Aussie makes it tough for Games hero Matthew but Duffield cruise to victory

If this was meant to be the celebration of Nick Matthew's double gold medal success, someone forgot to tell Cameron Pilley.

World number two Matthew, playing his first Premier Squash League match for Benz-Bavarian Duffield since his Commonwealth Games triumph in Delhi, was given a tough old night by the Australian.

It was the Derbyshire club that took the honours on the night, winning 4-1 against Oxford to avenge their defeat in the final round of matches last season that cost them a place in the play-offs.

The victory was already in the bag before the number one players were even halfway through their first game but that didn't make it any less of an exhilarating contest.

If the forthcoming Ashes series is as keenly fought and as exciting to watch, we will all be in for a treat. The same result will also be welcome as the Englishman Matthew finally came through.

Pilley settled the quickest, going 7-1 up in the first game. Matthew had to save game ball twice at 10-8 and again at 12-11 but made his own second game ball count at 15-13.

But if Matthew thought he was over the worst of it, he was mistaken as he took a painful whack on the knuckle at 4-4 in the second and then saw the Oxford player come back from 8-6 down to level the match 11-9.

That was as close as Pilley was to get to an upset. He did well to save three game balls in the third but ran out of steam in the fourth against the relentless Matthew in the fourth.

"He made it a really tough match for me but that was just what I needed, especially with the World Open coming up," said Matthew. "It was a good workout."

Millie Tomlinson, back in the country at the end of her first term studying at Yale University in the USA, made very swift work of scoring her first PSL victory when she outplayed and demoralised her long-time junior rival Katie Quartermaine 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 in only 17 minutes.

At the same time, Steve Coppinger was having a more testing match against Scott Handley. The Oxford veteran showed plenty of deft touches but was unable to find the speed in his legs to take him to all the places Coppinger dragged him around court and the first two games went to the home side 11-7, 11-3.

Handley, to his credit, did not give up the contest and threatened to take it into a fourth game at 10-8 but the South African took the next four points and the match.

There was very little to choose between Andy Whipp and Andrew Birks in the opening two games.

Birks saved game ball twice before succumbing 13-11 in the first and Whipp had to survive two game balls in the second before making his own second opportunity pay 14-12.

That second game was settled on a stroke call that greatly annoyed Birks, though he did not dispute it, and he was not the same player as Whipp tore through the third 11-6.

The only blot on the night came at number two, when Jon Kemp's return to Duffield ended in an 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 defeat by Borja Golan.

But the overall victory against a side that had won their opening two PSL matches was a sweet one and put Duffield in a solid position with two wins to take into the new year.

Felix Frixou
Benz-Bavarian

Duffield start with a win ...

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all who attended our first PSL encounter of the 2010 /2011 season against MB Nottingham on Tuesday evening.

I am sure you will all agree that there was on view Squash of the highest standard, and a 5-0 victory against our local rivals got us off to the best possible start for the current campaign. Bearing in mind we were lacking the fire power off our top strings, I thought every member of the team were magnificent and this bodes very well for future matches.

We really are privileged to have such a wonderful squad of Players who have committed their services this season, and personally I cannot wait for the forth coming games which I am sure will produce some world class performances.

The atmosphere last evening was tremendous and in no small way added to the performance given by each and every Player.

Duffield stay in the hunt

As always,it was a pleasure to welcome Chapel Allerton, and with them fielding a full strength team, we were assured of a very hard fought encounter coupled with the prospect of some fantastic Squash, and so it proved to be.

Match 1 - Tania Bailey (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Jenny Duncalf (Chapel Allerton)

On paper, this was going to be a very tough match for Tania, with Jenny playing as well as she is.

The first game was hard fought, with Tania putting in a dogged fight. Jenny eventually prevailing to take the game 11 / 6.

The second game continued as the first, with Jenny taking it 11 / 5. It was evident to see how she had reached her current National and World Rankings, playing some majestic shots to which Tania had no reply.

In the third, Tania showed what a great competitor she is, taking the game to Jenny and coming away with an 11 / 7 victory.

This seemed to spur Jenny on, who took the 4th 11 / 5.

A great game hard fought. We would like to take this opportunity from all at Duffield of wishing Tania all the very best for her Wedding this week.

Match 2 - Joel Hinds (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Laurence Delasaux (Chapel Allerton)

A real mouth watering encounter, with both Players on excellent current form.Laurence is well known to the Duffield fraternity, representing Duffield for a number of seasons.Knowing what he is capable of, we knew Joel was in for a real fight.

Joel settled quickly into his game, taking the first by 11 points to 7. This spurred Laurence into action, producing a fine second game and coming away with an 11 / 7 victory. Joel then produced some fantastic squash, confirming what a fine player he is. His command of the court was superb, and he took the next 2 games 11 / 5, 11/5.

Match 3 - Andy Whipp (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Chris Simpson (Chapel Allerton)

A crucial game for the home side. Whippy, as we all know, can upset the rankings very easily, and we all had high hopes for his encounter with Chris.

The Chapel Allerton player stamped his authority on the game from the offset, taking the first game with relative ease 11 / 5. This inspired "The Whippertron" into action,playing some excellent shots and taking the second game in commanding style 11 / 4.

