Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has been ruled out for at least the rest of the regular season after receiving injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee Monday, the team announced.

George spent the past week consulting with doctors on the best treatment options for his groin and knee injuries. The 34-year-old has played through groin, finger and knee ailments this season, dealing with multiple injuries over the past month. Sources said George took painkiller injections for five consecutive games before the NBA All-Star break in February.

The 76ers said George will be unable to play for at least six weeks, which keeps him out for the remainder of the regular season. The 76ers are five games out of the last play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

George, who signed a four-year, $212 million max deal with the 76ers in July after five seasons with the LA Clippers, averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 41 games. During the preseason, George hyperextended his left knee, forcing him to sit out the first five games of the regular season. He hyperextended the same knee in November, which cost him three games. In January, he injured his left pinkie, and he most recently has been sidelined because of a left groin soreness that has forced him to sit out Philadelphia's past four games.

George finishes the season having played his fewest games since 2021-22; it's the fifth time in six years he's played fewer than 60 games. He announced late last month that he was stepping away from his podcast, "Podcast P with Paul George," to focus on his health and turning around the 76ers' season.

"I haven't been the healthiest, so it's just been putting a ton of work towards getting my body as healthy as possible, and to keep focus of obviously being here and trying to turn things around here and the full focus is trying to get this team together," George said of the decision to pause his podcast.

The team ruled out 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid for the rest of the season on Feb. 28 and now George has gone the same route. The Sixers are currently under investigation by the NBA for their handling of Embiid's availability early in the season.

George's year ending puts a bow on a disappointing season for the 76ers, who entered 2024-25 among the title favorites but are now playing for their lottery draft pick.

The 76ers' fall could have a positive effect in one area since their first-round pick in this year's NBA draft is top-six protected and would otherwise go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 76ers (23-45) have hovered around having the sixth-worst record in the league in recent weeks.

PHOENIX -- Playing without injured guard Bradley Beal again, the Phoenix Suns saw seven players score in double figures during a 129-89 rout of the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

All told, 13 players scored for Phoenix, and the final margin of 40 was the biggest lead of the night. Devin Booker scored 27 points to lead a second-quarter surge the Raptors could not overcome.

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game that Beal will miss at least a week because of a left hamstring injury sustained in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Beal, who including Monday has missed 21 of the Suns' 69 games, had an MRI earlier in the day and will be evaluated in seven days. Collin Gillespie made his first career start in place of Beal.

"We'll evaluate him in one week," Budenholzer said of Beal. "He had an MRI today, and we'll be hopeful that this next week goes well, and reevaluate him then."

The Suns trailed 29-24 at the end of the first quarter but outscored Toronto 39-11 to take a 23-point halftime lead. Most of it came with reserves Royce O'Neale, Tyus Jones, Cody Martin and Oso Ighodaro joining Booker on the court.

Ryan Dunn scored 17 points, Jones had 15 points including four 3-pointers, Kevin Durant had 14, Monte Morris 12 and Nick Richards 10. O'Neale had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Scottie Barnes had 16 points and Immanuel Quickley had 15 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Raptors, playing without starters RJ Barrett (illness) and Gradey Dick (right knee bruise) plus center Jakob Poeltl (rest).

With the win, the Suns moved one game behind the Dallas Mavericks for the last play-in spot in the West with 13 games remaining.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Obi Toppin's fourth 3-pointer of overtime came with 3.5 seconds left to lift the short-handed Indiana Pacers over Minnesota 132-130 on Monday night, ending the Timberwolves' eight-game winning streak.

Toppin had a season-high 34 points on 7-for-10 shooting from 3-point range to help the Pacers win without their top six scorers down the stretch. The last one was a wild, fading shot at the right corner -- reminiscent of Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning four-point play vs. the Milwaukee Bucks last week.

"Obi Toppin had one of the most spectacular runs at the end of the game I've ever seen," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.

Four starters were out for Indiana. Andrew Nembhard was ejected in the third quarter and Bennedict Mathurin fouled out in the fourth.

Anthony Edwards scored 29 of his 38 points after halftime for the Timberwolves, who led by five with a minute left in overtime until Thomas Bryant hit a 3. Edwards missed from deep, Toppin hit his clutch shot and Julius Randle's fadeaway fell short at the buzzer.

T.J. McConnell had 11 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, plus the tying layup with 4.6 seconds left in regulation.

