YORK Indoor Bowls Club retained the Yorkshire Ladies' League title after an 86-66 victory over close rivals Redcar.

The game was evenly poised after 15 ends when the score stood at 52-50 in York's favour but they finished well and picked up eight out of the ten points at stake.

At home, Jean Williams, Pat Potter, Pauline Cooper and Melanie Brooke were 13-8 ahead before falling 15-13 behind.

They rallied well, winning all but one of the remaining ends to finish 23-17 victors.

Maureen Walker, Tina Robinson, Betty Richardson and Sue Allen trailed 13-9 with five to play but with one to go led 20-14, finishing 20-19.

In Redcar, Joan Jackson, Kath Pepper, Sheila Turpin and Carol Instone were on top form and led 17-0 before the home side notched a single on the tenth end. They led 27-3 with four ends to play before closing 27-9.

Carol Banks, Pauline Armitage, Sue Tomlinson and Linda Harrison only won one end up to the 13th and found themselves 20-1 down before winning all but one of the remainder to finish 21-16.

Meanwhile, this Saturday, York will have it all to do to retain their Yorkshire League division one status - needing to beat leaders Featherstone while hoping Redcar do not defeat second-placed North Cave.

The final showdown was brought about following York's 95-72 defeat to Scarborough where they picked up only four points thanks to two winning rinks.

At home, Nigel Macdonald, Neal Macdonald, Craig Newton and Mark Clarke went 16-14 up with a four on the 16th end but lost the next four to go into the last 20-16 behind. However, a magnificent five gave them a vital win.

Malcolm Harrison, Eric Hodgson, Malcolm Lewars and Phil Parsons picked up two sixes but otherwise it was a bad afternoon as they lost 25-16.

In Scarborough, Alan Vowles, Tex Stevens, Graham Brooke and Paul Mooring got off to a brilliant start as they led 17-3, and they finished 26-17.

However, Graham Instone, John Crowe, Pete Jackson and Dave Stroughair went from 3-2 down to 25-3 behind in the space of eight ends on their way to a 34-9 defeat.

York 'B', meanwhile, must wait for Saturday's game between New Earswick 'B' and Doncaster to see if they can stay in division two after they lost 92-63 to Leeds, picking up only two points to remain three ahead of Doncaster.

The winning rink came from Allen Clapham, Noel Mallen, Gordon Fennell and Mal Bulmer, who picked up a decisive four on the last end to triumph 22-19.

Wally Darbyshire, Barry Walker, Ken Simpson and Jim Robertson dropped eight shots over four ends to go from 9-8 ahead to 16-9 behind and they lost 23-16.

In Leeds, Harley Wenham, Ron Munro, Gordon Walker and Ray Clark led 11-10 after 11 ends but won only one more and lost 27-16.

Pete Riley, Trevor Scott, David White and Geoff Walker were always chasing their game to no avail, losing 23-9.

Tomorrow at 12.30pm, York play Cumbria in the Mason Trophy at Darlington IBC, while at Thanet Road at 12.30pm York Knights play Hornsea 'B' in their last Yorkshire Over-55s League division two game of the season.

On Saturday at noon, York host the Liberty Trophy semi-final between Cumbria and Leicestershire, then on Sunday at 10am, they host another mouth-watering game as Hartlepool take on Spalding in the Top Club quarter-final.