Duffield Celebrate Return To PSL Play-Offs

Benz-Bavarian Duffield stunned Manchester/Pontefract supporters at their home courts at the National Squash Centre in Manchester by beating the 2004 champions in the final round of the Premier League (PSL) to claim the last place in the end-of-season finals play-offs.

The 4/1 victory takes the Derbyshire club ahead of the trans-Pennine cooperative in the North Group - denying the finalists for the past two years a chance to compete for the national title for a third time. Duffield, in the play-offs for the first time in four years, join Group winners Churchill Edgbaston Priory - and will meet the top two teams in the South Group.

With Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury already assured of a place, it took a 3/2 win for Team Chichester over University Sport Birmingham to push the Sussex club ahead of Tewkesbury in the final South Group placings - leaving the Gloucestershire club to face Edgbaston Priory, and Chichester to take on Duffield.

With just two points separating Manchester/Pontefract and Duffield before the tie, a simple win was all that was required.

England team-mates Jenny Duncalf and Tania Bailey faced each other in the opening clash. Duffield's Bailey, hot from winning her first WISPA World Tour title for six years, took the opening game - but Duncalf, ranked two places higher at world No8, delighted home supporters by moving 2/1 ahead.

Bailey was not to be denied, however, and persevered for 84 minutes to carve out a 9-1, 7-9, 6-9, 9-0, 9-4 victory to give Duffield the lead.

Fast-rising Welshman Gavin Jones needed just 37 minutes to extend Duffield's grip, beating the home club's long-standing team stalwart Nick Taylor 13-11, 10-8, 9-6.

Frenchman Renan Lavigne then mounted a second remarkable comeback for the visitors when he recovered from 0/2 down to beat Manchester/Pontefract's former British Open champion David Evans 4-9, 6-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-7 in 57 minutes - sealing a victorious night for Duffield.

The home club gained a consolation point when Lee Beachill coasted to a 9-5, 9-5, 9-7 win in 24 minutes over Jonathan Kemp. In the final 'dead' rubber - which was as 'live' as it was possible to be - Nick Matthew defeated his Commonwealth Games doubles partner and England team-mate James Willstrop 9-4, 10-8, 7-9, 5-9, 9-7 in 60 minutes to extend Duffield's winning margin to 4/1.

"We really got ourselves out of jail a couple of times tonight," said a delighted Duffield manager Brian Hargrave after his team's astonishing win. "Gavin was 8/4 down in his second game, but came back to win it, and Tania threw everything she had into her final game to survive her tough match.

"And we knew Renan's would be a crucial match, and probably would be won on stamina - and that's what happened. After his disappointing match last week, he was really fired up tonight. Everybody was really delighted for him - it was probably his best ever match for us.

"Overall, the rub of the green just seemed to go for us tonight - at last - and I'm delighted for the team and all our loyal supporters," added Hargrave.

The other North Group battle also produced a significant outcome - if little to do with play-off positioning. Title-holders Wolverhampton entertained 1999 champions Nottingham and registered a 5/0 win - their first in five years in the league. The victory also signalled the west midlands club's final match in the PSL.

"What a great way to sign off," said team manager Stephen Russell afterwards. "We've had five very successful years in the league - including winning the title last year - but it's time to do something else, perhaps organising professional tournaments at our club."

Russell paid respects to his loyal team members and thanked "everyone who has supported the team over the five years both home and away."

Team Chichester confirmed their place in the play-offs for the fourth successive year with a 3/2 win at University Sport Birmingham - clinching victory after the first three matches with wins from Linda Elriani, Tom Richards and team captain Tim Vail.

The Birmingham University hosts salvaged the next two rubbers when Joel Hinds - fresh from taking England through to the finals of the European Junior Team Championships in Switzerland - beat Chichester stalwart Peter Genever 9-4, 9-5, 9-11, 9-5, and Joey Barrington defeated the Sussex squad's number one Ben Garner 9-1, 7-9, 9-5, 9-5.

North Group:
Wolverhampton 5 Nottingham 0
Anthony Ricketts beat Simon Parke 9-7, 4-9, 9-6, 9-4 (49m)
Alex Gough beat Duncan Walsh 9-3, 9-6, 9-3
Scott Handley beat James Wright 9-5, 7-9, 11-9, 9-5
Chris Ryder beat Arthur Gaskin 9-4, 9-6, 9-4
Shelley Kitchen beat Sarah Kippax. 9-7, 9-2, 9-3

Manchester/Pontefract 1 Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4
James Willstrop lost to Nick Matthew 4-9, 8-10, 9-7, 9-5, 7-9 (60m)
Lee Beachill beat Jonathan Kemp 9-5, 9-5, 9-7 (24m)
David Evans lost to Renan Lavigne 9-4, 9-6, 7-9, 6-9, 7-9 (57m)
Nick Taylor lost to Gavin Jones 11-13, 8-10, 6-9 (37m)
Jenny Duncalf lost to Tania Bailey 1-9, 9-7, 9-6, 0-9, 4-9 (84m)

South Group:
University Sport Birmingham 2 Team Chichester 3
Joey Barrington beat Ben Garner 9-1, 7-9, 9-5, 9-5
Joel Hinds beat Peter Genever 9-4, 9-5, 9-11, 9-5
Steve Coppinger lost to Tim Vail 2-9, 9-2, 7-9, 1-9
Chris Truswell lost to Tom Richards 8-10, 1-9, 9-6, 5-9
Laura-Jane Lengthorn lost to Linda Elriani 1-9, 6-9, 9-3, 7-9