HUDDERSFIELD Veterans’ first team travelled to Hull for the second round of matches in the Yorkshire League Division I looking to pick up crucial points.

With some strong teams around Yorkshire, Huddersfield’s realistic ambition is to secure their status in the top flight and they went a long way to achieving their aim with two wins and a narrow defeat from their three matches.

The first match was against Doncaster and Huddersfield’s trio of captain Janet Adams, Mark Pugh and Russell Senior came out on top 6-4 – Pugh was unbeaten, Senior (2) and Adams (1).

York’s first team were the next opponents and, although Huddersfield came mightily close to sharing the points, they went down 6-4.

Pugh and Senior both won twice and Janet Adams could count herself unlucky to finish without a win having taken two of her opponents to a deciding fifth game, losing one of them 20-18.

York II was the third match and posed little difficulty as Huddersfield won convincingly 10-0.

Star of the day was undoubtedly Mark Pugh who played brilliantly throughout, losing only once in nine matches.

With six points in the bank Huddersfield should be able to enjoy the final round of matches to be held in Dewsbury in March when, while their opponents will be stronger, the fear of relegation has all but been lifted.

In the Huddersfield League, Brooks A met their B team and shared a 5-5 draw.

At the foot of the table Marsh B suffered a 9-1 defeat to rivals Kingsmith B – Stott (3), Walker (3) and Ruttle (2) plus the doubles, while Glyn Normanton was the solitary contributor for the losers.

A cracking match in Division II saw Woodfield Park B and Deighton C finish even at 5-5.

Derek Moorhouse opened by beating Matthew Weatherby, only his second defeat of the season, in four games. Kryzstof Sobkiewicz then comfortably baffled Steve Knott with his speed and top spin to win in three straight games.

Mike Belk was taken to a tight fourth game before overcoming Clinton Powell.

It took five games to split Sobkiewicz and Moorhouse with the Woodfield Park man edging the decider 11-8..

Sobkiewicz then paired up with Weatherby to win their doubles against Belk and Moorhouse to make the score 3-2 overall. Belk lost in three straight games to Weatherby to level things up.

Deighton eased ahead when Powell beat Knott 11-5 in the deciding fifth game – Belk then beat Sobkiewicz in another final game decider.

Derek Moorhouse completed his hat trick for the evening by defeating Powell in three to give the Police side a 5-4 lead going into the final match.

This paired Weatherby with Knott and proved comfortable for the Deighton man, winning 11-4, 11-6, 13-11 and secured the draw in an excellent match.

Deighton D strengthened their promotion credentials in Division III with a 9-1 victory over Marsh E, who were the only side to beat Deighton in the first half of the season.

Marsh, weakened by the absence of Adrian Normanton, had no answer against the inform Paul Simpson, Godfrey Gabriel and Eron Samuda.