Welsh Wizards powered to victory against London club Coolhurst in their latest Premier Squash League match.
World number 10 Marwan ElShorbagy won at first string against Adrian Waller, while Anna Kimberley and Joshna Chinappa won the women’s matches to clinch a 3-2 Wizards win.
Bristol-based Chinappa, the World number 12 from Chennai in India, won 13-11, 11-9 against Donna Lobban, while Kimberley, from Ipswich, defeated Grace Gear 15-13, 11-6.
Those wins earned Wizards a 2-0 lead and they were in command, but Coolhurst’s Rui Soares and Nathan Lake hit back to level the matchPortuguese player Soares defeated Welshman Emyr Evans 11-7, 11-3, while American Todd Harrity, from Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania, was beaten 8-11, 7-11 by Lake.
That left ElShorbagy under pressure, but he handled testing situation with great composure to beat Waller 11-7, 7-11, 11-8 in an exciting finish to a fiercely contested match.
@welsh_wizards Great night again , good to get the win and awesome to meet the champ @maelshorbagy pic.twitter.com/aS2aE96gO4
— Oliver Green (@olygreen33) November 26, 2019
Wizards now travel to play RAC St George’s on Tuesday, December 10, while their next home fixture is against Southern Division leaders Warwick on Tuesday, January 7.
University of Warwick/Kenilworth Squash and Team Pontefract are top of the Southern and Northern Division tables thanks to wins against St George’s Hill and Northumberland Club/Newcastle University respectively.
St George’s, the 2018 PSL champions, were looking to record their first win of the season away to WarKens, but it was the home side who took the early lead as Julianne Courtice and Sarah-Jane Perry won, both in three games.
Borja Golan beat home favourite Guy Pearson to keep St George’s in the hunt, while Iker Pajares sealed the win for WarKens with a 2-0 win over Tom Richards.
Raphael Kandra completed a 4-1 win for WarKens when he defeated Mohamed ElShorbagy, Marwen’s brother, in two close games.
In the Northern Division Team Pontefract took on Northumberland Club/Newcastle University with both teams having won their previous matches.
The women’s matches were shared with Pontefract’s Lucy Turmel and Newcastle’s Fiona Moverley winning in straight games, but the home side secured the win with victories from Patrick Rooney and James Willstrop.
Great fun last night @welsh_wizards, gutted we couldn’t get the win but I loved having some Gloucestershire support! @CoolhurstTweets https://t.co/D4FEErWOKj
— Nathan Lake (@nathanlake3) November 27, 2019
Newcastle’s Baptiste Masotti recorded a fine win over Saurav Ghosal to reduce the deficit.
In Thursday’s match Scotland’s Alba Storm recorded their first victory, winning 3-2 away to University of Birmingham Lions with Rory Stewart clinching the crucial match against Josh Owen 15-13 in the third.
Welsh number one Joel Makin led the Birmingham team and won his first string match 11-9, 11-9 against Malaysian Eain Yow Ng.
Southern Division
Welsh Wizards 3-2 Team Coolhurst (9-5)
Marwan ElShorbagy 2-1 Adrian Waller 11-7, 7-11, 11-8
Todd Harrity 0-2 Nathan Lake 8-11, 7-11
Emyr Evans 0-2 Rui Soares 7-11, 3-11
Joshna Chinappa 2-0 Donna Lobban 13-11, 11-9
Anna Kimberley 2-0 Grace Gear 15-13, 11-6
University of Warwick/Kenilworth Squash 4-1 St George’s Hill (11-4)
Raphael Kandra 2-0 Mohamed ElShorbagy 11-6, 13-11
Iker Pajares 2-0 Tom Richards 11-8, 11-7
Guy Pearson 0-2 Borja Golan 8-11, 10-12
Sarah-Jane Perry 2-1 Joelle King 6-11, 11-7, 11-6
