Oxford Health & Racquets’ hopes of becoming Premier League champions were dashed when they went down 3-2 to Surrey Health & Racquets in the semi-final at Croydon.

Experienced Irish international Madeline Perry got Oxford off to a winning start with victory over 16-year-old Georgina Kennedy, a late replacement for the injured world No 4 Alison Waters.

But then Ben Coleman and Scott Handley suffered straight-games defeats against British Under 23 champion Adrian Waller and young Egyptian Karim Abdel Gawad.

Australian No 1 Cameron Pilley needed to beat Adrian Grant to keep Oxford in the tie, but was beaten 11-13, 11-4, 11-9, 14-12 as the defending champions reached their fourth successive final.

In the dead rubber that followed, Spanish No 1 Borja Golan gained some consolation for Oxford by beating the Croydon club’s top string Peter Barker, the world No 8, 11-6, 11-13, 11-7, 11-3.

Now Surrey will face Derbybyshire club Duffield in the final on Tuesday, May 7 at a venue yet to be announced.

Surrey Health & Racquets 3, Oxford Health & Racquets 2 (Surrey Health first): P Barker lost to B Golan 6-11, 13-11, 7-11, 3-11; A Grant bt C Pilley 11-13, 11-4, 11-9, 14-12; K Abdel Gawad bt S Handley 11-6, 11-7, 11-5; A Waller bt B Coleman 11-9, 11-5, 11-8; G Kennedy lost to M Perry 4-11, 3-11, 3-11.