Racquets dethroned

History has been created by The Academy who have clinched the First Division title at their first attempt following successive promotion since joining the league six seasons ago.

The Academy's 5-4 away win against last season's title holders Harrogate Racquets was a tense affair which could have gone either way. Had Racquets won they would have been level on points with The Academy.

However the holders would not have taken the title because of a worse rubbers' average.

League secretary Ian Hargreaves congratulated The Academy on its landmark achievement and said their skipper Sue Rutherford deserved special praise.

She took the helm when the side joined the league and has successfully led them to promotion and the championship in successive seasons.

"I think that shows real loyalty to the team," said Hargreaves who was pleased that three sides had been challenging for the title until the final stages of the season.

The Academy, with four indoor and three outdoor courts, is the first club of its type to join the league.

When they initially joined the league the club had hoped to leapfrog lower divisions. But their efforts to do so were thwarted by a vote at an annual meeting.

There were fears, however, that the club might play its professional coaches regularly. But Hargreaves said this had not happened. "They have gradually increased the strength of their team rather than bring in their star players," he said.

Scores from The Academy's 5-4 away win over Harrogate Racquets (Racquets names first): Jonathan Smail and Kate Needham halved with Doug Keen and Sue Rutherford 6-5, 3-6; beat Ross Leventhal and Sue Stothard 6-3; halved with David Brown and Julie Abbott 4-6, 6-5.

John Hargreaves and Cath Varley lost to Keen and Rutherford 5-6, 4-6; lost to Leventhal and Stothard 4-6, 4-6; beat Brown and Abbott 7-5.

Oliver Scaife and Gillian Smail lost to Keen and Rutherford 4-6; halved with Leventhal and Stothard 6-4, 3-6; halved with Brown and Abbott 6-4, 3-6.

There was a nail-biting finale to relegation issues in Division One when Bedale's failure to defeat already relegated Dacre consigned them to Division Two.

Bedale could only draw 4.5-4.5 with Dacre. Victory would have secured Bedale's First Division status and sent Harlow A team down.

Scores Bedale 4.5 Dacre 4.5 (Bedale names first): Mark Scarlett and Helen Broadwith beat Mike Critchley and Freda Ellison 6-3, 6-3; beat Robert Harper and Christine Goldsborough 6-2; halved with Paul Ellison and Christine Slinger 5-6 6-4.

Graham Post and Althea Draper halved with Critchley and Ellison 6-1, 3-6; lost to Harper and Goldsborough 0-6, 2-6; lost to Ellison and Slinger 3-6.

Keith Roddam and Melanie Couchman beat Critchley and Ellison 6-2; halved with Harper and Goldsborough 6-4, 5-6; lost to Ellison and Slinger 4-6, 5-6.

In Division Two Boroughbridge underlined their superiority as champons by overwhelming Harrogate Racquets A 8.5 to 0.5.

Three points ahead of already promoted Spa the Boroughbridge side look set to end the season with a five point gap over their nearest rivals.

Captain Suzanne Lodge led the Boroughbridge team to their latest win and in partnership with Simon Eyles captured two rubbers with one halved against their Harrogate rivals. Ian Grasby and Maureen Wilkinson won all their three matches as did the combinatin of Neil Jackson and Cathy Farrand.

Promotion for Spa to Division One was secured thanks to their 6-3 away win over Wetherby. But the match proved a parting of the ways. While Spa ended the match going up Wetherby were consigned to Division Three.

The Spa win was achieved thanks to Tom Bentley and Helen Worthington (three rubbers); Mark Roberts and Janet Harrison (two and a half) and Michael Holliday and Pam Frater (half a rubber).

In Division Three Masham are confirmed champions with Raskelf joining them in promotion.

Masham clinched the title with a 5.5-3.5 win over Knaresborough.

Jonathan Wilbye and Hannah Rogers led the way with a hat-trick of victories for Masham. The partnership of Andy Balsdon and Judith Thompson secured one rubber with another halved while Rob Macdonald and Anne Goodyear took a single rubber.

Division One: Harrogate Racquets 6.5 Harlow 2.5; Bedale 4.5 Dacre 4.5; Harlow 8 Knaresborough 1; Thirsk 5.5 Harlow A 3.5; Harrogate Racquets 4 The Academy 5.

Division Two: Boroughbridge 8.5 Harrogate Racquets A 0.5; Wetherby 3 Spa 6; Harlow B 7 Thirsk A 2.

Division Three: Harrogate Racquets B 5 Dacre 1; Knaresborough A 3.5 Masham 5.5; Raskelf 6 Starbeck 3.

Division Four: The Academy A 8.5 Bedale A 0.5.

Division Five: Dacre 3.5 Masham A 2.5; Knaresborough B 6.5 Starbeck A 2.5.

Division Six: Wetherby 1.5 Northallerton A 7.5; West Tanfield A 3.5 Ripon B 5.5; Thirsk C 5 Burton Leonard 1.

Barkston Ash League

It was a case of roaming in the gloaming when Bardsey met Whitkirk in what should have been a First Division championship decider.

But the teams were left peering at each other across the net as near darkness descended on the match.

The side's skipper had not option but to call the clash off with Bardsey on 41 games and Whitkirk just one more.

Bardsey, who hosted the match, have only two courts, neither of them floodlit.

The clash is now being arranged for a weekend in a bid to secure a finish in daylight.

Bardsey remain unbeaten in 13 league matches while Whitkirk have lost just once.

Bardsey were represented in the halted match by skipper Adrian Lobley, Hannah Shires, Tawona Moyo, Dot Mackintosh, Sylva (correct) Billingham and Tim Dickinson.

Whitkirk's line up was: Neil Harvey (captain) Sue Jenkins, Ed Dyke, Caroline Harding, Howard Lee and Jackie Cooper.

Division One: Thorner 40 Bardsey 68; Barwick 57 Whitkirk B 51.

Division Two: Boston Spa 49 Whitkirk C 59; Castleford 59 Cliffe 49; Thorpe Willoughby 67 Barwick B 41; Barwick B 49 Sherburn 59; Roundhay 58 Castleford 50.

Division Three: Heworth 47 Selby 61; Copmanthopre 68 Alwoodley 40; Whitkirk D 50 Collingham B 58.

Men: Thorner 63 Barwick 45; Bardsey 81 Thorner 27.

Women: Thorner 79 Boston Spa 29.

* In the Over-55s Yorkshire Championship final at Leeds Sheffield's John Andrews defeated Harrogate's Andrew Batcup 6-2, 6-3 while the Over 60s was won by Ray Ranson (Sheffield) who defeated Trevor Nuttall (Harrogate) 6-2, 6-0.