Rampant Barnsley stretch lead after yet another clean sweep

After gaining a maximum 20 points in their matches against Queens and Pontefract, they staged an action replay at South Yorkshire rivals Abbeydale.

The home team were restricted to just three points – via Nick Wall senior’s 3-2 loss to Miles Jenkins and James Biggin’s 3-1 defeat by Mick Stead – as Welshman Joel Makin, Tom Bamford and world No 47 Millie Tomlinson completed 3-0 wins over Nick Wall Jr, Oli Turner and Nick King.

Barnsley’s closest rivals for the title look like being Hallamshire, as although they are four points behind second-placed Dunnington on 110, they have a match in hand against bottom club Heaton.

Hallamshire notched their fourth consecutive win this week with a 15-7 home triumph against Hull and East Riding.

Victories in the top three rubbers – from Mark Fuller, Alex Cutts and Jack Alcock against Harry Falconer, Andy Cockerill and Fi Moverley – proved decisive, with Glyn Saunders and Paul Norton pushing the Sheffield outfit all the way via their wins over Dan Lawrence and Ed Walker.

Meanwhile, Dunnington completed a hat-trick of wins with a 17-7 home victory over Queens, who also ensured all five rubbers were required.

Danny Hockborn, Josh Harris and Matthew Stephenson were the defending champions’ match-winners against Connor Sheen, former world No 3 Madeline Perry and Tom Gudzelak, while Matt Sidaway and David Hymas kept the Halifax club interested by beating Gareth Lumsdon and Ed Shannon.

In fourth place, five points behind Hallamshire on 105, are Pontefract following their predictable success against their second team this week.

The South Yorkshire club’s firsts didn’t have things all their own way, though, with 18-year-old Patrick Rooney and 12-year-old Sam Todd upsetting Alex Hodgetts and Jayden Gough. However, Lewis Doughty, Taminder Gata Aura and Sam Wileman ensured there was no major shock by routing Matt Godson, Ben Hodgetts and Harry Anderson.

In the night’s other match, Chapel Allerton stormed home 19-3 at Heaton. Matthew Powell prevented a whitewash by pipping Dom Hamilton 3-2 as Scotland’s Alan Clyne, Joel Hinds, Niall McKinnon and Ross Williamson trounced Stuart Macgregor, Isaac Rawcliffe and Phil Bowker.