Bishop Auckland Area League : Bishop Auckland Kings Head clinched the league title this week with one game still to play. Playing at home to Bishop Auckland Bay Horse and needing three points to make sure of the title Steven Bainbridge, Andrew Tuesday, David Jacomb and Peter Mernor won the first four singles points to give the Kings the lead and the title.

Wilson Harrison then won the final singles game for the visitors. Lee Harker and Andy Henning then won the first doubles game for the visitors before the Kings took the final two points. Steven Bainbridge and Peter Mernor winning the second doubles game and Warren Stamp the Captains giving the Kings a 6-2 victory.

Bishop Auckland Derby still had a mathematical chance of winning the league at the start of the evening and needed at least four points from the singles (and a whitewash against the Kings later) to keep that hope alive. Kevin Singleton started the game against the Wheatsheaf well winning the first singles game before Martin Miller took the second point for he visitors. The rest of the games went the Derby's way with Steve Lowther, Andrew Delve and Michael Richardson winning the singles, Steve Lowther and Kevin Singleton the first doubles, Stuart Milne and Jeff Dixon the second doubles and Michael Richardson the captains. With a 7-1 win the Derby now just need one singles point to guarantee them the runners-up spot in the league.

Results: Bishop Auckland Green Tree 1 Spennymoor Victoria 7; Spennymoor Hillingdon 4 Spennymoor Penny Gill 4; Bishop Auckland Kings Head 6 Bishop Auckland Bay Horse 2; Bishop Auckland Derby 7 Spennymoor Wheatsheaf 1.

Tow Law League

Tow Law Rose and Crown, the leaders, travelled to Lanchester King's Head and slipped to their second defeat of the season. The King's took the first four singles through Graeme Thompson, Graham fairish, Malcolm Clarke and Kevin Russell before the visitors replied through Steven Todd and Lee Mowbray. Chris Bowes and Derek Mowbray took the first doubles but that ended their scoring as the King's took the final two doubles to complete a good victory.

Tow Law North Point moved into second place in the table after only dropping three points to the visiting Esh Football Club. The footballers started with a good win from Jason McCormick but then the Points took the remaining singles through Gary Watson, Howard Spoors, Alan Henderson, Colin Armstrong and Gary Turnbull. The visitors did improve in the doubles, where they took two of the three points.

Tow Law Rose and Crown still lead the table but their lead has been cut to one point, with Tow Law North Point two points ahead of Tow Law Dan's Castle A.

Results: Lanchester King's Head 6 Tow Law Rose and Crown 3; Tow Law F.C. 5 Tow Law Dan's Castle A 4; Tow Law New Market A 4 Sunniside Comedian 5; Tow Law North Point 6 Esh F.C. 3; Hamilton Row Black Horse 5 Tow Law Cattle Mart 4; Tow Law Dan's Castle B 2 Tow Law New Market B 7.

Spennymoor League

A maximum victory for Spennymoor Quinns Inn over the visiting Coxhoe Red Lion pushed them five points clear at the top of the table and this would have clinched the Championship if they had not had six points deducted for breaches of the rules. However with the five points advantage and only two matches remaining they are favourites to beat the second placed Spennymoor Black Horse, who are four points ahead of Spennymoor Victoria.

The Quinns victory came with singles wins from K. Ellis, S. Lynn, D. Elliott, J. Ball and P. Carr followed by doubles points from K. Jones with N. Whitehead and K Whitehead with K. Ellis. D. Elliott completed the victory when he beat S. Turton in the captain's game.

Results: Spennymoor Black Horse 4 Spennymoor Victoria 4; Spennymoor Hillingdon 4 Spennymoor FCB 4; Spennymoor Quinns Inn 8 Coxhoe Red Lion 0; Spennymoor FCA 6 Spennymoor Salvin Arms 2; Spennymoor Penny Gill 3 Spennymoor Pit Laddie 5; Spennymoor Voltigeur 2 Spennymoor Ashtree 6; Spennymoor Half Moon 6 Spennymoor Railway 2.