Julianne Courtice 2-1 Jasmine Hutton 6-11, 11-9, 11-6
Super little evening in Cardiff watching the @welsh_wizards play some cracking @pslsquash! Your man @maelshorbagy bringing home the Win for 🏴! Highle recommend for an evening of fun. Especially the raffle – "hands up if you want a re-draw?" cue everyone but 1's hand! pic.twitter.com/8RIeHbVe4p
— Thomas (@Tomcromarty) November 26, 2019
Northern Division
Team Pontefract 3-2 Northumberland Club/Newcastle University (10-5)
Saurav Ghosal 1-2 Baptiste Masotti 11-9, 1-11, 8-11
James Willstrop 2-0 Piedro Schweertman 11-9, 11-2
Patrick Rooney 2-1 Owain Taylor 9-11, 11-3, 11-1
Hollie Naughton 0-2 Fiona Moverley 6-11, 9-11
Lucy Turmel 2-0 Charlotte Jagger 11-3, 11-1
University of Birmingham Lions 2-3 Alba Storm (6-9)
Joel Makin 2-0 Eain Yow Ng 11-9, 11-9
Miles Jenkins 1-2 Alan Clyne 11-9, 6-11, 4-11
Josh Owen 1-2 Rory Stewart 11-3, 4-11, 13-15
Nele Gilis 0-2 Olivia Blatchford Clyne 10-12, 9-11
Alicia Mead 2-0 Katriona Allen 11-6, 11-3
Tickets for the next Welsh Wizards home fixture:
Tue 7 Jan 2020, 7:20PM
BOOK NOW
Welsh Wizards website – www.welshwizards.com
Match to @maelshorbagy 2-1 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/DtWydNZTtx
— Welsh Wizards PSL (@welsh_wizards) November 26, 2019
Wizards squad – men:
Marwan ElShorbaggy
World ranking: 11 (highest 3)
Born: Alexandria, Egypt
Residence: Bristol, England
University: UWE, Bristol
Age: 26
Omar Mosaad
World ranking: 13 (highest 3)
Born: Cairo, Egypt
Residence: Cairo, Egypt
Club: Heliopoli
Age: 31
Edmon Lopez
World ranking: 59 (highest 54)
Born: Barcelona, Spain
Residence: Barcelona, Spain
Age: 23
Peter Creed
World ranking: 65 (highest 50)
Born: Caerphilly, Wales
Residence: Caerphilly, Wales
University: University of Wales, Cardiff
Club: Rhiwbina SRC
Age: 32
Emyr Evans
World ranking: 114 (highest 112)
Born: Cardiff, Wales
Residence: Cardiff, Wales
Age: 22
Elliott Morris Devred
World ranking: 251 (highest 227)
Born: Birmingham, England
Residence: Barry, Wales
Club: Leamington plus Cardiff SRC
Age: 21
James Peach
World ranking: 228 (highest 223)
Born: Doncaster, England
Resides: Bristol, England
University: UWE, Bristol
Age: 22
Moustafa Asal
World ranking: 29 (highest 29)
Born: Cairo, Egypt
Resides: Cairo, Egypt
Age: 18
Todd Harrity.
World ranking: 47 (highest 44)
Born: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Resides: Bristol, England
University: Princeton
Age: 29
Women:
Tesni Evans
World ranking: 9 (highest 9)
Born: Cardiff, Wales
Resides: Rhyl, Wales
Age: 26
Joshna Chinappa
World ranking: 13 (highest 10)
Born: Chennai, India
Resides: Bristol, England
Age: 33
Rachael Chadwick
World ranking: 53 (highest 53)
Born: Chester, England
Resides: Chester, England
Club: Neston Cricket Club
Age: 29
Milou van der Heidjen
World ranking: 32 (highest 29)
Born: Veldhoven, Netherlands
Resides: Helmond, Netherlands
Age: 28
Anna Kimberley
World ranking: 76 (highest 76)
Born: Ipswich, England
Resides: Colchester, Essex
University: Trinity
Age: 24
Anna Serme
World ranking: 66 (highest 63)
Left-handed
Born: Krnov, Czech Republic
Resides: Creteil, France
University: Paris-Sorbonne
Age: 28
Welsh Wizards
Professional Squash League fixtures
Round five
December
Tuesday 10
RAC v Welsh Wizards
Second Half fixtures
Round six
January
Tuesday 7
Welsh Wizards v Warwick
Round seven
Dates to be arranged
St George’s v Welsh Wizards
Round eight
Wizards – no game
Round nine
Coolhurst v Welsh Wizards
Round 10
Dates to be arranged
Welsh Wizards v RAC
Semi-finals and final to be arranged
