By Mike Dale

THIRD-PLACED in squash's Yorkshire Premier League, Dunnington thrashed bottom side Hull & East Riding 20-2 with frankly indecent haste.

Captain Matthew Stephenson and Jamie Todd got the ball rolling with straight-games wins, although number three string Ed Shannon was taken to five by Hull’s Fiona Moverley, the former world number 21.

That was as good as it got for poor Hull, whose top two Mike Reid and Glyn Saunders suffered resounding defeats to Guernseyman Chris Simpson and Cai Younger respectively.

Not even three-time world champion Nick Matthew could prevent Queens claiming a fifth successive victory as they retained their 16-point lead at the top.

The Halifax club hosted Matthew’s Hallamshire on Wednesday night and recorded a 17-7 victory that further underlines their status as red-hot title favourites even at this early stage of the season.

Sarah Campion, the former world number 15, kicked things off with an epic 3-2 win over Jack Cornell that she settled 11/9 in the final game. Danny Bray and James Earles both maintained their impeccable YPL records this season to ensure the Queens team victory.

New Zealander Lwamba Chileshe took on Harry Falconer and beat him in five entertaining games to rack up Queens’ fourth victory of the night.

The top string tussle may have been a dead rubber but featured a keenly fought first game in which former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Matthew conquered Wales’ world number 89 Emyr Evans 20/18. After that, Evans won only four more points, including a ‘bagel’ in the third.

Chapel Allerton are doing their best to keep Queens on their toes. Their 17-4 home victory over Doncaster was their fourth win from five and was sealed early on in the evening as their lower order.

Like Dunnington, defending champions Abbeydale have won three of their five games so far and sit in fourth place. They sent Pontefract 1 packing with a dominant 18-5 win.