CONGRATULATIONS to two Bury-Pedalsport youngsters, Ben Scranage and Tom Doyle, who will be on international duty for their respective countries, on Saturday at Great Blakenham, Suffolk.

After a couple of young England caps, Ben has been picked for the senior England team in the home international event, and also for the forthcoming trip to Poland for the European championships -- and he is still only 18.

On a different level, Tom has again been selected for Ireland in the Ipswich event but he is the first to acknowledge that the Ireland selectors don't have the same abundance of riders to pick from. Well done to both of them.

It has been a busy week for the senior and junior riders. A Northern Alliance defeat by five points against Tameside came as a big disappointment following wins against Heckmondwike and Sheffield, and may mean that hopes of the championship have slipped away.

In Saturday's Astley and Tyldesley festival, some 60 riders contested three separate events, and 11 Bury riders took part. Over the years this has been a good event for Bury, but this year they achieved only one trophy which came from an unexpected quarter.

Twelve-year-old Leo Brindley, the club's newest recruit, riding in his first competitive meeting, took runner-up in the first event of the day for novices and young riders. Having scored an excellent 14 points in the qualifier, with two firsts and two seconds, he won his semi-final and then, lying in third place in the final, had a stroke of luck when the rider in second place crashed. A delighted Leo followed the winner -- a sensational nine-year-old from Newport, Mark Carmichael -- past the chequered flag.

Having collected his trophy, Leo had an unusual way of celebrating, he lay on the back seat of his dad's car and fell fast asleep! Well done Leo.

In Sunday's Northern Fours and Junior League at Hull, Bury retained their top of the league spot, winning their match with 47 points ahead of Heckmondwike with 44, Hull 41, and Sheffield 25: Paul Dyson 14; Ben Scranage 12; Fred Rothwell 11; Steve Muff 10.

Goshen didn't fare so well with their weakened team. Tameside 49, Astley and Tyldesley 45, Hull 37, and Goshen 26: Scott Jarman 8; Tom Doyle 7; Michael Parrish 4; Ashley Simpson 4; Chris Parrish 3.

The juniors did the club proud with a winning performance on the day, their combined efforts amassing 120 points to Sheffield's 116, Astley and Tyldesley 97, and Hull 79.

After three rounds, Bury still top the Junior League table with 14 match points ahead of Sheffield with 12, Astley and Tyldesley 10, Hull 5, Heckmondwike 3, and Tameside 2.

Away action this week-end with Northern Alliance matches at both Hull and Heckmondwike on Sunday.