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Finals
Duffield Clinch Dramatic PSL Final
Benz-Bavarian
Duffield clinched the 2006 Premier
Squash League title in a dramatic final tonight (Saturday) at
the National Squash Centre in Manchester. The Derbyshire
club led 2/0 before Churchill Edgbaston Priory staged a
mighty fight back to draw level – then, to the delight of the vociferous
East Midlands supporters, claimed the PSL trophy for the first time
since 1998 when team No1 Nick Matthew, the British champion, beat
the Birmingham club's Australian star Stewart Boswell in the
decider.
"It was a fantastic team effort," said long-time
Duffield manager Brian Hargrave at the presentations afterwards.
"There were two occasions earlier in the season where we failed to
capitalise on match balls which would have won us the ties – and I
thought to myself earlier tonight, 'surely we can't do this a third
time?'."
Yorkshireman Laurence Delasaux gave Duffield
an early lead in the finale of the THB Clowes-sponsored league
when he beat Hadrian Stiff in four games. Delasaux, from Hull,
was making his PSL final debut - but Stiff, a Bristol-based Devonian
from Exeter, knows what it's like to compete in the league climax: The
33-year-old England No18 did so in 1998 – when he led tonight's
opponents Duffield to the title for the first time!
Delasaux, at 20, the youngest player in the final,
recovered from a game down to triumph 9-6, 5-9, 9-3, 9-6 over his Priory
opponent - and was delighted with his relatively error-free performance
in his first ever meeting with the experienced Englishman: "All credit
to Hadrian, he made me work hard for my victory – but I managed to keep
a good length throughout the match and came through OK. Playing for a
team always puts that extra pressure on you – which makes you want to go
that extra yard."
The star women's match between England team-mates and
Commonwealth Games bronze medal-winning women's doubles partners
Tania Bailey and Vicky Botwright took more than an hour to
resolve on the all-glass showcourt at the NSC. And again Edgbaston took
the opening game through Botwright - before the Duffield crowd screamed
for joy when Bailey fought back to win 6-9, 9-2, 9-6, 9-1 to open up a
2/0 lead for the Derbyshire club.
Bailey, the 26-year-old world No9 from Stamford in
Lincolnshire who became British National champion for the first time in
February, was recently elevated to England No1 – though Botwright is
ranked five in the world. "I'm thrilled to be called England number
one, but I think of Vicky as the country's number one as she's ranked
higher than me in the world," said Bailey.
"I knew I had to play well to beat Vicky tonight – I
felt comfortable on the court and feel a lot fitter than I have done for
a long time. This may be Vicky's 'local' court as she's based here in
Manchester, but I always play well on it – it's where I won my national
title earlier in the year - and winning that, and doing well in the
Commonwealth Games, has given me a real boost."
It was only shortly after Bailey's game ended that
Duffield's lead was pared back as Priory's newly-capped England
international Peter Barker raced to a straight games victory over
Welsh international Gavin Jones. Barker, the only player in the
final to boast a 100% turnout for his club this season, failed to put a
foot wrong as he wrapped up his 9-2, 9-4, 9-2 win in just 27 minutes.
But Jonathan Kemp then put in a blistering
performance which raised Duffield's hopes of an early triumph when he
opened up a two-game lead against fellow left-hander Adrian Grant,
the third England international in the Edgbaston squad.
Grant, the world No16 from London who is ranked 10
places higher than his Duffield opponent, admitted later that he had to
raise his game in the third game – but Kemp pulled back in the fourth to
reach match-ball. Grant saved that, and fought on to gain three game
balls before finally pushing the match into a fifth game.
To the relief of the Edgbaston section of the crowd,
Grant eventually claimed the match 6-9, 9-11, 9-4, 13-11, 9-3 after 77
agonising minutes to leave a mouth-watering decider between the two top
strings.
Boswell and Matthew have enjoyed parallel careers,
with both playing major parts in their respective countries'
international team successes – most recently in the Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne - and both in fine form.
But it was Matthew, the world No7 from Sheffield, who
had the upper hand throughout the decider – and Boswell, despite leading
his club to victory in the league in both 2001 and 2003, who this time
capitulated.
