Northcliffe confirmed their domination of Bradford golf by winning the team championship at West Bradford yesterday.

Inspired by a first round 64 from their leading Scratch League player Gareth Evans, the Division One champions finished five shots clear of the rest to complete the double.

And veteran Martin Bell predicted the best is yet to come from his team of talented youngsters.

Even without his son Simon in the side - he was resting after a back injury suffered playing for Yorkshire the day before - Bell, James Firth and Andy Town opened up a 15-strokes lead after the morning round that meant the title was effectively over.

In the end Baildon and Keighley put in great efforts to take the next two places, but there was little chance of them making up so much ground.

"I feel we have been the strongest team this year and this result confirms it," he said. "And with the youngsters we have here, it will get better."

Evans set the contest alight with his five under par 64 which saw him eagle the last two holes after an up-and-down round that also featured three birdies and two bogeys.

In the afternoon he was nearly matched by Baildon's Dan Teece, who had five birdies and one bogey in a round of 65 that gave him the prize for the lowest 36-hole total with 137.

Biggest surprise of the day was the demise of West Bradford, who were aiming for a fourth successive win on home territory but, fielding a weakened side, they were among the four teams relegated to fight for their places in the qualifying round next year.

With Darryl Berry and Mark Evans unavailable, they only had Julian Townsend playing from last year's winning line-up and it was Lazar Trkulja with a 148 total who proved to be the best of their four.

Bradford's Richard Bond was runner-up for best individual with 138 - edging out St Ives Richard Wheatley on a better afternoon round - but saw his team finish among those relegated.

FINAL SCORES

565 Northcliffe (J Firth 69, 71 - 140; G Evans 64, 75 - 139, A Town 69, 71 - 140; M Bell 70, 76).

570 Baildon (I Martin 73, 67 - 140; D Beever 73, 73 - 146; D Teece 72, 65 - 138; M Roche 73, 74 - 147).

580 Keighley (I Houldsworth 73, 73 - 146; C Ackroyd 75, 70 - 145; A Utley 73, 73 - 136; P Wood 68, 73 - 141).

582 Bingley St Ives (R Wheatley 67, 71 - 138; J Mountain 74, 71 - 145; M Parnaby 74, 77 - 151; A Brown 72, 76 - 146).

593 Woodhall Hills (A Dufton 76, 70 - 146; C Smith 76, 68 - 144; R Lee 76, 74 - 150; B Magretton 78, 75 - 153).

593 Shipley (R Cockroft 76, 72 - 148; T Wright 75, 76 - 151; J Simpson 76, 74 - 150; P Crosby 70, 74 - 144); Calverley (C Hustwit 75, 80 - 155; R Hall 71, 75 - 146; P French 75, 76 - 151; P Arthurs 73, 76 - 149).

604 Cleckheaton (R Bonnacher 77, 77 - 154; M Gaffrey 78, 74 - 152; W Holmes 82, 69 - 151; M Vertigans 77, 70 - 147).

RELEGATED

606 Bradford (R Bond 69, 69 - 138; N Dearing 83, 79 - 162; A Bean 74, 79 - 153; M Harris 76, 77 - 153).

607 Rawdon (M Martson 74, 72 - 146; P Davies 78, 68 - 146; C Shackleton 80, 77 - 157; C Atkinson 78, 80 - 158).

617 West Bradford (C Musgrave 81, 81 - 162; G Purcell 80, 76 - 156; J Townsend 75, 76 - 151; L Trkulja 76, 72 - 148).

627 Skipton (A Carling 82, 86 - 168; A Robertson 76, 75 - 151; P Pethybridge 78, 75 - 153; J Cooper 82, 73 - 155)