Queens are one win away from mathematically confirming the 2021/22 Yorkshire Premier League title which has been destined for the Halifax club since the early weeks of the season. 

There was no let-up from the champions-elect on Wednesday night as they recorded a 13th victory in 14 games with a 19-4 triumph at Hallamshire. With just four matches remaining and gigantic 73-point lead, Queens need only eight points at home to Chapel Allerton next week to be certain of finally getting their hands on the trophy. There is sure to be a packed crowd there to see them complete the job. 

Danny Bray kickstarted proceedings with a straight-games win over Hallamshire’s US Junior Open U17 champion Asia Harris and James Earles maintained his perfect record this season by swatting aside Fergus Hunt. 

England Performance Coach Josh Taylor confirmed Queens’ five winning bonus points at no.3 and England junior champion Finnlay Withington was victorious in four against Harry Falconer. 

The only fly in Queens’ ointment on the night was defeat at top string for Emyr Evans although he pushed three-time world champion Nick Matthew to five games before succumbing 11/4 in the fifth. 

Hallamshire drop from second to sixth in the tightly packed race for the runners-up spot which now includes highly impressive over-achievers Pontefract 2 – who have labelled themselves the ‘Surprise Dream Team’. 

They notched up a fourth win in a row this week, 17-7 away to second-from-bottom Woodfield, despite the absences once again of top stars Sam Todd and Abhay Singh. 

Youngster Ben Beachill got Ponte 2 off to a flyer but they were pegged back when vice-captain Billy Hawes lost a marathon encounter with Woodfield no.4 Alec Tomlinson. 

Skipper Matt Godson shrugged off a back injury to beat Matt Gregory in four games and the away victory was sealed once summer signing Jake Robinson had seen off Woodfield debutant Marcus Connor. In the dead rubber at top string, Aaron Allpress reduced arrears for the hosts by beating Adam Taylor in four. 

Pontefract 2 move up to fourth and may take extra satisfaction from sitting 21 points above stablemates Pontefract 1, who fell 17-6 at home to Abbeydale. 

Sam Watts and Oli Turner earned tough wins in the Abbeydale lower order before Ponte 1 got a W on the board through Carlton Oldham. Although he won in straight games, a herculean 21/19 scoreline in the second game showed Phil Scully did not give him an easy ride! 

Abbeydale’s top two finished off the victory mercilessly though, with Adam Turner and Elliot Morris Devred both winning in rapid style to lift the Sheffield club up to second place. 

Chapel Allerton are seven points behind in third after going down 18-8 at Doncaster. The Leeds side lost no.1 Owain Taylor to injury on the morning of the game, with Sam Davey coming in at no.5 and the rest of the team moving up the order. 

Davey won a titanic five-setter against Donny’s Steve Wright in which the first four games all went to tie-breaks before the visitors’ no.5 took it 11/8 in the decider. 

Doncaster’s Shaun Bradley levelled the match before Chapel A’s Isaac Green put the visitors in front again with a five-game cracker against Craig Huckerby. 

Despite missing their own big names Joel Makin and Joel Arscott, Doncaster’s top order sealed the winning bonus points. No.2 Nick Ratnarajah beat Richard Hinds in four and Miles Jenkins outplayed Connor Sheen in the second and third games after a tough opener. 

The night’s other encounter saw bottom side Hull & East Riding suffer an 11th defeat of the season as Dunnington won a close encounter 16-8. 

Hull’s Fiona Moverley won for the eighth YPL game in succession at fifth string but the fixture swung Dunnington’s way thereafter, with Seif Heikal taking out Glyn Saunders and Julian Tomlinson and Luke McFarland both winning in four. At no.1, Ben Smith, the 19-year-old from Grimsby, won a cracker with former PSA Tour player Chris Simpson to reduce Dunnington’s margin of victory.