Slazanger Harrogate and District League - Harlow brought a dash of spice to the race for Division One glory with two victories in as many days to overtake favourites The Academy at the top.

Harlow now head the table with 19 points while The Academy are second, with a match in hand, on 18 points.

And Harrogate Racquets, the current title holders, are not out of the race. They have two matches in hand on Harlow and are five points behind in third position.

Harlow's double top victories came as they defeated Bedale 8.5-0.5 and one time title pretenders Thirsk 7-2.

Scores - Harlow 8.5 Bedale 0.5 (Harlow names first): Simon Daly and Sophie Jacob beat John Hart and Melanie Couchman 6-3, 6-5; beat Mark Scarlett and Helen Broadwith 6-4; beat Tim Osborne and Althea Draper 6-2, 6-3.

John Tindall and Pauline Knight beat Hart and Couchman 6-0, 6-3; halved with Scarlett and Broadwith 2-6, 6-2; beat Osborne and Draper 6-4.

Colin Smith and Julie Bradley beat Hart and Couchman 6-2; beat Scarlett and Broadwith 6-5, 6-2; beat Osborne and Draper 6-1, 6-0.

Harlow 7 Thirsk 2 (Harlow names first): Simon Daly and Sophie Jacob halved with Graham Parker and Carol Collinson 6-4, 3-6; beat Nick Hatch and Tes Williamson 6-1; beat Paul Spence and Debbie Hannam 6-5, 6-0.

Colin Smith and Gia Margolis halved with Parker and Collinson 2-6, 6-5; beat Hatch and Williamson 6-4, 6-2; beat Spence and Hannam 6-2.

John Tindall and Pauline Knight lost to Parker and Collinson 3-6; beat Hatch and Williamson 6-2, 6-1; beat Spence and Hannam 6-3, 6-4.

Bedale's latest defeat leaves them perilously close to the relegation zone with just a point more than second from bottom Harlow A, who have a match in hand.

Elsewhere, in Division Two Boroughbridge head a close battle for promotion.

They have a match in hand at the top on chasing Spa, Ben Rhydding and Harrogate Racquets A and lead second placed Spa by a point.

Third placed Ben Rhydding surprisingly lost ground in the Division Two race losing 5.5-3.5 at Wetherby who registered their first win of the season.

Boroughbridge ensured top place by defeating bottom side Thirsk A 7-1 with the following scores.

(Boroughbridge names first): Simon Eyles and Suzanne Lodge halved with Dave Titchmarsh and Brenda Gaunt 0-6, 6-2; beat Glen Robinson and Debbie Williamson 6-1, 6-0; beat Duncan Holmes and Val Charge 6-0.

Ian Grasby and Maureen Wilkinson beat Titchmarsh and Gaunt 6-2; beat Robinson and Williamson 6-2, 6-1; beat Holmes and Charge 6-1, 6-1.

Neil Jackson and Jill Wood halved with Titchmarsh and Gaunt 6-0, 5-6; beat Robinson and Williamson 6-3; beat Holmes and Charge 7-6, 6-2.

Ripon, who top Division Four, and Northallerton, who head Division Five, are the only unbeaten teams in the six divisions.

Relegated last year Ripon's winning run was kept on the move with a 7-2 victory over Harrogate Racquets C.

Ripon were headed by club coaches Will Singleton and Amanda Kayes, who won all their three rubbers.

There was also a hat-trick winning performance from the combination of Chris Fox and Vicky Hunter. John Skinner and wife Sue contributed one victory to the Ripon success.

Division One: Harlow A 2 Harrogate Racquets 7; Dacre 1.5 Knaresborough 4.5; Harlow 8.5 Bedale 0.5; Dacre 4.5 Harlow A 4.5; Harlow 7 Thirsk 2.

Division Two: Spa 7 Thirsk A 2; Thirsk 1 Boroughbridge 8; Wetherby 5.5 Ben Rhydding 3.5; Harrogate Racquets A 7 West Tanfield 2; Spa 6.5 Harlow B 2.5.

Division Three: Harlow C 2.5 Raskelf 6.5; Masham 5.5 Harrogate Racquets B 3.5; Raskelf 8.5 Birstwith 0.5; Starbeck 3 Dacre A 6; Harlow C 7.5 Knaresborough A 1.5.

Division Four: Ripon 7 Harrogate racquets C 2; The Academy 7 Ripon A 2; Bedale A 3 Harlow D 6; Boroughbridge A 4.5 The Academy A 4.5

Division Five: Dacre B 1 Thirsk B 8; Thirsk B 8.5 Starbeck A 0.5; Masham A 4.5 Spa A 4.5.

Division Six: Harrogate Racquets D 0 West Tanfield A 9; West Tanfield B 0 Wetherby B 9; Burton Leonard

1 Ripon B 8; Harrogate Racquets D 3 Ripon B 6; West Tanfield A 6.5 Thirsk C 2.5; Northallerton A 9 West Tanfield B 0.