Tennis World Middlesbrough travelled to North Wales but found in-form Wrexham too good and went down by 4-2.

This was their fourth defeat. If relegation from this eight team group is to be avoided then the Teessiders, bottom at present, would need to be victorious in their last three matches.

Against Wrexham, fourth string Mark Franklin was the sole singles winner in the first half of play. Andrew Deeley, Nigel Beavers and Nick Osborne were unable to make any headway. So at 3-1 down winning both doubles was a necessity. Beavers and Osborne managed but Franklin and Deeley lost in three sets. Durham and Cleveland's only club in the first division stand pointless, then whilst their conquerors moved to second spot in the table. The two sides immediately above Tennis World, namely Alkrington of Middleton and Bamford of Rochdale, have one win each. The table is led by Holcombe Brook of Bury, a third Lancashire club in the group. The fourth, Northern of Manchester, had beaten Tennis World the week before but only just. Beavers and Franklin each won singles and combined for a doubles success to make the scoreline 3-3 at the end of normal play. Extra time had three tie-break deciders and although Beavers lost to his nationally ranked Justin Layne, Franklin came good in his. But Deeley, not yet at his best, and John Hudson, substituting for the injured Osborne, lost the doubles.

Latest results: Tennis World Middlesbrough 3, Northern Manchester 4; Holcombe Brook Bury 5, Bamford Rochdale 1; Wrexham 6, NLTSRC Newcastle 0; Hull YPI 5, Alkrington Middleton 1; Wrexham 4, T World 2; Hull 0, H Brook 6; NLTSRC 4, Northern 2.

National Division Two

Sunderland Racquets defeated Jesmond by 4-2 and extended their unbeaten run to three victories. The Galpin brothers, Guy and Sean, produced two single wins and with Nick Lazonby adding a third, prospects were good. Gavin Sutcliffe almost assured the result in the first half of play, but lost his three setter in the final set tiebreak. The doubles were shared, with Sean Galpin and Lazonby taking it for Racquets.

Match details: Jesmond 2, Sunderland H&RC 4: C Fong lost to S Galpin 1-6 1-6; N Cole lost to G Galpin 6-7 3-6; B Stanbury beat G Sutcliffe 6-4 3-6 7-6; G Horn lost to N Lazonby 4-6 7-5 3-6; Fong and Horn lost to S Galpin and Lazonby 6-7 2-6; Cole and Stanbury beat G Galpin and Sutcliffe 7-5 3-6 6-3.

The previous match for Racquets had seen them beat a team from Shropshire.

Sunderland H&RC 5, High Ercall Telford 1: S Galpin beat A Keen 7-6 6-1; G Galpin beat S Ginger 6-2 2-6 6-3; G Sutcliffe beat S Davenport 7-6 6-1; N Lazonby beat S Lees 6-0 6-3; S Galpin and Lazonby lost to Ginger and Keen 6-2 2-6 2-6; G Galpin and Sutcliffe beat Davenport and Lees 6-2 6-2.

Women's North Group

Tennis World returned to winning ways, with a comfortable 5-1 success at home against the previous group leaders Queens Halifax. Second and third strings Joanne Cunliffe and Laura Bailey had easy wins and number four Beverley Graham came good in three sets. Lead player Claire Smith lost in two.

Both doubles were comfortable victories; Bailey and Smith dropping six games, and Cunliffe and Graham losing four only. This triumph means the Teesside club now has to beat local rivals Yarm in their final fixture by at least 5-1 to win the group. The Halifax club has finished with three wins out of four and a total of eighteen rubbers.

Latest results: Tennis World Middlesbrough 5, Queens Halifax 1; Neston 4, T World 3; Queens 5, Yarm 1.

Women's Over-40 Veterans

Division Three

Durham and Cleveland stopped neighbours Northumberland by 3-2 at home last Sunday to chalk up their second victory of the season. As the promoted side into the group they have now insured status and must be looking for a move out, as the current table toppers.

Christine Heppell from Durham gave D and C a first rubber with a straight sets win over her opposite second string Fiona Twadell, for the current Shotley and Benfieldside player was competing off the courts of her old club Durham Archery, though she started slowly just scraping the first set from a tiebreak.

Emily Andrew from Washington recovered from an even poorer first set lost in some 15 minutes to win the second on tiebreak. But she lost the momentum and went 2-5 down in the decider but picked up two or more games and saved a match point. The gutsy schoolteacher almost pulled it off but her old adversary Claire Whitfield had that little extra and took set three on a tiebreak. Sandra Maxwell from Bearpark and Imogen Townsend from Darlington then captured a doubles in three sets to push the score to 2-1 for D and C. The second half play saw the two doubles rubbers shared, leaving the home county victorious by 3-2.

Match details: Durham and Cleveland 3, Northumberland 2 (Durham): Emily Andrew lost to C Whitfield 0-6 7-6 6-7; Christine Heppell beat F Twaddell 7-6 6-3; Sandra Maxwell and Imogen Townsend beat J Dennis and A Wardropper 6-4 1-6 6-1; E Andrew and C Heppell beat Dennis and Wardropper 6-0 6-3; Maxwell and Townsend lost to Twaddell and Whitfield 4-6 6-4 4-6.