BOTTOM of the league Wheldrake took their 'A' team to Academy 2 and thrashed the promotion shoe-ins to set division six of the Tyke Petroleum Men’s Tennis League alight.

Jason Watson and Colin Brooks just would not be beaten, scrapping out a final round draw against Academy number one's Piers Forster and Mark Bowman, ending on 2½-23.

There’s now a four-way stampede for the second promotion place behind runaway division six leaders Poppleton 3.

Wilberfoss 2 snatched that spot from Academy on ‘games won’ with a tremendous result at home to Boston Spa 2. Up-and-coming youngster Dan Jacques ran amok with Iain Webster for the day’s top score of 3-28.

With a match in hand, Sutton-on-Derwent 2 still have a shout for promotion, bolstered by 10½ points against Selby, who now prop up level four in place of Wheldrake.

Partnering Nigel Britland to 3-25, Jon Los for Sutton basked in the limelight usually reserved for his three sons.

In the contest for promotion from division seven, Cliffe all but doused their chances by taking only four players to leaders Starbeck 3. The damage was limited as they won four of the six contested rubbers, including a 3-26 maximum from David Tomlinson and Luke Crowther.

It is a result that leaves Cliffe 11½ points adrift of second-placed local rivals Riccall but they still have a match in hand.

Knaresborough 2 captain Trevor Cook scored 3-26 with Paul White at Heworth 2. Father and son unit Andy and Matt Walton also ended the match unbeaten with 2½-24.

Wigginton 2 ended their four-match losing streak in the second division by destroying bottom team Wetherby 2.

All three Wigginton pairs ended unbeaten, including player-up Neil Storey, scoring 2½-22 with captain Marc Jones. Wiggy’s 11-point haul leaves them agonisingly half-a-point short of a division two berth for 2016.