Bradford No 1 lost their first Yorkshire Inter-District League snooker match in nearly two years with a 4-2 home defeat to Castleford No 2.

Having won the title last year with an unbeaten record, and moving top of Division One without losing this season, another victory at Undercliffe Cricket Club was expected.

But Castleford’s second team had other ideas and took the points with a deserved success.

Joe Roberts got them off to a magical start, making a break of 78 to take the first frame 92-0, but Wayne Cooper responded superbly for Bradford as he replied with a run of 91 to win 91-0.

The first two frames finished so quickly that the second Castleford player had not arrived.

So Mark Slater moved up from his usual third position and although he lost the opening frame on the black (70-59), after opponent Richard Bresnan had made a 40 break, the Bradford player levelled matters again as a 46 run helped him to a 76-15 win.

It was left to captain Kevin Firth to bring up the rear but he was unusually out of sorts against a consistent Pete Raby, who clinched the overall victory by winning their frames 90-28 and 75-22 aided by breaks of 61 and 65.

There was better news in Division Two as Bradford No 2 kept up their recent fine form with another victory, this time 5-1 at Castleford No 3.

Gareth Green put the visitors two frames up and captain Hanif Rafiq extended the lead to three, only to lose on the pink in his second.

But Boover Singh played well in his two frames to win them both comfortably and push Bradford closer to top spot in the table.

* The draws for the Bradford Snooker Championships were made at Undercliffe Cricket Club and the second round of the singles will see a repeat of last season’s final.

That sees defending four-time champion Gareth Green (Harold Club) taking on John Wellham of Allerton Cons.

Other ties: R Bakes v A Green, H Mawson v E Glover, C Tolson v R Hagerty, W Downey v P Jackson, H Rafiq v L Walsh, M Slater v S Jackson, P Hamilton v K Firth.

Pairs: D Goy & S Jackson v R Hagerty & R Beckford, P Young & L Walsh v T McDonald & S Sandhu, J Walker & A Tipper v C & D Tolson, E Glover & C Morton v W Downey & T Borza, H Mawson & C Metcalfe v H Rafiq & B Singh, P Wood & S Shawmarsh v S Khan & T Mohammed, S Ough & J Fieldhouse v M Slater & J Murgatroyd, K Firth & W Cooper v M Sharp & R Denny.

* The Hey’s Trophy second round gets underway tomorrow night, along with two preliminary-round matches in the E Rosse Hopkinson Plate.

These two ties see Little Horton Social take on Great Horton Cons A and Clayton Rugby A facing Salthorn WMC.