Chris then settled into his game and demonstrated what a fine and consistent player he is, and took the next two games with relative ease, 11 / 4, 11 / 9.

Match 4 - Nick Matthew (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Thierry Lincou (Chapel Allerton)

It was wonderful to have Nick back after his recent victory in the British Nationals. In Thierry, he faced an opponent who is still  a formidable force in Squash, and who, on his day, is still one of the finest exponents on the circuit.

The first match was a bruising encounter, with Nick possibly still feeling the effects of his recent hectic schedule. Thierry was hitting some fine shots, forcing Nick into a string of uncharacteristic errors, and taking the opener 11 / 9.

We then saw why Nick Matthew is ranked England number 1 and World 2. Dominating the court with his never say die aptitude, Nick took the next 3 games with relative ease with scores of 11 / 6, 11 / 8, and 11 / 6. A wonderful encounter between 2 of the best in the game.

Match 5 - Steve Coppinger (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Alister Walker (Chapel Allerton)

Based purely on current National and World rankings, this on paper would have appeared to be a sure fire victory for the on form Alister, but we all know rankings count for nothing when potentially so much is at stake.

Steve started very strong, forcing Alister into a string of errors and taking the first 11 points to 4. Alister responded in his usual way with a fine second game, and highlighting what a fine player he is, taking it 11 / 6.

From this point on, rarely have we seen a display from a player so determined to succeed. With the crowd right behind him, Steve really dug in and produced a fantastic performance. Alister was getting more and more frustrated with his game, and was clearly unsettled by the ferocity of Steves game. A magnanimous performance saw Steve clinching the next 2 games 11 / 9, 11 / 9.

A wonderful evening's entertainment enjoyed by all who attended, and credit to all Players who produced Squash of the highest standard.

Felix Frixou

Team Manager - Benz Bavarian Duffield

Duffield stay in touch

 With both Clubs top strings in action in New York (and doing very well) tonight's encounter promised to be very close.'

Past matches have proved to be gargantuan battles and have produced Squash of the very highest level, especially between Benz Bavarian Duffields Nick Matthew and Pontefracts James Willstrop.
With the season approaching a critical point in regard to qualification for the Finals, this was an important match for both teams,especially Duffield who are eager to reach the Finals.

Match 1 Tania Bailey (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Kirsty McPhee (Pontefract)
Tania looked sharp in this encounter as she continued on her road to full match fitness. With the support of an enthusiastic crowd, she took the game to Kirsty who,despite dogged resistance, found her opponent to strong  on the night, Tania coming away with an 11/9 - 11/3  - 11/6 victory.

Match 2 Siddharth Suchde (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Sam Wileman (Pontefract)
Making his home debut for Duffield, Sidd quickly established himself as a home favourite with a display of some fine Squash.It was agreed by all that he is a fine aquasition for the Benz Bavarian Duffield team and adds depth to the existing squad.

Sam is an up and coming player who demonstrated that he has vast potential, but Sid dominated from the off set, giving Duffield an 11/3 - 11/3 - 11/7 win.

Match 3 Joel Hinds(Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Neil Cordell (Pontefract)
Based on current National Rankings, this promised to be a close fought match, but Joel just seems to be getting stronger and stronger with every encounter.

We questioned after the match if turning professional recently had given him extra drive, or whether, judging by his new hair do, he had plugged himself into the National Grid prior to the match !!! Either way, he proved to good on the night against a very good player in Neil Cordell. 11/3 - 11/4 - 11/9.

Match 4 Andy Whipp (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Harinder Pal Sandhu (Pontefract)
During the warm up for this match, you could tell both players were really up for this, hitting the ball with such ferocity.

Harinder is an extremely accomplished player and is one to watch in the future. Again, as is often the case, he came up against "The Whippertron" who produced some fantastic Squash. Very much a Duffield favourite, Andy on his day is very much a force to be reckoned with and prevailed 11/9 - 11/6 - 11/9

Match 5 Steve Coppinger (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Saurav Ghosal (Pontefract)
From past experience, we all knew this was going to be a very tough game for Steve, up against a player who never stop running. Saurav is a fine player and produced some exhilarating Squash. Steve battled extremely hard, taking the first game, but this appeared to spur Saurav on, who took both the second and third game. Steve managed to level in the fourth,but the Pontefract player was just to strong, taking the match 11/3 - 6/11 - 7/11 - 11/9 - 4/11.

Overall, a great night for Benz Bavarian Duffield and we very much look forward to the next match against Chapel Allerton on the 16th February. This promises to be a fantastic night of Squash with both teams at full strength. It would be a pleasure to see all who are able to attend.

Felix Frixou

Duffield take full points

Felix Frixou reports

It was a pleasure to welcome League newcomers Newport to Duffield on Tuesday evening for what promised to be an entertaining evening of very high class Squash.

The support by a loyal band of Welsh fans who had made the long round trip added to the atmosphere, and on paper,there anticipation of some fine encounters was well justified.

Match 1 - Tania Bailey (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs. Donna Urquhart (Newport)

Bearing in mind both current World and National rankings, this promised to be a very hard fought match, and so it proved.

