Pontefract 1‘s lead at the top of the Yorkshire Premier League is already taking on an ominous look following their thrashing of Queens in week five.
Despite playing one game fewer than some of their rivals, the defending champions are 17 points clear of second-placed Doncaster and boast the only unbeaten record in the division.
Ponte 1’s lower order set the tone for the evening on Wednesday with emphatic wins for Adam Taylor and captain Matt Godson. Neil Cordell and Frenchman Lauoenan Loaec were equally efficient thereafter and Scottish international Rory Stewart completed the job with a fifth straight-games win of the night in conquering Queens veteran James Earles.
Following the first team’s 20-0 whitewash, there was more good news for the West Yorkshire club as news filtered through of their second team’s victory at Ferriby Hall, which moved them up to fifth.
Former world no.1 James Willstrop made his first Yorkshire League appearance for two years and defeated Samuel Ince-Carvalhal in straight games to settle the match 16-7 late in the evening.
That climax had been set up by the first four matches being split. For Ferriby Hall, former world no.21 Fiona Moverley won in four games over Ponte youngster Noah Riley and Edward Bidder’s victory over American Ben Gemma; but Ponte 2 posted victories from Connor Sheen and George Barker.
Doncaster moved up to second spot thanks to a 20-3 thrashing of Harrogate on Wednesday night.
The 2023/24 champions fielded a strong side with world no.101 Asia Harris at no.5, ex-England international George Parker at top string and a solid middle order of Kiwi captain Joel Arscott, Aussie David Turner and Indian Abhinav Gupta.
Collectively, they dropped only three games to leave Harrogate just two points above Queens at the bottom.
Dunnington won a tight encounter 17-9 at Hallamshire to leapfrog the Sheffield side into third spot.
Adam Turner and Jack Cornell won for the hosts but Taminder Gata Aura beat veteran Nick Wall Snr in four tough games and Jamie Brown won a five-game thriller with Matt Gregory to level the scores heading into the top-string decider.
It was over pretty quickly as Dunnington’s Pakistani no.1 Amaad Fareed took it in three against New Zealander Temwa Chileshe.
