Norton firsts are looking favourites to clinch their first ever Whitfield's Building Services Durham and Cleveland Men's League title.

They stand proudly top at present with a comfortable lead over nearest challengers Sunderland Racquets.

The Teessiders have lost only once all season, at home to Racquets, but the recent 4-1 away success over those rivals has boosted confidence and spurred the team on to maintain form.

They also defeated mid-table Yarm I 5-0 and have the third and fourth-placed sides - Guisborough I and Darlington I - to finish their programme next month.

Racquets were pegged back a little recently by losing to Guisborough.

Mark Hockburn from Hartlepool captains the leading team, with local Norton man Andy Wesson, Andy Cross (another Hartlepool resident), Ben Cowan from Redcar and Gareth Lumsdon as regular players.

Not to be outdone, the Norton second team lead division two by almost the same margin, with Darlington II as their main rivals.

Aycliffe I, one of the few unbeaten teams in the whole league, are easily holding off Yarm II in the third division. The latter went down surprisingly to Bedale I.

Results. - Division Three: Bedale I 4 Yarm III 1, Sedgefield II 5 Dolphin I 0, Norton III 2 Durham Univ I 3.

Division 4A: Yarm III 2 Wensleydale I 3, Darlington IV 1 Sunderland H&RC III 4, Nunthorpe III 4 Norton IV 1, Darlington IV 4 Yarm III 1.

Division 4B: Yarm IV 2 Sunderland I 3, Guisborough III 4 Aycliffe III 1, Nunthorpe IV 5 Redcar III 0, Thornaby Pavilion I 2 Aycliffe III 3, Guisborough III 4 Yarm IV 1, Aykley Heads II 5 Thornaby Pavilion I 0, Redcar III 2 Guisborough III 3.

Division 5A: Sedgefield III 4 Darlington VI 1, Chester le St II 5 Guisborough IV 1, Sedgefield III 1 Aycliffe IV 4, Chester-le-St II 4 David Lloyd I 1, Mill House I 4 Darlington VI 1, Darlington VI 2 Norton V 3, Sedgefield III 4 Mill House I 1, David Lloyd I 5 Aycliffe IV 0.

Division 5B: Redcar IV 1 Norton Hall I 4, Sunderland H&RC III 2 Wensleydale II 3, Chester-le-St III 4 Guisborough IV 1, Norton Hall I 2 Darlington V 3, Sunderland H&RC III 2 Chester-le-St III 3, Wensleydale II 2 Norton Hall I 3.

Division Six: Glaxo I 3 Hild and Bede I 2, Glaxo I 0 Norton Hall II 5.

Placings. - Division One: Norton I 147 pts, Sunderland H&RC I 121, Guisborough I 107, Darlington I 99, Yarm I 82, Nunthorpe I 74, Sedgefield I 69, Chester-le-Street I 43.

Division Two: Norton II 168, Darlington II 141, Aykley Heads I 110, Redcar I 101, Nunthorpe II 97, Guisborough II 76, Darlington III 75, Redcar II 57.

Division Three: Aycliffe I 152, Yarm II 131, Norton III 109, Bedale I 97, Bannatyne's HC 193, Durham Univ 69, Sedgefield II 69, Dolphin I 55.

Division 4A: Nunthorpe III 133, Sunderland H&RC II 122, Yarm III 99, Darlington IV 97, Aycliffe II 95, Wensleydale I 70, Norton IV 48.

Division 4B: Nunthorpe IV 131, Aykley Heads II 130, Guisborough III 130, Thornaby Pavilion I 120, Yarm IV 100, Aycliffe II 90, Sunderland 184, Redcar III 52.

Division 5A: Chester-le-Street II 175, Sedgefield III 126, Dolphin II 108, Darlington VI 96, Aycliffe IV 96, Mill House 195, Norton V 81, David Lloyd 162.

Division 5B: Chester-le-St III 155, Darlington V 129, Norton Hall I 101, Sunderland H&RC III 91, Durham Univ II 83, Wensleydale II 69, Redcar IV 63, Guisborough IV 54.

Division Six: Nunthorpe V 131, Glaxo I 101, Sedgefield IV 77, Norton Hall II 76, Hild and Bede I 53, Clairville I 37, Eston Grange I 20