The first Lothersdale derby of the season in the Keighley & District Table Tennis League First Division produced a match containing equal parts drama and quality and with Martin Connolly and David Adams on opposing teams, total commitment was also going to be the order of the day. In fact it was their encounter that encapsulated the entire evening with the win for the 'A' team's Adams, 23-21, 21-19 in the ninth, nudging his team into a 5-4 lead after trailing 4-3 at one point before he and Keith Wilkinson snatched the doubles and with it the match from Connolly and David Galley. Before this stunning dnouement, Wilkinson had earned a couple for the 'A' team with comfortable wins against Connolly and Midgley, but had just failed in an epic encounter to Galley. Easing to a 21-9 success in the first, Wilkinson appeared to be coasting, but Galley hit back to win the second 21-15 and just pip Wilkinson 23-21 in the decider. Adams, on his way to the only full house of the match, also just got the better of Galley 18-21, 21-17, 21-18, but wins for Connolly (21-16, 21-18), Galley (21-17, 23-21) and Midgley (21-17, 17-21, 22-20) against Bob Davis, tightened it up again before the final push from the 'A' team.

Nelson Nomads continue to pull away from the danger zone with their second win in three weeks coming at home to a weakened Embassy 'B'. David Ayrton set the standard for the Nomads with three straight wins including a defeat of Carl White 21-11, 21-18. Michael Wrigley and debutant Peter Wood both got the better of Steve Crossland and Derek Briggs in straight sets, but White hit back for the visitors with defeats of Wrigley 21-15, 21-14 and Wood 21-12, 21-18. A win in the doubles 22-20, 29-27 for White and Briggs against Ayrton and Wrigley left the final score 7-3 to Nelson.

In Division Two, Ilkley Road 'A' move into second spot at the expense of this week's opponents Wilsden. Geoff Bartlett earned the Riddlesden team three points, but it was close against Luke Broadbent (21-23, 21-15, 21-19). Roy Towler had no such problems being untouchable on his way to three straight wins, but Steve Barton's match was filled with thoughts of 'how near yet how far' on his part, as opposed to the rewards for persistence and determination enjoyed by the Wilsden team. George Fletcher was the first to inflict a narrow defeat on the Roader 21-19, 21-18 to be followed by wins for Luke 18-21, 21-17, 21-18 and Dave 21-19, 20-22, 21-19. Bartlett and Towler tied up the match 7-3 for Ilkley Road with a 21-15, 21-18 defeat of Fletcher and Luke in the doubles.

At the top, Nemesis 'B' extended their lead to 16 points with a 9-1 home win against Cononley Sports. Both Dave Manogue and Tim Moran played commandingly on the way to trebles, but Paul Lister surprised Peter Worger to snatch the only point of the night for the visitors 9-21, 21-16, 21-19.

A defeat for Oakworth at Lothersdale 'C' and a first win of the season for Stockbridge Spartans at St Peter's closes the gap between second bottom Spartans and Oakworth just above them to five points, and with the Stockbridge team having a game in hand a return to the Third Division is not yet out of the question for the Oaks. Lothersdale's Jack Anderson played well for his max that included the 21-17, 21-12 defeat of Steve Smith. Martin Mulligan got the better of Alistair McIlroy 21-15, 21-15 and Andy Carr 21-17, 21-15 but lost to Smith, 21-17, 18-21, 21-14. However, although the Oakworth boys all got the better of Sean Kirkwood, a win in the doubles 21-15, 21-12 for Mulligan and Kirkwood against Smith and Carr sealed it 6-4 for Lothersdale.

For Stockbridge Spartans, Munza Nazir showed the form that he is undoubtedly capable of yet infrequently displays with his three straight wins doubling his tally for the season to 6 from 5 matches. The classy Spartan firstly edged out Tony Richardson 21-18, 24-22 before defeating Richard Foster 23-21, 21-11 and Paul Griffin 21-9, 21-4. Ray Wallace continued his improved form with wins against Richardson 21-14, 21-14 and Griffin 22-20, 21-6, but Foster just got the better of him 21-12, 21-19. Further wins for Foster and Richardson against Ryan Foulds helped the St Peter's cause and although a win for these two against Nazir and Wallace in the doubles gave them another point, Foulds' 21-17, 21-15 defeat of Griffin ensured a 6-4 win for the Spartans.

In Division Three, John Pullen continued on his winning way with three more comprehensive victories for Johnson & Johnson at home to Crossflatts 'A'. Tony Bugeja supported well with defeats of Ben Hinchcliffe 21-14, 21-19 and John Patrick 21-15, 21-13 as did Derek Stanforth, beating Danny McHugh 21-16, 21-17 and Patrick 21-12, 21-15. The points for the visitors came from McHugh against Bugeja 22-20, 13-21, 21-18; Hinchcliffe against Stanforth 21-13, 21-17 and a superb 14-21, 21-13, 21-19 victory in the doubles by McHugh and Patrick against Bugeja and Pullen in a 7-3 win for the Gargrave team.

Brian Lowe's return to league action following a lengthy break helped Haworth 'B' to a 7-3 win at St Wilf's 'A'. Following a defeat of John Mitchell 21-15, 21-16, Lowe also got the better of Andrew Clarke 21-8, 21-15 and William Lister 21-17, 21-12. Ronnie Farrar also chipped in with a threesome before the two veterans teamed up in the doubles to win 21-11, 21-18 against Mitchell and Lister.

RESULTS:-Division One-Lothersdale 'B' 4, Lothersdale 'A' 6; Nelson Nomads 7, Embassy 'B' 3. Division Two-Ilkley Road 'A' 7, Wilsden 3; Nemesis 'B' 9, Cononley Sports 1; Oakworth 4, Lothersdale 'C' 6; St Peter's 4, Stockbridge Spartans 6. Division Three-Johnson & Johnson 7, Crossflatts 'A' 3; St Wilf's 'A' 3, Haworth 'B' 7; St Wilf's 'A' 2, Crossflatts 'A' 8; St Wilf's 'B' 0, Crossflatts 'B' 10; South Craven 0, Ilkley Road 'C' 10.