Queens hammered to enable Barnsley to increase lead at the top

The South Yorkshire side brought in South African Shaun le Roux and world No 47 Millie Tomlinson for Declan James and Luke Parker, but they still completed a clean sweep in recording their fourth win in five matches.

Le Roux and European junior champion George Parker both notched 3/1 victories, over James Earles and Matt Sidaway respectively, while Tom Bamford edged home 3/2 against Irish champion Madeline Perry and Mick Stead trounced Tom Whiteley 3/0.

Pontefract have also won four of their five fixtures, but not as convincingly – and that trend continued this week with their 16-6 triumph at lowly Heaton as they moved on to 69 points.

The South Yorkshire club were indebted to victories at numbers three, four and five for their points, with Taminder Gata Aura, Sam Wileman and Guhan Senthilkumar all straight-games winners against Isaac Rawcliffe, Phil Bowker and Saeed Ahmed.

Heaton pushed Pontefract all the way, though, thanks to 3/1 wins by Julian Tomlinson and Belgian Joeri Hapers over Alex Hodgetts and Lewis Doughty respectively.

Meanwhile, Hallamshire, who have played a game less than the top two, kept up the pressure on them with a 20-5 cruise at Chapel Allerton.

Like Barnsley, they also completed a clean sweep, Chris and Mark Fuller, Alex Cutts, Jack Alcock and Dan Lawrence doing the business against Joel Hinds, Declan Christie, Niall McKinnon, Ian Chappell and Adam Wellstead.

Defending champions Dunnington joined the Sheffield side on 61 points despite losing 14-12 at Abbeydale in the closest match of the season so far.

Although the York outfit claimed the top two rubbers 3/0, with Nathan Lake beating Matthew Broadberry and Gareth Lumsdon defeating Nick Wall junior, the home team took the bonus points thanks to a trio of 3/2 victories.

Nick Wall and Sam Watts underlined the Sheffield club’s battling qualities by rallying from 0/2 down in their matches against Danny Hockborn and Ed Shannon, with Wall winning a thriller 12/10 in the fifth. Brendan Hickerman was Abbeydale’s other winner against Matthew Stephenson.

In the night’s other match Pontefract 2nds crashed 17-7 at home to Hull and East Riding, their fifth consecutive loss.

Although Patrick Rooney and British under-13 champion Sam Todd defeated Harry Falconer and Nick Padgett, Fiona Moverley – fresh from qualifying for her first PSA World Series event in Qatar – Glyn Saunders and Yusef Forster clinched victory by beating Matt Godson, Elliot Ridge and Katie Smith.