"I was really up for it tonight," said the delighted
Duffield No1 after his 9-5, 9-7, 9-7 victory in 37 minutes. "I wanted
to make sure I got a good early lead, and by the time I'd won the second
game, I was confident I was there," said Matthew.
"I felt I'd lost a few crucial matches early in the
season, and I said to manager Brian before the match that I wouldn't do
it tonight!"
It was an emotional Brian Hargrave who clasped the
trophy for the second time since 1998, following the club's third
appearance in the final.
"There's been a tremendous team spirit this season
and our supporters have been simply fantastic – in fact they've probably
contributed towards a good few points tonight," explained Hargrave.
"But ultimately it's the players who do it on court – and I'm very proud
of them tonight."
Hargrave paid tribute to Benz-Bavarian,
sponsors of the team for the past nine years. Felix Friloux, of
Benz-Bavarian, echoed his appreciation of the success: "Two wins in
nine years? That's really special – it's been really good to have been
involved – you just couldn't ask more of the players than they achieved
tonight.
"For a small village like Duffield in Derbyshire to
produce a team like this is great – it will undoubtedly inspire more
kids to get involved, and that's what it's all about," added Friloux.
But Duffield's Jonathan Kemp – interestingly, a
member of Edgbaston Priory's title-winning squad five years ago –
perhaps summed the evening up best: "It's days like this that you play
squash for – the big crowd and the big occasion. There's nothing like
it."
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Premier Squash League Final,
National Squash Centre, Manchester
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3 Churchill Edgbaston
Priory 2
Nick Matthew bt Stewart Boswell 9-5, 9-7, 9-7 (37m)
Jonathan Kemp lost to Adrian Grant 9-6, 11-9,
4-9, 11-13, 3-9 (77m)
Gavin Jones lost to Peter Barker 2-9, 4-9,
2-9 (27m)
Laurence Delasaux bt Hadrian Stiff 9-6,
5-9, 9-3, 9-6 (42m)
Tania Bailey bt Vicky Botwright 6-9, 9-2,
9-6, 9-1 (66m)
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Semi Finals, Thursday 18th May
Strings & Chichester Deride PSL North/South
Divide
Southern teams
Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury and Team Chichester shocked
Churchill Edgbaston Priory and Benz-Bavarian Duffield,
respectively, in tonight's first semi-finals legs of the Premier
Squash League (PSL) – taking their fancied northern opposition the
full distance at home before each going down 2/3 in dramatic ties 48
hours before the teams meet again in the reverse second leg fixtures.
Strings Tewkesbury, runners-up in the South Group,
entertained the mighty Priory squad which won all but one of its North
Group ties over the season and finished way out in front of all-comers
in the end-of-season group table.
The Birmingham club opened up an early lead when
England international Vicky Botwright, the world No5 from
Manchester, beat the home team's Pakistan number one Carla Khan
9-5 9-0 9-2, and Hadrian Stiff defeated Welshman Rob
Sutherland, also in straight games.
But the Oberthur-sponsored underdogs fought back in
dramatic fashion. On adjacent courts, home heroes Daryl Selby
and Alex Stait faced higher-ranked England internationals
Adrian Grant
and Peter Barker.
Selby, the 23-year-old world No46 from Essex, climbed back from two
games down to beat Grant, the world No15, 8-10, 3-9, 9-7, 9-5, 12-10 –
and Stait, the Manchester-based world No58 prevailed in five close
games against Barker, the world No23, to win 10-8, 11-13, 6-9, 10-8,
9-5.
Both matches were decided on strokes - and both
finished almost simultaneously!
The visitors' Australian international Stewart
Boswell denied a fairy-tale ending for Strings, beating fellow
Australian Cameron Pilley 9-1, 9-7, 9-7 in the top string
decider as Edgbaston Priory secured their 3/2 win.
"I'm really proud of my team – the way they all
played was magnificent," said Strings manager Wendy Maitland.
"The crowd was treated to brilliant squash here tonight – and it was
certainly one in the eye for those who thought we would be hammered by
Priory!