The Pacers' subs played fast and loose while regulars Pascal Siakam (personal), Haliburton (back), Aaron Nesmith (ankle) and Myles Turner (hip) rested ahead of a five-game homestand. Indiana is one game behind Milwaukee for fourth place in the East.

This loss might haunt the Timberwolves, however, who are in the midst of a crowded Western Conference playoff race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III will sit out the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a torn labrum and partial tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, the team announced Monday night.

The Pelicans said the injury occurred when Murphy dislocated his right shoulder during the first quarter of Monday's 127-81 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Murphy exited the game after diving for a loose ball. He played only one minute. The Pelicans lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Murphy was having, by far, the best season of his four-year career. He averaged 21.2 points, 6.4 points more per game than he averaged last season. He was also averaging career bests in rebounds (5.1) and assists (3.5), and posted his third season with 150-plus made 3s.

The Pelicans said they would update Murphy's status when appropriate.

Last October, Murphy agreed to a four-year, $112 million rookie contract extension with New Orleans.

The 6-foot-8 Murphy established himself as an outstanding 3-and-D wing after averaging 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds primarily in a reserve role last season.

The Pelicans have long been out of playoff contention, in part because of injuries, and are 18-51 going into the season's final 13 games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Chicago White Sox infielder Josh Rojas has a hairline fracture in his right big toe, putting his availability for opening day in question.

Rojas is batting .313 (10-for-32) in his first spring training with the White Sox. He left Saturday's split-squad game against Colorado with toe soreness.

"We're just kind of going to give him treatment and see where it goes," first-year manager Will Venable told reporters Monday. "I think we just kind of get him doing his treatment and his rehab and kind of take it day by day and see where he's at. Hopefully, he's back here with us soon."

The 30-year-old Rojas batted .225 with 8 homers and 31 RBIs in 143 games with Seattle last year. He became a free agent in November when Seattle declined to offer him a contract.

Rojas finalized a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Chicago in January. The White Sox host the Los Angeles Angels for their season opener March 27.

Also on Monday, Chicago optioned outfielder Dominic Fletcher to Triple-A Charlotte. Catching prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero were among 10 players reassigned to minor league camp.

The Detroit Tigers optioned Jace Jung to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, ending his chances of taking over the vacant starting third base spot for Opening Day.

The Tigers also optioned left-hander Sean Guenther to Toledo, leaving the club with 39 players in major league camp at Lakeland, Florida.

Jung, 24, had been in line to take over at third base for the Tigers, with that hope only increasing once free agent Alex Bregman signed with the Boston Red Sox instead of the Tigers. But Jung went 4-for-33 (.121) in Grapefruit League play, with a home run and two doubles.

Jung made his major league debut this past season and batted .241 with a .665 OPS in 34 games for the Tigers, including five doubles and three RBIs.

Without Jung on the major league roster, Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibanez remain as the club's third-base options.

Guenther, 29, went 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in 17 relief appearances for the Tigers this past season. His only other major league experience was in 2021 with the Miami Marlins, and he is 3-1 in 31 career games with a 5.01 ERA.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis will miss Opening Day with a moderate left hamstring strain, the team announced Monday.

The Twins did not provide a timetable for his return, but a stint on the injured list seems probable due to the typical recovery period.

Lewis, 25, sustained the injury during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox. He felt it as he was running up the line after he bounced to third leading off the second inning. He is batting .346 (9-for-26) this spring with three RBIs and a stolen base.

Lewis batted .233 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs in 82 games last season, when he missed more than two months with a quadriceps injury sustained on Opening Day.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 MLB draft is a career .268 hitter with 33 homers and 104 RBIs in 152 games.

His development has been slowed by a variety of injuries, including ACL surgery on his right knee in both 2021 and 2022. Lewis missed the entire 2021 season after slipping on ice during a winter storm at his Texas home, forcing a surgery. He had ACL surgery on the same knee the following year.

He opened the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list while he recovered from his June knee surgery. He also had IL stints that year with a strained left oblique and a left hamstring strain.

Information from Field Level Media and the Associated Press was used in this report.

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Spencer Strider returned to the mound Monday for the first time in almost a calendar year and threw 2 perfect innings for the Atlanta Braves in their spring training game against the Boston Red Sox, striking out six of the eight batters he faced.

"That was good," Strider said. "It was like a little reward sprinkled on the pathway, a good test for the work you've been doing."

It was better than good; he was exceptional. Strider had two three-pitch strikeouts in the first inning, finishing former teammate Vaughn Grissom with a slider and then whipping a 98 mph fastball past the motionless Roman Anthony for strike three. He struck out the side in the second inning, deploying three different pitches to close out the three Boston hitters.

