Worthington CIU Team Knock-out Cup - Are-spotted black cost Third Division, Leeholme B a quarter finals place when the visiting Spennymoor A, from the First Division, took the black to win by seven points.

Leeholme B received 133 points start but this was quickly cut back when Paul Biddle won the first frame for the Moors by 51 points. Alan Clarke made further in-roads into the home lead when he took the second frame for the Moors by a similar margin. Stephen Bainbridge restored the home hopes when he won by 29 points with Dennis Dodd puling the Moors back to a 47 points deficit going into the final frame. Glen Douthwaite faced the visiting Jim Wilson, who steadily cut back on the 47 points lead until he squared the entire match by sinking the black. He went one better by them sinking the re-spotted ball.

Second Division Hunwick visited First Division, Witton Gilbert and received seventy points start, which they extended by 14 after Trevor Lomax took the first frame. However Ian Renwick won the second for the home side by 14. John Rooney senior pulled Witton right back into the match with a 52 points victory and Willis Joynes followed with a win, which closed the gap to only five points in Hunwick's favour. In the deciding frame the visiting Arnold Fleming managed to hold a narrow lead throughout the frame against Ray Coatman and took Hunwick to an eleven points victory.

Fishburn A entertained Shotton Palms in an all First Division clash with the visitors receiving five points start. The match seemed to be moving Fishburn's way completely as they won the first three frames through Brian Quest, John Carter and Peter Davison moving them 23 points head. However Shotton's Paul Hickman stepped up with a magnificent frame to win by 77 points, giving Barry Hall a 54 points start on John Griffin in the final frame. However Griffin matched the quality just shown by Hickman and included a 37 break as he won by 72 points to take Fishburn A through.

Third Division, Sacriston visited First Division, Old Shildon and took the match to the final frame before going out of the competition. Sacriston received 113 points start and Dale Evans really lifted their hopes when he won the first frame by 12 points. However wins from Stephen Bennett, Charlie Blake and Michael Pratt closed the gap to only seven points, which Mark Brown took into the final frame against Frank Nicholson, who steadily pulled away to win by 25 points.

First Division leaders, Wheatley Hill A had big wins from Dave Walker, Jack Wright and John Worthington to take them through against the visiting Sherburn Village, who had wins from Alan Bower and John Bower.

Leeholme A received 79 points start when they visited Langley Park but within three frames found themselves 100 points adrift as the Park had big wins from Paul Nord, Robert Roche and Ray Coates. Barry Shaw reduced the arrears with a twenty-five points win but Kevin Keers completed a big win for the home side.

Spennymoor B played well above their Third Division status when they entertained First Division, Wheatley Hill B and ran up a big lead with wins from Alan Rowell, Phil Wilson, Kurt McCormack and Micky Anderson. Jack Frost took the final frame for the Hill but by then they were a well beaten team.

Newhouse B failed to raise a team to visit Willington, who go through to the quarter finals on default of opponents.

Results: Wheatley Hill A 313 Sherburn Village 213;Leeholme B 301 Spennymoor A 308; Fishburn A 287 Shotton Palms 269; Old Shildon 330 Sacriston 305; Witton Gilbert 258 Hunwick 269; Spennymoor B 327 Wheatley Hill B 187; Langley Park 336 Leeholme A 227. Willington walk-over Newhouse B.

South West Durham Association

There were no shocks in the quarter finals of the Team Knock-out as all the higher placed teams beat their lesser opponents. Darlington Snooker Club A, runners-up in the First Division, did well against their hosts at Ferryhill, who are waiting for a play-off for the Second Division Championship against Barnard Castle Glaxo, whilst the First Division champions, Hopetown saw off the visiting challenge from Northgate in an all-Darlington affair.

Barnard Castle Folly's from the First Division visited and beat Bishop Auckland Gents B, who finished at the foot of the Second Division, without a win to their credit. Albert Hill beat the visiting Bishop Auckland Cricket Club.

Semi-final draw: Barnard Castle Folly's v Darlington Snooker Club A to be played at Shildon Elm Road. Albert Hill v Hopetown to be played at Darlington Snooker Club.

Quarter final draw of the Pyramid Cup: Northgate v Ferryhill B; Darlington Snooker Club B v Darlington Cricket Club; Ferryhill A v Hopetown and Ferryhill C v Darlington Snooker A.

Worthington CIU

Team Plate

None of the four matches in the first round produced close finishes, although pride of place goes to Crowtrees from the Third Division, who visited First Division, Stanley Central and, with only eight points start, came through to a very good victory.

Keith McLauchlan gave the visitors a good start when he extended their lead to 24 points. The second frame proved to be a very high scoring affair with 166 points going on the board with Jim Dufton of the Central just beating Peter Laverick by four points.

Dennis Payne pulled off a great win in the third frame to push Stanley 17 points ahead only to see the visiting Sonny Hann pull Crowtrees through to a 24 points lead after the fourth frame. In the last frame Harold grimes made a great effort to close the gap but Jim Phillipson lifted his game to eventually pot the pink, while Harold had needed two snookers.

Meadowfield entertained Fishburn B, who received 38 points start. The first three frames all went to the home side through Norman Smith, John Jackson and Craig Hughes but the winning margins were small and only moved them eight points ahead. Stephen Hughes clinched the match for Meadowfield when he won the fourth frame by 63 points, leaving the visiting George Whitelock the impossible task of giving away 71 points star in the final frame, which he managed to win by 22 points.

Newhouse A received 44 points start from the visiting Newton Aycliffe of the First Division. However after Malcolm Dixon won the first frame by 20 points the visitors never got back into the match as Steve Mountain, Ian Dinsdale and John Maddox all won for Newhouse. Marc Howe took the final frame for Aycliffe but by then they were an impossible 122 points adrift.

West Auckland gave away 38 points start to their hosts at Crook Belle Vue but managed to move into a 21 points lead after Andrew Dent and Andrew Sugden took the first two frames. Derek Potts won the third for Crook by three points, but then West Auckland faced the fact that there fifth player was unable to make the match and, with John Warriner taking the fourth frame for Crook by 43 points, the visitors conceded.

Worthington CIU

Summer League

Division One

P W L Pts

Wheatley Hill A 12 11 1 49

Old Shildon 12 10 2 43

Fishburn A 12 8 4 34

Newton Aycliffe 12 7 5 33

Witton Gilbert 12 7 5 32

Willington 12 4 8 25

Stanley Central 12 4 8 23

Shotton Palms 12 3 9 23

Spennymoor A 12 3 9 20

Wheatley Hill B 12 3 9 18

Top break: Paul Biddle (Spennymoor A) 101

Division Two

P W L Pts

Ferryhill 10 8 2 32

Sherburn Vill. 11 7 4 32

Langley Park 11 7 4 30

Meadowfield 11 6 5 30

Brandon 11 6 5 30

Newhouse A 11 5 6 28

Crook Belle Vue 11 4 7 23

* Newhouse B 10 3 7 18

Durham City 10 2 8 14

Top break: Craig Hughes (Meadowfield) 45

Division Three

P W L Pts

Spennymoor B 11 10 1 40

West Auckland 10 7 3 32

Fishburn B 11 6 5 32

Crowtrees 11 6 5 32

Leeholme A 11 8 3 29

Hunwick 10 7 3 29

Sacriston 10 2 8 17

Leeholme B 11 1 10 15

Tow Law 11 1 10 14

Top break: Lawrence Jones (Leeholme A) 46

*Denotes three points deducted.