Pontefract lose out in Yorkshire Premier League despite return of star player Patrick Rooney

Smales and Rooney did their bit, but although they both won at the top of the order for the visitors, Abbeydale’s Josh Payne, James Blyth and Phil Scully had already done the damage for the Sheffield side, laying the foundations for their 15-6 victory.

Pontefract 2 also lost 14-9 when they were at home to a strong Harrogate side who profited from having both Chileshe brothers back in action.

The New Zealanders proved to be crucial in turning around a good start by Ponte’s lower order where Ben Beachill and vice-captain Billy Hawes roared to straight-games wins.

Declan Christie turned the tide at number three by toppling Matt Godson, before Temwa and Lwamba Chileshe completed the comeback.

Pontefract teams' efforts prove in vain against Yorkshire Premier Squash League title challengers

Hallamshire gave their Yorkshire Premier League title hopes a massive boost by comprehensively defeating leaders Dunnington – and they also received a hefty helping hand from Doncaster.

The Sheffield club wheeled out their big guns at home to Dunnington in the table-topping clash with three-time world champion Nick Matthew at number two and homegrown world no.46 Nick Wall at top string.

It proved far too much for the visitors from York, despite the decent start they made to the evening when fifth string Taminder Gata Aura ground out a five-game victory over Ollie Turner.

Matt Gregory thrashed Dunnington’s Luke McFarland at number four (continuing Gregory’s record this season of all seven of his matches being over in straight games, one way or the other) and Adam Turner won a punishing duel with the visitors’ Michael Andrews, taking it 11/4 in the fifth.

That left the two Nicks up top to complete the job, with Matthew coasting past Jarder Carter and Wall exploiting the ageing legs of Chris Simpson.

As if their 19-5 victory weren’t enough, Hallamshire will have been mightily pleased to hear news from Doncaster, where defending champions Queens were astonishingly whitewashed 20-0.

Queens were without British Junior Open champion Finnlay Withington, Wales international Emyr Evans and talisman Josh Taylor and Doncaster exposed those absences brutally.

Canadian Brett Schille, Lewis Doughty, trick shot king Will Salter, Kiwi Joel Arscott and world no.81 Simon Herbert all won in straight games for fourth-placed Doncaster– with no-one dropping more than eight points in a single game.

Hallamshire’s victory closes the gap to leaders Dunnington to two points while Queens’ stunning defeat leaves the defending champions 22 points off top spot with six rounds to go.

Elsewhere, Chapel Allerton’s plight is looking bleak after they were soundly beaten 20-4 at mid-table Woodfield.

Alec Tomlinson, Ray Nevin and Alex Cutts all won in straight games for the Doncaster-based hosts, while Adam El Shazly and Ben Smith were at least extended to five by Chapel A’s Richard Hinds and number one Owan Taylor.