Semi-Finals here we come ...

It was the four teams who started the evening favourite to progress to the semi-finals who duly did so, but not without some surprises along the way. The top to the table clash in group A saw Duffield beaten by league newcomers Chapel Allerton, who thus finished top of the group.

Group B leaders Bristol suffered a surprise loss at home to Chichester, allowing reigning champions Surrey to overtake them by a single point to gain home advantage in the semi-finals.

So the semi-final lineup is Surrey v Duffield and Chapel Allerton v Bristol

Group A:
Benz-Bavarian Duffield lost to Chapel Allerton 2-3
Arthur Curran reports from Duffield
   Nick Matthew bt Alister Walker 11-9, 11-3, 11-5
   Joey Barrington bt Chris Simpson 10-12, 13-11, 11-8, 11-5
   Andrew Whipp lost to Scott Arnold 11-9, 5-11, 10-12, 11-3, 10-12
   Joel Hinds lost to Stephen Coppinger 11-9, 15-13, 7-11, 3-11, 6-11
   Laura Hill lost to Jenny Duncalf 9-11, 5-11, 7-11

Pontefract lost to MB Nottingham 1-4
   James Earles lost to John Rooney 8-11, 4-11, 9-11
   Sam Wileman lost to Simon Parke 9-11, 10-12, 7-11
   Alan Norrish lost to Eddie Charlton 6-11, 9-11, 6-11
   George Wileman lost to Marco Becker 7-11, 6-11, 8-11
   Kirsty McPhee bt Joanne Smalley 11-2, 11-4, 11-3

Group B:
PCL Whitehall Security Surrey H&RC bt UniSport Guildford 3-2
Ian Robinson reports
   Peter Barker bt Jesse Engelbrecht 11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 11-5
    Davide Bianchetti bt Stacey Ross 6-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-6
   Tim Garner lost to Stephen Meads 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 6-11, 6-11
   Ben Ford bt Phil Rushworth 11-9, 12-10, 13-11
   Vicky Botwright lost to Alison Waters 2-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11

TWP St George's Hill bt Exeter Diamonds 5-0
   Daryl Selby bt Jonathan Kemp 11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5
   Tom Richards bt Peter Creed 11-6, 11-5, 11-7
   Mark Krajcsak bt Hywel Robinson 11-2, 11-6, 11-6
   Joe Lee bt Matt Baker 11-4, 11-1, 11-4 (17m)
   Rachel Willmott bt Emma Chorley 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6 (54m)

Probuild Bristol lost to PNH Properties Chichester 2-3
   David Evans bt Tim Vail 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8 (36m)
   Hadrian Stiff lost to Robbie Temple 11-8, 8-11, 3-11, 12-14 (54m)
   Peter Marshall lost to Peter Genever 12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 6-9 ret. (37m)
   Lewys Hurst lost to Olivier Pett 11-2, 11-8, 6-11, 5-11, 7-11 (56m)
   Sarah-Jane Perry bt Annabelle Collins-Ballands 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (22m)

 

Newcomers Chapel Allerton & Surrey Health Rise To Top PSL Tables
Roundup from Howard Harding 

The tenth and final round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) saw league newcomers Chapel Allerton and title-holders PCL Whitehall Security Surrey H&RC take over the top positions in Group A and B, respectively, to earn the right to host the end-of-season semi-final play-offs in the world's most prestigious squash league.

Chapel Allerton, the Leeds club which rose from bottom place in the Group A tables in October, earned a 3/2 away win over former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield and will face Group B runners-up Probuild Bristol in the semi-finals on 31st March.  Surrey H&RC, the Croydon club which lifted the PSL trophy last year for the first time, held off a determined challenge from UniSport Guildford to beat their country rivals 3/2 at home and will now host Group A runners-up Duffield in the other semi.

Chapel Allerton and Duffield had already ensured their place in the play-offs after the ninth round - and the Derbyshire club seemed odds on favourites to win the final home tie to extend their lead in Group A.  But England international Jenny Duncalf started the visitors' victory bid by beating Duffield stalwart Laura Hill in straight games - and it wasn't long before the Yorkshire side's South African international Stephen Coppinger and Australian import Scott Arnold wrapped up five-game wins to give Chapel Allerton a surprise unassailable lead.

Duffield's top two strings Nick Matthew and Joey Barrington - fresh from star 'supporting' roles in this week's flagship PSA Tour event, the ATCO Super Series Finals at Queen's Club in London - gave the local crowd something to shout about by beating Alister Walker and Chris Simpson, respectively, to reduce the deficit.  But the 3/2 win saw Chapel Allerton overtake their opponents in the final tables by just four points!

Three teams lined up in Group B with the chance to earn semi-final places - but the bid by league debutants Exeter Diamonds quickly faded when they were crushed 5/0 away from home by TWP St George's Hill - the Surrey club earning its first maximum points win of the season.  The standout match of the night was the five-game win by Essex star Daryl Selby over Exeter's Jonathan Kemp - less than 48 hours after the English duo had contested the Manitoba Open final in the Canadian city of Winnipeg, where Kemp prevailed  in a 108-minute marathon, the longest match of his career.

PCL Whitehall Security Surrey H&RC were expecting to field a full-strength squad in their vital fixture against UniSport Guildford - but, within hours of the tie, it seemed that top string Wael El Hindi, the world No9 from Egypt, was unable to free himself from Super Series Finals commitments in London.

The tie opened with a fine women's match between England team-mates Alison Waters and Vicky Botwright - in which the Surrey club's now retired Botwright showed that she can still deliver the goods, taking Waters to five games before going down 2-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11.

And the Croydon club's co-manager Tim Garner, who stepped into the squad at the last minute at No3 in El Hindi's absence, earned valuable game points despite falling to Guildford regular Stephen Meads 6-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6. 

It was two-all when the hosts' newly-promoted top string Peter Barker took to the court against Jesse Engelbrecht for the decider.  South African Engelbrecht stretched world No10 Barker to four games - but it was the English international that ultimately prevailed 11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 11-5 to take the Croydon club back into the play-offs for the third year in a row.

Probuild Bristol started the night as Group B leaders - but suffered a shock defeat by bottom-placed PNH Properties Chichester, the Sussex club picking up only its second win of the season.  The hosts suffered a heavy blow when strong third string Peter Marshall was forced to retire with an injured hamstring after leading against Chichester's Peter Genever.  Then team captain Hadrian Stiff also went down 11-8, 8-11, 3-11, 12-14 to the visitors' Robbie Temple as Chichester clinched an unlikely victory.

Bristol's Sarah-Jane Perry and top string David Evans earned consolation victories to reduce Chichester's win to 3/2 - but the 11 points gained by the Avon side just failed to prevent Surrey H&RC from taking top place in the Group B table by a single point!

In the other Group A tie - the outcome of which was not going to have any bearing on the play-off line-up - Yorkshire club Pontefract introduced a team of future stars, including 15-year-old debutant George Wileman, to get a taste of PSL action against former champions MB Nottingham.

The East Midlands visitors recorded a 4/1 win - with the home side's Kirsty McPhee gave the Pontefract crowd something to shout about as she despatched Nottingham newcomer Joanne Smalley 11-2, 11-4, 11-3.