KIRKBURTON proved too strong for an under strength St Cuthberts Racqueteers, taking the contest 8-1 to stay on top of Division V.

Racqueteers were badly hampered by the loss of their No1 man and lady, and although their teammates tried hard with five of the rubbers going the full distance, Kirkburton were the best side on the night.

The first men’s could have gone either way, with the third game going to set before Mike Cordner and John Mellor edged out Gurdeep Soor and Graham White 24-22, and that more or less set the tone for the rest of the contest.

Mellor and Gloria Goodridge maintained their excellent record of not having lost a mixed rubber yet this season, while Geoff Steel and Angela Hall were St Cuthbert’s only winners, taking the final mixed rubber of the night.

Kirkburton E 8 St Cuthberts Racqueteers 1

Men: Mike Cordner & John Mellor bt Gurdeep Soor & Graham White 21-16, 15-21, 24-22; Cordner & Steve Nichols bt Soor & Steel 14-21, 21-12, 21-12; Mellor & Nichols bt White & Steel 21-19, 19-21, 21-16.

Ladies: Claire Ellam & Diane Clifford bt Angela Hall & Alicia Simmons 28-26, 21-13; Ellam & Gloria Goodridge bt Hall & Lynda Fielding 21-13, 21-7; Clifford & Goodridge bt Simmons & Fielding 21-16, 21-18.

Mixed: Cordner & Ellam bt White & Fielding 24-22, 21-19; Mellor & Goodridge bt Soor & Simmons 21-9, 21-12; Nichols & Clifford lost to Steel & Hall 8-21, 10-21.

In Division IV, Flying Feathers C whitewashed Shepley 9-0, the latter being without two of their regulars, while Feathers had John Corr playing up.

The first two ladies’ rubbers were keenly fought and went to three games, but Feathers came out on top in both, and nothing else proved as close.

Flying Feathers C 9 Shepley 0

Men: Mark Carroll & Neil Coombes bt Andy Martin & James Austerberry 21-13, 21-16; Carroll & John Corr bt Martin & Jack Dyson 21-15, 21-16; Coombes & Corr bt Austerberry & Dyson 2-16, 21-15.

Ladies: Marie Whitehouse & Chris Ford bt Helen Pearmain & Kathryn Smith 21-11, 13-21, 21-15; Whitehouse & Elaine Richardson bt Pearmain & Ruth Smith 13-21, 21-16, 21-13; Ford & Richardson bt K Smith & R Smith 2-15, 21-17.

Mixed: Carroll & Whitehouse bt Martin & Pearmain 22-20, 24-22; Coombes & Ford bt Austerberry & & K Smith 21-10, 16-21; Corr & Richardson bt Dyson & R Smith 21-12, 21-16.

In the Ladies Division I match, Royds Hall earned a 5-1 victory at Fartown, the home side unlucky to lose their No4 lady Gerry Peltier to injury after she had taken a ponit for Fartown with Arlene Spensley, and, along with Sera Griffiths had taken Royds to a third game before having to retire.

Fartown Ladies 1 Royds Hall 5: Lisa Armitage & Gerry Peltier lost to Helen Lambert & Jean Gledhill 25-27, 14-21; Arlene Spensley & Sera Griffiths lost to Diane Horton & Sue Oldfield 14-21, 19-21; Armitage & Griffiths lost to Lambert & Oldfield 14-21, 24-22, 16-21; Spensley & Peltier bt Horton & Gledhill 21-18, 23-21; Griffiths & Peltier conc to Oldfield & Gledhill 14-21, 23-21, 0-4; Armitage & Spensley lost to Lambert & Horton 21-12, 16-21, 12-21.

In Division IV, Royds Hall D beat Flying Feathers D 7-2, although there were a few close games, especially the No3 ladies which went the distance.

Men: Malcolm Holmes & Steve Bainbridge bt Andy Buddle & Tony Nicholson 21-16, 21-18; HOlmes & Stuart Kershaw bt Buddle & Rob Sanderson 21-6, 21-10; Bainbridge & Kershaw bt Nicholson & Sanderson 19-21, 21-14, 21-18.

Ladies: Shradha Long & Jean Gledhill lost to Cathy Bestwick & Zen Nalepa 17-21, 18-21; Long & Catherine Murphy bt Bestwick & Cheryl Green 21-12, 21-17; Gledhill & Murphy bt Nalepa & Green 16-21, 21-18, 23-21.

Mixed: Kershaw & Long bt Buddle & Bestwick 21-16, 21-10; Bainbridge & Gledhill lost to Nicholson & Nalepa 17-21, 21-18, 17-21; Holmes & Murphy bt Sanderson & Green 21-8, 21-16.

Huddersfield’s Marcus Ellis had a disappointing run in the English National Championships at Manchester’s Velodrome, when he and his partner Peter Mills crashed out in the quarter-finals to Andrew Ellis (no relation) and Dean George).

The Golcar professional was seeded No3, and had been hoping for at least a place in the semi-finals, but having levelled the third round tie against Ellis and George in the second game, Ellis and Mills lost out 21-17 in the third.

COMPOSITE

Division I: Holmfirth A 6 Kirkburton A 3, Valley St James C 3 Holmfirth B 6, Holmfirth B 9 Flying Feathers A 0, Valley St James B 6 Brighouse A3, Flying Feathers A 0 Holmfirth A 9.

Division II: Royds Hall A 6 Flying Feathers B 3, Fartown A 5 Kirkburton C 4, Flying Feathers B 5 Holmfirth C 4, Valley St James D 3 Royds Hall A 6.

Division III: Phoenix A 3 Royds Hall B 6, Holmfirth D 5 Holmbridge A 4, Spen Valley A 7 Kirkburton D 2, Holmbridge A 3 Spen Valley A 6, Royds Hall B 2 Ossett Spts 7, Holmbridge A 3 Ossett Spts 6, Royds Hall B 6 Holmfirth D 3, Kirkburton D 5 Phoenix A 4.

Division IV: Brighouse C 7 Flying Feathers C 2, St Cuth Racqs A 6 Holmfirth E 3, Valley St James E 8 Phoenix B 1, Phoenix B 4 Shepley 5, Phoenix B 2 Brighouse C 7, Holmfirth E 3 Valley St James E 6.

Division V: Royds Hall D 7 Flying Feathers D2, Kirkburton E 8 St Cuth Racqs B 1, Flying Feathers D 2 Holmbridge C 7, Beaumont Park A 0 Holmbridge B 9.

Division VI: Beaumont Park B 7 Royds Hall E 2, Fartown D 1 Fartown C 8, Holmfirth F 6 Beaumont Park C 2.

LADIES LEAGUE

Division I: Holmfirth 6 St Cuth Racqs 0.

MEN’S LEAGUE

Division I: Huddersfield Eagles 0 Valley St James 6, St Cuth Racqs 6 Holmfirth 0.