England Stars Renew Rivalry As New National League Season Gets Underway

Three days after combining to lead England to runners-up success in the Women's World Team Championships in the Netherlands, Fiona Geaves and Linda Elriani resume their personal rivalry in one of the opening ties in the new season of the National Squash League on Tuesday (5th October)

Nine teams will compete in the 2004/05 season of the long-established league, competing in either the  'north' or 'south' group A or B.  The teams are Manchester/Pontefract, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Edgbaston Priory, Team Chichester, UniSport Guildford, Team Solent, Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury and Benz-Bavarian Duffield.

Gloucester-based Geaves, the British Open Over-35 champion who was unbeaten for England in her six outings in Amsterdam, represents Surrey University's UniSport Guildford, who visit Team Chichester in Group B.  Eastbourne's former Miss Charman takes on her England team-mate in her first appearance in the league under her new married name of Linda Elriani.

Defending champions Manchester/Pontefract begin their title defence at their Manchester home base at the National Squash Centre with a full-strength line-up led by the new world No1 Lee Beachill.  Beachill will be supported by Pontefract club-mate James Willstrop and Marcus Berrett, Nick Taylor and another England Amsterdam star Jenny Duncalf.  The Lancashire/Yorkshire cooperative host former champions Nottingham.

Elsewhere in Group A will be a West Midlands derby match between Birmingham's Edgbaston Priory and Wolverhampton.  The top-of-the-bill clash will be an all-Australian affair between the hosts' David Palmer the world No4, and Wolverhampton's Anthony Ricketts, ranked 14 in the world.

Following an ankle injury sustained during the Amsterdam World Championships by the French No1 Isabelle Stoehr, top England junior Rachel Willmott will be making her National League debut for Edgbaston Priory.  The 16-year-old from Horsham in Sussex will face Wolverhampton's world No14 Shelley Kitchen, the New Zealand No1 in Amsterdam.

A Gloucestershire club is making its debut in the new League season.  Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury is led by former National champion Sue Wright, now owner of the club after moving to the area from her former base in Bicester in Oxfordshire.  The club's opening clash is against Team Solent in Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire.

A further new element of the 2004/05 league is the points system for ties.  Teams will now earn one point for each game won and five points for each tie won - thus giving greater significance to every game of each match in the tie.

Tuesday's full line up is:

    Group A:
Manchester/Pontefract v Nottingham
Wolverhampton v Edgbaston Priory
    Group B:
Team Chichester v UniSport Guildford
Team Solent v Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury

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