British National Squash League News

Edgbaston Priory Launch Title Defence With British Open Champion Palmer

Australia's David Palmer will make his first appearance as the 2003 British Open Squash champion tomorrow (Tuesday) when he leads Edgbaston Priory in defence of their National League title in the opening match of the new season against FPD Savills Nottingham.

It was on Sunday that the 27-year-old world champion reclaimed his British Open title from England's world No1 Peter Nicol in a straight games victory in the men's final on the all-glass court at the Albert Hall in Nottingham.

Palmer, the world No3, is making his debut for the Birmingham club at home in a replay of last season's final against Nottingham, the 1999 National League champions. 

Both teams are virtually at full strength, with Palmer facing Scotland's world No2 John White in a repeat of last year's World Open final.  Priory stalwart Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Australia's reigning women's world champion who is unbeaten since making her debut for the club three years ago, is also in action - against Nottingham's Jenny Duncalf.

The new season features two new teams - Manchester Northern making a welcome return to the league and SWSA Bicester appearing for the first time.

The Oxfordshire squad represents the Sue Wright Squash Academy, and will comprise entirely of players and coaching staff at the Bicester Academy.

The SWSA squad will be led by Scott Handley, a former world top fifty player, and SWSA founder Sue Wright, the former world No3 and four-times National Champion.

"This is a great breakthrough for our fast-growing operation, as we will be the only Academy competing in the National League.  It will give our up-and-coming players an opportunity to play in a top quality league on a regular basis, something which they might not normally get the chance to do," said Wright.  "It also gives the junior players in the Academy the chance to watch top-level squash on a regular basis, giving them all something to aspire to."

SWSA visit UniSport Guildford in Tuesday night's opening tie, with the Surrey University team No1 Stephen Meads taking on Scott Handley and Wright facing her old rival Fiona Geaves, the world No12 and newly-crowned British Open Women's Over-35 champion.

The return of the prestigious Northern club to the National League leads to Manchester being represented by two teams.  Manchester Northern boast a squad featuring Malaysia's world No8 Ong Beng Hee, Scotland's world No14 Martin Heath and England's world No10 Jenny Tranfield, while the trans-Pennine team Manchester-Pontefract, whose Manchester base is the National Squash Centre at Sportcity, is led by Yorkshire's world No10 Lee Beachill, supported by Lancashire No1 Nick Taylor and world junior champion James Willstrop. 

Dutch star Vanessa Atkinson, the Newcastle-born world No5, makes her debut in the league on behalf of Manchester-Pontefract.

The first round fixtures (excluding Chichester, who are not playing) with anticipated team line-ups, are:

Group A:
Edgbaston Priory v FPD Savills Nottingham (David Palmer v John White, Adrian Grant v Simon Parke, Del Harris v David Evans, Hadrian Stiff v Sam Miller , Sarah Fitz-Gerald v Jenny Duncalf)
Benz Bavarian Duffield v Manchester Northern (Nick Matthew v Ong Beng Hee, Dan Jenson v Martin Heath, Paul Hargrave v Peter Billson, Laurence Delasaux v Phillip Barker, Cassie Jackman v Laura-Jane Lengthorn)
Manchester-Pontefract v Wolverhampton (Lee Beachill v Anthony Ricketts, Nick Taylor v Alex Gough, James Willstrop v Mark Cairns, Marcus Berrett v Joey Barrington, Madeline Perry v Shelley Kitchen)
Group B:
TVS Broxbourne v Lee-on-Solent (Gregory Gaultier v Bradley Ball, Mark Chaloner v Lee Drew, Alex Stait v Scott Fitzgerald, Danny Meddings v Ritwik Bhattacharya, Natalie Grainger v Vicky Botwright)
UniSport Guildford v SWSA Bicester (Stephen Meads v Scott Handley, Stacey Ross v Clive Ewins, Tony Hands v Mike Elford, Neil Frankland v Kristen Johnson, Fiona Geaves v Sue Wright)

For more details, visit the official website:  www.nationalsquashleague.co.uk