HERMITS E ended the first half of the season in perfect style as they opened up a decisive gap at the top of the Bradford League Division Three table.

They made it ten wins out of ten with a convincing victory at nearest rivals Hermits G, and now sit 14 points clear of their clubmates with a game in hand.

Stuart Beaumont and Mohammed Murtaza are the top two players in the averages for the E team and were both unbeaten.

Beaumont has 17 wins out of 18, while ever-present Murtaza took his record to 25 out of 30.

Also Azim Afzal chipped in with a single as the title favourites were 8-2 winners.

Baildon B moved above Rastrick into fourth after coming from behind to pip their opponents.

Mick Whitham (2) and Colin Priestley put Rastrick 3-2 up at the halfway stage, but Baildon finished the stronger as John Atkinson and Chris Willey won two each.

Steve Crossland secured a crucial single as he pipped Brian Banks 11-8 in the fifth to put Baildon were 5-4 up.

Atkinson and Willey found themselves 2-0 down against Whitham and Banks in the decisive doubles but dug deep to take the next three 11-8, 11-9 12-10 for the tightest of 6-4 victories.

In Division One, former Embassy Police star James Brown has returned to league action with Dewsbury Tog and made his first appearance of the season against Embassy Police B.

Brown dropped only one game in taking three singles and his son Freddie also won three.

They then teamed up to take the doubles for a 7-3 success which puts Tog B top of the table.

Results – Division One: Dewsbury Tog A 0 Embassy Police A 10, Embassy Police B 3 Dewsbury Tog B 7. Division Two: Pudsey B 6 Hermits B 4, Hermits D 3 Baildon A 7. Division Three: Hermits F 6 Baildon C 4, Hermits G 2 Hermits E 8, Rastrick 4 Baildon B 6. Division Fur: Hermits J 8 Thornbury B 2, Baildon D 7 Hermits K 3, Baildon E 8 Hermits I 2.