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Round Seven:  Finishing line in sight ...

Tue
26th Jan

 

Narrow Wins Lead Nottingham & Surrey Health
To Head PSL Tables

Dramatic 3/2 away wins by MB Nottingham and Surrey Health & Racquets in Tuesday's seventh round of the Premier Squash League 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 players did really well, they really performed tonight."
 

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