Pontefract march on despite fielding depleted side in latest Yorkshire Premier League game

England international Patrick Rooney, Scotland's world no.54 Rory Stewart and Sam Todd – winner of last week's Gas City Pro-Am title in Canada – were all missing for the champions-elect, but that did not prevent them from recording a 17-4 home victory over Ferriby Hall.

The win maintained Ponte's 100 per cent record and stretched their lead at the top by another 10 points to 47, with six games of the season remaining.

It was kick started by youngster Chester Dockray and Liverpudlian Connor Sheen with straight-forward victories over Yusef Forster and Glyn Saunders respectively.

Cumbrian Ben Hetherington was up next and despite losing the first game against former England junior no.1 Ben Sockett, he hit back to win in four.

That sealed the five bonus points for Ponte, but they did not take their foot off the pedal, with three-time club champion Adam Taylor beating Guyana's Samuel Ince-Carvalhal in three.

That left captain Matt Godson, thrust into the no.1 position for the first time ever, to round off the evening against England international Ben Smith. He held a game ball in the third, but succumbed in straight games to give Ferriby Hall a late consolation win.

Defending champions Doncaster grabbed a crucial victory in their quest to avoid relegation – and in doing so inflicted further damage to second-placed Hallamshire's faint hopes of reining in runaway Ponte.

Yorkshire Squash's recent decision to allow female players to be exempt from the new rule limiting full-time pro players to three per team allowed their Pontefract-born professional Asia Harris to be included in the Doncaster line-up without penalty.

She kicked the evening off with a four-game win over Welsh youngster Oliver Jones at no.4, but Jack Cornell immediately levelled for Hallamshire by defeating the hosts' Ed Walker, also in four.

But Lewis Doughty and David Turner then recorded dominant victories over Matt Gregory and Adam Turner respectively. That meant world no.46 Nick Wall's four-game win over Doncaster skipper Joel Arscott at no.1 was only a consolation. For Doncaster, it was only their second win of the campaign.

The 16-7 triumph means Doncaster are just one point above bottom side Abbeydale after they also won for just the third time this season, beating fellow strugglers Cleethorpes 18-6.

Hayden Tetley and Kieran Heaphy got the Sheffield side off to a rapid start and no.3 Michael Tallentire ensured the five bonus points were wrapped up very early by beating Harry Falconer in four games.

Toby Ponting got a win on the board for Cleethorpes (who are only five points off the bottom spot), but Welshman Rhys Evans finished the night victoriously for the hosts with a cracking five-game triumph over compatriot Elliot Morris Devred.

Elsewhere, Dunnington moved just eight points behind second-placed Hallamshire after thrashing Queens 20-3 in Halifax.

No.1 Owain Taylor, Pakistani Amaad Fareed and Geordie Cai Younger all won in three, with slightly tougher wins for Taminder Gata-Aura and Sam Gibbon lower down the order.

Harrogate consolidated fourth place with a 16-6 victory at mid-table Woodfield.

Victories for club stalwart Peter Hotchkiss, youngster Gabriel Cox and former world no.20 Chris Simpson sealed the deal, but Woodfield grabbed a consolation in the match of the night at top string, with Egyptian giant Moustafa El Sirty winning a rollercoaster five-set classic against New Zealand's Lwamba Chileshe.