THE LEADING two teams in Bradford Table Tennis League Division 3A – Hermits I and Pudsey B – were involved in a battle royal in which Pudsey come out on top and moved above their rivals.

Pudsey looked set for a comfortable victory after Maurice Wrigley and Alex Waring won two each and, with Steve Smith chipping in with a single, they led 5-2.

Hermits fought back as Roger Swithenbank and Norman Swift took the final two singles to set up a doubles decider, where Wrigley and Waring got the better of Swithenbank and Swift in four games to put Pudsey top by one point.

In Division 2B, Rastrick became front-runners above Laisterdyke B following a hard-fought victory at Hermits F.

Ronnie Maystone took the honours for Rastrick with three singles and Brian Banks added two as they led 5-2.

Hermits rallied as Joe Jonas and Kath Manogue took the last two singles but Maystone completed an unbeaten evening by joining Mick Whitham to take the doubles 11-6 in the fifth game for a 6-4 victory.

The Bradford Closed Championships will take place on Sunday, March 29 at Keighley Table Tennis Centre, and entries should be sent as soon as possible to Peter Holbrook.

Division 1A: Unity A 3, Dewsbury Sedbergh 7; Embassy Police A 7, Embassy Police B 3. Division 1B: Fastbats A 7, Highdale B 3; Hermits B 6, Unity B 4. Division 2A: Unity C 4, Yeadon B 6; Hermits C 2, Laisterdyke A 8; Embassy Police C 9, Unity D 1.

Division 2B: Hermits F 4, Rastrick 6. Division 3A: Unity E 2, Fastbats D 8; Baildon B 9, Thornbury 1; Hermits I 4, Pudsey B 6.