18-Mar, Round NINE as it happened
The ninth and penultimate round of PSL league play saw many of the teams missing their top players – either at the World Series Finals in Richmond or at the Women’s Worlds in Penang – and with playoff places potentially on the line the strength in depth of their squads was sure to be tested.
Duffield through to semis, but with who ???
Group A leaders Duffield travelled to nearby challengers Nottingham, and although the four-time winners earned enough points to ensure that they will finish in top to earn a home semi-final, it was Nottingham, urged on by a packed crowd, who won 3-2 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Chapel Allerton, starting the day third in the table, beat Yorkshire rivals Pontefract 4-1 to boost their playoff hopes. Especially since London Coolhurst, who started in second place suffered a shock 0-5 home defeat to Birmingham University, who did their own chances of reaching the semis no harm at all.
So Duffield are definitely top, but there are four teams with genuine a chance of grabbing second place in the final round!
Surrey and Exeter stay ahead
Things are a little more clearcut in Group B, after a night of close matches.
Winchester and Bristol were already out of playoff contention, but visitors Bristol continued their improved form to record a 3-2 away win.
Chichester and St George’s both had outside hopes of making the playoffs, but only a good win for one or the other would do. Chichester went 2-0 up, St George’s fought back to level, but Jon Kemp won the decider for the home side to almost certainly end the qualification hopes of both teams.
Leaders Surrey and Exeter met in another match that went the distance, and here too the home side went 2-0 up on;y to be pegged back to a decider, in which Adrian Grant beat Olli Tuominen 3-2 to clinch the win for Surrey.
Defending champions Surrey are definitely in the semis and will probably finish top, while Exeter need just two more points to make themselves mathematically certain of qualification.
Group A
Nottingham (94+14) 3-2 Duffield (136+7)
Alan Clyne 3-0 Joel Hinds 12-10, 11-5, 11-8
Eddie Charlton 3-0 Andy Whipp 11-4, 11-7, 11-9
Chris Fuller 0-3 Declan James 10-12, 2-1 rtd
Ollie Holland 3-1 Scott Handley 10-12, 12-10 rtd
Vai Reddy 0-3 Tania Bailey 1-11, 3-11, 3-11
Chapel A (100+18) 4-1 Pontefract (30+5)
Daryl Selby 3-2 Saurav Ghosal 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6
Chris Simpson 3-0 Chris van der Salm 11-7, 12-10, 11-9
Shaun Le Roux 3-0 Alex Hodgetts 11-2, 11-3, 11-8
Simon Parke 3-0 Jack Cooper 11-7, 11-9, 11-9
Carrie Ramsey 1-3 Kirsty McPhee 11-7, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11
Coolhurst (107+5) 0-5 Birmingham (95+20)
Omar Abdel Meguid 2-3 Chris Ryder 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 7-11
Ben Coleman 1-3 Jaymie Haycocks 15-17, 6-11, 11-6, 8-11
Adam Auckland 2-3 Peter Creed 6-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 4-11
Steve London 0-3 Joel Makin 1-11, 11-13 , 7-11
Rachel Willmott 0-3 Chloe Mesic 2-11, 7-11, 7-11
Standings:
Duffield 143, Chapel A 118, Birmingham 115, Coolhurst 112, Nottingham 108, Pontefract 35
Round 10, 01-Apr: Pontefract v Nottingham, Duffield v Birmingham, Coolhurst v Chapel A
Group B
Chichester (92+15) 3-2 St George’s (103+7)
Jon Kemp 3-1 Tom Richards 11-4, 11-8, 11-13, 12-10
Rex Hedrick 1-3 Joe Lee 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 6-11
Ollie Pett 3-0 Henrik Mustonen 11-8, 12-10, 11-8
Steve Wykes 0-3 Charles Charpes 2-11, 6-11, 5-11
Lauren Briggs 3-0 Dom Lloyd-Walter 11-6, 16-14, 12-10
Surrey (122+16) 3-2 Exeter (121+8)
Peter Barker 2-3 Omar Mosaad 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11
Adrian Grant 3-2 Olli Tuominen 12-10, 13-15, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5
Greg Marche 3-0 Tim Vail 11-6, 11-9, 11-3
Adrian Waller 3-0 James Snell 11-8, 11-8, 11-7
Nada Elkalaawy 0-3 Aisling Blake 10-12, 10-12, 8-11
Winchester (44+9) 2-3 Bristol (79+15)
Greg Lobban 3-1 Lucas Serme 14-12, 4-11, 11-6, 11-7
Abdulla Al Tamimi 3-0 David Evans 12-10, 11-8, 11-7
Robert Downer 2-3 Tom Ford 11-3, 11-2, 5-1, 4-11, 4-11
Scott Fitzgerald 1-3 Mike Harris 11-9, 10-12, 10-12, 3-11
Alison Thompson 0-3 Yathreb Adel 2-11, 2-11, 6-11
Standings:
Surrey 138, Exeter 129, St George’s 110, Chichester 107, Bristol 94, Winchester 53
Round 10, 01-Apr: Exeter v Chichester, St George’s v Bristol, Winchester v Surrey
Semi-Finals: 8th April, Final: 6th May
