Dramatic 3/2 away wins by MB Nottingham and Surrey Health & Racquets in Tuesday's seventh round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) saw the clubs claim top places in the Group A and B tables, respectively, as the countdown to the end-of-season play-offs in the world's most prestigious squash league begins.
Former champions MB Nottingham, with only one defeat to their name this season, visited Esporta Oxford - and fell back immediately when the home side's experienced Irish international Madeline Perry beat Emily Whitlock, the talented 15-year-old British Junior U17 champion, 11-2, 11-5, 11-3. But the East Midlands side quickly sprung back with wins by club stalwart Simon Parke, John Rooney and Malaysian international Ong Beng Hee to ensure victory.
The home side's Australian star Cameron Pilley reduced the deficit with a straight games win over Dutchman and fellow top string Laurens Jan Anjema.
However, Nottingham share 104 points in the Group A tables with reigning champions LEBC Group Chapel Allerton - but boast a superior 'matches won' count to the Leeds club which celebrated a 5/0 home win over Welsh newcomers Newport. The home club's notable performers were third string Shaun le Roux - who arrived back from the Tournament of Champions in New York on Monday - and first and second strings Chris Simpson and Laurence Delasaux who jetted back from Calgary in Canada in order to turn out for the champions - Delasaux only arriving home in Hull at 4.30pm this afternoon, before turning round immediately to drive across Yorkshire for his crucial PSL match.
Le Roux twice came from behind to beat Nic Birt 8-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, while Delasaux defeated Peter Creed 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3. Determined to ensure a maximum points win for his club, Simpson battled for five games to overcome Welsh international Jethro Binns 13-15, 11-5, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6.
"It's good to see the strong character of our squad - all of whom will give everything they can for the team, despite serious fatigue in many cases tonight," said team manager Neil Guirey. "Chris could easily have fallen off in the fifth, but did all he could to ensure that last vital point."
Former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield improved their play-off chances with a 4/1 home win against Yorkshire club Pontefract. The current strength of Indian squash was much in evidence on the Derbyshire club's courts where Mumbai-born Siddharth Suchde made an impressive debut for the home team by beating Sam Wileman 3/0.
Duffield regular Andrew Whipp saw off Pontefract Indian Harinder Pal Sandhu 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 - but it was the visitors' top-ranked Indian Saurav Ghosal who put paid to the home side's bid for maximum points when he defeated Duffield's South African top string Stephen Coppinger 3-11, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4.
Duffield strengthen their fourth position in the Group A tables, just behind Esporta Oxford, but only 11 points adrift of the league leaders.
It was left to the fifth game decider in the final match of the Group B tie in Devon where Exeter Diamonds hosted Surrey Health & Racquets. At 2/1 up, the home side saw the finishing line in sight when Jonathan Harford had a match ball against higher-ranked Surrey Health opponent Davide Bianchetti at 11-10. But the Italian number one went on to win 10-12, 7-11, 11-3, 11-0, 14-12 to level the tie two-all.
Jonathan Kemp again raised home hopes when he took higher-ranked fellow Englishman Peter Barker the full distance. But Barker, the new world No6, ultimately prevailed 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 2-11, 11-5 to lead the Croydon club to a 3/2 win - and top place in the Group B tables with 102 points.
But just three points behind lie TWP St George's Hill, the Weybridge club which beat Covers Chichester 3/2 to jump two places from fourth in the tables. Again, matters were level after the first four matches - and twice the visitors' Robbie Temple led in the top string decider against St George's Hill's higher-ranked Daryl Selby.
But Selby, the world No13 from Essex, raised his game to beat the left-hander from Gloucestershire 11-13, 11-2, 11-13, 11-3, 11-8 to give St George's their fifth win of the season.
Surrey Storm Guildford celebrated their first win of the season with a 4/1 home victory over former national runners-up Probuild Bristol. After former British junior champion Victoria Lust and 18-year-old PSL debutant Sammy Chambers gave the University side a healthy lead, Guildford veteran Stephen Meads sealed the overall win with an assured 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 win over the visitors' Michael Harris.
