THIS season is turning into one of the closest title battles for some years in division one of the Focus Fireplaces York and District Table Tennis League.

Sessions 'A', the reigning champions, and Bootham Conservative Club 'A' are fighting it out at the top of the table and both have tricky matches to round off the first half of the season.

Sessions, with a four-point lead at the top, beat Coneysthorpe 'A' 8-2 as Chris Nichols and Mick Wilcockson each won three matches.

Bootham Conservative Club 'A' had a 10-0 win over York RI 'C', though many of the games were close.

Nestl Rowntree 'A' gained their first win of the season, beating York RI 'C' 6-4. Jill Schofield scored three wins and Nigel Reeson won two.

Poppleton 'B', bottom of the table, went down to Coneysthorpe 'A', whose Charles Allenby was unbeaten.

Richard Moss was unbeaten for Poppleton 'A' but it was not enough to stop them losing to Strensall 'A'.

Groves Associates 'B', 9-1 winners over Bootham Conservative Club 'B', have a slight lead in division two over Sessions 'B'.

Strensall 'B' moved into third place after their 10-0 win over Poppleton 'C'.

The BT derby ended all square at 5-5.

Bill Carter and Jim Stevenson each won two for the 'A' team and Howard Broadbent two for the 'B' team.

Northern Electric remain rooted to the bottom as they went down 8-2 to Nestl Rowntree 'B'.

Stu Stevens won three for Nestl.

Jim Stevenson's three wins for BT 'A' could not stop his team going down 6-4 to Nestl Rowntree 'B'.

Bootham Conservative Club 'C' are well ahead in division three.

They won 10-0 against Poppleton 'D' although the encounter did involve some close games.

York RI 'F' moved into second place, despite losing 6-4 to Strensall 'D', whose Peter Taylor scored three wins.

Coneysthorpe 'B' team's John Foxton and Eddie Prest were unbeaten in the 8-2 win over Strensall 'C'.

Adrian Church won three games for Norwich Union 'A' but they still went down 6-4 to York RI 'F'.

Peter Taylor won three as Strensall 'D' beat Shepherds 'B' 6-4 with only two players.

Division four leaders Groves Associates 'D' enjoyed an 8-2 win over Sessions 'C', Keith Hood and John Orchard each winning three for Groves.

Shepherds 'C' are in second place, then come Nestl Rowntree 'C', who beat York RI 'H' 8-2, Richard Falkingham winning three.

Gareth Stott was unbeaten for York RI 'I' against Sessions 'C'. Stephen Robinson won three for York RI 'I' but nevertheless his side still went down 7-3 to York RI 'H'.

Robinson again won three as York RI 'I' beat Norwich Union 'B' 8-2.

Updated: 11:06 Friday, December 20, 2002