Harrogate and District League - The battle for First Division supremacy in the burst into life this week when The Academy took over at the top by preventing nearest challengers Harlow from completing the double.

Early in the season Harlow had set the pace by defeating newly-promoted Academy 5-4 in a cliff-hanging finish.

But in a rain-hit return The Academy secured a 5-1 win - and went to the top of the table with a four point lead over Harlow, who have two matches in hand.

Joining the league six years ago The Academy won promotion each term and now believe they can take the Division One title at the first attempt.

But the battle for the championship is far from over with Thirsk and Harrogate Racquets still in the race each with fixtures in hand on the new leaders.

The Academy were led to victory against Harlow by newly-crowned Harrogate champion Doug Keen, the American pastor with a fine pedigree of performances from his days in the States. Keen joined forces with steadily improving Harrogate junior Rebecca Sowden, who also plays at Chapel Allerton and Rawdon, for two victories.

The partnership defeated Simon Daly and Sophie Jacob 6-5, 6-0 and took a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Simon Isles and Joe Douglas.

Other scores (Academy names first): Harry Worthington and Juie Abbott halved with Daly and Jacob 3-6, 6-4; halved with Richard Pegg and Helen Rhodes 4-6, 6-5; Ross Leventhal and Sue Stothard beat Pegg and Rhodes 6-5, 6-4; beat Isles and Douglas 6-4, 6-3.

Earlier The Academy secured another convincing win over fellow promotion rivals, defeating Harrogate Racquets 8-1. Racquets were unable to muster a full side, arriving with only two of their three pairings, forcing them to concede vital rubbers.

Scores - The Academy 8 Harrogate Racquets 1 (Academy names first): Doug Keen and Sue Rotherford beat John Hagreaves and Pauline Edwards 6-4, 6-4; beat Jonathan Smail and Frederique Brown 6-2; third rubber conceded by Racquets.

Harry Worthington and Julie Abbott halved with Hargreaves and edwards 5-6, 67-4; halved with Smail and Brown 6-5, 4-6; third rubber conceded by Racquets.

Ross Leventhal and Sue Stothard beat Hargreaves and

Edwards 6-1; beat Smail and Brown 6-2, 6-5; third rubber conceded by Racquets.

Ripon continue to blaze an unbeaten trail at the head of Division Four following relegation last season.

They have built a four point lead over nearest rivals The Academy A with eight out of eight victories this season.

In their latest win - by a 6-3 margin at Bedale - Ripon were helped to success by Stephen Grandison and Vicky Hunter who won two and a half rubbers. Husband and wife pairing John and Sue Skinner took all three matches while the combination of Tim Hey and Sarah Jones halved a match.

Harrogate Spa secured a notable 7-2 home win against top of the table Boroughbridge in Division Two. Despite the setback Boroughbridge still keep top place, but only on rubbers ahead of Ben Rhydding. Spa are now third just one point behind the top two.

Boroughbridge played without three of their regulars but were still comprehensively beaten by the Spa side. Tom Bentley and Helen Worthington secured two and a half rubbers with the combination of Chris Dight and Janet Harrison repeating the dose for Boroughbridge. Mark Roberts and L Down both won two rubbers for the Harrogate side to help boost their promotion hopes.

In Division Five Northallerton extended their unbeaten run to eight matches this season. They have not lost since joining the league last term in Division Six.

Their latest victims were Masham, who went down 1-8 at home to the Northallerton side.

For Northallerton Margaret Fenwick and G Iveson won all three matches; Paul Collier and Sue Pratt took two and a half rubbers while Philip Norwood and Cath Place also contributed two and a half rubbers.

Northallerton are now three points ahead of nearest rivals Thirsk B.

And in Division Six Northallerton's second team are also top. They have won all eight matches and head the table on 16 points, six ahead of second placed Ripon B.

Bad news for Harrogate Racquets D team, currently propping up the bottom of Division Six. They have had two points deducted for failing to fulfil a fixture and are now minus two points.

Division One: The Academy 8 Harrogate Racquets 1; Harlow A 4.5 Knaresborough 4.5; Thirsk 8 Bedale 1; The Academy 5 Harlow 1.

Division Two: Harrogate Racquets A 1 Boroughbridge 8; Thirsk A 2 Harlow B 7; Ben Rhydding 5 Harrogate Racquets A 4; Wetherby 2 Harrogate Racquets A 7; Ben Rhydding 6 Harlow B 3; Spa 7 Boroughbridge 2.

Division Three: Knaresborough A 4.5 Starbeck 4.5; Raskelf 6 Masham 3; Harlow C 5.5 Harrogate Racquets 3.5.

Division Four: Bedale A 3 Ripon 6; Harrogate Racquets C 5.5 Wetherby A 3.5.

Division Five: Starbeck A 6 Spa A 3; Masham A 1 Northallerton 8; Knaresborough B 2 Thirsk B 7; Birstwith A 5.5 Dacre Banks B 3.5.

Division Six: Wetherby B 8.5 Harrogate Racquets 0.5; West Tanfield B 0.5 Ripon B 8.5; Northallerton A 8.5 Thirsk C 0.5; West Tanfield B 5 Burton Leonard 4.

Barkston Ash League

Bardsey kept ahead of current champions Whitkirk at the top of Division One following their 65 games to 43 games away win over Collingham.

Bardsey, unbeaten in seven matches, are on 28 points. Whitkirk, beaten recently by Bardsey in their only defeat of the season, have 24 points in what is seen as a two-horse race for the championship.

Division One: Thorner 35 Collingham 73; York All Saints 59 Horsforth 49; Whitkirk B 52 York All Saints 56; Collingham 43 Bardsey 65; Horsforth 48 Whitkirk 60.

Division Two: Sherburn 59 Boston Spa 49; Thorpe Willoughby 51 Roundhay 57.

Division Three: Alwoodley 27 Horsforth B 81; Heworth 46 Copmanthorpe 62.

Men: Thorner 47 Bardsey 61.