Strider had elbow surgery last April, after he was diagnosed with damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, an injury that was the first in a wave that hit the Braves last season. Spencer went into spring training of 2024 among the favorites to win the NL Cy Young Award, and now he is working his way back toward rejoining the Braves' rotation -- perhaps sometime in mid- or late April.

With his outing against the Red Sox, Strider started his game progression toward a regular season return to what is already a good Atlanta starting rotation. In a sense, Strider is just starting his exhibition season, and if all goes smoothly in his next starts, he'll slowly build his pitch counts.

Chris Sale won the NL Cy Young Award last year, and on Monday morning, Sale was formally announced as the Braves' starter on Opening Day. But Sale spoke of how dynamic Strider is as a pitcher, with his high-riding, high-velocity fastball; in 2023, Strider led the majors with 281 strikeouts.

"Let's not forget, he's still the best pitcher on this team," Sale said.

Strider responded, "He's delusional ... I am certainly appreciative of that statement. I don't agree with it."

Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach are also part of the Atlanta rotation. Ian Anderson, Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver are competing for the fifth spot. Strider, who has grown a full beard around the moustache for which he is known, has the ability to augment the Braves in what is likely to be a highly competitive NL East.

Strider was welcomed warmly by the fans here when he took the mound, and the reaction from the stands grew with each subsequent strikeout. Hitters and pitchers don't game-plan in spring training the way they will in the regular season, but Strider's sequence of pitches and his stuff -- a mix of mid-90s fastballs, sliders, changeups and curves -- overwhelmed the Red Sox hitters.

Strider threw a 96 mph fastball past Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer to get to 1-2 count and then spun a curveball that was 17 mph slower, with Mayer flailing over the top.

Strider knew as he went out to start the third inning that he probably would face only a couple of batters. After he struck out his final hitter of the day, punctuating the delivery with his pronounced follow-through, he took a couple of steps toward the Braves' dugout. In the moment, he did not realize that there were just two outs.

"I have not pitched in a while, so I forget how many outs there are in an inning," he said, smiling. "I was not a math major in college, either, so counting to three is a big chore for me.

"I think I got a little ahead of myself and forgot that they had to come get me, and I can't just walk off. I have to have adult supervision."

He'll figure that part out in the weeks ahead. He appears to have a lot of the pitching part down already.

The Los Angeles Dodgers aren't just a baseball team these days. They are a symbol. For fans of the other 29 major league clubs, they are a source of either indignation or longing. For rival owners -- and the commissioner who answers to them -- they exemplify a widening payroll disparity that must be addressed. For players, and the union that represents them, they are a beacon, embodying all the traits of successful organizations: astute at player development, invested in behind-the-scenes components that make a difference and, most prominently, eager to pump their outsized revenues back into the roster.

The Dodgers employ seven players on nine-figure contracts, with five of those deals reached over the past 15 months. They also have the strongest farm system in the sport, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. Their lineup is loaded and their rotation is decorated, but also their future looks bright and their resources seem limitless. And yet their chief architect, Andrew Friedman, isn't ready for a victory lap.

"It just doesn't really land with me in that way," Friedman, entering his 11th year as the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, said in a recent phone conversation. "I think once I get fired, once there's like real distance between being mired in the day-to-day and when I'm not, I will be able to look back at those things. But for us right now, it all feels very precarious.

"We've seen a lot of really successful organizations that fall off a cliff and take a while to build back. We don't take any of it for granted."

Nothing lasts forever. Every empire has fallen, every dynasty has faded. But what the Dodgers have built feels uniquely sustainable. A glaring reminder came last month, when Major League Baseball's commissioner, Rob Manfred, was asked whether outrage over the Dodgers' spending reminded him of how fans felt about the star-laden New York Yankees teams of the early 2000s, commonly referred to as "The Evil Empire."

The current Dodgers, Manfred said, "are probably more profitable on a percentage basis than the old Yankees were, meaning it could be more sustainable, so it is more of a problem."

The word "problem" depends on one's perspective. Dodgers fans certainly wouldn't describe it as such. As the team prepares to begin its season on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs in Japan -- a country in which they are revered, in a series sponsored by their ownership group -- it's worth understanding how the Dodgers got here.

It was the result of their process, but it also required several monumental steps over the past dozen years.

Below is a look at their biggest leaps.

