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Round Three:  A good night for most of the home teams ...

Tue
27th Oct

 

Duffield gain final revenge

Round three and both group leaders were at home, with their fans expecting them to widen the narrow margins that saw them top their groups at the start of play.

Champions Chapel A hosted Duffield, who had Nick Matthew returning from injury, in a repeat of last season's final, and Matthew's presence was crucial as he beat Alister Walker 3-2 in the top string to give Duffield the away win. Group B leaders St George's welcomed Surrey Storm Guildford, who were still to get off the mark, and left on the end of a 5-0 drubbing as the home team went clear at the top.

Elsewhere newcomers Newport travelled to Nottingham and came away empty-handed as Nottingham jumped to the top of the table as the only unbeaten club in Group A, while Oxford sent Pontefract home having beaten the Yorkshire outfit 3-2 to go second in the table.

Down South, Surrey fielded a strong team for the visit of Chichester, and duly won, but only 3-2, while Exeter welcomed local rivals Bristol.

11-year-old Ellie Epke couldn't quite make a winning debut, going down 3-2, but Exeter still managed a 3-2 win to keep them in touch with the Group B leaders -
full details on the blog

A full house for the Crystal Ball, 11 points out of 12, maybe this is a good time to retire ...

Nottingham & St George's Hill Top PSL Tables
Roundup from Howard Harding

While MB Nottingham have moved into top position in Group A in the Premier Squash League 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.

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