Worthington Durham County Team Knockout: Wingate took the Team Knockout Cup with a decisive victory over Willington at Brandon in an entertaining final refereed by Dennis Payne of Coundon.

Willington received two points start and made an excellent beginning by taking the first two frames. In the first there was a very cagey start with some very tight safety play before Dave Hammond of Wingate got in to make a 24 break. However Tom Parkin, the Willington captain, steadily clawed his way back and eventually won the frame by nine points.

The second frame was completely the opposite with some quick fire potting throughout. Geoff Howe edged ahead with a 16 break but Arthur Godsborough stayed with him until the Willington player snatched the final black to win by three points, moving Willington into a fourteen points lead.

Jimmy Mason pulled Wingate right back into the match when he put in an early 33 break, which left Jeremy Martin playing catch-up throughout the frame. Despite Martin's best efforts, Mason won by thirty-six points. Things got worse for Willington when Steve Allen of Wingate hit top form against Gordon Parkin and won by fifty-seven points.

John Bourne of Wingate took the seventy-nine points start into the final frame against Stan Bennett. Bennett made a valiant effort but Bourne's steady approach caused the Willington team to resign with two reds left on the table. Wingate finished as the 305-211 winners.

Worthington CIU Singles Final

Paul Atkinson of Spennymoor A came from behind to beat Thomas Cairns of New Durham in the decider of the five frame match played at Tow Law in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd with referees, Harry Coates and Arnold Fleming of Crook Belle Vue in charge.

Atkinson started in a fine form with breaks of 21 and 18 but Cairns steadily settled to knock in some good long balls and tighten up on his safety. Steadily Cairns overhauled the deficit and went on to take the first frame at 59-47.

Cairns took charge of the second frame with an early 29 and steadily increased his lead, clinching the win with a long last red followed by a black to win 70-8. The tide was turned in the third frame when Atkinson recovered from Cairns good start, where a potential high break was lost with a comparatively simple miss on the brown. Atkinson's reply came with a 28 break and 16, which brought his first point on the board with a 68-55 win.

The match was levelled when Atkinson took the fourth frame by 77-34 following breaks of 24 and 28. The deciding frame opened cautiously and with the score level at eight each, Cairns looked to have played a good safety shot but Atkinson managed to find a gap through the pyramid to pot a red into the middle. His position was perfect and he went on to make a 36 break. Cairns fought back and closed the gap to nineteen points with two reds left. Atkinson potted both without a colour.

Atkinson succeeded in laying a successful snooker on the yellow and then made a thin cut on the green into the middle. The match was conceded when Atkinson fluked the brown to go out as the frame winner by 76-31 and the match winner by three frames to two.

The Jack Jobson Memorial Handicap Singles

First round draw: Colin Barron 24 (Crowtrees) v Peter McGowan 24 (Sherburn Village); Martin Halliday jun 30 (Meadowfield) v Stephen Bennett 7 (Coundon); Charlie Donaghy 24 (Tow Law) v David Hudspeth 24 (Leeholme B); Robert Roche 10 (Langley Park) v Kevin Davison 18 (Witton Gilbert); Michael Bell 40 (Fishburn B) v Paul Nord 14 (Witton Gilbert); John Paul Wringe 27 (Coundon) v John Taylor 45 (Leeholme B); Lawrence Jones 21 (Leeholme A) v Kevin Sample 12 (Brandon); Alan Hall 14 (Wheatley Hill A) v Lee Todd 50 (Leeholme B); Mark Appleby 21 (Sacriston) v Dennis Dodd 28 (Spennymoor B). Winners to inform the secretary of result before 10.30 p.m. on Monday, 26 May.

Worthington CIU Team Plate

Leeholme A were hoping to land their first trophy since joining the league when they played the final of the Team Plate at Durham City against First Division champions, Spennymoor A in a match refereed by Ken Rider of Crook Belle Vue. The Third Division team received 112 points start.

Ian North opened out for Leeholme against Paul Atkinson and produced some good scoring shots but Atkinson put in a 20 break and went on to win by thirty-nine points. The second frame was a very tight affair with Lawrence Jones of Leeholme and Paul Biddle of Spennymoor matching point for point. However Jones took the last three colours to win the frame by 17 points.

Eddie Rhodes of Spennymoor dominated the third frame when he produced an excellent potting display, which included a 37 break. Leeholme's Barry Shaw could not match Rhodes and went down by sixty-two points, leaving Leeholme with a lead of 28 points.

Karl Welsh moved Spennymoor into the lead for the first time when he steadily potted his way to a sixty-eight points win over Karl Thompson. This left Anthony Forster of Leeholme going into the final frame forty points behind John Wilson, who put in a 30 break to ensure a certain victory. The final score was Leeholme A 303 Spennymoor A 364.

