The Yorkshire Premier League title race now looks to be down to Hallamshire and Dunnington with both clubs sitting joint top with almost identical records after round 13. 

The duo faced each other last week with Hallamshire winning 19-5 to slash the lead of their rivals from York. This week, both sides claimed 4-1 victories and are now locked on 195 points, with Dunnington ahead by just one on points difference. 

Dunnington returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 17-7 triumph over Abbeydale. Captain Matthew Stephenson, Taminder Gata Aura, Kuwaiti Seif Heikal and ever-present Michael Andrews were all victorious, with only the latter being stretched into a fifth game. 

Abbeydale’s only inroad was at top string after the contest had already been settled. Elliot Morris Devred, the world no.135, took care of Dunnington’s ex-England international Chris Simpson in straight games. 

Hallamshire were also emphatic in their 19-6 victory at second-from-bottom Harrogate, where their supreme top order of Nick Wall and Nick Matthew proved an intimidating prospect even before a ball had been struck. 

Alec Fuller did strike an early blow for Harrogate with only his third YPL victory in 13 this season, but Hallamshire took control thereafter. Adam Turner and Ollie Turner both won gruelling battles, then the two Nicks dispatching one Chileshe brother each (Wall defeating Lwamba and Matthew beating Temwa) – both in straight games. 

Nick Matthew’s win may have taken more out of him than the scoreline suggest, however. The morning after, he tweeted: “Feel remarkably fresh this morning considering I fell asleep on the toilet and woke up at 1.10am.” 

Queens’ grip on the trophy is loosening by the week. They went down 18-5 at Pontefract 1 and were hardly helped by arriving with only four players due to a public transport problem. 

Ponte’s Carlton Oldham, fresh off the plane from Australia, battled back from match ball down in the fourth to overcome Queens’ Danny Bray, while Ben Hetherington made short work of Sarah Kippax. 

That sealed the five bonus points for the home side, but Josh Taylor got a ‘W’ on the board for the visitors from Halifax by beating Kiwi youngster Mason Smales in four tight games. England star Patrick Rooney encountered few issues in dispatching Queens veteran James Earles at no.1. 

Doncaster leap above Queens into third after winning the cross-town derby at Woodfield in convincing fashion. 

British Under-19 Championship runner-up Asia Harris began the evening by sealing a brutal victory over Alec Tomlinson 13/11 in the fifth. The other four clashes were more straightforward for Doncaster with Brett Schille, Lewis Doughty, Joel Arscott and Simon Herbert all winning in three – 21-year-old Herbert claiming a notable win over Woodfield’s world no.39 George Parker. 

Wednesday night’s other fixture saw Chapel Allerton breathe new life into their quest to avoid relegation by beating mid-table Pontefract 2 by 14-8. 

Things had looked perilous for the north Leeds club when straight-games win for Matt Godson and Ben Beachill had put Ponte 2 up 2-1 following Isacc Green’s earlier home victory. 

However, Chapel A’s Lewis Harding dug in for a vital five-game triumph over Tom Bamford at second string and the hosts’ no.1 Owain Taylor beat Adam Taylor in three to seal what might turn out to be an important victory. The gap to Harrogate and Woodfield above them is now 30 points.