"I was especially pleased for Daryl and Alex, who
produced fantastic results - in both cases probably the best scalps of
their careers," added Maitland.
The other fixture also produced its share of
outstanding results – with the top string encounter again providing
the tie-decider. The opening women's match between Chichester's
Linda Elriani and Duffield's Tania Bailey was always
certain to set the tone for the evening's entertainment ahead – and
the England team-mates did not disappoint.
Elriani, the world No8 from Eastbourne out for
revenge for her defeat by the Lincolnshire lass from Stamford in this
year's British National Championship final, took the first game. But
Bailey, who replaced Elriani as No1 in the latest England rankings,
fought back to take the next three games - and the match – 7-9, 9-1,
10-8, 9-0.
Yorkshire's Laurence Delasaux stretched the
Derbyshire club's lead by beating the hosts' Tom Richards in
five games – but Chichester came back with a vengeance, club stalwart
Peter Genever
beating world-ranked Jonathan Kemp 9-7, 6-9,
9-5, 2-9, 9-7, and club coach Tim Vail overcoming Duffield's
French international Renan Lavigne 9-5, 11-9, 3-9, 11-9.
It would have been a tall order for Chichester's
Ben Garner to make a serious impression against the visitors'
world number seven-ranked Nick Matthew – but the world No39
from Surrey took a close-fought second game to level the match before
Matthew, Duffield's second British National champion, imposed his
authority to win 9-4, 8-10, 9-4, 9-6.
Results:
Semi-finals, 1st leg
Team Chichester 2 Benz Bavarian Duffield 3
Ben Garner lost to Nick Matthew
4-9, 10-8, 4-9, 6-9
Peter Genever beat Jonathan Kemp
9-7, 6-9, 9-5, 2-9, 9-7
Tim Vail beat Renan Lavigne
9-5, 11-9, 3-9, 11-9
Tom Richards lost to Laurence Delasaux
9-5, 3-9, 7-9, 9-4, 5-9
Linda Elriani lost to Tania Bailey
9-7, 1-9, 8-10, 0-9
Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury 2 Churchill
Edgbaston Priory 3
Cameron Pilley lost to Stewart Boswell
1-9, 7-9, 7-9
Daryl Selby beat Adrian Grant
8-10, 3-9, 9-7, 9-5, 12-10
Alex Stait beat Peter Barker
10-8, 11-13, 6-9, 10-8, 9-5
Rob Sutherland lost to Hadrian Stiff
8-10, 8-10, 5-9
Carla Khan lost to Vicky Botwright
5-9, 0-9, 2-9
Semi-finals,
2nd leg, Thursday
18 May 2006
Benz Bavarian Duffield v Team Chichester
Nick Matthew v Ben Garner
Jonathan Kemp v Peter Genever
Renan Lavigne v Tim Vail
Gavin Jones v Tom Richards
Tania Bailey v Suzie Pierrepont
Churchill Edgbaston Priory v Oberthur Strings
Tewkesbury
Stewart Boswell v Cameron Pilley
Adrian Grant v Rodney Durbach
Peter Barker v Alister Walker
Hadrian Stiff v Philip Nightingale
Vicky Botwright v Selina Sinclair
End Of Season
Duffield Celebrate Return To PSL Play-Offs
Benz-Bavarian Duffield
stunned Manchester/Pontefract supporters
at their home courts at the National Squash Centre in
Manchester by beating
the 2004 champions in the final round of the Premier Squash League
(PSL)
to claim the last place in the end-of-season finals play-offs.
The 4/1 victory takes the
Derbyshire club ahead of the trans-Pennine cooperative in the North
Group" denying the finalists for the past two years a chance to compete
for the national title for a third time. Duffield, in the
play-offs for the first time in four years, join Group winners
Churchill Edgbaston Priory" and will meet the top two teams in the
South Group.
With Oberthur Strings
Tewkesbury already assured of a place, it took a 3/2 win for Team
Chichester over University Sport Birmingham to push the
Sussex club ahead of Tewkesbury in the final South Group placings"
leaving the Gloucestershire club to face Edgbaston Priory, and
Chichester to take on Duffield.