South West Durham Association

Darlington Cricket Club A maintained their 100 per cent record when they whitewashed their B team to take over the top spot in the First Division, one point ahead of Bishop Auckland Golf Club. Darlington Snooker Club A are three points behind the golfers.

Bishop Auckland Gents A repeated last week's maximum victory only this time it was against their B team who suffered. This puts them on top of the Second Division, two points ahead of Northgate. Old Shildon and Barnard Castle Glaxo share third place, one point behind Northgate.

All competition entries must get to secretary, Jossie Aldworth at 50 Albert Street, Shildon DL4 2DW by 20 May.

Results: Bishop Auckland Cricket Club 2 Hopetown 2; Darlington Cricket Club B 0 Darlington Cricket Club A 4; Darlington Riley's 1 Bishop Auckland Golf Club 3; Newton Aycliffe Southerne Club 2 Darlington Snooker Club A 2; Darlington Snooker Club B 1 Old Shildon 3; Bishop Auckland Gents B 0 Bishop Auckland Gents A 4; Northgate 3 Tindale Crescent 1; Barnard Castle Glaxo 3 Shildon Elm Road 1.

Worthington Durham County Winter League

The Player of the Year for the First Division was Paul Biddle of Spennymoor A; the Second Division title went to Geoff Howe of Wingate, whilst the Third Division title was shared between Frank Nicholson of Coundon and John Warriner of Crook Belle Vue.

The top fifteen players in the First Division were: 1 Paul Biddle (Spennymoor A) played 22, won 20, lost 2, points 1270; 2 Paul Atkinson (Spennymoor A) 22, 19, 3, 1405; 3 Charlie Blake (Old Shildon) 22, 18, 4, 1296; 4 Eddie Rhodes (Spennymoor A) 21, 17, 4, 1280; 5 Michael Pratt (Old Shildon) 22, 17, 5, 1531; 6 Andrew Aisbitt (Cockton Hill) 21, 16, 5, 1329; 7 Billy Goggins (Old Shildon) 22, 16, 6, 1240; 8 Scott Mallaburn (Sherburn Village) 18, 15, 3, 1160; 9 Ronnie Peacock (Wheatley Hill A) 19, 15, 4, 1063; 10 John Carter (Fishburn A) 22, 15, 7, 1107; 11 Steven Bennett (Old Shildon) 22, 14, 8, 1313; 12 Dave Walker (Wheatley Hill A) 17, 13, 4, 1011; 13 John Griffin (Fishburn A) 20, 13, 7, 1098; 14 Craig Hughes (Meadowfield) 20, 13, 7, 1043; 15 Ian Renwick (Witton Gilbert) 21, 13, 8, 1061.

The leading Second Division players were: 1 Geoff Howe (Wingate) 20, 19, 1, 1250; 2 Shaun Easter (Bearpark) 20, 17, 3, 1183; 3 David Jackson (Bearpark) 18, 16, 2, 1058; 4 Glen Morton (Bearpark) 20, 16, 4, 1194; 5 John Bourne (Wingate) 17, 15, 2, 1078; 6 John Maddox (Newhouse) 20, 15, 5, 1075; 7 Steve Mountain (Newhouse) 16, 13, 3, 866; 8 Jock Frost (Wheatley Hill B) 19, 13, 6, 932; 9 Harold Grimes (Stanley Central) 19, 13, 6, 913; 10 Des Mason (Hunwick A) 16, 12, 4, 812; 11 Walter Cornell (Stanley Central) 18, 12, 6, 855; 12 Steve Allen (Wingate) 19, 12, 7, 994; 13 Ian Dinsdale (Newhouse) 20, 12, 8, 1019; 14 Alan Smith (Bearpark) 20, 12, 8, 972; 15 Sonny Hann (Crowtrees) 19, 11, 8, 1070.

The leading players in the Third Division are: 1 Frank Nicholson (Coundon) 20, 17, 3, 1140; 2 John Warriner (Crook Belle Vue) 20, 17, 3, 1121; 3 David Penman (Hunwick B) 19, 16, 3, 996; 4 Steve Bradley (Sacriston) 20, 15, 5, 1049; 5 Lawrence Jones (Leeholme A) 20, 15, 5, 982; 6 Graham Goulbourn (Coundon) 16, 14, 2, 847; 7 Mark Appleby (Sacriston) 19, 14, 5, 981; 8 Michael Pratt (Durham City) 20, 14, 6, 1067; 9 Kevin Scullion (New Durham) 20, 14, 6, 944; 10 Dale Evans (Sacriston) 18, 13, 5, 911; 11 Gary Ward (Durham City) 17, 12, 5, 869; 12 Brian Birkes (New Durham) 17, 12, 5, 835; 13 Malcolm Ryder (Coundon) 20, 12, 8, 991; 14 Gordon Bowes (New Durham) 14, 11, 3, 742; 15 Barry Fleming (Hunwick B) 18, 11, 7, 864.