Junior ice hockey

North Yorkshire-based American pastor Doug Keen kept a firm grip on the top men's title - but he had his final rival to thank for bending the rules and allowing him to compete.

Keen, 33, produced a stylish 40-minute display in retaining the title after missing the entry deadline.

But Oliver Scaife, one of the tournament organisers, who faced Keen across the net in the final at Harrogate Racquets Club, decided it was worth waiving the rules for the defending title holder.

Scaife, who went down 6-1, 6-0 to Keen, pastor at the Calvary Church based at Bilton, said after his defeat: "For the sake of a day or so I didn't think it fair that we should deny the champion the opportunity to defend the title.

"But, of course, I had no idea then that I would be facing him in the final. Even if I had it would still have been the same decision. A player like Doug Keen raises the status of the whole tournament."

Keen, dubbed the "pastor master," arrived for his final with an enthusiastic Yankee Doodle-style army of supporters, largely made up by members of his congregatin. At one stage they threatened their own version of the Mexican wave, but decided such encouragement was not needed as Keen coasted to victory.

Scaife, 32, who plays at the host club and manages Harrogate Borough Council's Ripon Leisure Centre, the city's Spa Baths and Nidderdale Recreation Centre at Pateley Bridge, found the mixture of Keen's power and precision too hot to handle.

Keen, who ditched a promising career in American tennis to join the church, enjoyed national champion status while playing for the Kalamazoo College team back home. He took one of his national titles by defeating John Austin, brother of the more famous Tracy.

Scaife began to look hot and sometimes bothered by Keen's crisply struck winners were warmly applauded by the American's congregation and visitors from across the Pond.

This was Keen's second successive Harrogate championship win, having beaten former title holder Frenchman Philippe Bourgeois last year.

It now means the men's singles has not been won by a homespun player since 1998 when Richard Whiteley was the winner.

Earlier in the tournament Scaife had come through against Bourgeois, a West Yorkshire schoolteacher, after his rival pulled out with an arm injury. Scaife had taken the first set 6-1 when rain intervened and Bourgeois decided he would not continue.

Meanwhile Keen plans to compete in the British Tour event at the Ilkley Open later this season. It will be his third appearance in the Wharfedale club's showpiece event, having reached the last eight unseeded at his first attempt.

Although last season, when seeded No 3, Keen went out in the first round to 18-year-old Ken Skupsky from Merseyside.

Scaife said he had remained calm before his match - until he saw that Keen had attracted his cohort of fans.

Mother of three 36-year-old Sophie Jacob took the women's open for the sixth successive time. She defeated first time senior finalist Helen Broadwith from Bedale 6-1, 6-3.

Jacob, who played at Birstwith for 20 years before joining Harlow recently, never looked likely to lose her crown. But Broadwith displayed some dogged resistance in the second set, giving the clear favourite a few causes for concern en route to victory.

Jacob, a careers adviser, had the happy knack of exploiting Broadwith's backhand and struck some sweet winners when snuffing out hopes of a revival from her rival.

Immediately after her victory Jacob took to the court against three rivals. On the other side of the net were her three youngsters Lisa, 8, Sally, 7 and Jasper 5, each hitting the ball back with some promise to mum.

Success in the women's doubles for Jacob was her third on the trot, on each occasion with Nicola Pratt (Spa).

The pair's latest success was a clear-cut 6-3, 6-1 victory over Harlow pair Rosemary Carter and Pauline Knight.

Broadwith, a former pupil at Bedale High School achieved success at inter school level but ditched tennis while studying for her A levels. Now a banker the 21-year-old is a member of Bedale Tennis Club, deciding to return to the fray. She was unseeded in the Harrogate event and showed enough promise to indicate her comeback will not be in vain.

There was a husband and wife success in the mixed doubles final for Jonathan and Gillian Smail. The Smails defeated Harlow pair Colin Smith and Gaye Wright 6-4, 6-2.

It was the first time in eight years that the Smails had played as doubles partners.

Jonathan, a former Hull YPI and Bedale player, now a member at Harrogate Racquets along with his wife, confessed: "We stopped partnering each other on court about eight years ago. It wasn't working out." Jonathan, a 36-year-old solicitor, who plays in the National League for Cottingham, said he and his 35-year-old wife, who live close to the Racquets Club, had been well pleased by their victory.

Success at the first attempt came for Boroughbridge pairing Ian Grasby, the former Rawdon player, and Graham Campbell in the men's doubles. But they had to work had for their triumph against Colin Smith (Harlow) and Simon Isles (Racquets) to secure 6-4, 7-6 scorelines.

The debutants displayed enough promise to show they could return to enjoy more success.

Results - Finals: Open Men's singles: Doug Keen (The Academy) beat Oliver Scaife (Racquets) 6-1, 6-0.

Men's doubles: Ian Grasby (Boroughbridge) and Graham Campbell (Boroughbridge) beat Colin Smith (Harlow) and Simon Isles (Racquets) 6-4, 7-6.

Women's singles: Sophie Jacob (Harlow) beat Helen Broadwith (Bedale) 6-1, 6-3.

