The big guns came out in Doncaster and there was a shock defeat for leaders Queens in a highly eventful sixth round of the Yorkshire Premier League on Wednesday night. 

Doncaster and cross-town rivals Woodfield may currently occupy the lower reaches of the table, but both were clearly determined not to lose bragging rights in their local derby. 

The hosts called upon world no.9 and recent US Open semi-finalist Joel Makin while visitors Woodfield loaded their line-up with England no.2 Declan James, world no.37 George Parker and former British champion Daryl Selby, who is retiring after next summer’s Commonwealth Games. 

Inevitably, there was a packed gallery and spectators were treated to a see-saw affair. Nick Ratnarajah and Ross Williamson got Doncaster off to a flying start early in the evening only for Selby (who was tuning up for a return to the PSA Tour at Sunday’s Canary Wharf Classic after a recent injury) to beat Kiwi Joel Arscott in straight games and reduce the deficit. 

Woodfield levelled the match at 2-2 when firebrand George Parker won an epic five-setter to hand Miles Jenkins his first YPL defeat of the season. That meant the top-string duel between Makin and James was the decider, with the Welshman taking it in routine fashion to confirm a 16-6 team victory for mid-table Doncaster. 

Queens remain in top spot but their winning start to the campaign was ended with a very tight 16-11 loss at Chapel Allerton, who move to within 11 points of the summit. 

A thrilling affair saw Chapel A’s Matty Powell and Queens’ James Earles pick up early 3-1 victories before the battle of the Taylors saw England coach Josh lose out to Welshman Owain 13/11 in the deciding fifth game. It was to prove vital. 

Finnlay Withington, winner of the English Junior title last month, was midway through an entertaining clash when opponent Conor Sheen pulled up with an ankle injury and had to retire. 

That levelled the match - and the deciding top-string duel did not disappoint, with world no.61 Richie Fallows just edging out Lwamba Chileshe 11/9 in the fifth to bring Queens’ five-match winning start to a dramatic end. 

After three defeats in a row, Pontefract 1 got back on the rails with another thriller. 

Dunnington skipper Matthew Stephenson won his fifth YPL match in a row by defeating John Riley in four and Julian Tomlinson also racked up three points for the visitors by conquering Carlton Oldham. Ponte’s James Wilkinson and George Wileman, meanwhile, both won five-game thrillers. 

It was Ponte’s Patrick Rooney, now up to 33 in the world and sure to ascend higher, who sealed the 16-11 win for the hosts with a tight four-setter against former England international Chris Simpson. As a result, Dunnington remain in third. 

There was a Sheffield derby at Hallamshire where defending champions Abbeydale made the quick trip across town and were dealt a third defeat of the season. 

It had looked so promising for the visitors when Sam Watts and Oli Turner had notched up lower-order wins, but Donna Lobban won an all-female clash with France’s Coline Aumard in four games, then Harry Falconer levelled up by dispatching Nick Wall in rapid style. 

Donna’s husband Greg Lobban, the world no.34 from Scotland, sealed the home victory but not without being posed plenty of problems by plucky Adam Turner who took the match into a fifth which he ultimately lost 11/5. 

Pontefract 2’s recovery continues apace as they triumphed at rock bottom Hull & East Riding to record a third win on the bounce and remain above their stablemates Pontefract 1. 

Top junior Ben Beachill, veteran (by comparison) Matt Godson and no.2 Adam Taylor all won for the visitors in slightly scrappy fashion having all been held up by M62 traffic. Fiona Moverley at least got a ‘W’ on the board for Hull with a lengthy win over Billy Hawes. 

No.1s Sam Todd and Ben Smith had arrived back from the International Niort Venise Vert in France just hours before, having both lost in the second round, so they could probably both have done without the game going to five! Todd won it 11/3 in the decider to record a 19/8 triumph for Ponte 2.