RAMSBOTTOM A look to have regained the championship of the Bury Table Tennis League Division One, even though they didn't play last week.

They are now 27 points ahead of second placed Little Lever with a match in hand.

Paul Cichelli returned this week for Burning Desire A and although he won his customary three, it was not enough to prevent his side going down 6-4 to Little Lever CC.

Jim Chadwick and Mick Dore were both unbeaten for Radcliffe CC as they also won 6-4 away to Ramsbottom B.

Ramsbottom Town C also look likely to win promotion from Division Two, but who will be runners-up is very much undecided, with only one point between Burning Desire B and St Philips A.

St Philips B team did their A team no favours at all, going down 10-0 to Burning Desire B, whilst in spite of Top Ten leader Dennis Collier scoring three wins, St Philips A could only manage a 6-4 win away at Prestwich B.

The two Ramsbottom teams both had good 9-1 wins, with the C team beating Prestwich A and the D team Maccabi A, whose one win was in the doubles.

Tom Ryan scored three as Adelphi beat Carlton Club 6-4 and Phil Myers did likewise for Hamer against Prestwich C, as his team won by the same scoreline.

Elton Vale A and Seedfield B both caught up Division Three leaders ELPM A with 10-0 victories, while ELPM A could only manage a draw against Stand CC.

There are now only two points separating the top three clubs and this division looks as though it could go down to the last match of the season before the medal winners are known.

Prestwich D moved into fourth position after they had a 9-1 victory over BGSOB A, and Martin Nichols scored three wins for Claybank as they won 8-2 away at Prestwich E.

The match that could well decide who will be the champions and runners up of Division Four was played this week between Holmar A and Seedfield Meths C, and, despite three wins from Alan Carse of Seedfield, Holmar A won 7-3 to give them a valuable four point lead at the top of the league.

Holmar B also won 7-3 against BGSOB B, with Alan Hibbert undefeated for Holmar, but they are 34 points behind second position.

All three players for Elton Vale B scored trebles as the team won 9-1 against Prestwich F, but the Elton Vale C team were on the wrong end of an 8-2 scoreline against ELPM B, for whom both John Edge and Harry Uren were unbeaten.

Keith Cheyne made the difference for Carlton Club C as he was unbeaten in their 6-4 victory at home to Maccabi D, and Alistair McKernan did likewise for Seedfield D in their match against the E team which resulted in the same 6-4 scoreline.

Mathematically, ELPM C could still catch Shawfield B at the top of the Division Five, but it seems hardly likely now with only three matches left to play.

Both had maximum 10-0 victories last week, ELPM C against Walshaw B and Shawfield B against Holmar C.

In the other match in this division, ELPM D beat Walshaw A 7-3, Lawrence being the unbeaten player for ELPM, and those three wins took him level with Steve Richardson of Walshaw.