March 19, 2024

Round NINE – 05 Mar

The ninth and penultimate round of the Premier Squash League saw two teams confirmed for the semi-finals, but left more questions to be answered in the final round of group action.

Duffield limp into semis, Oxford almost there …

In Group A leaders Duffield travelled to second-placed Oxford. The visitors suffered travel delays and things got no better after the delayed start as Oxford quickly took advantage, going 3-0 up before Duffield fought back to limit the damage to a 4-1 defeat.

That earned Duffield enough points to guarantee themselves a semi-final place despite losing their last two matches, but the top two positions will be determined in the next round, with Oxford in pole position to join Duffield in the last four.

Nottingham and Chapel Allerton started the evening in third and fourth place, and 4-1 away wins at Birmingham and Pontefract, worth 17 points each, kept both in with an outside chance of making the playoffs.

Duffield will go into the last week needing eight points at home to bottom of the table Birmingham to clinch top spot, while Oxford will travel to Nottingham knowing that seven points will be enough to see them through to the semis – however should Nottingham win well enough to deny them there’s an outside chance that Chapel Allerton could pip them both!

Standings: Duffield 136, Oxford 123, Nottingham 109, Chapel A 107, Pontefract 89, Birmingham 76
Round Ten Fixtures:
Duffield v Birmingham, Chapel A v Pontefract, Nottingham v Oxford

Surrey through, Exeter one win away …

In Group B leaders and defending champions Surrey entered the home stretch with matches against the bottom two clubs to come, and a 4-1 win at home to Bristol guaranteed them a place in the semi-finals.

Second placed Exeter did themselves a power of good with a 5-0 home win over Winchester, which leaves them needing to win one of the five matches at home to Chichester to secure their semi-final place.

Two-time runners-up St George’s Hill saw their outside chances disappear despite a fine 5-0 home win over early pacesetters Chichester.

Standings: Surrey 146, Exeter 137, Chichester 122, St George’s 117, Winchester 60, Bristol 40

Round Ten Fixtures: Chichester v Exeter, Winchester v Surrey, Bristol v St George’s

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GROUP A:

AJP PONTEFRACT  1-4 MB NOTTINGHAM (5-17)

Siddarth Suchde 3-0 Eddie Charlton  12/10, 11/5, 11/5 (38m)
Lee Beachill 1-3 Lewis Walters 11/9 , 4/11, 9/11, 8/11 (38m)
Thoboki Mohohlo 1-3 Declan James 6/11, 11/5, 7/11, 14/16 (53m)
Alex Hodgetts 0-3 Greg Lobban 5/11, 3/11, 8/11 (24m)
Julia Lecoq   0-3 Emma Beddoes 7/11,  7,11,  6/11 (20m)

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM 1-4 CHAPEL ALLERTON (6-17)

Chris Ryder 1-3 Ong Beng Hee 12/10, 6/11,  2/11,  5/11
Peter Creed 0-3 Chris Simpson 7 -11,  6-11,  7-11
Jaymie Haycocks 1-3 Shaun le Roux 7/11, 11/7, 7/11, 5/11
Nathan Lake 1-3 James Earles 14/12, 11/13, 6/11, 8/11 (73m)
Sarah Jane Perry 3-0 Jenny Duncalf   12/10, 11/7, 11/8 (30m)

OXFORD 4-1 BENZ-BAVARIAN DUFFIELD (18-5)

Borja Golan 3-1  Andy Whipp  11/5, 6/11, 11/9, 11/3 (39m)
Scott Handley 3-0 Adam Murrills  11/7, 11/5, 11/5 (31m)
Ben Coleman 3-1   Chris Fuller  11/7, 11/13, 11/6, 11/4
Mark Cairns 1-3 Aqeel Rehman 9/11, 11/2, 6/11, 8/11 (45m)
Madeline Perry 3-0 Lily Taylor  11/7, 11/4, 11/2

Standings: Duffield 136, Oxford 123, Nottingham 109, Chapel A 107, Pontefract 89, Birmingham 76

Round Ten Fixtures: Duffield v B’ham, Chapel A v Ponte, Nottingham v Oxford

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Group B:

INTEGRITY  SURREY H&R  4-1 UWE BRISTOL (19-3)

Peter Barker 3-0 Arthur Gaskin  11/2, 11/7, 11/5
Adrian Grant 2-3 Lucas Serme 4/11, 5/11, 11/8, 14/12, 8/11
Adrian Waller 3-0 Tom Ford  11/6, 11/8, 11/8
Richie Fallows 3-0 Sam Ellis 12/10, 11/8, 11/4
Alison Waters 3-0 Emma Chorley 11/5, 11/2, 11/1

EXETER DIAMONDS  5-0 WINCHESTER  (20-3)

Laurens Jan Anjema 3-1 Marwan El Shorbagy  11/7, 11/3, 8/11, 11/5 (38m)
Olli Tuominen 3-0 Robert Downer  11/6, 11/8, 11/5 (35m)
Tim Vail 3-2 Scott Fitzgerald  12/10, 8/11, 4/11,  11/8, 11/1 (42m)
Mike Harris 3-0 Phil Bull  11/1, 11/4, 11/9 (24m)
Aisling Blake 3-0 Jane Allman   11/4, 11/7, 11/6 (21m)

TWP ST GEORGE’S HILL 5-0 TEAM CHICHESTER  (20-3)

Daryl Selby 3-1 Jonathan Kemp  4/11, 11/9, 11/6, 11/1
Tom Richards 3-0 Nafiizwan Adnan  11/3, 11/8, 11/9
Joe Lee 3-0 Robbie Temple  11/7, 11/5, 11/7
Charles Sharpes 3-2 Olivier Pett  11/4, 11/2, 10/12, 12/14, 11/9 (73m)
Dominique Lloyd-Walter 3-0 Annabelle Collins-Ballands  11/5, 12/10, 11/8

Standings: Surrey 146, Exeter 137, Chichester 122, St George’s 117, Winchester 60, Bristol 40

Round Ten Fixtures: Chichester v Exeter, Winchester v Surrey, Bristol v St George’s

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