Durham are champions

This took them seven points clear of last season's champions, Vane Tempest, who assured themselves of the runners-up spot by beating the visiting King George V for the loss of one point.

Pelton Fell moved into third place after beating Brandon in a re-arranged match, but it is a position they are unlikely to maintain as Spennymoor have a match in hand and are only two and a half points adrift.

Spennymoor took the aggregate point to win by the odd point when they visited Pelton Fell and won by 76 shots to 73. The rink scores (Pelton fall names first) were Janine Reed, Ann Lobley and June Malcolm 20 Susan Kitching, Vera Tolley and Carol Airey 15; Rhona Newton, Sheila Hunter and Hazel Ferguson 14 Marjorie Adamson, Elaine Kidman and Amy Mason 22; Beryl Grainger, Doreen Gregory and Jean Pigford 21 Joyce Hill, Margaret Richardson and Yvonne Cook 25; Doreen Owers, Heather Rippon and Doreen Crowe 18 Ruby Airey, Margaret Shield and Vi Craggs 14.

Results: Cockton Hill 2 Bishop Auckland 3; Durham City 5 Brandon 0; Vane Tempest 4 King George V 1; Pelton Fell 2 Spennymoor 3. Dean Bank v Mainsforth postponed. Re-arranged: Pelton Fell 4 Brandon 1.

Millennium Trophy

Leeholme completed a League and Cup double for the second time in three years when they beat Addison Park, runners-up for the second consecutive year, by 93 shots to 60. Addison Park had five shots start as they were from the Second Division, but the difference in the final score came in he fourth rink, where Leeholme took a massive forty-three points advantage. The final was played at Cockton Hill.

The rink scores (Leeholme names first) were J. Taylor 14 M. Fenwick 18; C. Duffy 22 T. Docherty 16; K. Stamp 20 J. Muirhead 18; D. Barron 46 A.Waggott 3.

Vane Tempest Ladies success

At the Gala Day of the Houghton Town Thursday Ladies Bowling League, Vane Tempest Ladies from Durham came through to win a very closely fought final at Seaham Town Bowling Club when they beat the host club.

Earlier in the competition the Seaham Town team had recorded a 14-2 victory over Vane Tempest but in the final the Durham side lifted their game to reverse the result by the narrowest of margins when they won 8-7. The winning Vane Tempest team was Howa Dunn, Brenda Bland, Fay Slinn and Doreen Fenwick.

Durham City and District Carpet League

New Durham Pld 9, 38 pts, Meadowfield 10, 28; New brancepeth 9, 25, Durham City 10, 24.

Hartlepool Vets League

Final placings: Eldon Grove A 221, Hartlepool B 202, Grayfields 186, South Durham 182, Burn Valley B 179, Brinkburn 161, GEC 156, Foggy Furze 150, Burn Valley A 145, Park 144, Seaton 141, Hartlepool A 125, Owton Lodge A 105, Eldon Grove B 81.

Darlington

Veterans League

With only two games to play Brinkburn Dene need only one point to clinch the A Division championship for the second year running. Woodland A, who have been in second place for most of the season, could lose out to Railway Athletic who gained seven points from the two games played this week. In the B Division, Woodland C provided the shock of the day by defeating South Park B to register their first win of the season. This was a major set back to South Park's chances of winning the Division B championship.

Division A

Woodland A 3, MSG A ; South Park A 1, Dene A 3; North Park 3, Barnard Castle A 1; R Ath A 4, Woodland B 0; East Park A 3, North Lodge 1; North Lodge 1, R Ath A 3.

P W D L Pts Sh.

Dene A 16 11 4 1 46 +178

Woodland A 16 10 2 4 39 +109

R Ath A 16 9 1 6 39 +120

Barnard Castle A 16 8 2 6 33 _+15

MSG A 15 8 1 6 32 +32

East Park A 16 5 5 6 31 -8

North Park 16 7 2 7 29 -59

North Lodge 16 3 5 8 28 -128

South Park A 15 4 2 9 20 -104

Woodland B 16 1 2 13 16 -154

Division B

Barnard Castle B 4, R Ath B 0; Woodland C 2, South Park B 1; Dene B 4, Hundens B 10.

P W D L Pts Sh.

Hundens A 12 11 1 - 42 +252

South Park B 12 0 1 1 40 +247

Brinkburn Dene B 12 5 2 5 25 -24

Barnard Castle B 12 5 1 6 24 _15

R Ath B 13 5 1 7 20 -38

MSG B 12 4 0 8 17 -147

Hundens B 12 3 2 7 16 -93

Woodland C 11 1 0 10 7 -211

* Following last week's report on the semi-final tie between Fort and Gent, Woodland BC have apologised to the league secretary for any shortcomings but wish to point out that their new secretary was unaware of the normal practice for this type of game and that the greenkeeper had been called away urgently due to personal circumstances. The league secretary has now accepted their offerings.