Jan. 28, 2013: They signed a media megadeal

At the start of 2013, the Dodgers, less than a year into Guggenheim's ownership, landed a massive local-media deal spanning 25 years and valued at $8.35 billion, or $334 million annually on average. But for the rest of that decade, it qualified as a massive headache. A stalemate between AT&T and Charter Communications meant more than half the Southern California market was unable to access the team's channel, SportsNet LA, from 2014 to 2020.

As the impasse continued and tensions escalated, the Dodgers' media deal came to symbolize a growing clash between sports channels that demand higher fees and content distributors wary of making customers pay for content they do not consume. Now -- five years after the two sides finally struck a deal, airing Dodgers games on AT&T video platforms and nearly doubling the number of households to more than 3 million -- it exemplifies a growing disparity that is rattling the industry.

The Dodgers' local-media deal runs longer than most and is more expensive than any other, but here's the kicker, according to a source familiar with the deal: While most regional sports networks are set up as subsidiaries underneath a corporate entity, leaving them in the lurch when they fall into hard times -- like Diamond Sports Group, a former Sinclair subsidiary that was forced into bankruptcy when debt mounted and subscribers fell off -- the Dodgers have complete corporate backing from Charter, a massive media conglomerate.

So not only do the Dodgers generate far more in local media than any of their competitors, but at a time when the linear-cable model is drying up and teams face increasing uncertainty with RSN contracts that represent about 20% of revenues, their deal is relatively iron-clad. That is especially valuable considering they're in a division where three teams -- the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies -- have lost their local media deals.

Dec. 21, 2018: They swung a trade that streamlined their payroll

Four days before Christmas in 2018, the Dodgers executed a rare salary dump. Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, Kyle Farmer and cash were sent to the Cincinnati Reds for Homer Bailey, who was promptly released, and two young players who would later help trigger blockbuster acquisitions, Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray. The prospect component was secondary; the real benefit was the money saved, which gave the Dodgers additional wiggle room under the luxury-tax threshold and helped them remain debt-service compliant the following year.

In a bigger sense, it was the culmination of a multi-year effort by the front office to rid the Dodgers of bloated contracts and streamline a payroll that ultimately became burdened by massive deals for players like Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Adrián González. The Dodgers' luxury-tax payroll dropped by about $50 million from 2017 to 2019, by which point only two players -- A.J. Pollock and Kenta Maeda -- were signed beyond the next two years. In Friedman's mind, the Dodgers were now free to be aggressive.

"For our first four to five years, it was as much about trying to be as competitive as we could be while getting our future payroll outlook in a better spot," he said. "At the end of the 2019 season was the first time we had reached that point and were in position to be more aggressive at the top of the free-agent class."

Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon headlined that offseason's free-agent class. The Dodgers didn't come away with either of them.

They would soon make up for it.

Feb. 10, 2020: Mookie Betts became available -- and they pounced

The Dodgers engaged in initial trade conversations around Betts leading up to the trade deadline in 2019, but then the Boston Red Sox won five of seven against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Yankees near the end of July, and suddenly Betts was unavailable. A tone was set nonetheless.

"We knew, with him going into his last year of control, that there was a chance they would look to trade him going into that offseason," Friedman recalled. "There was a switch in their baseball-operations department, and Chaim Bloom was hired, who I have a good relationship with. I spent a lot of time talking to him in the beginning. For him, it was about getting his feet on the ground and understanding the organizational direction of what they were doing. And it wasn't until January where he opened the door to engage."

Friedman, who gave Bloom his first front-office job in Tampa, ultimately landed Betts and David Price for Alex Verdugo, Downs and another position-player prospect in Connor Wong on Feb. 10, 2020. Friedman had long coveted Betts not just for his supreme talent, but for his work ethic and competitive edge and how those qualities seemed to elevate those around him. Within five months, Betts agreed to a 12-year, $365 million extension, eschewing free agency.

March 17, 2022: Freddie Freeman became a surprise free agent addition

When Freeman hit free agency after winning the 2021 World Series with the Braves, Friedman assumed he would simply return to Atlanta. So did everyone else -- Freeman included. He was a homegrown star poised to someday get his number retired and have a statue outside Truist Park. But initial conversations barely progressed, and the Dodgers saw an opening.

On the afternoon of Dec. 1, moments before the sport would shut down in the midst of a bitter labor fight, Dodgers players, coaches and executives gathered for Betts' wedding in L.A. Friedman, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and then-third baseman Justin Turner briefly stepped away to call Freeman. They wanted to leave a lasting impression before an owner-imposed lockout would prohibit communication between teams and players. They wanted to be the last club he heard from.

