St George’s to seek revenge against champions Duffield
By STEVE CUBBINS
The semi-finals of the 2015-16 PSL season will see Leicester meet Surrey and – in a repeat of last year’s final – St George’s will clash with reigning champions Duffield.
In the final round of league action this week, semi-final places were up for grabs in both divisions, but at the end of play the four teams who started the day in the top positions recorded the wins they needed to claim their places in the playoffs.
In Division A just two points separated the top three teams, but long-time leaders Everards Leicester and reigning champions Benz Bavarian Duffield both recorded the 5-0 wins they needed to progress.
Leicester’s win away to neighbours Air-IT Nottingham condemned the home side to bottom place; Duffield’s home win against Pontefract left them still one point behind Leicester; University of Birmingham Lions’ 4-1 win at Coolhurst London left them in third place, just outside the play-off positions.
In Division B the top two of 9 Telecom St George’s Hill and Virgin Active Surrey had simpler tasks – any sort of wins would do for them and they duly delivered.
St George’s beat play-off hopefuls Team Chichester 4-1 to clinch top spot; six-time champions Surrey needed to win the deciding match away to UWE/Elite Squash Bristol, which they did courtesy of a 3-2 win for Karim Abdel Gawad over in-form Marwan Elshorbagy; Clubnet Winchester squeezed out a narrow home win over Exeter Diamonds but remain in bottom place.
The semi-finals will provide two great matches, with Leicester meeting Surrey and, in a repeat of last year’s final, St George’s will be out to gain revenge against Duffield.
England Squash PSL results (Tuesday April 19th, 2016).
Division A:
Air-IT Nottingham 0-5 Everards Leicester (3-20)
Eddie Charlton 1-3 Daryl Selby 9-11, 11-9, 6-11 9-11
Chris Fuller 1-3 Shaun Le Roux 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 10-12
Mark Fuller 1-3 Ben Coleman 10-12, 7-11, 11-7, 6-11
Matthew Broadberry 0-3 Angus Gillams 4-11, 0-11
Janice Lam 0-3 Emily Whitlock 6-11, 2-11, 4-11
Benz Bavarian Duffield 5-0 Pontefract (20-3)
Chris Simpson 3-1 Evan Williams 11-3, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8
Declan James 3-1 Patrick Rooney 6-11, 11-6, 19-17, 13-11
Richie Fallows 3-0 Alex Hodgetts 11-7, 12-10, 11-4
Adam Murrills 3-1 Taminder Gata-Aura 11-8, 11-6, 8-11, 11-2
Laura Massaro 3-0 Hollie Naughton 11-5, 11-1, 11-6
Coolhurst London 1-4 University of Birmingham Lions (6-18)
Cameron Pilley 3-1 Steve Coppinger 14-16, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
Joe Green 1 -3 Jaymie Haycocks 8-11, 5-11, 11-8,8-11
Nick Mulvey 0-3 Peter Creed 10-12, 4-11, 11-13
Steve London 0-3 Joel Makin 7-11, 3-11, 7-11
Donna Urquhart 2-3 Sarah-Jane Perry 11-7, 1-11, 11-8, 4-11 11-13
Division B
9Telecom St George’s Hill 4-1 Team Chichester 18-4)
Borja Golan 3-0 Adrian Waller 11-6, 11-6, 11-8
Tom Richards 3-1 Robbie Temple 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8
Henrik Mustonen 3-0 Nathan Lake 11-8, 11-8, 11-9
Charlie Lee 3-0 Kyle Finch 11-9, 11-8, 11-6
Dom Lloyd-Walter 1-3 Lauren Briggs 11-5, 8-1, 12-14, 6-11
UWE/Elite Squash Bristol 2-3 Virgin Active Surrey (10-14)
Marwan Elshorbagy 2-3 Karim Abdel Gawad 13-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 3-11
Josh Masters 1-3 Peter Barker 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 6-11
Youssef Soliman 3-0 Tim Garner 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
Mike Harris 3-0 Bradley Masters 11-9, 11-9, 11-6
Tesni Evans 1-3 Alison Waters 7-11, 10-12, 11-7, 7-11
ClubNet Winchester 3-2 Exeter Diamonds (14-11)
Rob Downer 3-2 Tim Vail 8-11, 4-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-6
Scott Handley 0-3 James Snell 10-12, 10-12, 6-11
Adam Corcoran 3-1 James Peach 11-9, 11-2, 8-11, 11-9
Robbie Keefe 0-3 Sam Ellis 7-11, 7- 11, 4-11
Hannah K-S 3-2 Abigail Hurd 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5
Semi-Finals, Tuesday May 10th:
Everards Leicester v Virgin Active Surrey
9 Telecom St George’s Hill v Benz Bavarian Duffield
FINAL: Tuesday May 17th at St George’s Hill.