With just two points separating
Manchester/Pontefract and Duffield before the tie, a simple win was all
that was required.
England team-mates Jenny
Duncalf and Tania Bailey faced each other in the opening
clash. Duffield's Bailey, hot from winning her first WISPA
World Tour title for six years, took the opening game" but Duncalf,
ranked two places higher at world No8, delighted home supporters by
moving 2/1 ahead.
Bailey was not to be denied,
however, and persevered for 84 minutes to carve out a 9-1, 7-9, 6-9,
9-0, 9-4 victory to give Duffield the lead.
Fast-rising Welshman Gavin
Jones needed just 37 minutes to extend Duffield's grip, beating the
home club's long-standing team stalwart Nick Taylor 13-11, 10-8,
9-6.
Frenchman Renan Lavigne
then mounted a second remarkable comeback for the visitors when he
recovered from 0/2 down to beat Manchester/Pontefract's former British
Open champion David Evans 4-9, 6-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-7 in 57 minutes"
sealing a victorious night for Duffield.
The home club gained a
consolation point when Lee Beachill coasted to a 9-5, 9-5, 9-7
win in 24 minutes over Jonathan Kemp. In the final 'dead'
rubber - which was as 'live' as it was possible to be - Nick Matthew
defeated his Commonwealth Games doubles partner and England
team-mate James Willstrop 9-4, 10-8, 7-9, 5-9, 9-7 in 60 minutes
to extend Duffield's winning margin to 4/1.
"We really got ourselves out of
jail a couple of times tonight," said a delighted Duffield manager
Brian Hargrave
after his team's astonishing win. "Gavin was
8/4 down in his second game, but came back to win it, and Tania threw
everything she had into her final game to survive her tough match.
"And we knew Renan's would be a
crucial match, and probably would be won on stamina" and that's what
happened. After his disappointing match last week, he was really
fired up tonight. Everybody was really delighted for him" it was
probably his best ever match for us.
"Overall, the rub of the green
just seemed to go for us tonight" at last - and I'm delighted for the
team and all our loyal supporters," added Hargrave.
The other North Group battle
also produced a significant outcome" if little to do with play-off
positioning. Title-holders
Wolverhampton
entertained 1999 champions
Nottingham and
registered a 5/0 win" their first in five years in the league. The
victory also signalled the west midlands club's final match in the PSL.
"What a great way to sign off,"
said team manager Stephen Russell afterwards. "We've had
five very successful years in the league" including winning the title
last year" but it's time to do something else, perhaps organising
professional tournaments at our club."
Russell paid respects to his
loyal team members and thanked "everyone who has supported the team over
the five years both home and away."
Team Chichester confirmed their
place in the play-offs for the fourth successive year with a 3/2 win at
University Sport Birmingham" clinching victory after the first three
matches with wins from Linda Elriani, Tom Richards and team
captain Tim Vail.
The Birmingham University hosts
salvaged the next two rubbers when Joel Hinds" fresh from taking
England through to the finals of the European Junior Team
Championships in Switzerland" beat Chichester stalwart
Peter Genever 9-4, 9-5,
9-11, 9-5, and Joey Barrington defeated the Sussex squad's number
one Ben Garner 9-1, 7-9, 9-5, 9-5.
Final round results:
North Group:
Wolverhampton 5
Nottingham 0
Anthony Ricketts beat
Simon Parke
9-7, 4-9, 9-6,9-4 (49m)
Alex Gough beat Duncan
Walsh
9-3, 9-6, 9-3
Scott Handley beat
James Wright
9-5, 7-9, 11-9, 9-5
Chris Ryder beat Arthur
Gaskin
9-4, 9-6, 9-4
Shelley Kitchen beat Sarah Kippax.