Crook League

Crook Spitfire Club looked to be on their way to a whitewash defeat against the visiting Crook Travellers Rest A when they dropped the first nine points but eventually broke their duck and took three of the last five frames to create some air of respectability. The three home points came from David Sneath, John Palmer and Mark Callaghan. The Travellers had two points each for Tony Storey, John Carroll and Scot Weston with Dave Poulter, Stephen Todd and Terry Davis adding one each. They also took both doubles through Todd with Weston and Carroll with Davis.

Crook Jelly's Bar A were taken to the final frame before edging through to a two points victory at Crook White Swan. The Swan had two points for Ray Hogarth and one each for Chris Pounder, Trevor Hudspith, David Stewart and Lee Airey. Jelly's replied with two points from Kevin Carter and one each for Andy Palmer, Michael Jewitt and Stephen Russ to add to the doubles from John Gibson with Michael Jewitt to give them a 7-6 lead. In the final frame Andrew Heyes beat Trevor Hudspith to grab the narrowest of victories.

Crook Olde Horse Shoe lead the First Division by ten points from Crook Travellers Rest B, who are five ahead of Crook Coach and Horses A. Willington Market hold a nine points lead over Crook Jelly's Bar A in the Second Division with Crook Queen's Head A and Crook White Swan sharing third place, six points behind Jelly's.

Results: Croft Social Club 11 Crook Royal Sun B 3; Crook Jelly's Bar B 7 Crook Queen's Head B 7; Crook Queen's Head A 8 Crook Golden Fleece 6; Crook White Swan 6 Crook Jelly's Bar A 8; Willington Market 8 Crook Coach and Horses B 6; Crook Coach and Horses A 8 Crook Mill House 6; Crook Olde Horse Shoe A 9 Crook Belle Vue 5; Crook Spitfire Club 3 Crook Travellers Rest A 11; Crook Royal Sun A 10 Crook Surtees 4; Crook Travellers Rest B 9 Crook Olde Horse Shoe B 5.

Bishop Auckland and District League

A tight match was anticipated when the joint leaders met at Crook Olde Horse Shoe but the reality was that the visiting Crook Coach and Horses only managed two points, one from Michael Burke in the singles and the other when Les Scott shared the captain's points with Gavin Witton. The Shoe had two singles wins from Dave Walker, Stephen Liddle, Gavin Witton and Cliff Owen with Gerald Parkin adding one point. The Shoe also took the doubles when Cliff Owen and Stephen Liddle won.

Bishop Auckland Cumberland Arms came very close to their first victory when they entertained Bishop Auckland Derby but were just pipped in the final captain's game. The Cumberland had two singles points from Geoff Proud and one each from Tony Rowe, Stephen Hope and Chris Husband, whilst the Derby levelled with two points from Paul Stewart and one each from Stephen Lowther, Colin Gash and Michael Richardson. Stephen Dillon and Kevin Singleton won the doubles for the Derby but Paul Stewart levelled the match by taking the first captain's game but Geoff Proud took his revenge by winning the decider.

Crook Olde Horse Shoe lead the table by 11 points from Crook Coach and Horses, who are ten ahead of Bishop Auckland Snooker Club B. Tow Law Station and Bishop Auckland King's head trail the Snooker B by three points.

Results: Bishop Auckland RAFA 10 Witton Park Rose and Crown 3; Spennymoor Weardale 8 Toft Hill Three Tuns 5; Bishop Auckland Snooker Club A 10 Ferryhill Greyhound 3; Henknowle Manor House 6 Tow Law Station 7; Bishop Auckland Cumberland Arms 6 Bishop Auckland Derby 7; Crook Olde Horse Shoe 11 Crook Coach and Horses 2. Bishop Auckland FC v Bishop Auckland Snooker Club and Bishop Auckland King's Head v Spennymoor Ashtree postponed.