Tania took the early advantage with a 13-11 win in the opening game, followed by a victory in the second to the same score. Donna was producing some fine squash which was being doggedly resisted by Tania, but as the scores suggest, both very close games.

The 3rd saw Donna produce some squash of the highest level to win 7-11, her fine stroke play forcing Tania into a number of errors.

The Duffield player regained her composure in the 4th game to claim the game 11-7 and secured the first rubber of the evening in favour of the home team.

Match 2 - Paul Hargrave (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs David Haley (Newport)

This match saw the very welcomed return to the Premier League of resident Duffield Squash Club professional, Paul Hargrave, a former England # 12 and World ranked # 52. The old saying " you never forget how to ride a bike" sprang to mind as Paul, much to the delight of the Duffield faithful, majestically overcame David in straight games 11-3,11-3,11-6.

Match 3 - Andy Whipp (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Nick Birt (Newport)


This on paper looked an interesting encounter with Nick Birt playing some fine Squash of late. Unfortunately for Nick, he came up against " The Whippertron", who, as all fans of Duffield and the Squash fraternity know, on his day, is  formidable against any opponent, and so it proved on the night. In an encounter lasting all of 15 minutes, Andy produced some fantastic Squash to take the match 11-7,11-6,11-6.

Match 4 - Steve Coppinger (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Rob Sutherland (Newport)

Based on current rankings, this again promised to be a close encounter. Steve, a very popular addition and crowd favourite with Duffield,took the first game 11-3,quickly followed by an 11-5 victory in the second.This appeared to spur Rob into action, and he came back very strong to take the third 3-11. The Welsh player then consolidated his position by taking the fourth game 5-11. With all evenly poised, the crowd anticipated a tremendous final game, with Rob very much in the ascendancy.Steve took the game to Rob, and produced some fine Squash to take the final game 11-4. a tremendous encounter with both players very much on their game.

Match 5 - Nick Matthew (Benz Bavarian Duffield) vs Aaron Francomb (Newport)

Having recently returned from Kuwait with a viral infection and not fully fit, Nick was going to have a real battle with Aaron, a very fine player in his own right.

Nick did not appear to be suffering to much in the opening encounter, punishing brutally shots from Aaron that were not inch perfect.As the game progressed, the Newport player produced some fine Squash, narrowly missing out 13-11. Nick continued to take the second game 11-5, producing along the way some wonderful shots which confirm his ranking of England #1 and recently promoted World #4.In the third, Aaron appeared to be getting in full swing, winning 6-11 against a tiring Nick.

We sensed Nick wanted to finish the game as soon as to recuparate further, but Aaron proved what a strong opponent he is with Nick narrowly prevailing 11-9.

A great team performance from Benz Bavarian Duffield, and credit to Newport who, in the first season in the PSL, proved worthy opponents.

Felix Frixou
Team Manager

Duffield go down to Nottingham

It was with some trepidation that we welcomed our near neighbours from Nottingham on Tuesday evening. With a full strength Duffield squad, Nottingham are always formidable rivals,but with the recent unfortunate injury to Nick Matthew which negated his selection, the task was going to be even harder. This said, we had confidence with the team selection, and our new signings of Martin Knight and Steve Copping did us proud on the evening.

Match 1 - Tania Bailey vs Sarah Kippax

This was always going to be a difficult match for Tania, desperately striving for recovery from an operation at the end of last season.Sarah is always a formidable opponent and her recent form suggested that this would be a very tough match, and so it proved to be.The opening game saw Sarah take the advantage and her  current  form was emphasised when she went 2 games up.It was clear Tania was struggling with fitness and indeed, this was confirmed when,sadly,she had to retire.

Match 2 - Joel Hinds vs Eddie Charlton

Eddie came away with the first game in comfortable fashion, but we sensed Joel, who has recently turned professional and who, as a local lad and a great favourite with the home supporters, was just getting into his stride. This was confirmed as Joel prevailed to a fairly comfortable 3-1 win.

Match 3 - Steve Coppinger vs Ong Beng Hee

On his debut for Duffield, Steve produced some Squash of the highest order which, at times, was breath taking. On the night, Ong came through with a 3-1 win, demonstrating what a fine player he is.

Match 4 - Andy Whipp vs John Rooney

On paper,this was going to be a great match, with John in excellent current form, and the "Whippertron" as difficult to beat as ever, and so it proved. John took the early incentive taking a 2-0 lead. This only seemed to spur on Whippy, who, after a titanic struggle,came out as victor with a 3-2 win. A wonderful spectacle which had the home support in raptures of appreciation for both players.

Match 5 - Martin Knight vs Laurens Jan Anjema

This was a gargantuan ask of Martin on his debut, facing a very in form Laurens. On his debut for Duffield,Martin put up a brave fight and showed great potential for the forthcoming campaign.In the end, Laurens proved to strong on the night and demonstrated why he is leaping up the rankings table and came away with a 3-0 victory.

Well done to Nottingham. As always, it was a pleasure to welcome them to Duffield and we all eagerly await the return match.

Felix Frixou