9-7, 9-2, 9-3
Manchester/Pontefract 1
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4
James Willstrop lost to Nick
Matthew
4-9, 8-10, 9-7, 9-5, 7-9 (60m)
Lee Beachill beat Jonathan Kemp
9-5, 9-5, 9-7 (24m)
David Evans lost to Renan
Lavigne
9-4, 9-6, 7-9, 6-9, 7-9 (57m)
Nick Taylor lost to Gavin Jones
11-13, 8-10, 6-9 (37m)
Jenny Duncalf lost to Tania
Bailey
1-9, 9-7, 9-6, 0-9, 4-9 (84m)
South Group:
University Sport Birmingham 2
Team Chichester 3
Joey Barrington beat Ben Garner
9-1, 7-9, 9-5, 9-5
Joel Hinds beat Peter Genever
9-4, 9-5, 9-11, 9-5
Steve Coppinger lost to Tim Vail
2-9, 9-2, 7-9, 1-9
Chris Truswell lost to Tom
Richards
8-10, 1-9, 9-6, 5-9
Laura-Jane Lengthorn lost to
Linda Elriani
1-9, 6-9, 9-3, 7-9
Play off preview
Former Champions In Final
Battle
For PSL Play-Offs
Former champions
Manchester/Pontefract (2004) and
Benz-Bavarian Duffield (1998) go head-to-head tonight (Tuesday) in
the final round of the Premier
Squash League (PSL)
in a battle for second spot in the North Group – and a place in the
end-of-season finals play-offs.
Just two points separate the two clubs – but a simple win will decide
the outcome of the team which will join North Group leaders
Churchill Edgbaston Priory in the play-offs against the top two
teams from the South Group, Team
Chichester and
Oberthur Strings
Tewkesbury
.
Whilst Tewkesbury have completed their 'qualifying' campaign,
Chichester are also in action tonight – taking on
University Sport Birmingham in a bid to win at least six points to
go ahead of the current Group leaders to be sure of avoiding Edgbaston
Priory in the play-offs.
The
National Squash Centre at
Sportcity in
Manchester
will host the
Manchester/Pontefract & Duffield tie – which boasts no fewer than five
players ranked in the top 10 in the world, and seven players who
competed in the recent
Commonwealth Games.
Manchester
’s home advantage, and
full-strength squad, makes them clear favourites.
The travelling loyal band of Duffield supporters will be hoping to get
their just reward - provided that
Nick Matthew has fully recovered from the sickness which forced him
to retire last Tuesday. The world No7 from
Sheffield
takes on higher-ranked fellow
Yorkshireman James Willstrop,
the home team's No1 whom he beat twice last month.
The women's rubber will see
England
team-mates
Jenny Duncalf and Tania
Bailey face each other.
Duffield's Bailey is ranked two places lower than world No8 Duncalf –
but Bailey is in fine form having just won her first
WISPA World Tour title in six years at the
Vassar College Class of 1932 Open in the USA.
The other North Group tie taking place tonight sees title-holders
Wolverhampton
entertain
Nottingham
.
The full-strength hosts will be led by Australia's world No5
Anthony Ricketts, while long-time Nottingham star
Simon Parke will hope that his win in last week's
Colets Open in Surrey will inspire him and his team to their first
PSL victory of the season.
Final round,
Tuesday 18 April 2006
North Group:
Wolverhampton v Nottingham
Anthony Ricketts v Simon Parke
Alex Gough v Duncan Walsh
Scott Handley v James Wright
Chris Ryder v Arthur Gaskin
Shelley Kitchen v Sarah Kippax
Manchester/Pontefract v Benz-Bavarian Duffield
James Willstrop v Nick Matthew
Lee Beachill v Jonathan Kemp
David Evans v Renan Lavigne
Nick Taylor v Gavin Jones
Jenny Duncalf v Tania Bailey
South Group:
University Sport Birmingham v Team Chichester
Joey Barrington v Ben Garner
Joel Hinds v
Peter
Genever
Jonathan Harford v Tim Vail
Steve Coppinger v Tom Richards
Laura Lengthorn v Linda Elriani
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10th Round Report 11th April
2006
Commonwealth Games Hero Nicol Fails To Lift Croydon Into PSL Play-Offs
England's Commonwealth Games hero
Peter Nicol gave
Surrey Health & Racquets a much-needed win in their tenth and final
round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) at Team Chichester
– but it wasn't enough to carry the Croydon club into the PSL
play-offs in their debut season as the Sussex side claimed the other
four rubbers to earn a 4/1 tie victory.
