David Lloyd Stockton became the kings of Cleveland winning the local derby contest with Tennis World Middlesbrough in the North Division of the Brown Shipley League last Sunday at home while Invicta Sunderland took the group title and Academy Harrogate just made the top four at the expense of Puma Sunderland.

Results: Puma Sunderland 1, David Lloyd Stockton 3; Tennis World Middlesbrough 3, Yarm 1; Invicta Sunderland 4, York 0; Academy Harrogate 3, North Yorks 1; David Lloyd 2 (45), Tennis World 2 (43).

The match of the season saw David Lloyd clinch a two games win over Tennis World with rubbers tied at 2-2 in the very last fixture of this division, but failed to make second place in the table. Their victims did that though they lost their unbeaten record in the process.

Both sides were at full strength. Ben O'Connor teamed up with Yorkshire's Jason Topey as first couple for David Lloyd and had a comfortable straight set win over Andrew Deeley and Mark Franklin in the first half. But Nigel Beavers and Brent Parker put one rubber on the scoreboard for Tennis World as first pair against the home team's second couple.

So all-square with David Lloyd leading 22-10 on games. At the start of play from the previous day's full programme of four fixtures, the Middlesbrough club had 25 league points and a chance even of taking the division honours should they whitewash the Thornaby based centre who were two behind.

Deeley and Franklin took a first set on a tiebreak game against Jon Weeks and Matt Whitaker in the second half of play, but David Lloyd's first goal had done the same - so not progress made by either side. The number twos finished first with a straight sets success and the total games score stood at 38-38. It was uncertain who would take the number one contest, but David Lloyd had the first set edge.

O'Connor and Torpey maintained this and came out on top 7-6 7-5.

The day before David Lloyd travelled to Sunderland with the same quartet of plays and looked for a substantial win while Puma needed a result to enhance their opportunity of sneaking fourth spot in the table if Academy Harrogate failed at home to bottom team North Yorkshire.

But an understrength home team only had first pair Steven Baker and Graham Fowler who scored one rubber in the 3-1 defeat with O'Connor and Torpey winning twice for the victors. That left the Teessiders with 23 points and the Wearsiders stuck on 17. Not enough as it turned out for Academy kept Yorkshire in the top four with a 3-1 win over North Yorkshire.

Doug Keen maintained his good form and run of success with yet a different partner, namely Harry Worthington, with two wins for Academy while Jonathan Smail and Rob Taylor, yet another change of partners, added one more David Drake was the absent player. Young couple Steve Preston and Kevin Rowley prevented a blank sheet for the visitors.

The Academy thus survived as the fourth placed team to have the luxury of meeting the top team in the South Division in the first inter-division play-off round.

Puma 1, David Lloyd 3: Steven Baker and Graham Fowler bt John Weeks and Matt Whitaker 6-2 6-2, lost to Ben O'Connor and Jason Torpey 5-7 2-6, Andrew Davey and Ian Lumley lost to O'Connor and Torpey 1-6 1-6 lost to Weeks and Whitaker 2-6 2-6.

Academy 3, North Yorkshire 1: Doug Keen and Harry Worthington bt Michael Hall and Don Lilliston 7-5 3-6 6-2, bt Stevne Preston and Kevin Rowley 6-2 6-3, Jonathan Smail and Rob Taylor lost to Preston and Rowley 4-6 6-7 bt Hall and Lilliston 6-4 6-4.

Tennis World added four points to their tally on Saturday with a home win over Yarm, who were seventh in the table and unlikely to add to their one victory of the season. Their changed team saw Franklin with Andy Rowney win twice and Deeley and Richard Love add a third. For Yarm Mike Dixon and Iain Spears managed one win.

Invicta Sunderland had an easy win over York to become North Division champions and the chance to play the fourth best from the South.

Tennis Word 4, Yarm 0: Mark Franklin and Andy Rowney bt Nick Hatch and Keith Van Hoof 6-4 6-2 bt Mike Dixon and Iain Spears 6-2 6-0, Andrew Deeley and Richard Love lost to Dixon and Spears 6-7 3-6 bt Hatch and Van Hoof 6-3 6-2.

Invicta 4, York 0: Guy Galpin and Ainsley Kershaw bt G Adams and P Blackett 6-3 6-2, bt A Moore and J Moore 6-2 6-2, Graeme Foreman and Nathan Lundy bt Moore and Moore 6-3 7-5, bt Adams and Blackett 6-3 1-6 6-3.