Fellow Storm stalwart Stacey Ross battled to a five-game win over Bristol captain Hadrian Stiff to extend the points before the visitors' top string Mohamed El Shorbagy salvaged a consolation match by beating top South African Jesse Engelbrecht 11-0, 11-5, 11-1.
"It's a mixture of elation and relief," said Graham Williams when asked his reaction after the first win since he took over as team manager at the beginning of the season. "The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes. But the payers did really well, they really performed tonight."
RESULTS: 7th round, Tuesday 26 January 2010
Group A:
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4 Pontefract 1
Stephen Coppinger lost to Saurav Ghosal 11-3, 6-11, 7-11, 11-9, 4-11
Andrew Whipp bt Harinder Pal Sandhu 11-9, 11-6, 11-9
Joel Hinds bt Neil Cordell 11-3, 11-4, 11-9
Siddharth Suchde bt Sam Wileman 11-3, 11-3, 11-7
Tania Bailey bt Kirsty McPhee 11-9, 11-3, 11-6
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 5 Newport 0
Chris Simpson bt Jethro Binns 13-15, 11-5, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6
Laurence Delasaux bt Peter Creed 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3
Shaun le Roux bt Nic Birt 8-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6
Stephen Siveter bt David Haley 11-7, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4
Jenny Duncalf bt Tesni Evans 11-0, 11-3, 11-4
Esporta Oxford 2 MB Nottingham 3
Cameron Pilley bt Laurens Jan Anjema 11-8, 14-12, 11-9
Chris Ryder lost to Ong Beng Hee 7-11, 15-13, 11-8, 12-14, 2-11
Scott Handley lost to John Rooney 7-11, 4-11, 6-11
Jaymie Haycocks lost to Simon Parke 5-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-5, 8-11
Madeline Perry bt Emily Whitlock 11-2, 11-5, 11-3
Group B:
Surrey Storm Guildford 4 Probuild Bristol 1
Jesse Engelbrecht lost to Mohamed El Shorbagy 0-11, 5-11, 1-11
Stacey Ross bt Hadrian Stiff 5-11, 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5
Stephen Meads bt Michael Harris 11-7, 11-6, 11-8
Sammy Chambers bt Ben Rodgers 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8
Victoria Lust bt Sarah-Jane Perry 11-9, 13-11, 11-4
TWP St George's Hill 3 Covers Chichester 2
Daryl Selby bt Robbie Temple 11-13, 11-2, 11-13, 11-3, 11-8
Tom Richards bt Tim Vail 11-6, 14-12, 11-9
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan bt Peter Genever 11-9, 11-7, 11-7
Joe Lee lost to Olivier Pett 9-11, 11-4, 7-11, 8-11
Rachel Willmott lost to Dominique Lloyd-Walter 4-11, 4-11, 5-11
Exeter Diamonds 2 Surrey Health & Racquets 3
Jonathan Kemp lost to Peter Barker 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 5-11
Jonathan Harford lost to Davide Bianchetti 12-10, 11-7, 3-11, 0-11, 12-14
James Snell bt Tim Garner 11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10
Marwan El Shorbagy bt Ben Coleman 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 13-11
Emma Chorley lost to Camille Serme 8-11, 12-14, 3-11
PSL TABLES (after 7th round)
(best viewed in ‘Courier New’ font)
Ties Matches Games Pts
P W L W L W L
Group A:
MB Nottingham 7 6 1 22 13 74 58 104
LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 7 5 2 22 13 79 56 104
Esporta Oxford 7 4 3 23 12 81 47 101
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 7 4 3 21 14 73 59 93
Newport 7 1 6 9 26 47 83 52
Pontefract 7 1 6 8 27 37 88 42
Group B:
Surrey Health & Racquets 7 6 1 19 16 72 59 102
TWP St George's Hill 7 5 2 20 15 74 57 99
Exeter Diamonds 7 4 3 21 14 76 61 96
Probuild Bristol 7 4 3 21 14 72 59 92
Covers Chichester 7 1 6 13 22 54 75 59
Surrey Storm Guildford 7 1 6 11 24 43 80 48
For all the latest news, visit the official website www.pslsquash.com