Men's Over-35 Division One: Durham and Cleveland gained promotion for the first time to the Premier Division by winning the playoff group of the division one north recently in Pontefract.
The team defeated Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire to dominate the group and make a little history for themselves. Captain Ian Williams and the most senior player Neil Harrison of the Nunthorpe club, and Guisborough's Peter Lonsdale have been regulars in the side for some time. They were joined by Norton's Andy Cross for the stage one contests last November; and for the first time by Tim Clarke of Yarm at Pontefract. It was hoped Manchester based Yawar Abbas would lead the side but he was unavailable; and Malcolm Leech became reserve.
Clarke and Lonsdale were each unbeaten in three matches, whilst Williams and Cross won twice each.
Results - Durham and Cleveland 4, Warwicks 1: A Cross beat Mr Robinson 3-1, N Harrison beat A Murray 3-2, I Williams lost to A Pallett 1-3, T Clarke beat G Robinson 3-0, P Lonsdale beat M Sarwar 3-0.
D and C 3, Yorkshire 2: A Cross lost to A Norisdh 1-3, N Harrison lost to S Martin 1-3, I Williams beat I Cawthorne 3-1, T Clarke beat K Hinds 3-0, P Lonsdale beat S Dogdson 3-0.
D and C 5, Cloucs 0: A Cross beat T Smith 3-0, I Williams beat L Carson 3-0, T Clarke beat I Bloomsfield 3-0, P Lonsdale beat R Hopkins 3-0, Mr Leen wo.
D and C had a comfortable victory in their opening fixture; and although the first two rubbers were shared, the team finished off in style with three in a row. As expected Yorkshire were stiffer opposition on their own courts, but Durham took a 2-0 lead thanks to Lonsdale and Clarke. The host county pulled one back before Williams clinched the third vital game playing third string. The third match in the group was a formality as D and C swept through their west country opponents in no time
Men's Over-55 Premier Division
The news from the 'oldies' was not as good, in that they lost their premier division status after three years. They finished fourth in the relegation playoff group.
The D and C team was not as good as expected but Tom Elves (Boldon), Dave Booth (Wensleydale), David McKenzie (Sedgefield), John Shaw (Chester-le-Street), and Brian Holliday (Nunthorpe) came close to beating two counties with 2-3 scorelines though.
Results - Durham and Cleveland 2, Hampshire 3: T Elves lost to J Perrott 0-3, D Booth beat J Clark 3-1, D McKenzie lost to M Page 1-3, J Shaw lost to G Williams 2-3, B Holliday beat L Kinder 3-2.
D and C 0, Surrey 5: T Elves lost to T Wilkinson 1-3, D Booth lost to I Stopps 0-3, D McKenzie lost to G Howes 1-3, J Shaw lost to P Brickwood 0-3, B Holliday lost to R Chalmers 0-3.
D and C 2, Cambs 3: T Elves beat T Wilson 3-2, D Booth lost to P Hand 1-3, J Shaw lost to J Hiner 1-3, B Holliday beat M Keogh 3-0, D McKenzie conc.
Whitfield's Building Services Durham and Cleveland League
Division One
Yarm-1 2 Nunthorpe-1 3; Sedgefield-1 3 Guisborough-1 2.
P W L D Pts
Norton-1 11 10 1 0 182
Sunderland H&RC-1 9 7 2 0 137
Guisborough-1 10 5 5 0 123
Yarm-1 11 4 7 0 111
Darlington-1 8 6 2 0 99
Nunthorpe-1 9 4 5 0 87
Sedgefield-1 11 2 9 0 83
Chester-le-Street-1 9 1 8 0 46
Division Two
Aykley Heads-1 5 Guisborough-2 0; Nunthorpe-2 2 Darlington-2 3.
P W L D Pts
Norton-2 11 10 1 0 184
Darlington-2 12 10 2 0 169
Aykley Heads-1 10 7 3 0 155
Nunthorpe-2 10 6 4 0 136
Redcar-1 12 5 7 0 121
Darlington-3 11 2 9 0 94
Guisborough-2 10 3 7 0 85
Redcar-2 12 1 11 0 63
Division Three
Durham University-1 2 Aycliffe-1 3; Bannatyne's HC-1 5 Sedgefield-2 0; Dolphin-1 1 Yarm-2 4.
