Strings Tie Up Second National League Win

League newcomers Oberthur Strings Tewkesbury have already become the only club to boast an undefeated record in the new season of the National League after beating Team Chichester 3/2 in tonight's third round clash. Elsewhere in Group B, UniSport Guildford also enjoyed a 3/2 home win, over Team Solent - but still remain in third place in the group tables, below Chichester.

In the northern Group A, title-holders Manchester/Pontefract stretched their lead at the top after a 4-1 away win at Wolverhampton - while two former champions Norwest Holst Nottingham and Derbyshire's Benz-Bavarian Duffield fought out an East Midlands derby, in which Nottingham clinched a 3/2 win. But the home victory left both clubs with equal points in the group tables - with Duffield boasting a better 'matches won' average which keeps Nottingham at the foot of the table.

The Strings Club welcomed National League action for the first time to Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire - and new proprietor Sue Wright was delighted with her team's resounding debut home victory in front of a packed club crowd. "It was good to win, of course - but even more exciting to have brought this standard of squash to the club for the first time," said the four-times British National champion. "Most of our members have just never seen this quality before."

World No11 Jenny Tranfield put the hosts ahead with a 9-3 9-4 9-5 win over Chichester's Suzie Pierrepont, the British U23 champion playing in the absence, through illness, of the Sussex club's Linda Elriani. Gloucestershire's Alister Walker secured a notable 3-9 9-7 10-8 10-8 win over his higher-ranked compatriot Ben Garner, while rising Australian star Cameron Pilley clinched the home club's win with a comprehensive 9-5 9-7 9-2 triumph over the visitors' former top string Peter Genever.

The University of Surrey squad at Guildford were given a strong start by team newcomer Alison Waters, the 20-year-old world No25 from north London who gained revenge for a defeat three weeks ago in the US Open in New York to beat Team Solent's world No12 Vicky Botwright, from Manchester. Waters fought back from two games down to force the match into a decider, then squandered a 6-2 lead before saving a match-ball at 6-8 and going on to claim a confidence-boosting 6-9 7-9 9-6 10-8 10-8 triumph.

Zimbabwean Jesse Engelbrecht and former squad No1 Stephen Meads provided the other two UniSport victories to guarantee the Surrey club's win. But, perhaps due to the diversion caused by this week's arrival of his first-born son, recently-promoted top string Stacey Ross was unable to extend the lead, going down in straight games to the Hampshire club's No1 Bradley Ball.

Nottingham unveiled their new sponsors Norwest Holst at their first home match of the season, and rewarded the company with the season's first win. While Nottingham-based Scot Pamela Nimmo went down to the visitors' world No2 Cassie Jackman in straight games, former British Open champion David Evans showed the home club's strength in depth by providing a strong fourth string win against Paul Hargrave, beating the Duffield No4 9-6 7-9 9-2 9-2.

Nottingham went close to letting slip a near 'banker' third string win when Simon Parke, the former world No3 enjoying a fine run of form, squandered a 2/0 lead - then four match balls in the fourth game - to allow Duffield's Jonathan Kemp to force the match into a fifth game decider. Both players had match-balls in the last game, before Parke eventually clinched it 9-6 9-7 5-9 8-10 14-12 to put the hosts 2/1 up.

The top strings then played a 'topsy turvy' tussle in which the lead swung one way, then the other. Eventually it was Duffield's Nick Matthew, the world No6 from Sheffield, who emerged triumphant over Nottingham's John White, ranked one place higher, winning 9-4 3-9 12-10 1-9 9-3 in 59 minutes.

With the tie poised at 2/2, Nottingham's Gregory Gaultier fought out an all-French clash with former Nottingham club member Renan Lavigne. Despite suffering with back strain, Gaultier won 9-4 10-8 10-8 to give the hosts their 3/2 win.

The most decisive win of the night was claimed by Manchester/Pontefract - whose Jenny Duncalf set the tone for the evening with a gritty performance against Wolverhampton's Shelley Kitchen, the New Zealand No1. Kitchen led 8-6 in the first, 6-2 in the second and 6-0 in the third game - but Duncalf, just a single place behind the New Zealander in the WISPA world rankings, stuck to her task and won 10-9 10-9 9-7 in 63 minutes - the longest match of the night!

Brave battles by Scott Handley, Welshman Alex Gough and Australian Anthony Ricketts kept Wolverhampton's supporters happy - and after Handley clinched a majestic 9-3 9-7 9-3 win over the visitors' regular winner Marcus Berrett, Gough established a 2/1 lead over Pontefract's James Willstrop. But the strain of the draining third game took its toll on Gough as world No12 Willstrop took control to win 9-6 4-9 12-14 9-2 9-5.

Finally the trans-Pennine cooperative brought out its trump card when world No1 Lee Beachill took on Anthony Ricketts. The 26-year-old from Pontefract 'hardly made a mistake' as he swept to a 3-9 9-1 9-6 9-6 win over the world No14 to ensure Manchester/Pontefract's 4/1 victory - and their place at the top of the Group A table.