Surrey H&RC plummet to third place in the South Group
table, behind Chichester and Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury – both
of whom are now assured of play-off places. The Gloucestershire
club beat University Sport Birmingham 4/1to top the table – but
Chichester have next week's delayed ninth round tie in hand and could
yet overtake Tewkesbury.
There was high drama in the North Group where
Churchill Edgbaston Priory hosted Manchester/Pontefract and
beat the 2004 champions 4/1 to avenge their defeat earlier in the
season. The Birmingham club finished their season a massive 41
points ahead of all-comers to ensure a play-off place for the fifth time
in six years.
Elsewhere, 1998 champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield
slumped to a 2/3 defeat by title-holders
Wolverhampton to hold
onto third place in the group, just four points behind
Manchester/Pontefract. The two teams will now battle for the
second play-off place in the group when they meet next week in
Manchester for the rearranged ninth round fixture.
Team Chichester made a strong start against the PSL
newcomers when England international Linda Elriani whitewashed
the Croydon club's Jane Gardner, and Tom Richards
recovered from two games down to beat the visitors' former European
Junior champion Chris Simpson 4-9, 6-9, 10-8, 9-7, 9-7.
Chichester stalwarts Tim Vail and
Peter Genever extended the club's lead
with straight games wins over Surrey H&RC's Tim Garner and
Phillip Barker, respectively, to ensure a place in the play-offs for
the fourth year in a row.
But the in-form Nicol made sure of potentially
valuable consolation points for the Surrey side. In his first
match on home soil since winning two gold medals in the Commonwealth
Games
in Melbourne, then reaching the final of the PSA Masters in
Bermuda, the 33-year-old former world No1 beat Ben Garner 9-6
8-10, 9-5 9-6.
Despite managing the Strings Tewkesbury team
throughout the season, Wendy Maitland left it to the last fixture
before making her season's debut as a player – but failed to convert a
match ball in the fourth game against Georgina Stoker before
going down 7-9, 9-4, 9-7, 9-10, 5-9 to the University Sport Birmingham
fifth string.
Maitland's squad, however, made up for her
disappointing start by picking up the remaining rubbers to clinch the
club's second successive place in the play-offs.
It was nip and tuck throughout the well-attended tie
in Derbyshire between Duffield and Wolverhampton – with the home club's
newcomer Jennifer Knibbs recovering from a nervous start to beat
the visitors' Fiona Moverley 5-9 9-2 9-5 9-2.
A lame performance by Duffield's Laurence Delasaux
saw the club quickly lose their advantage when Chris Ryder
despatched the hosts' fourth string 9-4 9-2 9-2. A similarly
unsettling experience for long-suffering Duffield manager
Brian Hargrave came
later when Frenchman Renan Lavigne squandered two match balls in
the fourth game to lose 9-5, 6-9, 9-2, 12-14, 3-9 to Wolverhampton's
Scott Handley.
But Hargrave was quick to gain comfort from an
unexpected 9-6, 9-7, 9-2 win by Jonathan Kemp over experienced
and in-form Welsh international Alex Gough.
Local hopes were raised in the decider when
Duffield's England international Nick Matthew took the first game
against Australia's world No5 Anthony Ricketts. But the
mood changed when, after a game lasting only seconds, Matthew threw in
the towel complaining of sickness – and Ricketts claimed an 8-10 9-3 9-0
(ret.) win, and Wolverhampton a 3/2 victory.
Edgbaston Priory were in commanding form in their
home tie against Manchester/Pontefract – though it was the trans-Pennine
cooperative which recorded the first victory when Lee Beachill came back
from 1/2 down to beat Australia's Stewart Boswell 9-2 3-9 3-9 9-3
9-6. Priory players demonstrated strength of character when both
Adrian Grant and
Vicky Botwright both recovered from losses of the first two games to
triumph in five – Grant against long-time Manchester team stalwart
Nick Taylor and Botwright against England team-mate Jenny
Duncalf.
