BRADFORD Veterans' second team faced their toughest test so far in the Yorkshire League when they faced Doncaster at Hermits.

The teams were both unbeaten, with Bradford having a two-set advantage, but Doncaster still posed a serious threat despite being without their No 2 Mick Thornley.

Richard Aitken has led the Bradford promotion push so far, winning all nine of his singles, and faced Doncaster No 1 Peter France, who had lost just once, in his opening match.

Aitken got Bradford off to the perfect start, coming back from 2-1 down to pip France 11-7 in the fifth.

The visitors then enjoyed a purple patch as they won three in a row as Mick Clay and France both overcame Fazal Hussain, and Phil Beresford beat Shamir Bose 3-2.

The home team needed a quick response, but Aitken and Bose made no mistake in the doubles, winning 3-0, and Aitken also won 3-0 against Beresford in the next singles to level the match.

Bose and Hussain then came up trumps with wins over Clay and Beresford respectively, and Bradford were 5-3 up and in sight of victory.

France kept Doncaster in with a chance, beating Bose in three close games, so the stage was set for the unbeaten Aitken to clinch victory against the unpredictable Clay.

The first two games were shared, but Aitken was struggling with Clay’s serve, and in the third game he was 10-8 down before taking four points in a row and then swept through the fourth game, dropping just one point to maintain his own and the team's 100 per cent record and their two-point lead at the top of the table.

In the Bradford League, Division Four promotion rivals Baildon E and Hermits H have almost identical records, with both having won six and lost two, and there is just one set between them, so it was almost inevitable that they would have a tight match.

Baildon led four times as Stephen Hirst and James Kinsella won two each, but Hermits edged in front 5-4 as Martin Jackson took three and Mick Raine and Geoff Parkes both overcame Shin No.

But Hirst and Kinsella won the doubles for Baildon to gain a draw, and the rivals are still locked together in the table.

Bradford League – Division One: Pudsey A 8 Embassy Police B 2, Hermits A 4 Embassy Police A 6, Embassy Police B 1 Highdale A 9. Division Two: Fastbats 8. Hermits D 2, Highdale B 10 Baildon A 0. Division Three: Hermits G 7 Baildon B 3. Division Four: Baildon E 5 Hermits H 5.