Hallamshire edged further ahead in the chase for the Yorkshire Premier League title while Doncaster joined Dunnington in pursuit of the Sheffield side. 

Despite missing their big guns Nick Wall (competing in Canada) and Nick Matthew (coaching in Dubai), Hallamshire dealt with Woodfield efficiently on Wednesday night, winning 17-6. 

The visitors flew into a commanding early lead with straight-games victories for veteran Nick Wall Snr and Ollie Turner. Welshman Jayden Gough dropped a game in beating Ben Sockett then Matt Gregory won a gruelling five-setter with Alex Cutts. 

Woodfield did post a victory at the top of the order through world no.88 Ben Smith but their ninth defeat of the season leaves them third from bottom. 

Second-placed Dunnington’s slightly narrower 16-9 home win over Pontefract 1 means the gap to Hallamshire stretches by one point to 12. 

The York side were off to a flyer when Matthew Stephenson and Taminder Gata-Aura (who have both only lost once in the YPL this season) both won in four early in the evening. 

Ponte’s Carlton Oldham won for just the second time in 11 attempts this campaign, beating Kuwaiti Seif Heikal in a five-game thriller. However, Dunnington’s Michael Andrews saw off Mason Smales in four to seal the five bonus points for the hosts. That made Patrick Rooney’s 3-0 victory for Ponte at no.1 largely immaterial. 

Doncaster, meanwhile, are sneaking up on the rails into late title contention on the back of five successive wins. Ironically their latest victory came at Pontefract 2, which made it five successive defeats for the self-styled ‘Unexpected Dream Team’. 

Daniel Siddal stepped up from Division One to no.5 for Ponte 2 and beat leading England junior Asia Harris in four. However, on the adjacent court, ex-Ponte player Lewis Doughty was beating the home side’s Matt Godson by the same scoreline. 

Doncaster’s Canadian no.4 Brett Schille and New Zealander Joel Arscott were on next and sealed the bonus points with straight-games wins – although Schille was pushed close in all three by Ben Beachill. Simon Herbert added the coup de grace at top string to wrap up an 18-4 triumph which puts Donny 12 points behind Dunnington. 

Defending champions Queens are almost certain to be handing back the trophy despite their 17-5 win at Harrogate this week. They remain fourth but are 33 points off the lead with only three rounds to go. 

Danny Bray, Stephen Hearst and Bader Almaghrebi all rattled off wins to wrap up the points for the visitors. Although Temwa Chileshe inflicted a brief dent in Queens’ armoury, the Halifax side’s young superstar Finnlay Withington crushed home spirits again with a typically stylish win over Lwamba Chileshe at no.1. 

Chapel Allerton seem certain to be relegated after a damaging 18-6 home defeat by mid-table Abbeydale left them bottom of the table by 32 points. 

Josh Payne and James Blythe got Abbeydale off to an ideal start. Although Lewis Harding grabbed a win for Chapel A at no.3, it was to prove only a brief respite as Jordan Hardwick ended his recent losing streak, then Wales’ Elliot Morris Devred won a five-game battle against the hosts’ top string Owain Taylor.