Durham League

Finals Day will be held tomorrow at Vane Tempest Bowling Club, Durham with the matches beginning at 10.30am. At that time the Pairs Final, G. Williams & R. Ledger (Ever Ready/Craghead) v D. Jones & W. Maddison (Mainsforth) and the Mixed Pairs Final, W. Miller & E. Charlton (Brandon) v R. Forster & P. Cumming (Sherburn Village) will be played.

At 2pm the Singles Final, W. Miller & E. Charlton (Brandon) v R. Forster & P. Cumming (Sherburn Village); the Triples Final, I. Hudson, R. Hindson, B. Slinm (Nevilles Cross) v N. McDonald, B. Forster, R. Flowers (Sherburn Village); the Rinks Final, B. Attwood & partners (Leeholme) v W. Cedman & partners (Witton Gilbert); and the Durham County Hospital Cup Final, T. Leathers, V. Simpson, V. Thompson (Sherburn Village) v W. Hughes, R. Presho, A. Healer (Wingate) will be played.

Division One

P W D L F A Pts

Leeholme 18 15 1 2 1506 1200 133

Glenholme 18 13 0 5 1486 1223 119

ER/Craghead 18 9 1 8 1398 1191 99

Wingate 18 10 1 7 1336 1352 95

Sherburn Vill 18 9 0 9 1348 1346 87

Pelton Fell 18 8 0 10 1304 1375 85

Coxhoe 18 5 3 10 1273 1293 84

Bowburn 18 10 1 7 1270 1415 84

Langley Park 18 4 1 13 1247 1450 58

Shotton 18 2 2 14 1155 1478 56

Division Two

P W D L F A Pts

Brandon 18 12 1 5 1375 1250 107

Addison Park 18 11 0 7 1387 1223 106

Newton Hall 18 10 0 8 1355 1325 100

Nevilles Cross 18 10 0 8 1358 1280 98

Murton 18 8 3 7 1298 1249 92

King George V 18 7 2 9 1348 1378 87

Witton Gilbert 18 8 2 8 1219 1301 83

Wheatley Hill 18 6 1 11 1328 1360 81

Trimdon 18 7 1 10 1272 1376 79

Vane Tempest 18 6 0 12 1250 1448 67

Division Three

P W D L F A Pts

Mainsforth 16 14 0 2 1346 1048 114

Chilton 16 10 0 6 1177 1127 93

Spectrum 16 7 1 8 1241 1164 89

Cockton Hill 16 9 0 7 1219 1108 88

Wolsingham 16 9 1 6 1209 1190 88

Fishburn 16 6 3 7 1201 1167 73

Belmont 16 6 1 9 1126 1246 68

Dean & Chap 16 4 2 10 1142 1231 61

Kelloe 16 3 0 13 1014 1394 46

South West

Durham League

Spennymoor A clinched another title with a victory over Leeholme that also brought revenge for an earlier defeat. After winning three in a row Mainsforth failed to score at Glenholme. Despite this reversal Mainsforth still look likely runners up. Jubilee will be promoted, probably as champions. Cockton Hill B look likely to join them but could be overtaken by Spectrum

The league finals will be played at Spennymoor on Sunday 7 September commencing 2 pm.

Results: Division One: Spennymoor A 8 Leeholme 2; Glenholme 10 Mainsforth 0; Brandon 8 Shildon Town A 2; Shildon Railway v Cockton Hill A and Addison Park v Langley Park no result.

Division Two: Kelloe 6 Bishop Auckland 4; Fishburn 2 Spennymoor Jubilee 8; Cockton Hill B 8 Spennymoor Town 2; Wolsingham 2 Spectrum 8.

SWD Vets League

Division One

P W D L Pts

Spennymoor A 14 9 2 3 71

Crook Glenholme 14 7 5 2 69

Sherburn 14 8 1 5 67

Cockton Hill A 14 6 3 5 60

Shildon Rail A 14 5 1 8 48

Leeholme 14 3 4 7 46

Willington 14 5 2 7 46

Langley Park B 14 3 2 9 41

Division Two

P W D L Pts

Addison Park 14 11 2 1 82

Chilton 14 9 2 3 71

Langley Park A 14 7 1 6 59

Durham City 14 6 1 7 57

King George V 14 4 4 6 51

Dean Bank 14 5 2 7 50

Shildon Town 14 3 3 8 40

Wolsingham 14 3 1 10 38

Division Three

P W D L Pts

Bishop Auckland 14 10 0 4 79

Belmont 14 9 1 4 71

Spennymoor B 14 7 2 5 67

Mainsforth 14 8 1 5 62

Cockton Hill B 14 7 0 7 58

Fishburn 14 5 2 7 54

Shildon Rail B 14 5 0 9 36

Spennymoor C 14 0 4 10 21