Nick Matthew helps Hallamshire clinch Yorkshire Premier League squash title

Heading into Wednesday night’s 18th and final round, the Sheffield club led second-placed Doncaster by 12 points, with York side Dunnington just behind them in third and mathematically still in with a shout.

As it turned out, all three clubs won 3-2, so Hallamshire’s 12-point lead remained unaltered by the end of a dramatic evening, and their celebrations could begin.

Any Hallamshire pre-match nerves were not helped by the absence of their injured No.1 Nick Wall – and an early straight-games defeat for No.5 Fergus Hunt to Abbeydale’s Hayden Tetley was not the start they were looking for. Ollie Turner won a cracking five-setter with Ryan Spencer to level matters and veteran Nick Wall Snr outgunned Josh Payne to put the visitors ahead.

However, Jordan Hardwick’s gutsy four-set win over Adam Turner (just his fourth defeat in 18 in the YPL this campaign) set up a top-string decider.

Hallamshire’s talisman Nick Matthew, the three-time world and Commonwealth Games champion, saw them home with a four-game victory over Wales’ world No.127 Elliot Morris Devred, to the delight of the travelling support.

Although historical records are elusive, it's believed it is Hallamshire’s first ever Yorkshire Premier League title. As it turned out, Hallamshire would have won it even without those five bonus points, as runners-up Doncaster won only narrowly, 15-8 at home to Harrogate. Dunnington’s slender title hopes were soon snuffed out when Matt Hatcher lost in straight games to Chapel Allerton’s Rahul Bansal at fifth string.

Hull & East Riding and Ferriby won Division One.

Elsewhere in the Premier League’s final night, Pontefract 1 earned bragging rights over their stablemates Pontefract 2 by finishing two places above them in fifth. The firsts whitewashed ninth-placed Woodfield 20-0 with James Wilkinson, Carlton Oldham, Mason Smales and a big-name top two of James Willstrop and Patrick Rooney all winning in straight games.

Last season’s champions Queens cemented a fourth-place finish with an 18-6 victory over Pontefract 2. The two lower-order matches were shared but Queens’ formidable top three of British Junior Open champion Finnlay Withington, James Earles and Josh Taylor were all victorious for the Halifax club.