PSL: Duffield fight back

Former Champions Duffield Hit Back In Second Half Season Opener

By HOWARD HARDING

Former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield hit back in the opening tie of the second half of thePremier Squash League (PSL) season to slam MB Nottingham 5/0 away from home and score their second maximum points win over their East Midlands rivals this season in Tuesday’s sixth round of the world’s most prestigious squash league.

Team newcomer Jaclyn Hawkes, the New Zealand number two, began the assault with a five-game victory over Nottingham regular Emma Beddoes.  A rare family duel between brothers Mark Fuller andChris Fuller saw the younger sibling Chris increase the visitors’ lead with an 11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 11-7 win.

Further wins by the Derbyshire club’s Joel Hinds and Stephen Coppinger made way for Duffield starNick Matthew.  The world No1 and world champion, making his first appearance for the club since November, put behind him his shock defeat in Sunday’s British National championship final by crushing Nottingham’s top string Eddie Charlton 11-2, 11-6, 11-3.

The impressive victory takes Duffield into second place in the Group A tables behind group leadersLEBC Group Chapel Allerton, the Leeds club which did not have a sixth round tie.

There was popular revenge in Group A In Yorkshire where Courtcraft Pontefract crafted a 3/2 home win over CLFS Esporta Oxford – reversing the result of their early season meeting.

The clash, before a packed crowd at Pontefract, was delicately poised at two-all when club heroJames Willstrop took to the court against Oxford’s Australian number one Cameron Pilley.  It was an eagerly awaited clash – Willstrop’s first match since a shock quarter-final exit in last week’s British National championships in Manchester.

The 27-year-old world No4 from Leeds was back to his devastating best – and recovered from a game down to despatch Pilley 12-14, 11-1, 11-3, 11-5.

“James played as well as I’ve seen him play all year – with complete freedom,” said team managerMalcolm Willstrop afterwards.

Like Chapel Allerton in Group A, TWP St George’s Hill have built a commanding lead at the top of the Group B tables – with a 4/1 home win over PSL newcomers IGT Winchester extending the Surrey club’s unbeaten record this season.

Team stalwarts Dominique Lloyd-Walter, Joe Lee, Mark Krajcsak and Tom Richards all scored straight games wins – leaving team number one Daryl Selby, the new surprise British National champion, to bring home maximum points.

But the 28-year-old from Essex was clearly unable to reproduce the stunning performance which saw him defeat firm favourite Nick Matthew in Sunday’s final – and went down 16-14, 9-11, 9-11, 14-12, 8-11 to Winchester’s Dylan Bennett, the Dutch championship runner-up.

“Daryl was obviously shattered – and I wouldn’t have been surprised had he been unable to make the match,” said St George’s Hill team manager Danny Lee.  “He’s been an inspiring member of our squad and we’re very proud of his achievement in Manchester.”

But the battle for second place in the group gathered momentum today as both Surrey Health & Racquets and Exeter Diamonds celebrated 4/1 wins – over Team Chichester and UWE Bristol, respectively – and both are level in second place with 83 points.

Surrey Health’s world No3 Alison Waters made a successful comeback since aggravating an Achilles injury in the Commonwealth Games in October by beating Chichester’s Hannah Wright-Davies in straight games.

Later wins by Adrian Waller and Germany’s Simon Rosner ensured victory for the Croydon club – but the final match between the two top strings went late into the night before Londoner Peter Barkerfinally celebrated an 11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5 over the home side’s Malaysian number one Mohd Azlan Iskandar to extend Surrey Health’s win to 4/1.

It was the new Dutch national champion Laurens Jan Anjema who ensured the same scoreline in Devon for Exeter Diamonds after clinching an 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 victory over the higher-ranked Bristol number one Mohamed El Shorbagy, the world No9 from Egypt.

This followed earlier wins by James Snell, Jonathan Harford and Stewart Boswell – the Australian international who beat former Welsh international David Evans 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 to record his fourth successive win this season for Exeter.

RESULTS:            6th round, Tuesday 15 February 2011

Group A:

Courtcraft Pontefract 3  CLFS Esporta Oxford 2

James Willstrop bt Cameron Pilley 12-14, 11-1, 11-3, 11-5

Saurav Ghosal bt Chris Ryder 11-6, 11-9, 11-8

Simon Parke bt Scott Handley 11-9, 11-13, 11-6, 11-3

Lee Beachill lost to Jaymie Haycocks 4-11, 11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 7-11

Kirsty McPhee lost to Madeline Perry 6-11, 5-11, 6-11

MB Nottingham 0  Benz-Bavarian Duffield 5

Eddie Charlton lost to Nick Matthew 2-11, 6-11, 3-11

Lewis Walters lost to Stephen Coppinger 12-10, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11

Chris Truswell lost to Joel Hinds 8-11, 6-11, 3-11

Mark Fuller lost to Chris Fuller 8-11, 7-11, 11-4, 7-11

Emma Beddoes lost to Jaclyn Hawkes 11-5, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11

Group B:

Team Chichester 1  Surrey Health & Racquets 4

Mohd Azlan Iskandar lost to Peter Barker 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 5-11

Robbie Temple bt Adrian Grant 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8

Olivier Pett lost to Simon Rosner 2-11, 4-11, 11-5, 5-11

Tim Vail lost to Adrian Waller 7-11, 5-11, 8-11

Hannah Wright-Davies lost to Alison Waters 2-11, 5-11, 5-11

Exeter Diamonds 4  UWE Bristol 1

Laurens Jan Anjema bt Mohamed El Shorbagy 11-8, 11-6, 11-5

Stewart Boswell bt David Evans 11-8, 11-7, 11-3

Jonathan Harford bt Michael Harris 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5

James Snell bt Nathan Lake 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, 13-11

Victoria Temple-Murray lost to Sarah-Jane Perry 10-12, 6-11, 12-14

TWP St George’s Hill 4  IGT Winchester 1

Daryl Selby lost to Dylan Bennett 16-14, 9-11, 9-11, 14-12, 8-11

Tom Richards bt Stacey Ross 11-5, 13-11, 11-4

Mark Krajcsak bt Mark Cairns 11-8, 11-4, 11-8

Joe Lee bt Robert Downer 11-4, 11-5, 11-8

Dominique Lloyd-Walter bt Lauren Selby 11-4, 11-6, 11-9

PSL TABLES (after 6th round)

Ties       Matches     Games    Pts

P   W   L    W    L     W     L

Group A:

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 4   4   0   17    3    53    19    73

Benz-Bavarian Duffield 5   3   2   16    9    54    36    69

CLFS Esporta Oxford 5   2   3   14   11    47    45    57

Courtcraft Pontefract 5   2   3    7   18    34    59    44

MB Nottingham 5   1   4    6   19    31    60    36

Group B:

TWP St George’s Hill 6   6   0   22    8    74    36   104

Exeter Diamonds 6   4   2   18   12    63    47    83

Surrey Health & Racquets 6   4   2   17   13    63    55    83

IGT Winchester 6   2   4   12   18    47    61    57

Team Chichester 6   2   4   12   18    46    63    56

UWE Bristol 6   0   6    9   21    45    76    45

For all the latest news, visit the official website www.pslsquash.com