Like it or not, the International Table Tennis Federation's new scoring system has produced some exiting matches in the Keighley & District Table Tennis League.

An astonishing match between Stockbridge Spartans and Ilkley Road 'B' saw the spoils go to the Spartans 7-3; but if just eight more points had been scored at crucial moments by the Riddlesden team the final outcome would have resulted in an Ilkley Road victory by the same 7-3 margin. It would seem that Road's Rob McLean must have tripped over a black cat, causing him to break the mirror he was carrying as he avoided a magpie by walking under a ladder, such was his luck on the night. To lose once by the narrowest margin can disconcert the most composed of characters; to do it twice on the same night can lead to nightmares; but three times... First Ray Wallace took the points from the luckless teenager 9-11, 10-12, 15-13, 11-8, 11-9. Then it was the turn of Ryan Foulds 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, before Abid Hussain compounded McLean's misery 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9. As if not to be outdone, Nick Emblem and Steve Barton emulated their team mate by going down in the doubles 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9. Astonishing, yet great credit must be given to the Spartans who showed enormous spirit to come out on top. Hussain was the star turn for the victors with a full house. Road's points came from Nick Emblem 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 16-14 against Foulds and a couple from Barton against Foulds and Wallace 11-7, 11-5, 11-5. Stockbridge's league position is the highest it has been for many years, looking down as they do on everyone except Lothersdale 'B' in Division Two.

Elsewhere in Division Two, the Lothersdale 'B' stunned Embassy Ambassadors 'C' by whitewashing their hosts. Clive Sherratt, Mick Czuba and Jeff Bennett simply had no answer to the Dalesmen who rattled up a cricket score in double quick time. Martin Connolly defeated Sherratt 11-2, 11-6, 11-8; Czuba 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 and Bennett 11-7, 11-7, 11-9. David Galley was equally dominant for his treble and only Peter Midgley was asked question before eventually earning himself a max that included victories 21-10, 11-13, 14-11, 11-7, 11-9 against Sherratt and 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 against Bennett.

Lothersdale 'C' also did the business with a 10-0 win at home to Cononley Sports. Richard Crookes powered his way to a full house including an 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 defeat of Michael Mitchell; Andrew Lambe also weighed in with his max seeing him get the better of Stuart Maude 11-7, 11-7, 12-10 and finally Martin Mulligan grabbing three, along the way defeating Eric Hudson 11-5, 12-10, 11-2.

In Division One, Nemesis 'A' head the table thanks to an 8-2 derby win against their 'B' team. An opening 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 win for Steve Taylor against Dave Manogue was followed by wins for John Stones against Tom Sampson, Katie Lightowler against Les Packer and another Taylor success against Sampson before Manogue finally broke the 'B' team's duck with an 11-5, 2-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-7 win against Lightowler. The only other success for last season's Division Two champs was a win for Packer 11-5, 11-4, 10-12, 11-9 against Taylor, highlighting the difference in standards between the two divisions.

Embassy 'B' also ran out comfortable victors at home to the other promoted team, Ilkley Road 'A'. Peter Kitching was streets ahead of the opposition with a fluent and faultless max that included the 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 defeat of Neil Foley. Palminder Sandhu was made to work for his treble by both Foley and Roy Towler 11-9, 11-5, 19-21, 7-11, 11-7. The visitors points came from Foley with a 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5 win against Nick Kaye followed by a success in the doubles alongside Towler against Sandhu and Kaye.

Ukrainian's Stef Szczur proved his mettle for his team at home to Red Rose 'B'. Fearing the worst following his opening defeat 11-4, 11-8, 11-8 to Geoff Ireland, the experienced Szczur stuck to his task to earn wins against David Ayrton 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7 and Michael Wrigley 11-8, 4-11, 11-8, 4-11, 15-13 to help maximum man Peter Holbrook earn a draw for the hosts.

In Division Three, Ilkley Road 'C' and Keighley Central share top spot despite the latter handing out an 8-2 thumping to the former. Azeem Khan was on top form with his treble including the defeat of Steve Ives 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6. Mohammed Nafise and Kamran Ramzan both added a couple each with wins against Jonathan Nutting and Paul Stead. However they both went down to Ives who registered all the Roader's points on the night.

Nathan Hogg and Andrew Bray look to be stars of the future in the Haworth team. Playing for the first time in the League this season the youngsters ensured an away draw for their team at St Wilf's 'B' with good wins against both David and Doreen Anderson. Debabrata Deb was on song for the Gilstead team with a treble that included the 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 defeat of Bray. The other points for the home team came with a win for David Anderson 12-10, 11-5, 3-11, 5-11, 11-6 against Steve Cole and a doubles win for himself and Deb against Hogg and Bray 11-5, 16-14, 11-7.

Results

Division One: Embassy 'B' 8, Ilkley Road 'A' 2; Nemesis 'B' 2, Nemesis 'A' 8; Ukrainians 5, Red Rose 'B' 5.

Division Two: Embassy 'C' 0, Lothersdale 'B' 10; Lothersdale 'C' 10, Cononley Sports 0; Stockbridge Spartans 7, Ilkley Road 'B' 3.

Division Three: Ilkley Road 'C' 2, Keighley Central 8; Keighley Central 4, St Wilf's 'B' 6; St Wilf's 'A' 3, Crossflatts 7; St Wilf's 'B' 5, Haworth 5.

Yorkshire Veterans Division Three: Keighley 2nds 7, Doncaster 2nds 3; Keighley 2nds 7, Castleford & Pontefract 3; Keighley 3rds 5, Wakefield 2nds 5.