PSL Stars Shine In Celebration Of Commonwealth Games Selection

Three of the players in action in tonight's fourth round of the Premier League, who heard earlier in the day that they would be representing England in next year's Commonwealth Games in Australia, celebrated in victorious style.

Peter Nicol, who will be seeking a hat-trick of double medal successes in his third successive appearance in the Games, led Surrey Health & Racquets Croydon to a thumping 5/0 away win over county rivals UniSport Guildford, while Lincolnshire's Tania Bailey, a silver medallist in the Manchester 2002 Games, created the opening win for Benz-Bavarian Duffield as the Derbyshire club inflicted the first defeat of the season on 2004 champions Manchester/Pontefract. Lee Beachill, who partnered Peter Nicol to gold in the Men's Doubles in Manchester, claimed the final win for Manchester/Pontefract to reduce the losing score to 3/2.

Churchill Edgbaston Priory, who were not in action tonight, maintained their lead in the North Group table ahead of Manchester/Pontefract, but title-holders Wolverhampton finally secured their first win of the season by beating Nottingham 3/2 in a victory which sees the west midlands side lift themselves off the bottom place in the list.

In the South Group, Team Chichester also notched up their first win of the season with a 4/1 home victory over newcomers University Sport Birmingham. Despite their loss, UniSport Guildford still maintain leadership of the points table, but Surrey H&RC Croydon move into second place while Birmingham slump to the basement position.

It was only in the fourth match of the programme against the Croydon visitors that UniSport Guildford looked like claiming their first win. Stalwart Stephen Meads, the now retired former world No11, fought back from a game to down to forge a 2/1 lead over Suffolk's Bradley Ball. But the Croydon No2, ranked 25 in the world, soon reasserted his authority and, with a final flourish of stunning shots, claimed his 9-6 3-9 2-9 9-3 9-7 victory.

It was the final match of the night, however, that the Guildford fans were saving themselves for - the clash in which the visiting Peter Nicol, a former world number one and world champion, would finally gain revenge for two losses he sustained against the Guildford No1 Stacey Ross in the finals of the British Junior U14 Open in 1987 and the British Junior U16 Open two years later - more than 16 years ago!

Ross led in all four games and delighted the home crowd by making the England squash star work for every point. But it was the Commonwealth Games hero that ultimately prevailed - in more than an hour - as Nicol won 9-6 11-9 6-9 11-9.

In the other South Group tie, Chichester supporters welcomed their team's maiden win of the 2005 campaign. Weakened by the absence through injury of top string Joey Barrington, University Sport Birmingham were unable to respond to the Chichester firepower of Ben Garner, Peter Genever, Tim Vail and Tom Richards. But 18-year-old Leonie Holt, in her first appearance for the Birmingham University squad, battled for five games against Chichester's Louise Clark to earn a consolation 9-1 2-9 9-3 5-9 9-4 win.

There were smiles all round in the Derbyshire club where Benz-Bavarian Duffield hosted - and defeated - the mighty Manchester/Pontefract. Club coach Paul Hargrave came near to pulling off a notable upset over the visitors' world-ranked Andrew Whipp - but after leading 2/1 in games and sharing points at 7-7 in the fourth, Hargrave fell away as Whipp advanced to win 9-6 7-9 4-9 9-7 9-5.

Tania Bailey had earlier put Duffield ahead with a clinical 9-1 9-2 9-2 dismissal of Sussex's British Junior champion Jenna Gates - and later Jonathan Kemp, fresh from his success at the weekend in the Ottawa Open in Canada, defeated Manchester's National Squash Centre coach Nick Taylor 12-10 9-5 7-9 9-7.

"This was a big result for us tonight," said Duffield team manager Brian Hargrave. "It was also a great night for the sport of squash - and one which at least keeps the season live, with chances for all of us."

It was the crowd in Nottingham that was treated to the most action-packed evening of entertainment - with 23 games from a possible 25 in the five matches, and all clashes lasting for 45 minutes or more! Club champion Alex Norman, originally from Sussex, put Nottingham ahead with an impressive 9-4 4-9 9-3 9-4 win over England junior international Fiona Moverley, and Irishman Arthur Gaskin extended the hosts' lead over Wolverhampton with a 9-4 9-7 7-9 8-10 9-3 triumph in 52 minutes over Kristen Johnson.

But the standout match of the night was provided by Dutch champion Tommy Berden, for Nottingham, against the defending champions' Welsh wizard Alex Gough. Berden led 2/1, but Gough - himself a former long-time Nottingham team member - kept up the pressure to carve out a heroic 9-4 4-9 3-9 9-6 10-8 win in 77 minutes.

And so it was left to Wolverhampton's recently-crowned British Open champion Anthony Ricketts to clinch victory for the visitors with a sparkling 9-2 9-3 6-9 9-1 win over the Nottingham No1 Simon Parke.