When Selby Table Tennis League set up the new Team Handicap competition this season, players were handicapped with a view to achieving the ideal match result of 378-378.

No match has yet produced that ideal result, but Womersley's draw against Kestrels was the next best thing to perfection.

Womersely were eight points up when Mal Machin beat Dave Steer 42-27, putting the Kestrels seven points ahead. Mike Hanley increased that lead when he beat Dave Powell 50-25.

Steer clawed back nine points, but the Kestrels were still 18 ahead with one to play. However, Roy Crossland saved the day for Womersley, beating Hanley 48-30 to leave both teams on 351 points.

Selby WMC were level on 334 points against Thorpe 'A' when Bernard Wales took on Richard Morris in the final game, Wales winning 42-38 to take the match for Selby WMC 376-372.

Wales scored 141 points overall, with Roger Ellis and John Senior notching just under 120 each. Thorpe's players shared their points almost equally.

Thorpe 'C' beat division three leaders Sherburn Sharks by a mere eight points, 378-370.

Steve Taylor, Nick Godwin and Daniel Lawrence won all their games as expected. David Jenkin was the Sharks' top scorer on 128, his best result being a 49-42 against Lawrence. Claire Harrop edged 45-42 ahead over Godwin, finishing on 124.

West Cowick's 393-360 win over Thorpe 'B' saw Alan Neil take 139 points, Keith Beedham, 133, and Steve Brumpton 121.

Neil's best result was a 54-37 win over Colin Lincoln. Beedham lost 39-42 to Lincoln, but won his other two games by several points.

Eggborough Hawks defeated Thorpe 'D' 379-328, with Julie Senior on 129, Colin Peacock 126 and Mick Walker 124 points. The only game Thorpe won was Richard Morris' 42-38 defeat of Julie Senior.

In the league, Thorpe 'B' beat West Cowick 8-2 for their first win of the season. Bob White and Chris Godwin were undefeated, Colin Lincoln beat Steve Brumpton and Keith Beedham, but lost to Alan Neil. Cowick won the doubles 24-22 in the third end.

T & L's Mick Wilcockson, Chris Nicholls and Nigel Thorn beat Eggborough Ospreys 9-1, with Jim Robe beating Thorn for the Ospreys' point. Womersley, for whom Roy Crossland was undefeated, beat Thorpe 'D' 8-2. Stuart Anderson beat Dave Powell and Dave Steer for Thorpe's points.