Commonwealth Games Duties Give Leadership Breaks To Lower Order Players

With many of the clubs' leading players currently putting the finishing touches to their Commonwealth Games preparations in Melbourne, tonight's eighth round ties in the Premier League (PSL), sponsored by insurance specialists THB Clowes, see half of the teams led for the first time by lower order players.

North Group leaders Churchill Edgbaston Priory will be missing English and Australian players as they visit Nottingham in a bid to extend their 18-point lead at the top of the table. Essex left-hander Peter Barker assumes the mantle of squad No1 for the first time. The 22-year-old world No24 will be keen to extend his four-match unbeaten PSL run with victory over Nottingham stalwart Simon Parke, the former world No3 who has led his club in all but one of their outings this season.

Title-holders Wolverhampton host Manchester/Pontefract, with both teams boasting new top strings - both of whom will then join forces in Melbourne to lead the Welsh bid for squash medals in their third successive Games. World No20 Alex Gough heads the home team's bid for success, while David Evans leads Manchester/Pontefract as the trans-Pennine cooperative return to PSL action after sitting out the last round - eager to reduce the points gap behind Edgbaston Priory.

While South Group leaders Team Chichester are rested tonight, three teams have the chance of overhauling their lead: Italian Davide Bianchetti leads joint second-placed Surrey Health & Racquets Croydon for the first time as they entertain University Sport Birmingham, led by regular number one Joey Barrington. The Croydon club, in their first PSL season, are also introducing new team member Simon Rosner, the 18-year-old German Junior Open champion who becomes the first German to compete in the premier English league.

Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury, who share second place in the group, visit UniSport Guildford - with Australian Cameron Pilley stepping up to lead the Gloucestershire club against the home team's regular top string Stacey Ross.