Wolverhampton Overtake Nottingham In National League

At the half-way stage in Group A of the National League, Wolverhampton moved into second place after a 4-1 away win over Norwest Holst Nottingham, while former champions Edgbaston Priory failed to lift themselves off the bottom of the table following a narrow 3-2 defeat at Derbyshire's Benz-Bavarian Duffield.

Scotland's Pamela Nimmo led the way for a number of unexpected losses suffered by hosts Nottingham. The world No20 arrived back in the city from WISPA World Tour duties in New York only on the morning of the match - and went down 5-9 4-9 4-9 to Wolverhampton's lower-ranked Dominique Lloyd-Walter.

Former British Open champion David Evans, nursing a sore knee, was also an unexpected Nottingham casualty - losing 9-5 6-9 9-11 4-9 to Oxfordshire's former England international Mark Cairns, who is now retired from the international circuit.

Nottingham stalwart Simon Parke also failed to sparkle for his club - the one-time world No3 going down tamely 7-9 3-9 2-9 to the visitors' Scott Handley in just 27 minutes.

Hard-hitting John White, however, came to the club's rescue in the final match of the tie, providing a consolation point by beating former Nottingham regular Alex Gough 9-6 11-9 4-9 9-1 in 42 minutes.

The other tie was live right through till the fifth game of the fifth match, when Duffield's Nick Matthew, the world No7 from Sheffield, fought back from a game down to overcome Edgbaston Priory's Adrian Grant 7-9 9-5 10-8 6-9 9-3 to clinch the second victory of the season for the Derbyshire club.

Earlier, Essex brothers Phillip and Peter Barker both celebrated victories - one for each team! Peter, the younger, claimed Priory's second match win of the night when he beat the hosts' Jonathan Kemp in five games in the second string clash. Phillip Barker, the Duffield No4, beat Adam Stevenson 7-9 9-7 9-6 9-0.

Perhaps the most notable victory was achieved by full-time firewoman Laura Hill, a long-time Duffield stalwart. Hill resisted a fight back by Laura-Jane Lengthorn to beat the 21-year-old from Lancashire - who celebrated a career-high world No21 ranking this month - 9-6 10-8 1-9 6-9 9-3.

Group A:
Norwest Holst Nottingham 1-4 Wolverhampton
John White beat Alex Gough 9-6, 11-9, 4-9, 9-1 (42m)
Simon Parke lost to Scott Handley 7-9, 3-9, 2-9 (27m)
David Evans lost to Mark Cairns 9-5, 6-9, 9-11, 4-9 (59m)
Duncan Walsh lost to Joey Barrington 3-9, 4-9, 5-9 (30m)
Pamela Nimmo lost to Dominique Lloyd-Walter 5-9, 4-9, 4-9 (35m)

Benz-Bavarian Duffield 3-2 Edgbaston Priory
Nick Matthew beat Adrian Grant 7-9, 9-5, 10-8, 6-9, 9-3
Jonathan Kemp lost to Peter Barker 3-9, 9-4, 4-9, 9-7, 7-9
Paul Hargrave lost to Hadrian Stiff 9-4, 6-9, 6-9, 7-9
Phillip Barker beat Adam Stevenson 7-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-0
Laura Hill beat Laura-Jane Lengthorn 9-6, 10-8, 1-9, 6-9, 9-3