Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire League - TOP of the table Bedale have maintained a whirlwind start to their First Division campaign.

A 3-0 win over champions Harrogate Squash has been followed with a 2-1 success against Ripon.

It gives the Bedale side 34 points from three matches and puts clear blue water between themselves and their chasing rivals.

Bedale's win over the champions was aided by a double blow to their rivals.

Squash were hit by a sudden player crisis caused by holidays and were only able to field two players. But when one of them - Paul Hotchkiss - did take to the court against Dave Smiley he had to concede in the third game after damaging a calf muscle. With a walk-over in another clash and a 3-1 victory by Alan Peirson in the only rubber completed Bedale chalked up a hefty haul of points.

Bedale were led by Smiley, their close season signing from RAF Leeming who was leading 9-7, 9-7 when Hotchkiss had to quit the match.

Meanwhile Peirson defeated Mark Harding 9-5, 5-9, 9-6, 9-4 with Steve Anderson taking the walk-over.

Against Ripon Smiley again proved his worth to the side with a 9-6, 10-8, 5-9, 9-6 win over John Bailey. Dave Horner ensured the Bedale bandwaggon continued to roll along the victory road with 9-4, 9-4, 9-4 scorelines against Tony Rennison.

Ripon's only victory came thanks to Steve Thackwray, a 9-6, 9-6, 6-9, 9-6 winner against Alan Peirson.

Northallerton, relegated to Division Two last season, won their second match of the new campaign in three outings defeating Harrogate Squash III 2-1 away. Phil Shackleton and Andy McLean took the victories as Northallerton aim for a swift return in a division where Bedale II are tipped to do well.

Division One: Wensleydale 2 (O'Donnell, Hynes) Harlow 1 (Ellis); Ripon 1 (Thackwray) Bedale 2 (Smiley, Horner); Bedale 3 (Smiley, Peirson, Anderson) Harrogate Squash 0.

Division Two: Bedale II 3 (Allison, Richardson, Nattrass) Thirsk II 0; Harrogate Squash III 1 (Pratt) Northallerton 2 (Shackleton, McLean); RAF Leeming 1 (Mallinson) Harlow II 2 (Hall, Upton); Knaresborough II 1 (Gibson) Thirsk 2 (Holme, Frankland).

Division Three: Bedale IV 3 (Abbotson, Hawkswell, Lumley) Harrogate Squash V 0; Harlow III 1 (Lovell) Wensleydale IV 2 (Chilton, Iveson); Thorp Perrow 1 (Watson) Bedale IV 2 (Sedgwick, Coles).

Yorkshire Men's League, Division One: York RI 1 Harrogate 4

Division Two: Collingham 5 Queen's, Halifax III 0.

Yorkshire Women's League: Thirsk 1 Huddersfield 4.

Kall Kwik Harrogate and District League

Victory by in-form Simon Myring for Harrogate failed to spike the guns of champions Moortown who secured their second win of the season.

Myring, who is spearheading the challenge of Harrogate's Yorkshire League side in Division One, defeated Moortown's Rob Mannell 9-6, 9-0, 9-2.

But wins by Moortown's David Lines and Graham Snowden secured a 2-1 success for the champions against Harrogate's second team.

Moortown took the title with 17 points to spare against Harrogate first team last season. Harrogate seconds are newly-promoted to Division One this season.

Scores - Moortown 2 Harrogate Squash II 1 (Moortown names first): Robin Mannell lost to Simon Myring 6-9, 0-9, 2-9; David Lines beat Bob Peacock 9-4, 9-2, 9-4; Graham Snowden beat Mark Harding 9-3, 6-9, 9-4,9-6.

Ilkley II, who avoided the drop into Division Two by one place last season, went down 3-0 at home to Nomads.

The Nomads ranks were boosted by Yorkshire county player Claire Fleetwood who took one of the victories. Richard Leonard and Neil Turnbull were the other winners.

Meanwhile, father and daughter will be appearing for different teams in the league this season. Former Chapel Allerton stalwart Bardner Horn turned out for Harlow seconds in Division Two.

The player who consistently won the Northumberland championship in his heyday lost a five game tussle against Frank Vassallo as Collingham III achieved a 2-1 win. Vassallo took a 2-9, 10-8, 9-7, 7-9, 9-6 victory against the noted veteran.

Horn's daughter Nicola Pratt plays for rivals Harrogate Squash Club and has represented Yorkshire at county level.

Relegated Otley, who finished bottom in Division One last season, achieved a 2-1 victory over Knaresborough after just one term in the top flight.

James Lambley took Knaresborough's only rubber, beating Christ Lawton 9-1, 9-2, 9-0. Otley's Steve Thackwray beat Gary Hatch 9-1, 6-9, 9-1, 9-7 and Brian Westerman hit back to defeat Peter Bottomley 4-9, 9-3, 9-2, 9-1.

Harrogate and District League, Division One: Adel 0 Ilkley 3 (Hutchinson, Hutchinson, Maunsell); Scott Hall 1 (Cawthorne) Collingham 2 (Brown, Kettlewell); Moortown 2 (Lines, Snowden) Squash II 1 (Myring); Ikley II 0 Nomads 3 (Leondard, Fleetwood, Turnbull).

Division Two: Collingham III 2 (Johnson, Cunningham) Harlow II 1 (Chambers); Harlow IV 0 Collingham II 3 (Buckley, Wardroper, Manson); Harlow III 2 (Carter, Richardson) Knaresborough II 1 (Smelt); Squash III 2 (Dodwell, Palmer) Squash IV 1 (Duncalf); Otley 2 (Thackwray, Westerman).

Division Three: Boroughbridge II 1 (Flintoft) Ripon 2 (Rennison, Jackson); Knaresborough III 1 (Gough) Otley II 2 (Drury, Stilwell); Boroughbridge 3 (Frankland, Lestly, Cotton) Harrogate V 0; Ilkley III 2 (Pushe, Elkington) Pateley Bridge 1 (Lennox); Collingham IV 2 (Dabrowski, Clark) Moortown III 1 (Morley).

Play gets under way in the Kall Kwick Harrogate Junior League tommorrow for the Under-13s, with the Under-15s starting on October 13 and the Under-17s on October 20.

Nineteen teams are taking part including sides from Bedale, Chapel Allerton, Collingham, Harrogate, Ilkley, Knaresborough, Escrick, Wigginton and York.