipp 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5.

But it was left to current England hero James Willstrop to nail the tie victory:  Only days after recording one of the best wins of his career in Hong Kong, where be beat reigning world champion Ramy Ashour, Willstrop saw off New Zealander Martin Knight 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 to ensure a 3/2 win for Pontefract.

RESULTS:        2nd round, Tuesday 20 October 2009

    Group A:

Pontefract 3  Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2

  James Willstrop bt Martin Knight    11-5, 11-5, 11-3

  Saurav Ghosal bt Stephen Coppinger    10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4

  Lee Beachill bt Andrew Whipp    11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5

  James Earles lost to Joel Hinds    1-11, 10-12, 5-11

  Vanessa Atkinson lost to Tania Bailey    9-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-2, 8-11

Newport 2  LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 3

  Aaron Frankcomb lost to Alister Walker    11-9, 3-11, 3-11, 2-11

  Campbell Grayson bt Chris Simpson    11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10

  Jethro Binns lost to Shaun le Roux    3-11, 6-11, 5-11

  Greg Tippings bt Adam Murrills    11-8, 11-7, 11-8

  Deon Saffery lost to Jenny Duncalf    4-11, 3-11, 2-11

MB Nottingham 3  Esporta Oxford 2

  Laurens Jan Anjema bt Cameron Pilley    4-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9

  Renan Lavigne bt Chris Ryder    11-4, 11-6, 12-14, 10-12, 12-10

  Simon Parke lost to Scott Handley    11-9, 4-11, 9-11, 10-12

  Eddie Charlton bt Piedro Schweertman    11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6

  Emma Beddoes lost to Madeline Perry    7-11, 10-12, 7-11

    Group B:

Probuild Bristol 3  Surrey Storm Guildford 2

  Adrian Grant bt Mohd Ali Anwar Reda    11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8 (44m)

  Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Jesse Engelbrecht    11-0, 11-8, 11-2 (25m)

  David Evans lost to Stacey Ross    7-11, 11-13, 6-11 (34m)

  Hadrian Stiff lost to Stephen Meads    10-12, 10-12 ret. (37m)

  Laura Massaro bt Victoria Lust    11-6, 11-7, 12-10 (25m)

Covers Chichester 1  TWP St George's Hill 4

  Mohd Azlan Iskandar lost to Daryl Selby    10-12, 12-10, 11-4, 5-11, 3-11

  Robbie Temple lost to Tom Richards    7-11, 8-11, 8-11

  Tim Vail lost to Mark Krajcsak    14-16, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11

  Robert Downer lost to Joe Lee    6-11, 3-11, 7-11

  Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Lauren Briggs    11-7, 5-11, 12-10, 11-3

Surrey Health & Racquets 3  Exeter Diamonds 2

  Peter Barker bt Stewart Boswell    8-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-4

  Wael El Hindi lost to Jonathan Kemp    9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 4-11

  Davide Bianchetti lost to Joey Barrington    10-12, 10-12, 5-11

  Peter Nicol bt James Snell    11-6, 12-10, 5-11, 9-11, 11-3 (64m)

  Alison Waters bt Emma Chorley    11-6, 11-5, 11-5

Preview
New PSL Season Hails Welsh Interest From Newport

The 26th season of the world's most prestigious squash league gets underway next week when 12 teams line up for the first round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) at clubs in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Devon on Tuesday (6 October).

And, for the first time this decade, a team from Wales will battle for British glory when Newport join the fray for the new season.  Led by Australian Aaron Frankcomb and including New Zealander Campbell Grayson, the team on Tuesday will feature three Welsh players – including Newport born and bred Rob Sutherland, ranked 71 in the world.  Newport begin their maiden PSL campaign away from home against Esporta Oxford.

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton, the Leeds team which won the title for the first time last season, host fellow Yorkshire club Pontefract – and James Willstrop and Alister Walker, who are England team-mates in the World Championship currently being played in Denmark, will be in opposite corners, representing Pontefract and Chapel Allerton, respectively.

Derbyshire's former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield will extend their status as the PSL's longest-serving campaigners – after beginning their unbroken league run in 1993 – by taking on fellow East Midlands side MB Nottingham. 

Duffield, champions in 1998, 2006 and 2007, will be led by England number one Nick Matthew, while 1999 champions Nottingham will be led for the first time by Laurens Jan Anjema, the top-ranked Dutch player who is returning to PSL action for the first time since 1993.

The season's fixture list is as follows:

            1st round          6 October 2009

            2nd round         20 October 2009

            3rd round          27 October 2009

            4th round          10 November 2009

            5th round          1 December 2009

            6th round          19 January 2010

            7th round          26 January 2010

            8th round          16 February 2010

            9th round          2 March 2010

            10th round        16 March 2010

            Semi-finals        6 April 2010 (TBC)

            FINAL   4 May 2010 (TBC)

1st round line-up:

    Group A:

Benz-Bavarian Duffield v MB Nottingham

  Nick Matthew v Laurens Jan Anjema

  Martin Knight v Ong Beng Hee

  Andrew Whipp v John Rooney

  Joel Hinds v Eddie Charlton

  Tania Bailey v Sarah Kippax

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton v Pontefract

  Alister Walker v James Willstrop

  Laurence Delasaux v Lee Beachill

  Shaun le Roux v Neil Cordell

  Adam Murrills v Andrew McDougall

  Jenny Duncalf v Vanessa Atkinson

Esporta Oxford v Newport

  Cameron Pilley v Aaron Frankcomb

  Chris Ryder v Campbell Grayson

  Simon Rosner v Rob Sutherland

  Anthony Graham v Jethro Binns

  Madeline Perry v Deon Saffery

    Group B:

Surrey Storm Guildford v Surrey Health & Racquets

  Jesse Engelbrecht v Peter Barker

  Gilly Lane v Alan Clyne

  Stacey Ross v Ben Ford

  Stephen Meads v Adrian Waller

  Victoria Lust v Alison Waters

TWP St George's Hill v Probuild Bristol

  Daryl Selby v Adrian Grant

  Tom Richards v David Evans

  Nicolas Mueller v Hadrian Stiff

  Joe Lee v Peter Marshall

  Lauren Briggs v Leonie Holt

Exeter Diamonds v Covers Chichester

  Stewart Boswell v Robbie Temple

  Jonathan Kemp v Alex Gough

  Joey Barrington v Tim Vail

  James Snell v Peter Genever

  Emma Chorley v Dominique Lloyd-Walter