Bedale have moved to the top of the League following their 3-0 derby victory over Leyburn-based Wensleydale.

Bedale now head Division One on 66 points with five wins from six matches.

Second placed Harrogate Squash are three points behind, but have won all six matches.

Bedale lead the way, however, because they have registered more clear-cut victories than their rivals.

Only two points behind Harrogate Squash first team are the club's second stringers with five wins in six outings.

Wensleydale's defeat against Bedale means they are on 54 points in fourth place with a gap opened up by the three front-runners.

Bedale's 3-0 win over Wensleydale did not, however, tell the full story. Every match went to five games in a keenly contested clash.

The current title holders are Harrogate Squash II but Bedale, who have won the championship on three previous occasions in 1979, 1982 and 1989, believe it could be their year again.

Scores - Bedale 3 Wensleydale 0 (Bedale names first): Phil Martin beat Nick Brown 9-10, 7-9, 9-4, 9-1, 9-3; Dave Smiley beat Gary Hynes 9-5, 3-9, 2-9, 9-3, 9-5; Alan Peirson beat Dave Booth 6-9, 9-5, 9-10, 9-4, 9-7.

Meanwhile Harrogate Squash first team won their internal battle against the second team 3-0.

Scores (Harrogate first team names first): Simon Myring beat Martin Wickenden 9-3, 9-7, 8-9, 9-7; Dave Townsend beat Bob Peacock 8-9, 9-7, 9-0, 9-5; Mark Harding beat Dave Dodwell 4-9, 9-4, 9-7,9-0.

In Division Two Pateley Bridge won the top of the table clash beating Bedale IV 3-0, courtesy of victories by Ben Bolton, Steve Ball and Steve Terry.

Could this be the comeback of the season? In Division Three Harlow's super veteran Jim McGuinness fought back from two games down and 0-7 adrift in the third to beat Wensleydale's John Chilton.

The "comeback kid," who plays vintage squash for Yorkshire and is 63, hit back to defeat Chilton 6-9, 1-9, 9-7, 9-7, 9-3. But Harlow lost the match 2-1, thanks to wins by John Burn and James Iveson.

Division One: Harlow 2 (Tom Ellis, Ross Kneller) Bedale II 1 (Alan Hebb); Northallerton 2 (Keith Jackson, Peter Pinkney) Knaresborough 1 (James Lambley); Harrogate Squash 3 (Simon Myring, Dave Townsend, Mark Harding) Harrogate Squash II 0; Bedale 3 (Phil Martin, Dave Smiley, Alan Peirson) Wensleydale 0.

Division Two: Pateley Bridge 3 (Ben Bolton, Steve Ball, Steve Terry) Bedale IV 0; Thirsk 3 (Paul Goacher, Steve Lacy, Derrick Jenkinson) Thorp Perrow 0; RAF Leeming 2 (Phil Hopkin, Andy Huggett) Thirsk II 1 (Steve Whiteley).

Division Three: Harrogate Squash V 1 (James Styrin) Boroughbridge 2 (Joe Royle, Nigel Wicks); Harrogate Squash III 2 (Adam Hughes, Ian Woodhead) Thirsk III 1 (Mark Fox); Pateley Bridge II 1 (Dave Mann) Catterick Garrison 2 (Jason Hughes, Mick Taylor); Wensleydale IV 2 (John Burn, James Iveson) Harlow III 1 (Jim McGuinness); Knaresborough III 2 (Phil Strong, Phil Smelt) Harrogate Squash IV 1 (John Elsworth).

Kall Kwik Harrogate and District Championships

Ian Cawthorne (Scott Hall) is defending his title. The finals are being held at Harrogate Squash Club on December 9.

Cawthorne, the former Yorkshire county player, has been given a first round bye and will jmeet winners of the Andrew Gardiner (Collingham) and Adam Nowakowski (Harrogate Squash) clash.

Second favourite Tony Nowakowski (Harrogate Squash) is also given a first round bye, awaiting winners of the Mark Sellers (Scott Hall) Nicola Pratt (Harrogate Squash) encounter.

