World Class Line-Ups Kick Off Premier Squash League

World No2 Lee Beachill heads a world-class line-up of British and international talent competing in tomorrow's opening ties in the new Premier Squash League (PSL).

Beachill leads 2004 champions Manchester/Pontefract who visit 1999 champions Nottingham. The England No1 faces old Yorkshire rival Simon Parke, the former world No3, while his new Manchester/Pontefract team-mate David Evans, the former British Open champion from Wales, takes on the hosts' Dutch No1 Tommy Berden.

The other North group clash also features a battle between two former league champions - as Birmingham's Edgbaston Priory, winners in 2003, host 1998 champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield. The standout match in this Midlands derby will be the top strings clash between Priory's David Palmer, the world No3 from Australia, and Yorkshire's world No9 Nick Matthew, surprise finalist in this week's Gerrard Grand Prix Championship in Manchester.

In the South group, last season's newcomers Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury welcome visitors Team Chichester, from Sussex. Bolstered by two local Gloucestershire players Alister Walker and Alex Stait - ranked 43 and 64, respectively, in the world - Strings will be led by South African No1 Rodney Durbach, who faces Chichester's Surrey county champion Ben Garner.

PSL debutantes University Sport Birmingham visit the University of Surrey team UniSport Guildford, with England's world No18 Alison Waters taking on the visitors' Laura-Jane Lengthorn, ranked two places lower, in the women's clash.

The winners of this tie will be the presented with the new Varsity Cup, a trophy produced by the University of Surrey which will be competed for on a regular basis by these two University teams.