Duffield Deliver While Chichester Choke In Penultimate PSL Round

In a dramatic night of action in the ninth and penultimate round of the Premier League (PSL), defending champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield made sure of finishing the season at the top of the Group A table - and guaranteeing a play-off place for the second year running - by beating Pontefract 3/2.

But Tinos Homes Chichester, Group B leaders before the tie, suffered a shock 5/0 whitewash at Redwood Probuild Bristol in their final tie in the group stages - a result which rules the Sussex side out of making the play-offs in the England Squash league sponsored by Clowes Insurance for the first time for five years.

The other tie in Group A saw Esporta Oxford sneak a 3/2 away win over Nottingham - leaving both teams in the running, with University of Birmingham (who did not play tonight), for the runners-up position behind Duffield for the other play-off position.

Like Chichester, bottom-placed UniSport Guildford are also out of contention for a play-off position from Group B. The Surrey squad went down 1/4 at home to county rivals Surrey Health & Racquets Croydon - who now top the points table, and will battle with Bristol and tonight's absentees Luxfords St George's Hill for the group's two play-off places.

Last-minute injuries and illnesses caused a variety of line-up changes in the Duffield squad as the title-holders prepared for their final home clash of the season. Their three newcomers suffered mixed fortunes - Vicky Hynes going down in five games to Pontefract's Kirsty McPhee and England international Peter Barker losing the top string clash with long-time rival James Willstrop.

But Leeds-based South African Carl Hampson, in his first ever appearance in the PSL, began the winning run for the Derbyshire club, beating the visitors' Andrew Cross 9-4, 8-10, 9-4, 9-6. Later straight games wins by Andrew Whipp and Laurence Delasaux sealed the overall tie victory for Duffield.

PSL newcomers Esporta Oxford secured their fourth victory of the season - but left it late against former champions Nottingham. At 2/1 down, Oxford stalwart Scott Handley levelled the tie by beating Nottingham's Jethro Binns 9-2, 9-4, 10-8.

A packed Nottingham crowd looked forward to Simon Parke - billed in the programme as the club's 'Squash God' - producing the desired climax with a win in the top string decider. But the Nottingham stalwart failed to live up to his billing, going down to the visitors' Australian star Cameron Pilley 3-9, 5-9, 7-9 as Esporta claimed a 3/2 win - and a move to second place in the Group A table, 30 points adrift of Duffield.

In fourth position in the Group B table at the beginning of the evening, Redwood Probuild Bristol leapt into second place after their 5/0 drubbing of Tinos Homes Chichester. Team debutante Kasey Brown, the fastest-improving Australian woman on the WISPA Tour, set the scene for the hosts, beating Chichester's Danish No1 Line Hansen 9-7, 9-3, 9-6 in just 28 minutes.

But after team captain Hadrian Stiff added to the tally with a four-game win over Tom Pashley, it was undoubtedly the Avon club's third string David Evans who provided the most impressive result of the day. The former British Open champion from Wales fought back from 0/2 against Tim Vail to end the Chichester captain's unbeaten run this season with an 11-13, 7-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-7 victory in 41 minutes. Later, Australian Joe Kneipp and England international Adrian Grant recorded four-game wins to give Bristol maximum points.

UniSport Guildford and Surrey Health & Racquets Croydon both suffered last-minute squad changes due to late injuries - but the University of Surrey hosts were clearly more disadvantaged than their visitors. Siblings Alex and Harriet Ingham, aged 16 and 14, respectively, were overwhelmed by the power and experience of Croydon's Ben Ford and Stephanie Brind as the Surrey H&R squad took an early lead.

Guildford regular Jesse Engelbrecht failed to capitalise on match balls in both the third and fourth games against Chris Simpson before going down 10-8, 9-3, 8-10, 8-10, 5-9 to the Croydon club's third string. But Guildford salvaged a consolation point when squad number one Stacey Ross beat Italian No1 Davide Bianchetti - ranked 20 places higher in the world - 9-6, 6-9, 9-4, 9-11, 9-3, his match-winning point coming on a conduct stroke awarded against the Italian.

10th round, Tuesday 27 March 2007

Group A:
University of Birmingham v Nottingham
Esporta Oxford v Benz-Bavarian Duffield
Group B:
Luxfords St George's Hill v UniSport Guildford
Surrey Health & Racquets Croydon v Redwood Probuild Bristol

Group A:
Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3 Pontefract 2
Peter Barker lost to James Willstrop 5-9, 9-5, 5-9, 2-9
Andrew Whipp bt Ryan Thompson 9-6, 9-0, 9-7
Laurence Delasaux bt Colin Ramasra 9-1, 9-0, 9-2
Carl Hampson bt Andrew Cross 9-4, 8-10, 9-4, 9-6
Vicky Hynes lost to Kirsty McPhee 9-6, 8-10, 6-9, 9-3, 3-9

Nottingham 2 Esporta Oxford 3
Simon Parke lost to Cameron Pilley 3-9, 5-9, 7-9
Jethro Binns lost to Scott Handley 2-9, 4-9, 8-10
Arthur Gaskin bt Kristen Johnson 9-7, 3-9, 12-10, 9-7
Lewis Walters lost to Darren Lewis 7-9, 6-9, 3-9
Sarah Kippax bt Deon Saffery 9-1, 11-9, 9-3

Group B:
Redwood Probuild Bristol 5 Tinos Homes Chichester 0
Adrian Grant bt Alex Gough 9-4, 9-11, 9-2, 9-6 (50m)
Joseph Kneipp bt Peter Genever 7-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-6 (46m)
David Evans bt Tim Vail 11-13, 7-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-7 (41m)
Hadrian Stiff bt Tom Pashley 10-8, 6-9, 9-2, 9-1 (40m)
Kasey Brown bt Line Hansen 9-7, 9-3, 9-6 (28m)

UniSport Guildford 1 Surrey Health & Racquets Croydon 4
Stacey Ross bt Davide Bianchetti 9-6, 6-9, 9-4, 9-11, 9-3
Stephen Meads lost to Bradley Ball 8-10, 9-7, 2-9, 6-9
Jesse Engelbrecht lost to Chris Simpson 10-8, 9-3, 8-10, 8-10, 5-9
Alex Ingham lost to Ben Ford 3-9, 0-9, 5-9
Harriet Ingham lost to Stephanie Brind 3-9, 4-9, 2-9