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
For all the latest news, visit the official website www.pslsquash.com