NO CHANGE AT THE TOP AS PONTEFRACT STAND FIRM
There was no change at the top of the Yorkshire Premier League in round six as Pontefract kept their 100% record intact while second-placed Hallamshire kept the pressure on.
Pontefract, who are bidding for a first title in 15 years, travelled to Queens in Halifax without several key players including Sam Todd, but still left with a 17-8 victory.
Sam Wileman found himself 2-1 down to Queens captain, former world No.15 Sarah Campion, before digging out victory and although Ben Hetherington also fell behind early on following his long trip down from Cumbria, he soon found his rhythm to close it out in four games against Queens’ Lewis Harding.
At No.3, Ponte fielded a debutant, New Zealand junior Freddie Jameson, who was defeated in straight games by Kuwaiti international Bade Almagrebhi, but Ponte soon reasserted control as Commonwealth Games silver medallist Hollie Naughton beat Danny Bray in four and up-and-coming Kiwi Elijah Thomas put the cherry on the cake by defeating veteran James Earles, also in four.
Hallamshire kept the gap at the top at nine points by winning the Sheffield derby at Abbeydale 17-5, leaving the hosts still winless and bottom of the table.
Hallamshire sealed victory early on in the piece as Welsh youngster Oliver Jones, club stalwart Matt Gregory and three-time world champion Nick Matthew all won in three, with Adam Turner being stretched to a five-game win by Michael Tallentire at third string. That settled the result before the top-string affair between Welsh international Rhys Evans and Kiwi Temwa Chileshe, which Evans won in three.
There was another cross-town derby just up the A630 as Woodfield hosted Doncaster and claimed a much-needed 19-4 win to put daylight between themselves and Abbeydale at the bottom.
Alec Tomlinson got his first YPL win of the season and Alex Cutts and Thomas Ramsay also won in three to wrap up the five bonus points for the hosts early doors. Although Doncaster’s David Turner won a lengthy battle with 19-year-old Caleb Boy at No.2, recent London Open champion Declan James showed he’s getting back to his best with a four-game win over Lewis Doughty at top string.
Harrogate stay in third, albeit 16 points off Hallamshire, after returning from the long trip to Cleethorpes with an 18-3 win under their belts. Thomas Simpson, Ross Kneller, Declan Christie and former England international Chris Simpon all claimed straight-games victories, with Welshman Elliot Morris Devred belatedly putting points on the board for the hosts with a 3-1 victory at top string over Stuart MacGregor.
In York, Dunnington cruised to a 20-4 home victory over Ferriby Hall to remain in fourth place. Ed Shannon won briskly before Sam Gibbon and Taminder Gata-Aura had slightly tougher four-game assignments. Youngster Jamie Brown beat Ben Sockett in three at second string, but the best game of the night was saved for the No.1s. Pakistani Amaad Fareed was pegged back from 2-0 up by Guyana’s Samuel Ince-Carvalhal before recovering to win 11/4 in the decider.