Round SIX : It’s getting Tight at the Top
The Karakal Premier Squash League resumed after the Christmas break with four matches across the country, and the end result was to make it exceedingly tight at the top of both divisions !
In the Northern Division Team Pontefract hosted the University of Birmingham Lions in a repeat of last season’s divisional decider, and once again the Yorkshire outfit triumphed. The women’s matches were shared, but Sam Todd, just a day after collecting his third British Junior Open title, put Pontefract in the lead and the win was sealed by Patrick Rooney before Joel Makin reduced the deficit for the Lions.
University of Nottingham hosted Northumberland Club / Newcastle University at the Park Club, and although the visitors took the opening match courtesy of Sam Ward, the home side took the lead with wins from Millie Tomlinson and Richie Fallows. With former world number ones and world champions Nick Matthew and Karim Abdel Gawad next on for Nottingham the odds were with the home side and so it proved as Nottingham took the match four-one.
Nottingham are level on 45 points with Pontefract, who stay top courtesy of more wins.
In the Southern Division defending champions RAC PSL Team welcomed the visit of Team Coolhurst, and took a two-nil lead with wins from Alice Green and Alison Waters. Coolhurst’s men were not to be denied though as Angus Gillams and Rui Soares levelled the match, leaving it to Nathan Lake to secure the win as he beat Ben Coleman.
University of Warwick / Kenilworth Squash travelled to Cardiff to take on the Welsh Wizards in what turned out to be a thriller. The first four matches were shared as debutante Enora Villard and Nick Wall won for WarKens, Evans siblings Tesni and Emyr fighting back to set up a decider. WarKens’ Raphael Kandra beat Peter Creed to give the visitors the win.
RAC and , WarKens and Coolhurst are all on three wins with just four points separating them.
Northern Division
PONTEFRACT 3-2 BIRMINGHAM LIONS (9-4)
Laurens Jan Anjema 0-2 Joel Makin 10-12, 4-11
Patrick Rooney 2-0 Jan Van Den Herrewegen 11-7, 11-8
Sam Todd 2-0 Stuart Macgregor 11-7, 11-8
Sarah Campion 2-0 Alicia Mead 11-9, 11-6
Katie Smith 0-2 Keira Marshall 3-11, 6-11
NOTTINGHAM 4-1 NEWCASTLE (11-2)
Karim Abdel Gawad 2-0 Tom Ford 11-8, 13-11
Nick Matthew 2-0 Connor Sheen 11-8, 11-4
Richie Fallows 2-0 Owain Taylor 11-8, 11-9
Millie Tomlinson 2-0 Fiona Moverley 11-5, 11-8
Grace Clark 0-2 Sam Ward 8-11, 4-11
Southern Division
WELSH WIZARDS 2-3 WARWICK/KENILWORTH (5-10)
Peter Creed 0-2 Raphael Kandra 13-15, 7-11
Emyr Evans 2-0 Daniel Mekbib 11-7, 14-12
James Peach 0-2 Nick Wall 9-11, 5-11
Tesni Evans 2-1 Sarah-Jane Perry 11-7, 10-12, 14-12
Anna Kimberley 1-2 Enora Villard 6-11, 11-6, 5-11
RAC 2-3 COOLHURST (6-9)
Ben Coleman 1-2 Nathan Lake 11-5, 8-11, 5-11
Ollie Pett 1-2 Rui Soares 5-11, 11-4, 3-11
Simon White 0-2 Angus Gillams 1-11, 6-11
Alison Waters 2-0 Kace Bartley 11-6, 11-9
Alice Green 2-0 Margot Prow 11-8, 12-10
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