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 Tuesday's 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)
PSL TABLES (after 3rd round)
(best viewed in ‘Courier New’ font)
Ties Matches Games Pts
P W L W L W L
Group A:
MB Nottingham 3 3 0 10 5 34 23 49
Esporta Oxford 3 2 1 10 5 35 21 45
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 3 2 1 9 6 33 24 43
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3 1 2 7 8 26 34 31
Pontefract 3 1 2 5 10 23 33 28
Newport 3 0 3 4 11 19 35 19
Group B:
TWP St George's Hill 3 3 0 12 3 39 15 54
Surrey Health & Racquets 3 3 0 9 6 34 24 49
Exeter Diamonds 3 2 1 9 6 33 25 43
Probuild Bristol 3 1 2 7 8 25 30 30
Covers Chichester 3 0 3 4 11 20 36 20
Surrey Storm Guildford 3 0 3 4 11 16 37 16
For all the latest news, visit the official website www.pslsquash.com