AS the Bolton and District Table Tennis League began the second half of the season, Premier Division leaders Ramsbottom Town A toiled to a 21-15 win against third-placed Flixton Cricket Club B.

Anthony Bates earned a maximum nine points for the losers, whose fine showing allowed second-placed Flixton Cricket Club A to close the gap with a full-points 27-1 victory over third-bottom Wharton.

Fourth-placed Ramsbottom Town B had a good 21-11 win against Nomads, assisted by nine from Ryan Choong.

Fifth-placed Radcliffe Cricket Club beat bottom-of-the-table Hilton B 21-17, with Hilton’s David Andrews putting up resistance with nine points.

Mid-table Little Lever A beat second-bottom Ladybridge A 21-12, helped by nine from Graham Jeffries.

In Division One, runaway leaders Burning Desire beat Hilton D 22-16, while second-placed Wigan TTC were held to a 15-15 draw by mid-table Farnworth Social Circle A, with Farnworth’s John Hutchinson winning his usual nine points.

Third-placed Ramsbottom Town D had a 19-16 win against fifth-placed Coburg, with a nine from Martin Holt.

Fourth-placed Polonia Club A continued their success with a 21-10 victory over Heaton Cricket Club A, helped by a nine from Lukasz Serdiuk.

A mid-table match saw Little Lever B beat Hilton C 23-15 with nines from Nigel Shields and Roy Costello, while second-bottom Meadow Ben A lost 26-12 to bottom team Wingates with nines from John Bradbury and Steve Hathaway.

Division Two leaders Hilton E beat Hilton Top Spinners 27-10, while Saint Paul’s Peel, who are now in second place, had a 21-11 victory over Heaton Cricket Club B, and third-placed Polonia Club B beat Ladybridge B 23-7 assisted by nine from Vojtech Sanc.

Mid-table Brasszone beat second-bottom Walkden Methodists 21-18 assisted by a nine from Jim Bolton.

Third-bottom Farnworth Social Circle B beat bottom team Hilton F 21-13 with a nine from Martyn Garnett.

Meadow Hill A continued their romp at the top of Division Three with a 21-10 win against fourth-placed Meadow Ben D, with nine from John Nuttall.

Second-placed Farnworth Social Circle C beat Albany 21-12 with nine from Ben Wyatt, and third-placed Meadow Ben C trounced bottom team Meadow Hill B 27-3.

Fourth-placed Polonia Club C had an unexpected defeat to the team just below them, Hilton G, who won 21-11 helped by nine from Martyn Rolling.

Mid-table Farnworth Social Circle D beat third-bottom Hilton H 26-5 with nines from Elena Cecilia Tepelus and Pete Walker.