Holders Julie Reilly and Jackie Heels (Fulford) were in great form in the first stage of the IT Sports Ladies Doubles Tournament which was played in aid of the Hospice 2000 appeal fund at nine different tennis centres around York and District.

They won the Wistow group, winning 35 games. Sue Yoward and Fran Critchley (Bishopthorpe) were runners-up winning 30 games.

Linda Molloy and Diana Wrigglesworth (Dunnington) beat Yoward and Critchley in a close match but lost to Reilly and Heels to clinch third place, winning 25 games.

Ros Latham and Isobel Harrison (Wheldrake) won the group at Civil Service, but lost to runners-up Mary Kemp and Madeline Hatfield.

Kemp and Hatfield's only defeat was to Barbara Leopard and Alison Ward, a pairing from the past, who finished in third place winning 25 games.

Chris Place and Margaret Whitehead (York) were unbeaten at the Bishopthorpe centre winning 32 games, local pair Andrene Watson and Chris Smith were runners-up and had long rallies against third place Sandra Meads and Jill Hodges (Sheriff Hutton).

Denise Neary and Helen Hadfield (Wheldrake), on their home courts, had to battle hard against Angela Bush and Christel Hetherton (Sutton-upon-Derwent) and Anne Henderson and Margaret Walker (Knaresborough) to end up champions at Wheldrake centre. Bush and Hetherton finished runners-up by the odd game over Henderson and Walker.

New Earswick centre produced shocks, great tennis, and a tie at the top. Carla Pawson and Phillippa Ashley (York) were beaten 6-3 by Appleton Roebuck's Judy Marriott and Sue Fish. Pawson and Ashley beat Jeanne Loadman and Jean Cross 6-3.

Loadman and Cross beat Marriott and Fish, but Jenny Rossington and Marrian Deamer (New Earswick) beat the Appleton couple 5-4 and the group finished with Pawson and Ashley winning 31 games. Runners-up Loadman and Cross also won 31 games and Judy Marriott and Sue Fish finished with 27 games.

Cawood tennis centre had runaway winners with Louise Lister and Wendy Stirk unbeaten, winning 36 games. Georgina Worley and Linda Irving, a regular pairing from Cawood and Fulford, were runners-up one game better than Jackie Williamson and Jackie Ritchie, another mixed pairing from Wheldrake and Civil Service, who won 25 games.

Selby tennis centre was won by Jill McCreedy and Anna Baker (Fulford) who were given a very close match by Jo Earl and Mary Pepper (Cliffe) just winning 5-4, but went on to win the group with 30 games. Earl and Pepper were runners-up winning 22 games. Anne and Henrietta Talbot (Selby) finished in third placed on 15 games.

Dunnington centre produced three couples finishing with over 20 games - Helen Leach and Carmel Parry (York), who only lost one match, finished in third place winning 21 games; Sandra Jennings and Jean Thompson (Tollerton) lost two close matches to finish runners-up winning 22 games; and unbeaten Denise Bolam and Sheelagh Stephenson from the Dunnington tennis club were the winners on 26 games.

At Fulford, the young players Jill Schofield and Jane Thompson (Bubwith) were unbeaten winning 35 games and will be hard to beat in the final stages. Kate Durkin and Sylvia Johnson (Castlegarth) only lost one match 6-3 to Schofield and Thompson who finished runners-up winning 30 games. Chris Atkinson and Jane Parkin (Bishopthorpe) lost two close 4-5 matches, had two wins and couldn't hold Schofield and Thompson, but ended up in third spot winning 24 games.

The quarter-finals at Fulford Tennis Centre will be played at 1.30pm on Saturday, September 25. The quarter-finals will be played in two groups:

Group one: C Pawson and Phillippa Ashley, J Reilly and Jackie Heels, J Schofield and J Thompson, J McCreedy and A Baker, D Neary and H Hadfield.

Group two: Ros Latham and Isobel Harrison, Chris Place and Margaret Whitehead, D Bolam and S Stephenson, J Loadman and J Cross, L Lister and W Stirk.

Dunnington power to title

Dunnington are Tyke Petroleum York Men's Tennis League division one champions.

They made sure of the title with a 69-39 win over Rowntree Park which maintained a two point lead over nearest rivals Poppleton, last season's champions.

Dunnington lost to Poppleton in their first match of the season but then won the next 13 matches.

Poppleton finished their season with a 68-40 win over Bubwith. All Dunnington and Poppleton's pairs in these last two matches scored over 20.

Wigginton, who beat relegated Knaresborough 63-45, must score a big win over Bubwith in their final match to stay in division one.

Riccall beat Bishopthorpe 76-32 to win division two by 29 games in a total of 1,412. They pipped York II, who were promoted at the end of last season. Mark Allitt and Rex Pocklington were Riccall's top scorers against Bishopthorpe with 27. Alan Yoward and Robert Moore scored 18 of Bishopthorpe's 32 points.

York II beat Fulford 73-35, Paul Gowland and Jamie Moore scoring 26. Govind Baker and Krispantono scored 24 out of 35 for Fulford.

Castlegarth's 59-49 win at Sherburn sent Sherburn down to division three by 33 games but with 10 points.

Division three champions Sutton-on-Derwent suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 57-51 at second-placed Strensall. Matthew Ward and Dave Howarth's 20 games gave Strensall their seventh consecutive win. Strensall have lost only three times in the last three seasons.

Appleton Roebuck's 68-40 win over relegated Wilberfoss left Appleton Roebuck needing a big win over Wheldrake in their final match to overtake Strensall for promotion.Castlegarth, who were promoted at the end of last season, are division four champions.

They won 56-52 at Dunnington in their final match. Their only defeat this season was to Heworth. Adrian Bury and Stuart Robinson were unbeaten with 22 against Dunnington.

The battle for second place intensified as Heworth lost 59-49 at home to Riccall. They are equal on points with Dunnington II but are 29 games behind them - and these two teams meet in their final match of the season.

Division five champions Cawood beat Appleton Roebuck II 73-35. Mark Bashford and Mike Thurston scored 28.

Sheriff Hutton have finished runners-up. Chris Burnham and Kevin Fair scored 29 and Dave Minto and Neville Bossom 28 as Sheriff Hutton sent Appleton Roebuck to their third consecutive defeat.

Division six champions Boston Spa and second-placed Selby both won their final matches. Boston Spa beat third-placed Rufforth 76-42. Hobson and Baxter scored 28. Selby beat a weakened Bishopthorpe III 98-10. Derek Andrews and Eddie Burton won every game with 32 and 30.

Bishopthorpe III have been depleted by the needs of their senior teams but won one match, had one conceded, and averaged 35 games a match.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.