The message, essentially: Don't forget about us.

Friedman said he "got off the call feeling like it was incredibly unlikely" that the Dodgers would land Freeman. But when the lockout ended on March 10, the Braves and Freeman's then-agent, Casey Close, still couldn't bridge the gap, either on length or value. Four days later, the Braves traded for another star first baseman in Matt Olson, leaving Freeman stunned. Three days after that, he pivoted to the Dodgers, coming to terms on a six-year, $162 million contract.

2022-23 offseason: They sat out the shortstop market

When Corey Seager became a free agent at the end of the 2021 season, the Dodgers had a ready-made replacement in Trea Turner, who had been acquired with Max Scherzer the previous summer in a deal that sent Gray and three other minor leaguers to the Washington Nationals. But when Turner himself became a free agent a year later, the Dodgers did nothing to shore up one of the sport's most important positions.

Turner became part of a historic class of free-agent shortstops, along with Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson. The Dodgers didn't pursue any of them, even though they didn't have a clear replacement. The Dodgers could have avoided years of uncertainty at this position by locking in a proven star, but doing so was hardly entertained.

The reason is now obvious.

"With where we were commitment-wise," Friedman said, "and with Shohei [Ohtani] coming up the next offseason, it was just a higher bar to clear for us to do something that would have any negative ability for us to pursue Shohei."

Dec. 11, 2023: Ohtani chose them

By the time Ohtani became a free agent in November of 2023, the Dodgers' roster was loaded but their payroll was manageable, with only Betts and Freeman guaranteed beyond the next two seasons. The Dodgers could boast a contending team -- with two franchise pillars and a wealth of young talent -- but also pitch Ohtani on the promise of adding other impact players around him, regardless of his monstrous contract. It worked.

Now, Dec. 11, 2023, stands as one of the most monumental dates in Dodgers history. Ohtani not only joined the Dodgers that day, but he agreed to defer more than 97% of his 10-year, $700 million contract. The Dodgers have become infamous for their propensity to defer money, a mechanism to provide players with a higher guarantee but, given the ability to invest deferred commitments, is mostly beneficial to the Dodgers (though perhaps not as much as one might think).

Ohtani's deal was followed by the addition of two frontline starters -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who landed a contract worth $325 million, and Tyler Glasnow, who was acquired via trade and subsequently signed a five-year extension worth close to $140 million. Ohtani didn't pitch in 2024, but he put together one of the greatest offensive seasons in baseball history, starting the 50/50 club and becoming the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP.

Just as important, from the Dodgers' perspective: He generated massive amounts of revenue.

Ohtani had MLB's top-selling jersey by a wide margin. With him on the roster, the Dodgers struck sponsorship agreements with 11 different Japanese companies during the 2024 season. Two Ohtani bobblehead giveaways prompted fans to line up outside Dodger Stadium up to 10 hours before the first pitch. Japanese guided tours through the ballpark -- a twice-a-day, four-day-a-week addition -- never relented. The gift shops frequently had lines out the door.

The Dodgers won't disclose how much additional revenue they generated from Ohtani last year, but team president Stan Kasten has repeatedly said it blew away even their most optimistic projections.

Oct. 9, 2024: They survived Game 4 of the NLDS

It's amazing, given the space the Dodgers currently occupy, that five months ago they carried a reputation as, well, chokers. Their championship at the end of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season had been thoroughly dismissed for its unconventionality. More prevalent in the general public's mind was 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, seasons that ended with talented teams getting eliminated early by inferior opponents.

The 2024 season was quickly headed in that direction. On Oct. 9, the Dodgers trailed a Padres club that was widely considered more well-rounded two-games-to-one in the best-of-five National League Division Series. Their depleted rotation had run out of starters. They would stage a bullpen game with their season on the line. And they would survive. The Dodgers shut out the Padres in Game 4, shut them out again in Game 5, then cruised past the New York Mets and Yankees to capture their first full-season championship since 1988.

What followed was a second straight offseason in which the Dodgers added practically every player they wanted. That included a frontline starter (Blake Snell), two corner outfielders (Teoscar Hernandez and Michael Conforto), three premium bullpen pieces (Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Blake Treinen), two fan favorites (Clayton Kershaw and Kiké Hernández) and one of the most alluring pitching prospects in a generation (Roki Sasaki). A key utility player (Tommy Edman) was also extended. The cost: another $466.5 million in guaranteed money, immediately after an offseason in which they guaranteed close to $1.4 billion in signings and extensions.

