Round FOUR : WarKens and Ponte stay top
Warkens and Ponte stay top as Wizards end Coolhurts’s run and Alba Storm notch up first win
As the first half of the season nears its end with Round Four, it was University of Warwick/Kenilworth Squash and Team Pontefract who stayed top of the Southern and Northern Division tables tonight, with home wins over Ab Initio St George’s Hill and Northumberland Club / Newcastle University.
2018 Champions St George’s were looking to record their first win of the season away to WarKens, but it was the home side who took the early lead as Julianne Courtice and Sarah-Jane Perry won, both in three games, but Borja Golan beat home favourite Guy Pearson to keep St George’s in the hunt. Iker Pajares sealed the win for WarKens with a two-nil win over Tom Richards, and Raphael Kandra put the icing on the cake for WarKens as he beat Mohamed ElShorbagy in two close games.
Welsh Wizards scraped a home win over previously unbeaten Coolhurst, they too won both women’s matches through Anna Kimberley and Joshna Chinappa, only to be pegged back to two-all by wins for Coolhurst’s Rui Soares and Nathan Lake. Marwan ElShorbagy clinched the win for the Wizards with a two-one win over Adrian Waller.
In the Northern Division Team Pontefract took on Northumberland Club / Newcastle University with both teams having won both their previous matches. The women’s matches were shared as Pontefract’s Lucy Turmel and Newcastle’s Fiona Moverley both won in straight games, but the home side secured the win with victories from Patrick Rooney and James Willstrop. Newcastle’s Baptiste Masotti recorded a fine win over Saurav Ghosal to reduce the deficit. Malcolm Willstrop reports
Pontefract and Newcastle still top the Northern Division – with Pontefract the only remaining unbeaten team – with Thursday’s Birmingham v Alba Storm match still to come, while in the Southern Division WarKens are top having finished their first half fixtures, but are likely to be overtaken once Round Five is played.
In the Thursday match Scotland’s Alba Storm recorded their first victory, winning 3-2 away to University of Birmingham Lions with Rory Stewart clinching the crucial match 15-13 in the third, to leave the Northern Division very close.
Tue 26th Nov
SOUTHERN DIVISION
University of Warwick/Kenilworth Squash 4-1 Ab Initio St George’s Hill (11-4)
Raphael Kandra 2-0 Mohamed ElShorbagy 11-6, 13-11
Iker Pajares 2-0 Tom Richards 11-8, 11-7
Guy Pearson 0-2 Borja Golan 8-11, 10-12
Sarah-Jane Perry 2-1 Joelle King 6-11, 11-7, 11-6
Julianne Courtice 2-1 Jasmine Hutton 6-11, 11-9, 11-6
Welsh Wizards 3-2 Team Coolhurst (9-5)
Marwan ElShorbagy 2-1 Adrian Waller 11-7, 7-11, 11-8
Todd Harrity 0-2 Nathan Lake 8-11, 7-11
Emyr Evans 0-2 Rui Soares 7-11, 3-11
Joshna Chinappa 2-0 Donna Lobban 13-11, 11-9
Anna Kimberley 2-0 Grace Gear 15-13, 11-6
NORTHERN DIVISION
Team Pontefract 3-2 Northumberland Club/Newcastle University (10-5)
Saurav Ghosal 1-2 Baptiste Masotti 11-9, 1-11, 8-11
James Willstrop 2-0 Piedro Schweertman 11-9, 11-2
Patrick Rooney 2-1 Owain Taylor 9-11, 11-3, 11-1
Hollie Naughton 0-2 Fiona Moverley 6-11, 9-11
Lucy Turmel 2-0 Charlotte Jagger 11-3, 11-1
Thu 28th Nov
University of Birmingham Lions 2-3 Alba Storm (6-9)
Joel Makin 2-0 Eain Yow Ng 11-9, 11-9
Miles Jenkins 1-2 Alan Clyne 11-9, 6-11, 4-11
Josh Owen 1-2 Rory Stewart 11-3, 4-11, 13-15
Nele Gilis 0-2 Olivia Blatchford Clyne 10-12, 9-11
Alicia Mead 2-0 Katriona Allen 11-6, 11-3
Lineups and Coverage on the PSL Scoreboard
Pontefract 3-2 Newcastle : Malcolm Willstrop reports
On paper Pontefract looked likely to have a comfortable night against Newcastle and although defeat was not an issue,the visitors will feel well pleased with a 3-2 loss.
Lucy Turmel quickly disposed of Charlotte Jagger, but the now part time Fiona Moverley played well to beat Hollie Haughton to level matters.
Patrick Rooney,after his london Open exploits began slowly against Owain Taylor, lost the first game ,but after that was not troubled to win 2-1. James Willstrop then settled the match for Pontefract beating Piedro Schweertman 2-0, the Dutchman resisting well in the first game.
So to the top string match between two in-form players, Saurav Ghosal and Baptiste Masotti. Ghosal edged the first but Massotti ran away with second. Ghosal improved in the third but it was the Frenchman who won it 11-8.
Newcastle had made it an entertaining night for the sell out crowd and Pontefract maintained their unbeaten record.
