Kall Kwik Harrogate Cup: A husband and wife team served up a double victory to steer their Ripon side past the opening round.

John Bailey led the way at first string with a 9-5 10-8 9-2 win over James Gaston as Ripon defeated Pateley Bridge 3-2 in the Group Three clash.

Ensuring a winning hand for the couple Sue Bailey defeated Bob Spain 9-4 9-6 9-10 9-4.

Ripon, who play their home matches at Boroughbridge because there is no squash club in the city, were also aided by a 9-2 10-8 9-5 victory from Val Gears who defeated Jonathan Knocker.

Pateley Bridge hit back with rubbers from Chris Lennox and Bill Hannay. Lennox defeated Tony Rennison 9-3 8-10 10-8 9-7 with Hannay overcoming Neil Jackson 9-7 9-7 8-10 9-1

In the opening round of a Group Two match Moortown defeated Bedale 4-1 with the following scores

(Moortown names first): Nick Jezeph beat Keith Parlour 9-3 7-9 9-2, 9-1; Jaz Panasar beat Alan Peirson 4-9 2-9 9-5 9-7 9-5; Nigel Lister beat John Abbotson 9-5 8-10 10-8 9-6; Carl Knowles beat Andy Hawkswell 5-9 9-2 9-3 10-8; John Kay lost to Mike Lumley 4-9 2-9 9-3 9-6 7-9.

l In the Kall Kwik under-13 League Harrogate Squash Club were beaten 3-0 at home by Chapel Allerton and by the same margin aginst a strong Pontefract III team.

Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire League

Bedale have taken a 14-point lead at the top of Division One after beating nearest rivals Wensleydale 3-0.

Bedale now have nine wins in 11 matches and are on 111 points.

Despite the defeat Wensleydale remain second and are on 97, also from 11 matches.

Harrogate Squash II are third, but have two matches in hand on the leading side and are regarded as dark horses in the title race.

Division One: Knaresborough 3 (Tim Russell, John Evans, Andy McMillan) Pateley Bridge 0; Harrogate Squash 1 (Paul Hotchkiss) Harlow 2 (Steve Thackwray, Dave McGrath).

Division Two: Wensleydale II 2 (Jim Forbes, Richard Phillips) Harlow II 1 (Martyn Hall); Boroughbridge 3 (Simon Robinson, Colin Leftly, Phil Strong) Bedale III 0; Thirsk II 1 (Jon Harrison) Wensleydale III 2 (Dave Booth, Ian Brogan); RAF Leeming 3 (George Webster, Phil Hopkins, Steve Grant) Thirsk III 0; Catterick Garrison 1 (Tim Jones) Knaresborough II 2 (Gary Hall, Peter Bottomley).

Yorkshire Men's Championship

York Squash Club player Laurence Delasaux had title holder Marcus Berrett on the ropes.

Delasaux seriously worried the title holder as the Clifton Park man waltzed through the second game without a reply from the hot favourite.

But Delasaux failed to press home his advantage and in the last two games managed to muster only two points.

Berrett, coaching professional at the Queen's Club in Halifax took a 9-7 0-9 9-1 9-1 victory to lift the title for the eighth time.

Earlier, Delasaux had stormed into the final at Pontefract defeating Shaun LeRoux, the host club player, 9-7 -6 9-3.

In the women's semi-finals Thirsk player Andrea Mayne went down 9-3 9-0 9-1 to holder Lauren Siddall, the Pontefract-based England international. Siddall went on to win the title, beating her Pontefract England counterpart Kirsty McPhee 9-3 10-8 9-6.