Roberts, fresh off a record-setting extension, has talked about how he might have been fired had he not navigated his Dodgers past the Padres last fall. Friedman acknowledged that the Dodgers probably don't spend as much if they don't win the World Series and generate the extra revenue that comes from it, though he called that "a lazy guess."

Still, when asked how often he has thought about how life would be different if the Dodgers hadn't won Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS, Friedman said: "Zero minutes."

"We have been on the good side of those games and on the bad side of those games," he added, "and I've spent zero minutes thinking about what the world would look like if the outcome had been different."

All that matters now is a reality that exhilarates their fans and infuriates everyone else: The Dodgers look about as insurmountable as a franchise can be in this sport.

Pontefract were crowned Yorkshire Premier League champions for the first time in 15 years after Wednesday nights victory at Woodfield sealed the title with two games to spare.

The world-renowned West Yorkshire club have dominated from week one of the season back in October, losing just once in 16 matches. Several players, including world no.56 Patrick Rooney, four-time British Junior Open winner Sam Todd and 17-year-old Chester Dockray, boast unbeaten records throughout the triumphant campaign.

Pontefract went into Wednesdays clash at Woodfield knowing that a maximum 20 points would guarantee the title, putting an irretrievable distance between themselves and second-placed Hallamshire. Despite winning, Ponte only secured 18 points, but once news filtered through of Hallamshires 17-8 defeat at Dunnington, the champagne corks could start popping.

In fact, it was a night of double celebration for Pontefract. Back at base, their second team thrashed Wakefield to secure promotion from Division 1, ensuring that both Ponte teams would be reunited in the top tier next season.

First team skipper Matt Godson said: Id like to thank the efforts of every team-mate who has committed their time this season, from the pro players who have shown their loyalty, down to the club stalwarts who have turned out every week for years.

Id also like to thank Mick Todd, James Willstrop, Vanessa Atkinson, Jayne Robinson and so many others for everything they do to keep our club surviving and thriving.

I would also like to put equal attention on the achievements of the second team. It was a hammer blow last year when they went down as it means a lot to our members to have two teams competing in the YPL and seeing top class squash every Wednesday. If anything, Im more pleased that weve been able to bring that back at the first time of asking!

The platform for Pontes title-clinching victory at Woodfield was laid by early victories for Dockray and Godson. Adam Taylor then sealed the five winning bonus points with a four-game win over Woodfield head coach Alex Cutts.

Gunning for the maximum points they needed, 21-year-old talent Todd cruised past Londoner Caleb Boy, setting up an all-star battle between Rooney and England team-mate Declan James at top string. But it was Woodfields James, resurgent after a long injury lay-off, who took it in four games. Ponte celebrations were briefly on hold until the text came through from Dunnington.

 Victories from Ed Shannon, Taminder Gata Aura and Jamie Brown earned Dunnington a 17-8 win, with Oliver Jones and Temwe Chileshe posting consolation victories for the 2022/23 champions Hallamshire, who were without three-time world champion Nick Matthew due to injury.

At the bottom, the battle to avoid the one relegation place could go to the wire. Cleethorpes remain at the foot of the table by eight points despite a morale-boosting 15-6 victory at home to Ferriby Hall on Wednesday. Straight-games victories for their middle order of Elliot Morris Devred, Toby Ponting and Harry Falconer were enough to earn a fifth victory of the campaign.

Just above the dotted line are Abbeydale, who profited from a contravention of the rules by Doncaster. Last years champions won the fixture 14-8 on the night, but were later docked points due to playing four full-time pro players, transgressing the rule introduced at last summers AGM. Thus, Abbeydale claimed a 15-6 victory after being awarded 3/0 wins at fourth and fifth string in addition to Rhys Evans victory of Joel Arscott at no.1.

That result puts Doncaster 12 points above the drop zone, with Woodfield 10 points and Abbeydale eight clear of danger. But bottom side Cleethorpes victory this week ensures the final two fixtures of the season will be nervy for all four sides.

Wednesday nights other fixture saw Harrogate (joint third with Dunnington) claim a fifth successive win with a tight 14-10 triumph at Queens. Before the climatic no.1 clash, there were two winners but just one surname on each teamsheet Thomas Simpson and Chris Simpon winning for the visitors, and Cory Harding and Lewis Harding for Queens. New Zealand national champion Lwamba Chileshe clinched it for Harrogate at the death, courtesy of a 3/1 win over James Earles.