Women's doubles: Sophie Jacob (Harlow) and Nicola Pratt (Spa) beat Rosemary Carter (Harlow) and Pauline Knight (Harlow) 6-3, 6-1.

Mixed doubles: Jonathan Smail (Racquets) and Gillian Smail (Racquets) beat Colin Smith (Harlow) and Gaye Wright (Harlow) 6-4, 6-2.

Restricted Finals - Men's singles: Andy Cousins (The Academy) beat Justin Crowe (Knaresborough) 7-6, 6-3.

Men's doubles: Geoff Dootson (Racquets) and Rob Swithinbank (Racquets) beat Gary Saunders (Starbeck) and David Tripp (Starbeck) 6-2, 6-2.

Mixed doubles: Andy Cousins (The Academy) and Katie Collins (The Academy) beat Paul Spence (Thirsk) and Tess Williamson (Thirsk) walk-over.

Barkston Ash League

York All Saint's have shocked rivals by surprisingly pulling out of the League.

The side which joined the league several years ago soon acquired First Division status. But the club which plays at All Saint's School at The Mount had a tight squad with demands in other leagues.

They had already won two of their three opening matches this season.

League secretary Steve Webster said: "They felt unable to continue because they were simply short of time and players. The whole team consisted of schoolteachers and they just did not have replacements to stand in."

First Division Champions Bardsey suffered their first defeat of the season, going down by 56 games to 52 against Horsforth.

Matt Smyth and Tracey Weaver led the Horsforth side to success with two victories. They are now third with a match in hand and three points behind Bardsey, who are second. Whitkirk keep their top spot on 16 points, the same number as Bardsey, but have a 24 game advantage.

Results - Division One: Bardsey 66 Collingham 42; Horsforth 56 Bardsey 52; Roundhay 59 Whitkirk B 49.

Division Three: St Chad's, Headingley 64 Collingham B 44; Collingham B 65 Whitkirk D 43; Copmanthorpe 47 St Chad's 61.

Slazenger Harrogate and District League

Harlow opened a two point gap at the top of Division One ahead of Thirsk with a comfortable victory over their second team by 7.5-1.5

This was Harlow's match in hand on Thirsk who are in second place.

Following their disappointing start to the season Harrogate Racquets, who have already lost twice, went into third place with a close call 5-4 win over Boroughbridge.

Results - Division One: Harrogate Racquets 5 Boroughbridge 4; Harlow 7.5 Harlow A 1.5.

Division Four: Ripon A 3.5 Birstwith 5.5.

Division Five: Birstwith A 2 Bedale A 7; Spa A 6.5 Starbeck A 2.5.

Division Six: Bedale B 1.5 Ripon C 7.5.

Division One

P W D L Pts

Harlow 6 5 1 0 11

Thirsk 6 4 1 1 9

Harrogate Rac. 5 4 0 2 8

Academy 6 4 0 2 8

Spa 6 2 1 2 5

Boroughbridge 6 1 1 4 3

Harlow A 5 1 0 4 2

Knaresborough 5 0 0 5 0

Division Two

P W D L Pts

Bedale 6 5 0 1 10

Raskelf 6 5 0 1 10

Harrogate Rac. A 5 3 0 2 6

Dacre 5 3 0 2 8

West Tanfield 5 2 0 3 4

Ben Rhydding 6 2 0 4 4

Harlow B 6 1 0 5 2

Mashamshire 5 1 0 4 2

Division Three

P W D L Pts

Academy A 6 5 1 0 11

Harrogate Rac. B 6 2 3 1 7

Harlow C 6 3 1 2 7

Ripon 5 3 0 2 6

Thirsk A 6 1 3 2 5

Knaresborough A 6 1 2 3 4

Wetherby 5 2 0 4 4

Dacre A 5 0 2 3 2

Division Four

P W D L Pts

Northallerton 5 5 0 0 10

Wetherby A 5 3 0 2 6

Boroughbridge A 5 3 0 2 6

Starbeck 4 2 1 1 5

Harrogate Rac. C 4 2 0 2 4

Birstwith 5 2 0 3 4

Ripon A 6 1 1 4 3

Thirsk B 6 1 0 5 2

Division Five

P W D L Pts

Northallerton A 6 6 0 0 12

Harlow D 6 4 0 2 8

West Tanfield A 6 4 0 2 8

Bedale A 5 2 1 2 5

Spa A 6 2 1 3 5

Birstwith A 6 1 1 4 3

Starbeck A 6 1 1 4 3

Mashamshire A 5 1 0 4 2

Division Six

P W D L Pts

Wetherby B 3 3 0 0 6

Ripon B 2 2 0 0 4

Dacre B 3 2 0 1 4

Knaresborough B 4 2 0 2 4

Bedale B 4 2 0 2 4

Burton Leonard 2 1 0 1 2

Ripon C 2 1 0 1 2

Harrogate Rac. D 2 1 0 1 2

West Tanfield B 3 1 0 2 2

Thirsk C 3 0 0 3 0

Spa B 2 0 0 2