With matches in hand on their rivals Wensleydale are coming up on the rails to challenge for the First Division title in the Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire Squash League.

The Leyburn-based side are among six sides with a real chance of taking the silverware and are the only team in the top division to have lost only one match this season.

Wensleydale's latest victory - 3-0 away to Knaresborough - has given them a potential springboard for success in a table led by Harrogate Squash Club's two teams, but both have lost twice and have played two more matches than their Leyburn rivals.

Wensleydale's victory over Knaresborough was achieved by the following scorelines: Wensleydale names first: Nick Brown beat James Lambley 7-9, 10-9, 9-2, 9-0; Gary Hynes beat Andy McMillan 7-9, 9-6, 9-1, 1-9, 9-2; Kevin Solly beat Gary Hatch 9-7, 9-2, 9-7.

Lowly Bedale put up a brave fight before going down 2-1 at home to league leaders Harrogate Squash II. Dave Horner (Bedale) defeated Steve Williams 9-4, 9-1, 9-4, but Alan Peirson put up a spirited fight before going down to Harrogate's John Alderson 7-9, 9-4, 1-9, 9-7, 7-9. At first string for Bedale Steve Anderson lost 3-9, 6-9, 8-10 to Martin Wickenden, who has shown tremendous form since making his league debut this season.

RAF Leeming went down 2-1 to second placed Harrogate Squash first team with the following scorelines (Harrogate names first) Paul Hotchkiss lost to Dave Smiley 10-8, 6-9, 7-9, 6-9; Dave Townsend beat Paul Caruosso 9-6, 9-2, 9-0; Colin Wilding beat Bob Anderson 10-8, 9-3, 9-7.

Division One

Bedale 1 (Dave Horner) Harrogate Squash II 2 (Martin Wickenden, John Alderson); Harrogate Squash 2 (Dave Townsend, Colin Wilding) RAF Leeming 1 (Dave Smiley); Harlow 1 (Nigel Chambers) Harlow II 2 (Dave McGrath, Roger Calvert); Thorp Perrow 2 (Keith Parlour, John Hart) Northallerton 1 (Keith Johnson).

P W L Pts

Squash 2 8 6 2 73

Squash 8 6 2 64

Harlow 7 4 3 59

Thorp Perrow 7 4 3 56

Harlow 2 8 4 4 56

Wensleydale 6 5 1 55

RAF Leeming 8 3 5 49

Bedale 8 3 5 45

Knaresborough 8 1 7 40

Northallerton 6 1 5 22

Division Two

Pateley Bridge 2 (Steve Ball, Chris Lennox) Thirsk 1 (Steve Whiteley); Bedale II 1 (John Nattrass) Ripon 2 (John Bailey, Tony Rennison); Wensleydale II 3 (Jim Forbes, Richard Phillips, John Scott) Knaresborough II 0.

Ripon 7 4 3 60

Wensleydale 2 6 5 1 50

Thirsk 2 6 3 3 48

Pateley Bridge 6 4 1 47

Wensleydale 3 6 4 2 44

Thirsk 6 2 4 42

Bedale 2 5 1 4 28

K'borough 2 5 0 5 10

Squash 3 0 0 0 0

Division Three

Harlow III 1 (Martyn Hall) Thorp Perrow II 2 (Bernard Jacklin, John Watson); Thirsk III 2 (John Frankland, Joe Coomber) Knaresborough III 1 (Peter Bottomley); Pateley Bridge II 1 (Andy Winspeare) Harlow iV 2 (Jim McGuinness, John Lovell).

K'borough 3 8 5 3 68

Squash 4 9 4 5 63

Thirsk 3 7 7 0 60

Thorp Perrow 2 8 4 4 53

Harlow 4 6 4 2 50

Bedale 3 6 3 3 46

Wensleydale 4 5 3 2 45

Harlow 3 6 3 3 38

Pateley Bri 2 8 2 6 37

Squash 5 7 0 7 1