BURY A started the New Year proving that their number one spot in the Bolton Badminton League is no fluke.

They are two points clear of both Christ Church and title holders Markland Hill A, with ABC threatening, and with Swinton as their latest victims.

Bury B, meanwhile, could return to A Section badminton, if they can keep Sharples A and Markland Hill C at bay. Metro A still look the strongest in B Section but the clutch of teams at the top will keep promotion on the agenda for a while.

Markland Hill D is comfortable at the top of C Section but it is a hotly contested division as the clash between mid-section Forrest C and second-to-the-bottom Chowbent C revealed.

Home team Chowbent started the scoring with two good wins from Janet Bailey and John Pimblett before Chris Travis and Tony Augustyniak got Forrest scoring.

With the two teams evenly matched, the situation after the mixed was 5-5, but Forrest's strong, young third lady Hannah Green then made a difference.

She and Chris Travis won top ladies 2 and 11, and then with Dureen Dixon second ladies 7 and 4, to ensure a narrow 10-8 win for the visitors.

Park B are pushing for promotion in D Section, but mid-table Metro C were determined to thwart them when they met at Metro's St Joseph's sports college base.

After both teams shared the first four games, it was up to third mixed pair Nicola Harrison and Roger Southern to get their set and help edge Metro into a 6-4 lead.

Barbara Butterworth and Nicola Harrison stretched this with both top ladies' games. When Dennis Corbett and Roger Southern added two more at top men's, the points were Metro's.

Barbara Cain and Chris Salmon added two ladies for Park and Bill Kay and Jack Hollinshead a final men's game, but the home team proved 11-7 winners.

The Markland Hill mixed tournament takes place on Saturday, March 13, details from the club on 01204-840000.