CASTLE Eden romped to the summit of the Teesside and District Union after a devastating performance against visitors Billingham on Thursday night.

Led by Division One's leading points scorer last season, Graham Border, Eden's scratch section took maximum points from their shell-shocked opponents in a fine display of matchplay golf.

However, Billingham's handicap section did recover to deny the home side a clean sweep, picking up three points from halved matches to leave the score at a convincing 21-3.

Elsewhere, a win by Eaglescliffe's Andrew Blythe over Paul Newbury served as a springboard to the reigning champions' 15-9 victory over third-placed Hartlepool.

The Eagles looked to have the match sewn up very early on but for a late rally by the visitors, who rallied to win four of the remaining ten games.

In Division Three, fortress Hunley Hall is looking again looking impenetrable as Barnard Castle's John Hall was the only scratch player to pick up any points in the rearranged fixture.

Castle's handicap section fared better, picking up two wins, but had little effect on the outcome of the match which takes Hall to second place.

Teesside and District Union of Golf Clubs Inter-Club League results:

May 22 Division One: Eaglescliffe 15, Hartlepool 9; Castle Eden 21, Billingham 3; Middlesbrough 12, Bishop Auckland 12.

Division Two: Richmond 15, Cleveland 9; Teesside 17, M'Bro Municipal 7; Catterick 10, Darlington 14.

Division Three: Barnard Castle 14 Wynyard 10; Blackwell Grange 21, Wilton 3; Dinsdale 18, Hunley Hall 6.

May 15 Division One: Hartlepool 16, Middlesbrough 8; Billingham 14, Bishop Auckland 10; Castle Eden 15, Seaton Carew 9.

Division Two: Cleveland 20, Catterick 4; Darlington 14, Teesside 10; Middlesbrough Municipal v Saltburn postponed.

Division Three: Hunley Hall v Barnard Castle postponed; Wynyard 11, Blackwell Grange 13; Wilton 20, Dinsdale Spa 4.

l Matfen assistant Mike Nesbit defends his Northern Rock North-East Masters title next week on home soil.

The 24-year-old, in only his third season in the paid ranks, needs no reminding of the task ahead of him in a 145-strong field comprising of all the top players in the PGA North region.

But the confident Nesbit also beat the best of them last year when he went on to win the Whitley Bay Assistants' Classic and finished runner-up after a play-off for the PGA North Region Championship.

Such form earned him the Mike Slater order of merit title last year and although he's been slow out of the blocks this campaign Nesbit will take some beating over his home course when the action finally begins this Monday.

l England rising star Justin Rose is the latest star to sign up for the Great North Open next month.

The in-form 21-year-old, who finished third behind Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie in the Deutsche Bank SAP-Open, is scheduled to make his fourth visit to De Vere Slaley Hall on June 20.

Durham County Strokeplay championship qualifier Houghton-le-Spring, May 18 par 72.

D Leighton (Dton) 68, 2 C Bell (Houghton) 71, J Hogg (Houghton) 71, H Hamilton (Seaton Carew) 71, D Machin (Houghton) 73, B Ross (Heworth) 73, K Booth (Seaham) 74, S Nixon (South Moor) 74, H McDonald (Chester-le-St) 74, D Jones (Wearside) 74, M Anderson (Geo Washington) 74, P Burton (Ramside) 75, J Kennedy (Consett) 75, G Charlton (Dton) 75, P Steadman (Dton) 75, A Whales (Bp Auckland) 75, M Palmer (Wearside) 75, N King (S Shields) 75, M Bonser (Consett) 76, G Wearmouth (South Moor) 76, C Brown (Durham City) 76, M Sanderson (Dinsdale Spa) 76, G Webster (Seaton Carew) 76, J Milmor (Whickham) 77, D Parkinson (Brancepeth Castle) 77, G Cooper (Brancepeth) 77, G Hair (Wearside) 77, C Walton (Ch-le-St) 77, G Lawson (Tyneside) 77, J Kirkpatrick (Dton) 77, R Weeks (Ramside) 77, C Hewitt (Beamish Park) 77, G Lowery (Ramside) 77, A Stewart (Beamish Park) 78, R Lee (Ryton) 78, J Korantang (Tyneside) 78, A Black (Geo Washington) 78, G Milne (Bp Auckland) 78, I Cosgrove (Ch-le-St) 78, G Nesbitt (Boldon) 78, A Brice (South Moor) 78, S Waldridge (B Castle) 78, D Sharkey (S Shields) 78, M Young (Dton) 79, J Carter 79, I Robinson (Woodham) 79, M Dorrit (Consett) 79, J Howson (Dton) 79, J Turner (Tynemouth) 79, G Border (Castle Eden) 79, M Carver (Birtley) 79, J Jackson (Durham City) 79, R Mason (Durham City) 79, M McIntosh (Tyneside) 79, Dryden (S Shields) 79, J Ward (Tyneside) 80, J Willis (Houghton) 80, C Johnson (S Moor) 80, R Armstrong (S Moor) 80, D Goldsmith (Boldon) 80, I Little (Eaglescliffe) 80, S Dance (Ramside) 80, S Brown (Castle Eden) 80, G Marchbank (Durham City) 80, M Johnson (Consett) 80, H Ashby (Consett) 80, P Ross (Tyneside) 80, R Donovon (Hartlepool) 81, R Riley (Eaglescliffe) 81, A Walton (Durham City) 81, R Robson (Birtley) 81, C Wilson (Heworth) 81, C Marshall (Hartlepool) 81, M Gudgeon (S Shields) 81, P Oakley (Billingham) 81, P Manson (Dton) 82, G Porritt (Dton) 82, I Stewart (Beamish Park) 82, M Lee (Billingham) 82, C Watson (Heworth) 83, T Maddison (Castle Eden) 83, A Bell (Durham City) 83, P Ditch (Ramside) 83, A Weegram (Seaton Carew) 83, R Morgan (Wearside) 84, M Helkyard (Consett) 84, M Loudon (Ramside) 84, M Tansley (Ramside) 85, D Bell (Durham City) 86, M Simpson (Heworth) 86, I McPherson (Durham City) 86, G Jones (Durham City) 86, J Birbeck (Bp Auckland) 87, A Higgin (Brancepeth) 88, S Melrose (B Castle) 89, M Pattinson (Dton) 92, T Watson (Birtley) 95.

North Durham Union of Golf Clubs matches played May 14 Division One: Durham 9, Seaham 5; South Moor 14, Ramside 0; Chester-le-Street 6, Whickham 8; Consett 12, Washington 2.

Division Two: Ravensworth 9, Boldon 5; Beamish 12, Houghton 2; Brancepeth 8, Heworth 6; Whitburn 8, Crook 6.

Division Three: Ryton 9, Birtley 5; Woodham 11, Mt Oswald 3; Garesfield 9, South Shields 5; Hobson 10, Roseberry 4.