Premier Squash League, Round EIGHT by Steve Cubbins February 17, 2015
Duffield storm into the semis as the race for the playoffs tightens ...
With the playoffs approaching there was still everything to play for
for most teams as the PSL reached the eighth of ten league rounds, but
the standings in the tables meant that comprehensive wins tonight could
all but confirm, or all but dash the hopes of some of the contenders.
In their first season in the league, Leicester with just one win so
far, faced a visit from unbeaten Division A leaders Duffield. The
formbook and lineups suggested a heavy away win and so it proved, but
Duffield were made to work hard for their 20 points with only Andy
Whipp not dropping a game and Declan James needing all five in the last
match to end George Parker’s unbeaten record.
The win puts Duffield on an uncatchable 149 points, 47 ahead with just two rounds to go, so a home semi-final is guaranteed.
Birmingham Lions started the evening in second place, but visitors
Nottingham were only 9 points behind and again the lineups suggested a
good away win was in prospect. Emma Beddoes duly put the first win on
the board for Nottingham, but their progress was halted as Jonny
Harford came from a game down to beat Ollie Holland. Thereafter though
it was all Nottingham - Eddie Charlton had to come from 1-2 down to
beat Joel Makin - as they climbed to second place.
Starting in fourth place but only 3 points behind Nottingham were
Coolhurst London, and they too scored maximum points with a 5-0 win
over struggling Pontefract, a win which sees them move into third place
- but only just, Nottingham, Coolhurst and Birmingham are now separated
by just 3 points in the race for second spot!
In Division B leaders St George’s travelled to Bristol, who had won
their last four matches to put themselves handily placed in third. It
was the visitors who dominated though, taking the first four matches
before Marwan Elshorbagy turned in a great performance to beat Borja
Golan in five at number one.
Reigning champions Surrey, smarting from two successive defeats, got
off to a good start at home to Winchester as Alison Waters gave them
the lead, but Scott Fitzgerald levelled with a five game win over Lyell
Fuller. That was the last success for the visitors though as Surrey
took the last three matches in straight games to stay in touch with St
George’s.
Chichester, starting in fourth place, leapfrogged Bristol into third as
they beat strugglers Exeter 5-0, keeping alive their chances of making
the semi-finals.
Round Eight Results:
Division A
Everards Leicester 0-5 Benz Bavarian Duffield (6-20)
Shaun Le Roux 1-3 Chris Simpson 11-13, 5-11, 11-8, 10-12
Ben Coleman 2-3 Joel Hinds 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 7-11
George Parker 2-3 Declan James 10-12, 12-10, 2-11, 11-8, 7-11
James Bowden 0-3 Andy Whipp 6-11, 5-11, 7-11
Tania Bailey 1-3 Millie Tomlinson 11-4, 16-18, 6-11, 1-11
Birmingham Lions 1-4 Air-IT Nottingham (6-18)
Chris Ryder 0-3 Alan Clyne 5-11, 4-11, 5-11
Joel Makin 2-3 Eddie Charlton 11-13, 14-12, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11
Chris Hall 1-3 Mark Fuller 8-11, 11-13, 12-10, 9-11
Jonny Harford 3-1 Ollie Holland 10-12, 13-11, 11-4, 12-10
Katrina Burrows 0-3 Emma Beddoes 3-11, 4-11, 4-11
Coolhurst London 5-0 Pontefract (20-1)
Simon Rosner 3-0 Ben Grindrod 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (34m)
Raphael Kandra 3-0 Courtney West 11-0, 11-2, 11-4 (23m)
James Earles 3-1 Alex Hodgetts 6-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (27m)
Angus Gillams 3-0 Lewis Doughty 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (23m)
Madeline Perry 3-0 Sarah Kippax 11-9, 11-4, 15-13 (30m)
Division B
Team Chichester 5-0 Exeter Diamonds (20-2)
Adrian Waller 3-1 Tim Vail 9-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 (46m)
Rex Hedrick 3-0 James Snell 11-4, 11-5, 11-4
Robbie Temple 3-0 Luke Bishop 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (27m)
Sanjay Singh 3-1 Robbie Keefe 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11/4 (27m)
Lauren Briggs 3-0 Rhianne O'Donnell 11-4, 11-5, 11-1 (14m)
UWE/Elite Bristol 1-4 Luxford/9 Group St George's Hill (7-19)
Marwan Elshorbagy 3-2 Borja Golan 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4
Mike Harris 2-3 Joe Lee 9-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 7-11
Hadrian Stiff 0-3 Tom Richards 4-11, 3-11, 2-11
Josh Masters 2-3 Charles Sharpes
Kip Quiney 0-3 Yathreb Adel 3-11, 6-11, 8-11
Virgin Active Surrey HRC 4-1 Winchester Racquets & Fitness (19-4)
Gregoire Marche 3-0 Scott Handley 11-8, 11-3, 12-10
Piedro Schweertman 3-0 Rob Downer 11-5, 11-1, 11-7 (28m)
Lyell Fuller 2-3 Scott Fitzgerald 8-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 13-15
Steve Richardson 3-0 Steve Wykes 12-10, 11-7, 11-8
Alison Waters 3-1 Emily Whitlock 11-8, 7-11, 13-11, 11-4 (52m)
Round Nine 10-Mar:
Duffield v Coolhurst, Pontefract v Birmingham, Nottingham v Leicester
Exeter v Surrey, Winchester v Bristol, St George’s v Chichester
Round Ten, 31-Mar:
Birmingham v Duffield, Coolhurst v Leicester, Nottingham v Pontefract
Bristol v Exeter, Surrey v Chichester, St George’s v Winchester
