The world’s most prestigious squash league celebrates its 30th season when the 2013/14 season of the Premier Squash League (PSL), supported by Dunlop, gets underway next week – with Coolhurst London making its debut to provide London interest in the PSL for the first time in over a decade.
Based in Crouch End in north London, Coolhurst has attracted a strong PSL squad, led by German number one Simon Rosner, and former world No7; 13-times Irish champion Madeline Perry.
In the first round on Tuesday (22 October), Coolhurst make their debut away from home in Group A at Air-IT Nottingham, the 1999 champions. Also in Group A, Derbyshire club and three-time champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield extend their longevity record to 21 successive seasons in the PSL by hosting Yorkshire club AJP Pontefract.
Both sides boast players with long commitments to their squads: Sheffield’s world No4 Nick Matthew is celebrating his 11th successive season for Duffield – while former world No1 Lee Beachill is marking his 12th in a row for Pontefract, and is returning to the club for which he made his PSL debut as a 17-year-old in the 1994/95 season!
Chapel Allerton, the 2009 champions from Leeds, begin their latest campaign at University of Birmingham, where the Yorkshire team will unveil their new number one Daryl Selby. The world No14 from Essex will make his club debut against Birmingham’s Cameron Pilley, the world No13 from Australia.
Title-holders Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets begin the new season in Group B with an away fixture at UWE/Elitesquash Bristol. Winners of a record fifth PSL title earlier this year – and an unprecedented fourth in a row – the Croydon club will again be led by Londoner Peter Barker, the world No7.
Elsewhere in Group B, twice runners-up Luxfords St George’s Hill host Exeter Diamonds, while Team Chichester entertain south coast rivals Winchester, the 1995 champions.
Premier Squash League, 1st round, Tuesday 22 October
Group A:
Air-IT Nottingham v Coolhurst London
Alan Clyne v Simon Rosner
Eddie Charlton v Ong Beng Hee
Chris Fuller v Ben Coleman
David Wardle v Adam Auckland
Emma Beddoes v Lauren Selby
Benz-Bavarian Duffield v AJP Pontefract
Nick Matthew v James Willstrop
Stephen Coppinger v Saurav Ghosal
Andy Whipp v Harinder Pal Sandhu
Declan James v Lee Beachill
Laura Massaro v Sarah Kippax
University of Birmingham v Chapel Allerton
Cameron Pilley v Daryl Selby
Chris Ryder v Chris Simpson
Jaymie Haycocks v Shaun le Roux
Peter Creed v James Earles
Olga Ertlova v Carrie Ramsey
Group B:
Team Chichester v Winchester
Jonathan Kemp v Marwan Elshorbagy
Rex Hedrick v Robert Downer
Robbie Temple v Scott Fitzgerald
Anthony Graham v Daniel Poleshchuk
Lauren Briggs v Emily Whitlock
Luxfords St George’s Hill v Exeter Diamonds
Tom Richards v Omar Mosaad
Joe Lee v Olli Tuominen
Henrik Mustonen v Joey Barrington
Charles Sharpes v Tim Vail
Dominique Lloyd-Walter v Victoria Temple Murray
UWE/Elitesquash Bristol v Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets
Mohamed Elshorbagy v Peter Barker
David Evans v Adrian Waller
Thomas Ford v Raphael Kandra
Michael Harris v Richie Fallows
Camille Serme v Katie Wilson