New Premier Squash League Gets Underway In Style

The inaugural season of the new Premier Squash League got underway in fine style tonight with former champions Manchester/Pontefract and Churchill Edgbaston Priory securing victories in the North Group and UniSport Guildford and Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury winning in the South Group.

The last-minute unavailability of former British Open champion David Evans led to Manchester/Pontefract stalwart Nick Taylor being promoted to second string in their visit to Nottingham. But the Manchester National Squash Centre coach went down 9-6 9-5 6-9 9-3 to Dutch champion Tommy Berden in 40 minutes as the hosts celebrated their only victory of the night.

Earlier, the trans-Pennine cooperative's world No9 Jenny Duncalf put the visitors ahead with a 9-6 9-1 9-5 victory over Nottingham newcomer Sarah Kippax, and Cheshire's Andrew Whipp defeated Nottingham's John Rooney 5-9 9-6 10-8 9-5 in a disappointing comeback for the Irishman who was competing in the league for the first time since withdrawing from last November's British Open.

In the final match of the tie, Nottingham No1 Simon Parke thrilled the crowd at his former home club by taking the first game against fellow Yorkshireman Lee Beachill, the world No2 - but the new coach at Bradford's Heaton Club was unable to progress further as Beachill stormed back to win 7-9 9-5 9-5 9-3 in 53 minutes to give Manchester/Pontefract a 4/1 victory.

Edgbaston Priory team manager Matt Suckling's vote for 'man-of-the-match' in their home tie against Benz Bavarian Duffield was for David Palmer, the hosts' top string. With the tie delicately poised at 2-2, it was the world No3 from Australia who defeated the in-form Nick Matthew, finalist in this week's Gerrard Grand Prix in Manchester. The world No9 from Sheffield was unable to replicate the sensational form he displayed at the National Squash Centre against France's world number one Thierry Lincou, and went down to Palmer 9-5 9-6 1-9 9-6 in 42 minutes.

Earlier, the Derbyshire visitors' Laura Hill registered a notable victory against Priory's Rebecca Botwright, beating the former European champion 4-9 9-5 10-8 6-9 9-6 in 62 minutes. 24 hours after celebrating his 22nd birthday, left-hander Peter Barker began the climb back for Edgbaston Priory by beating former European junior champion Laurence Delasaux 9-5 9-3 10-8 - and team-mate Adrian Grant, also a left-hander, ruthlessly despatched the visitors' Jonathan Kemp 9-7 9-3 9-5 in 29 minutes.

UniSport Guildford won the 'University Challenge' on their home courts with a 4/1 victory over event newcomers University Sport Birmingham. The University of Surrey team suffered a surprise opening loss when Alison Waters, the squad's world No18 from London, was beaten in a marathon five-game opening clash by the visitors' Laura-Jane Lengthorn. Both players had match balls in the decider, but it was Lengthorn, ranked two places lower, that eventually celebrated victory 3-9 9-6 9-6 4-9 10-9.

Thereafter, the young Birmingham University squad made an impressive start to their PSL campaign - with teenager Chris Tasker-Grindley, the reigning British U17 champion, taking experienced Scottish international Neil Frankland to four games before succumbing 9-4 4-9 9-4 9-6, and, in the final match of the day between the top strings, Jon Harford extending Guildford's Stacey Ross before losing to the world top fifty player 7-9 9-3 11-9 9-3.

After the tie, the newly-commissioned Varsity Cup - a trophy produced by the University of Surrey to be competed for on a regular basis by these two University teams - was presented to UniSport Guildford by Birmingham University's Director of Sport, and also Board Member of England Squash, Zena Wooldridge.

After becoming regional champions in their league debut last season, Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury continued where they left off by securing a 3/2 home win against Sussex's Team Chichester. The hosts made a strong start when Pakistan No1 Carla Khan, a late replacement for the injured Jenny Tranfield, defeated Chichester's Suzie Pierrepont 9-7 9-6 10-9.

But it was Gloucestershire's Alister Walker who clinched victory for the home club, beating Chichester veteran Peter Genever 9-7 9-5 9-5. In the final match of the day, the visitors clawed back a second consolation game when Surrey No1 Ben Garner pulled off a significant upset over higher-ranked opponent Rodney Durbach, beating the South African No1 9-6 8-10 9-4 7-9 10-8.

Next fixtures: 2nd round, Tuesday 4 October 2005
North Group:
Benz-Bavarian Duffield v Nottingham
Wolverhampton v Churchill Edgbaston Priory
South Group:
Team Chichester v UniSport Guildford
Surrey Health & Racquets v Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury