Queens have finally been confirmed as champions of the 2021/22 Yorkshire Premier League after taking an unassailable 82-point lead with three matches of the season remaining.

The Halifax club was packed for Wednesday night’s 19-5 victory over Chapel Allerton (the only team to have beaten them this season back in November) as the home side sealed a title victory that has been their destiny since the very first week of the season. 

Queens earned maximum 20 points in their first three games of the campaign back in September and that domination has shown absolutely no sign of abating through the winter. If they keep their foot on the pedal in the remaining three rounds of the season, their margin of victory may well exceed a quite absurd 100 points. 

Once again, their most reliable performers were scintillating on Wednesday, with Danny Bray victorious at no.5 and no.4 James Earles winning his 15th YPL match out of 15 this term.

Finnlay Withington, England’s top-ranked junior, has lost just once in 11 YPL outings in 2021/22, and he saw off Chapel A’s Declan Christie in three. 

The only blot on Queens’ copybook on the night was Kiwi Lwamba Chileshe’s five-game defeat to Owain Taylor at second string. But Emyr Evans saw the night end on a suitably high note for the new champions by dismissing world no.80 Richie Fallows at no.1. 

It was a poignant night at the club as their show court was renamed in memory of club legend Ken Davidson. Ken’s son Neil and daughter Helen unveiled the new plaque. 

Queens’ title means focus in the remaining three weeks of the season will shift to the race for second place – and the self-titled ‘Surprise Dream Team’ Pontefract 2 propelled themselves into pole position by claiming a fifth successive victory this week.

After losing previously ever-present Adam Taylor to an illness, Joe Royle stepped in a no.5 and won a cracker with Hull & East Riding’s Paul Norton, which went to a tie-breaker in the fifth. On the adjacent court, however, vice-captain Billy Hawes was chopped 3-0 by former world no.18 Fiona Moverley. 

It all went Ponte 2’s way thereafter though, with Tom Bamford and Matt Godson both winning briskly and the prodigal son Sam Todd returning from PSA Tour duty at top string to battle it out with fellow elite youngster Ben Smith and triumph in four games. That sealed a 17-6 win which leaves Ponte 2 in dreamland but Hull adrift at the bottom. 

Abbeydale are level with Ponte 2 on 186 points but sit just below them in third on points difference. They lost the Steel City derby to Hallamshire this week despite making a fine start to the evening with victories for Sam Watts and Nick Wall Snr. 

The pivotal match was at third string in which Hallamshire’s Harry Falconer eventually downed Adam Turner 11/3 in the fifth. That turned the ride. Nick Matthew, three-time world champion, beat Adam Auckland in four and Nick Wall Jnr – playing in the opposing team to his identically named father – brilliantly saw off Welshman Elliot Morris Devred in three to seal the comeback and a 15-9 win. 

Just two points behind Ponte 2 and Abbeydale are Dunnington, who consigned Pontefract 1 to a fourth successive defeat. 

Ponte drew first blood when James Wilkinson took out Dunnington captain Matthew Stephenson at fifth string, but Seif Heikal began the fightback for the York side with a five-setter against George Wileman. 

Cai Younger and Luke McFarland’s victories at three and two respectively ensured the five bonus points were headed to North Yorkshire, even if Lewis Doughty did reduce arrears to 17-10 by beating former world no.20 Chris Simpson in a corking five-setter. 

Wednesday’s other fixture was a Donny derby with Woodfield squeezing out a 17-7 win over cross-town rivals (and fellow relegation strugglers) Doncaster. 

It was a see-saw clash, with Shaun Bradley and New Zealander Joel Arscott scoring wins for visitors Doncaster, but Alec Tomlinson and Matt Gregory posting straight-games victories for the hosts. 

That meant it all came down to the top-string duel, for which Woodfield had brought in former world no.9 and soon-to-retire pro Daryl Selby. The former British champion from Essex toppled Miles Jenkins to keep Woodfield 24 points above bottom side Hull.