Commonwealth Games Hero Nicol Fails To Lift Croydon Into PSL Play-Offs

England's Commonwealth Games hero Peter Nicol gave Surrey Health & Racquets a much-needed win in their tenth and final round of the Premier League (PSL) at Team Chichester - but it wasn't enough to carry the Croydon club into the PSL play-offs in their debut season as the Sussex side claimed the other four rubbers to earn a 4/1 tie victory.

Surrey H&RC plummet to third place in the South Group table, behind Chichester and Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury - both of whom are now assured of play-off places. The Gloucestershire club beat University Sport Birmingham 4/1to top the table - but Chichester have next week's delayed ninth round tie in hand and could yet overtake Tewkesbury.

There was high drama in the North Group where Churchill Edgbaston Priory hosted Manchester/Pontefract and beat the 2004 champions 4/1 to avenge their defeat earlier in the season. The Birmingham club finished their season a massive 41 points ahead of all-comers to ensure a play-off place for the fifth time in six years.

Elsewhere, 1998 champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield slumped to a 2/3 defeat by title-holders Wolverhampton to hold onto third place in the group, just four points behind Manchester/Pontefract. The two teams will now battle for the second play-off place in the group when they meet next week in Manchester for the rearranged ninth round fixture.

Team Chichester made a strong start against the PSL newcomers when England international Linda Elriani whitewashed the Croydon club's Jane Gardner, and Tom Richards recovered from two games down to beat the visitors' former European Junior champion Chris Simpson 4-9, 6-9, 10-8, 9-7, 9-7. Chichester stalwarts Tim Vail and Peter Genever extended the club's lead with straight games wins over Surrey H&RC's Tim Garner and Phillip Barker, respectively, to ensure a place in the play-offs for the fourth year in a row.

But the in-form Nicol made sure of potentially valuable consolation points for the Surrey side. In his first match on home soil since winning two gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, then reaching the final of the PSA Masters in Bermuda, the 33-year-old former world No1 beat Ben Garner 9-6 8-10, 9-5 9-6.

Despite managing the Strings Tewkesbury team throughout the season, Wendy Maitland left it to the last fixture before making her season's debut as a player - but failed to convert a match ball in the fourth game against Georgina Stoker before going down 7-9, 9-4, 9-7, 9-10, 5-9 to the University Sport Birmingham fifth string.

Maitland's squad, however, made up for her disappointing start by picking up the remaining rubbers to clinch the club's second successive place in the play-offs.

It was nip and tuck throughout the well-attended tie in Derbyshire between Duffield and Wolverhampton - with the home club's newcomer Jennifer Knibbs recovering from a nervous start to beat the visitors' Fiona Moverley 5-9 9-2 9-5 9-2.

A lame performance by Duffield's Laurence Delasaux saw the club quickly lose their advantage when Chris Ryder despatched the hosts' fourth string 9-4 9-2 9-2. A similarly unsettling experience for long-suffering Duffield manager Brian Hargrave came later when Frenchman Renan Lavigne squandered two match balls in the fourth game to lose 9-5, 6-9, 9-2, 12-14, 3-9 to Wolverhampton's Scott Handley.

But Hargrave was quick to gain comfort from an unexpected 9-6, 9-7, 9-2 win by Jonathan Kemp over experienced and in-form Welsh international Alex Gough.

Local hopes were raised in the decider when Duffield's England international Nick Matthew took the first game against Australia's world No5 Anthony Ricketts. But the mood changed when, after a game lasting only seconds, Matthew threw in the towel complaining of sickness - and Ricketts claimed an 8-10 9-3 9-0 (ret.) win, and Wolverhampton a 3/2 victory.

Edgbaston Priory were in commanding form in their home tie against Manchester/Pontefract - though it was the trans-Pennine cooperative which recorded the first victory when Lee Beachill came back from 1/2 down to beat Australia's Stewart Boswell 9-2 3-9 3-9 9-3 9-6. Priory players demonstrated strength of character when both Adrian Grant and Vicky Botwright both recovered from losses of the first two games to triumph in five - Grant against long-time Manchester team stalwart Nick Taylor and Botwright against England team-mate Jenny Duncalf.

The late final battle between Priory's David Palmer and the visitors' James Willstrop - ranked two and three, respectively, in the world - providing a fitting climax to the night. Palmer prevailed 10-8, 9-7, 7-9, 9-6, much to the delight of the packed Priory gallery.

Premier Squash League

10th round, Tuesday 11 April 2006

North Group:
Churchill Edgbaston Priory 4 Manchester/Pontefract 1
David Palmer beat James Willstrop 10-8, 9-7, 7-9, 9-6
Stewart Boswell lost to Lee Beachill 2-9, 9-3, 9-3, 3-9, 6-9
Adrian Grant beat Nick Taylor 7-9, 8-10, 9-4, 9-7, 9-2
Peter Barker beat Andrew Whipp 9-2, 9-7, 9-7
Vicky Botwright beat Jenny Duncalf 2-9, 7-9, 9-7, 9-3, 9-3
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 2 Wolverhampton 3
Nick Matthew lost to Anthony Ricketts 10-8, 3-9, 0-9 ret.
Jonathan Kemp beat Alex Gough 9-6, 9-7, 9-2
Renan Lavigne lost to Scott Handley 9-5, 6-9, 9-2, 12-14, 3-9
Laurence Delasaux lost to Chris Ryder 4-9, 2-9, 2-9
Jennifer Knibbs beat Fiona Moverley 5-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-2

South Group:
Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury 4 University Sport Birmingham 1
Cameron Pilley beat Joey Barrington 9-7, 10-8, 10-8
Daryl Selby beat Jonathan Harford 9-0, 10-8, 9-6
Alex Stait beat Steve Coppinger 7-9, 9-5, 8-10, 10-8, 9-6
Rob Sutherland beat Chris Truswell 9-5, 9-3, 10-8
Wendy Maitland lost to Georgina Stoker 7-9, 9-4, 9-7, 9-10, 5-9
Team Chichester 4 Surrey H&RC Croydon 1
Ben Garner lost to Peter Nicol 6-9, 10-8, 5-9, 6-9
Peter Genever beat Phillip Barker 9-4, 9-6, 9-6
Tim Vail beat Tim Garner 9-6, 9-3, 9-7
Tom Richards beat Chris Simpson 4-9, 6-9, 10-8, 9-7, 9-7
Linda Elriani beat Jane Gardner 9-0, 9-0, 9-0