Bishop Auckland stand at the top of the First Division as champions of the Inter Club league, being in an unassailable position with two weeks of the season still to ran. On a night when some of their top points scorers over the season stuttered, the other players in the team came through to end their home schedule with yet another win and a 100 per cent home record. Castle Eden's' TSGU stalwart, Graham Border managed what other players couldn't and halved his game with Jamie Birkbeck, Jamie's first dropped point at home. That dropped point coupled with Darrel Simpson's loss to new man, P Frith meant that Bishop Auckland's two highest scratch section points scorers over the season so far, mustered only a single point between them. But that was as far as Castle Eden's success in the scratch section went as the four other Bishop Auckland players all won for a 9-3 scratch section score. The Bishop have three in-form players in their handicap section, Steve Blakey, John Peart and Chris Land, they all continued their winning runs and a further two points from Gerry Johnson's win gave, them eight handicap points to Castle Eden's four and a match store of 17-7 to Bishop Auckland. Second placed Eaglescliffe started the night 35 points behind Bishop Auckland and went to Seaton Carew knowing that nothing less than a sizeable victory would sustain any hope of retaining the championship won both last year and in 2001. Any faint hopes Eaglescliffe may have had of a late surge to the title quickly evaporated as the home side's scratch players, led by Chris Chalk had four wins with one game halved to go 9-3 up. Seasons handicap players were even better than their scratch counterparts.

Faglescliffe's only points of the 12 available coming from two halved games for Seaton Carew to end the night 19-5 winners, moving above Castle Eden into mid table and only seven points below the second placed team.

The only other team with a mathematical chance of catching the leaders was Darlington, who were at home to Teesside. Themselves languishing at the bottom of the league, but still close enough with the right results to move out of a relegation place. A surprise seemed possibly on the cards as although John Kirkpatrick won the number one game for Darlington the Teesside scratch players took three wins and a half in the other five games to edges the scratch points 7-5. However it was a performance that couldn't be maintained by their handicap colleagues and Darlington took four out of the six games to turn the match back into their favour, but by the narrowest of margins 13-11.

The win closed Darlington to within six points of second place, but the margin of victory was too narrow for the Darlington side to have even a mathematical chance of catching the leaders. Teesside's points moved them above Hartlepool and to within 12 points of overtaking Castle Eden and safety.

The second division is a complete contrast to the first, four teams are in contention for the divisional title.

Leaders, Billingham entertained Middlesbrough looking to avenge their early season defeat at Brasscastle and strengthen their position prior to IL6ir final match, but in what must have been a tense night, things did not go the home side's way in the scratch games. Each side had one comfortable victory, Mike Williams for Middlesbrough and Nigel Fick for Billingham, but the other four games all went to the last green with the Middlesbrough players snatching three wins, the fourth game between Robert Moon and

Paul Lupton being halved to take the scratch points 9-3. Billingham's promotion hopes were kept alive by their handicap players who reeled off five wins out of the six games, only Richard Palmer replying for

Middlesbrough, to turn the match back into the home side's favour 13-11. A win for Billingham, still keeping alive promotion hopes, but probably a scoreline more to Middlesbrough's liking. The other two promotion hopeful's, Cleveland and Saltburn clashed on the Redcar links in a match which boosted Saltburn to the point were they overtook their opponents in the league placings. The scratch sections of both clubs proved to be equal on the night With three wins for a 6-6 share of their points. But the honours went to the Saltburn handicap section players.

The other second division match was between the two bottom clubs, Richmond and Hunley Hall at Richmond, it ended with a result that threw a lifeline to the North Yorkshire club's hopes of retaining their second division status. Gary Catt led the Richmond scratch players to win after win, only Rob Curnow managing a point for the visitors by halving his game with Ashley Green. The 11-1 score was matched exactly by Richmond's handicap players.

The 22-2 margin of victory firmly anchoring Hunley at the bottom of the division