The late final battle between Priory's David
Palmer and the visitors' James Willstrop – ranked two and
three, respectively, in the world – providing a fitting climax to the
night. Palmer prevailed 10-8, 9-7, 7-9, 9-6, much to the delight
of the packed Priory gallery.
10th round results 11th
April 2006
North Group:
Churchill Edgbaston Priory 4
Manchester/Pontefract 1
David Palmer
beat James Willstrop
10-8, 9-7, 7-9, 9-6
Stewart Boswell
lost to Lee Beachill
2-9, 9-3, 9-3, 3-9, 6-9
Adrian Grant
beat Nick Taylor
7-9, 8-10, 9-4, 9-7, 9-2
Peter Barker
beat Andrew Whipp
9-2, 9-7, 9-7
Vicky Botwright
beat Jenny Duncalf
2-9, 7-9, 9-7, 9-3, 9-3
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2
Wolverhampton 3
Nick Matthew
lost to Anthony Ricketts
10-8, 3-9, 0-9 ret.
Jonathan Kemp
beat Alex Gough
9-6, 9-7, 9-2
Renan Lavigne
lost to Scott Handley
9-5, 6-9, 9-2, 12-14, 3-9
Laurence
Delasaux lost to Chris Ryder
4-9, 2-9, 2-9
Jennifer Knibbs
beat Fiona Moverley
5-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-2
South Group:
Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury 4
University Sport Birmingham 1
Cameron Pilley
beat Joey Barrington
9-7, 10-8, 10-8
Daryl Selby
beat Jonathan Harford
9-0, 10-8, 9-6
Alex Stait beat
Steve Coppinger
7-9, 9-5, 8-10, 10-8, 9-6
Rob Sutherland
beat Chris Truswell
9-5, 9-3, 10-8
Wendy Maitland
lost to Georgina Stoker 7-9, 9-4,
9-7, 9-10, 5-9
Team Chichester 4 Surrey
H&RC Croydon 1
Ben Garner lost
to Peter Nicol
6-9, 10-8, 5-9, 6-9
Peter Genever
beat Phillip Barker
9-4, 9-6, 9-6
Tim Vail beat
Tim Garner
9-6, 9-3, 9-7
Tom Richards
beat Chris Simpson
4-9, 6-9, 10-8, 9-7, 9-7
Linda Elriani
beat Jane Gardner
9-0, 9-0, 9-0
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9th round,
Tuesday 4 April 2006
Surrey Health Move Up In PSL, Despite Guildford
Defeat
In the only ninth round Premier Squash League
(PSL)
tie played on Tuesday, UniSport Guildford beat county
rivals Surrey Health & Racquets Club 3/2 away from home in a
victory which avenged their earlier 5/0 drubbing by the Croydon club and
rounded off their 2005/06 season in impressive style.
Despite the absence of squad No1 Peter Nicol,
England's double gold medal hero of last month's Commonwealth Games
in Australia who is now competing in the PSA Masters in Bermuda,
Surrey Health move into top place in the South Group points table" with
next week's tenth round tie at Team Chichester set to decide the
two teams which will go forward from the group to the semi-final
play-offs against the top two clubs from the North Group.
Alison Waters, also
a member of England's successful Games squad in Melbourne, put the
University of Surrey team into the lead with a straight games win over
the hosts' Lauren Briggs. Ben Ford levelled the tie with
a 9-6 9-5 9-6 victory over Guildford's Neil Frankland.
But it was the third string clash which Surrey H&RC
team manager Pete Smith conceded was "always going to be the one
which would decide the outcome of the night"" and so it proved to be as
Germany's rising teenager Simon Rosner battled for five games
against Guildford's experienced Zimbabwean No1 Jesse Engelbrecht.
It was nip and tuck throughout the exchanges, but it
was Engelbrecht who ultimately emerged triumphant to record a 10-8, 1-9,
9-2, 4-9, 9-6 victory to put the visitors ahead.
UniSport stalwart Stephen Meads, who had only
just stepped off a plane from Hong Kong where he had been coaching the
country's national squad, clinched victory for Guildford with a 12-10
9-7 9-7 win over the home team captain Tim Garner, runner-up in
the weekend's BSPA Grand Prix event at the Croydon club.
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