HOLGATE beat Hull Road Park 7-1 to stretch their lead at the top of division one in the York Amateur Bowling Association League.

Holgate took advantage of second-placed Holgate WMC having no game to move 15.5 points clear.

Selby moved into third following a 6-2 home win over Haxby Road, while RI Amateurs had an emphatic 8-0 home victory over Dunnington, while bottom club Rowntree lost 6-2 at Dringhouses.

Division two leaders Wigginton enjoyed a comfortable 7.5-0.5 win at bottom placed Burnholme.

The battle for promotion is getting tight behind them, with Shipton in second following a 6-2 home win over Harrogate.

RI Corinthians went third after a 7-1 success at West Park.

Division three is tight with less than ten points covering the top five.

Scarcroft moved into top spot after winning 6-2 at Minster, but Copmanthorpe dropped from joint top to fourth following an 8-0 drubbing at home to Poppleton Road WMC.

UNBEATEN Clarence increased their lead at the head of the York C&IU Bowls Evening League table to 16 points with an 8-0 defeat of Huntington.

Huntington dropped to fourth place behind Railway Institute, who won their game against Holgate 6-2.

Burton Lane remain second after their 6-2 win against St Clement's.

In the first round of the four-wood pairs competition, Alan Phillips and Kevin Butler, of Burton Lane, were 10-1 down against Railway Institute pair Tony Thornton and Arthur Dunbar, but clawed their way back to win on the last end by two shots.

Holders Jeff Dobbin and Steve Cain, of Clarence, were beaten 23-18 by St Clement's campaigners John Cooper and Harry Marshall.

ENTRIES are now being taken for RI Amateurs Bowling Club's new Two-wood Open Triples Tournament.

The competition, limited to 24 teams, will be held at Railway Institute Bowling Green in Ashton Lane, York, on Sunday, August 31.

The draw will be held at 9.30am, with bowling from 10am to 5pm. The winners will receive a trophy and £150, with £90 to the runners-up and £45 for the losing semi-finalists.

A plate competition will carry a first prize of £30, with £15 for the runners-up.

The initial group phase will include six groups of four teams each playing three matches. The group winners and two best runners-up will contest the knockout stages.

The remaining four group runners-up will go into the plate competition.

Entry costs £15 per team and the closing date for entries is Friday, August 1.

The tournament is being sponsored by the Co-operative Funeralcare, Haxby Garage Doors, Wheatlands Lodge Hotel, PCS Plumbing & Heating, Fleetways Taxis, Exactis Interactive Print, York Racecourse, Nestle and J Durham Electrical.