Hallamshire’s Yorkshire Premier League title defence began with a hammering at the hands of last year’s runners-up Doncaster, while Pontefract 1 and Dunnington recorded big wins on the opening night of 2023/24. 

Sheffield club Hallamshire, who clinched last season’s trophy on the final day by 12 points, went into Wednesday’s opening night without their top two Nick Wall and Temwa Chileshe, but to go down 20-4 (5-0) was still a shock. 

Doncaster’s England star Asia Harris – who is coached by Hallamshire No.1 Nick Matthew – kicked off the rout by ousting Nick Hargreaves in a five-game epic. Canadian Brett Schille made shorter work of veteran Nick Wall Snr at fourth string. 

Lewis Doughty was given a stern test by the visitors’ No.3 Matt Gregory before pulling through in four, but Kiwi Joel Arscott dispatched Adam Turner rapidly. Even three-time Commonwealth Games champion Matthew couldn’t register a W for Hallamshire, going down 3/1 to world No.62 Simon Herbert. 

That puts Doncaster top of the nascent Premier League table and tucked just a point behind them are Dunnington following their handsome 19-6 win at Harrogate. 

Ben Cross, Luke McFarland and Michael Andrews all won pretty easily for the visitors, although Prithvi Singh was taken deep into a fifth by Harrogate’s Gabriel Cox, where he won 12-10. 

No.1 Lwamba Chileshe did belatedly get three points on the board for Harrogate as the Kiwi recovered from losing the first game 11-1 to scrap past Owain Taylor in five. 

The fixture computer threw up an opening-night Ponte derby which the 1sts took comfortably 18-4. Hollie Naughton, the 2022 Commonwealth Games singles runner-up, set the tone with a tough 3-1 win over James Wilkinson.  

Skipper Matt Godson and Adam Taylor had it a little easier as both won in straight games, and at top string Patrick Rooney thrashed Mason Smales – then set his alarm for early next morning to jet off to the US Open in Philadelphia. Second string Ben Hetherington notched Ponte 2’s only win of the night. 

Top-flight newbies Ferriby Hall, who replace Chapel Allerton this season, opened up with a narrow 12-9 home defeat against 2022 champions Queens Club. 

Highly experienced Fiona Moverley ground out a five-game win for the promoted side, but Queens’ reliable middle order of Danny Bray, Stephen Hearst and James Earles sealed the bonus points. 

But Queens’ top string Finnlay Withington, who has now progressed from the junior ranks on to the PSA World Tour, went down in four games to Ferriby Hall’s No.1 Ben Smith. 

The other opening-night clash was at Woodfield in Doncaster, where the home side’s big-name top two couldn’t prevent a 14-7 defeat to Abbeydale. 

England international Declan James and world No.48 George Parker both won 3-0 at the top of the order, but the damage had already been done lower down for Woodfield as Polly Clark, Alec Tomlinson and Alex Cutts lost respectively to Ryan Spencer, Hayden Tetley and Phil Scully.