Contrasting victories by Esporta Oxford and Surrey Health & Racquets in Tuesday's 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