P W L D Pts
Aycliffe-1 11 11 0 0 183
Yarm-2 13 9 4 0 174
Bannatyne's HC-1 11 7 4 0 147
Norton-3 11 6 5 0 137
Bedale-1 11 6 5 0 121
Durham University-1 11 3 8 0 105
Sedgefield-2 12 3 9 0 93
Dolphin-1 12 1 11 0 71
Division Four A
P W L D Pts
Sunderland H&RC-2 10 8 2 0 149
Nunthorpe-3 8 8 0 0 133
Darlington-4 11 6 5 0 127
Yarm-3 9 4 5 0 99
Wensleydale-1 9 4 5 0 95
Aycliffe-2 9 3 6 0 85
Norton-4 10 0 10 0 63
Division Four B
Sunderland-1 2 Nunthorpe-4 3; Sunderland-1 3 Aykley Heads-2 2; Guisborough-3 1 Thornaby Pavilion-1 4.
P W L D Pts
Nunthorpe-4 12 8 4 0 168
Aykley Heads-2 11 7 4 0 155
Guisborough-3 12 6 6 0 145
Thornaby Pavilion-1 11 7 4 0 136
Sunderland-1 9 7 2 0 123
Aycliffe-3 12 3 9 0 113
Yarm-4 9 4 5 0 100
Redcar-3 10 1 9 0 59
Division Five A
Norton-5 3 Dolphin-2 2
P W L D Pts
Chester-le-Street-2 12 12 0 0 213
Sedgefield-3 11 6 5 0 135
Dolphin-2 11 8 3 0 131
Mill House-1 12 4 8 0 121
Darlington-6 11 5 6 0 112
Norton-5 11 5 6 0 111
Aycliffe-4 11 4 7 0 104
David Lloyd HC-1 11 1 10 0 70
Division Five B
Wensleydale-2 1 Chester-le-Street-3 4; Norton Hall-1 3 Sunderland H&RC-3 2; Guisborough-4 2 Durham University-2 3; Darlington-5 5 Redcar-4 0.
P W L D Pts
Chester-le-Street-3 11 11 0 0 186
Darlington-5 11 9 2 0 172
Sunderland H&RC-3 12 4 8 0 123
Durham University-2 10 6 4 0 120
Norton Hall-1 10 6 4 0 115
Wensleydale-2 10 2 8 0 81
Guisborough-4 10 2 8 0 77
Redcar-4 10 2 8 0 71
Division Six
Nunthorpe-5 5 Glaxo-1 0
P W L D Pts
Nunthorpe-5 10 10 0 0 186
Glaxo-1 9 5 4 0 102
Sedgefield-4 9 4 5 0 100
Norton Hall-2 8 4 4 0 81
Hild & Bede-1 8 2 6 0 53
Clairville-1 7 1 6 0 39
Eston Grange-1 3 1 2 0 20
Division L1
Sunderland H&RC-L1 1 Chester-le-Street-L1 3
P W L D Pts
Darlington-L1 9 8 0 1 133
Durham Ladies-L1 10 5 2 3 110
Chester-le-Street-L1 9 4 2 3 103
Bedale-L1 9 3 4 2 79
Sunderland H&RC-L1 7 3 3 1 64
Sunderland-L1 9 0 8 1 22
Norton-L1 5 0 4 1 13
Division L2
Aycliffe-L1 3 Darlington-L3 1; Nunthorpe-L1 2 Bedale-L2 2; Sedgefield-L1 2 Durham University-L1 3.
P W L D Pts
Darlington-L2 11 9 0 2 156
Darlington-L3 11 7 3 1 128
Nunthorpe-L1 11 5 1 5 116
Aycliffe-L1 9 3 3 3 83
Sedgefield-L1 10 1 7 2 65
Bedale-L2 9 1 5 3 57
Durham University-L1 9 1 8 0 3
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