Premiership Battles Reconvene In Sixth Round PSL Ties

Tonight's resumption of the 2005/06 Premier League, with the sixth round ties providing the first action of the New Year, will give Churchill Edgbaston Priory and Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury the chance to strengthen their grips on leadership of the North and South Group points tables, respectively.

Edgbaston Priory, led by Australia's world No4 David Palmer, visit Benz-Bavarian Duffield - but the Birmingham squad, champions in 2003, will be keeping a close eye on action in Pontefract where Manchester/Pontefract, just three points adrift of Priory in second place, host Nottingham.

Derbyshire club Duffield are themselves only six points behind their visitors in the North Group points table, and both teams approach the fixture having lost only one tie out of four played so far this season. Duffield will be led by Yorkshire's world No9 Nick Matthew.

Yorkshireman James Willstrop, who celebrated a career-high world No2 ranking last month and led England to success in the World Team Championships in Pakistan, will lead the Manchester/Pontefract attack tonight at his own home club. The 22-year-old faces Nottingham No1 Simon Parke, who is also from Yorkshire.

The highlight of the South Group fixtures will be the clash between Strings and hosts Team Chichester, who are in third place in the group, eight points behind their Gloucestershire opponents. The Sussex squad will be led by Surrey's Ben Garner, who will face the Strings' No1 Rodney Durbach, from South Africa. Just four world ranking positions separate these two PSA Tour players.

The other tie in the group is an academic clash between the two University squads in the league - with University Sport Birmingham hosting UniSport Guildford. Joey Barrington will face the University of Surrey's No1 Stephen Meads in the top string battle.

6th round, Tuesday 31 January 2006

North Group:
Manchester/Pontefract v Nottingham
James Willstrop v Simon Parke
David Evans v Duncan Walsh
Nick Taylor v James Wright
Andrew Whipp v Arthur Gaskin
Kirsty McPhee v Sarah Kippax
Benz-Bavarian Duffield v Churchill Edgbaston Priory
Nick Matthew v David Palmer
Jonathan Kemp v Stewart Boswell
Renan Lavigne v Peter Barker
Gavin Jones v Hadrian Stiff
Laura Hill v Rebecca Botwright

South Group:
University Sport Birmingham v UniSport Guildford
Joey Barrington v Stephen Meads
Jon Harford v Jesse Engelbrecht
Joel Hinds v Neil Frankland
Steve Coppinger v Phil Rushworth
Laura-Jane Lengthorn v Rachel Willmott
Team Chichester v Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury
Ben Garner v Rodney Durbach
Peter Genever v Daryl Selby
Tim Vail v Greg Tippings
Tom Richards v Rob Sutherland
Linda Elriani v Selina Sinclair