Kall Kwik Harrogate and District League

Newcomers Bedale are making a strong bid for promotion at their first attempt in the League.

In a tight race for the two promotion spots in Division Three Bedale are currently second, just three points behind leaders Collingham IV.

Bedale boosted their promotion intentions beating Otley 3-0 away.

Scores (Bedale names first): Phil Martin beat Paul Hickman 6-9, 9-3, 9-3, 9-3; Andrew Hawkswell beat Jonathan Smith 9-10, 10-8, 9-5, 9-4; John Abbotson beat Dave Barry 9-6, 9-5, 7-9, 3-9, 9-2.

Other sides involved in the tense battle for glory in Division Three - in descending order - are Boroughbridge II, Knaresborough III, Harlow IV and Harrogate Squash V. Only nine points separates seventh placed Harrogate Squash from leaders Collingham IV.

Harlow failed to halt Adel from getting back to winning ways after their first defeat of the season recently. The North Leeds side took a 3-0 victory, maintaining their place at the head of Division One.

Unfortunately Harlow went into the match without key players Tom Ellis and Nigel Chambers.

Scores - Adel 3 Harlow 0 (Adel names first): Steve Glynn beat Steve Smith 9-5, 9-3, 9-10, 5-9, 9-3; Sean Fleming beat James Hannaway 9-4, 9-4, 9-4; Jon Hodgson beat Roger Calvert 10-8, 9-2, 6-9, 9-6.

Harrogate Squash kept on Adel's heels, just five points behind, in second place following their 3-0 win over Collingham.

Scores (Squash names first): Tony Nowakowski beat Paul Roberts 9-6, 5-9, 10-8, 9-4; Martin Wickenden beat Anthony Kettlewell 7-9, 9-0, 9-6, 7-9; Nicola Pratt beat Andrew Gardiner 9-3, 9-2, 9-1.

Champions Scott Hall perked up following a lack lustre start to the season. But despite their 3-0 win over Otley they still face a huge task in trying to keep the silverware.

They are in fourth place, but 27 points adrift of the leaders.

Scores - Scott Hall 3 Otley 0 (Scott Hall names first): Ian Cawthorne beat Matt Wood 9-6, 19-9, 9-1; Mark Sellers beat Steve Thackwray 9-5, 9-1, 9-0; Ben Milner beat Chris Lawton 9-5, 10-8, 9-0.

Division One: Nomads 1 (Richard Leonard) Chapel Allerton 2 (Richard Jeffries, Myles Gooseman); Adel 3 (Steve Glynn, Sean Fleming, Jon Hodgson) Harlow 0; Harrogate Squash 3 (Tony Nowakowski, Martin Wickenden, Nicola Pratt) Collingham 0; Moortown 1 (Robin Mannell) Ilkley 2 (Andrew Hutchinson, Phil Maunsell); Scott Hall 3 (Ian Cawthorne, Mark Sellers, Ben Milner) Otley 0.

Division Two: Knaresborough 3 (James Lambley, John Evans, Gary Hatch); Collingham III 2 (Andy Shaw, Nick Johnson) Harrogate Squash III 1 (Steve Whiteley); Knaresborough II 1 (Ian Webber) Boroughbridge 2 (Simon Robinson, Joe Royle); Ilkley III 3 (Jonathan Pownall, John Henderson, Tom Songhurst) Harrogate Squash IV 0; Ilkley II 2 (Jonty Hawkes, Neal Cowan) Moortown II 1 (John Kay).

Division Three: Pateley Bridge 3 (Ben Bolton, Chris Lennox, Andy Balsdon) Army Foundation College 0; Otley II 0 Bedale 3 (Phil Martin, Andrew Hawkswell, John Abbotson); Moortown IV 1 (Martyn Wilkinson) Boroughbridge II 2 (Phil Strong, Rob Hayhurst); Knaresborough III 1 (Andy McMillan) Harlow IV 2 (Sophie Jacob, Dan Lupton); Harrogate Squash V 1 (Brian Williamson) Collingham IV 2 (Ed Dabrowski, Toby Morton); Ripon 1 (Tony Rennison) Moortown III 2 (Phil Maher, Mark Westmancoat).