The front runners are beginning to pull clear in the Yorkshire Premier League with Queens, Dunnington and Hallamshire all recording their fifth wins of the season in Wednesday night’s seventh round. 

Defending champions Queens sailed to a 19-5 victory at bottom club Chapel Allerton although there was brief hope for the hosts early in the evening. 

Chapel A’s no.5 Tom Watkins ground out a five-game victory over Danny Bray and young Isaac Green was 2/1 up against the unpredictable Bader Almaghrebi, but the Kuwaiti’s flurry of nicks (interspersed with a fair few errors) saw him hit back to win in five. 

It was plain sailing for the visitors from Halifax after that with Josh Taylor and veteran James Earles winning at a canter and British junior champion Finnlay Withington dazzling the Leeds crowd with his staggering accuracy and retrieval in beating Owain Taylor 3/0 in the evening’s finale. 

Dunnington’s points total ticked up to 103 – five behind leaders Queens – after the York club dished out a 20-3 thrashing to under-strength Doncaster. 

Dunnington no.5 Nathan Hill stepped up from Division One impressively to beat Rob Hartburn and Matthew Stephenson took care of Ted McQueen in even more rapid fashion. 

Luke McFarland overcame women’s world no.55 Millie Tomlinson in four and Dunnington no.2 Michael Andrews was stretched to five by David Turner. Former world no.20 Chris Simpson completed the clean sweep by dismissing Lewis Doughty. 

Third-placed Hallamshire are the third side with a 5-2 win-loss record after they took an 18-5 victory home from their trip to Pontefract 2, who drop to fifth. 

Youngster Fergus Hunt kicked things off for the Sheffield side by beating Ponte’s last-minute stand-in Dom Pegg at number five. Hallamshire’s second string Adam Turner also won in four to put the visitors in command. 

Ollie Turner wrapped up the five bonus points for Hallamshire early doors by making light work of Billy Hawes and although Matt Godson notched a consolation victory against Nick Wall Snr at no.3, the legendary Nick Matthew completed a consummate Hallamshire victory at top string. 

Woodfield are 10 points behind them in fourth after Commonwealth Games men’s doubles gold medallist Declan James beefed up their line-up against Abbeydale. 

James’ class and experience proved too much for Abbeydale youngster Jordan Hardwick at top string but by that stage the points were secure thanks to four-game wins lower down the order by Ray Nevin, Adam El Shazly and Alex Cutts. 

Pontefract-raised youngster Ben Sockett completed the 20-5 clean sweep for Woodfield although he was extended to five games by Josh Payne in the match of the night. 

Wednesday’s other match-up was in the lower reaches of the table as Pontefract 1 earned a 15-9 victory, despite the return to the Harrogate line-up of the Chileshe brothers after competing in last week’s New Zealand Open.

It went down to the wire, with veteran John Riley winning a marathon duel against Richard Leonard at no.5, but Temwa Chileshe soon levelled matters by wearing down Ben Hetherington in four games.

Ponte youngster Ben Beachill was an easy winner over Dominic Bailey but the elder Chileshe brother, Lwamba, got three more points on the board for the hosts with a confident win over Carlton Oldham at top string.

It all came down to Ponte's George Wileman against Alec Fuller. Despite only just returning from injury, it was Wileman who took it, despite losing the first game, to give the visitors the victory.