LAST week saw a couple of "big bang" cosmic collisions in the stratosphere of Division One, when Holcombe Brook met Walkers A and Markland Hill clashed with Walmersley.

After an in and out season, Holcombe marked their final match with a victory, which dealt a potentially mortal blow to Walkers' title prospects.

Architect of the win was Chan Cheong with positive play, quick reactions, and sharp volleys. Sue Lawson and Lisa Jackson also pitched in with a clinching women's win.

A resurgent Markland Hill narrowly held off the challenge of Walmersley in a match which underlined the quality of play in the Division but which also had its bizarre twists.

At the centre of these twists was Steve Pyatt who, after taking 11 frustrating minutes to even hit a ball with the strings, showed the recently improved texture of his game with a stream of winners, among them a fabulous half-volley, soft-hands, drop shot!

Tennis twitchers present also enjoyed the fleeting sight of an Eric Robert top spin cross-court backhand -- a shot only marginally less rare than Halley's Comet.

The stage is set for a cliffhanger finale. Longsight meet Walkers this week and a win would secure the Division One title. But defeats then and the following week versus Markland Hill would let Walkers steal it.

At the more terrestrial end of the divisions, Walkers B fashioned a rare win over Egerton, despite the latter's playing a blatant ringer in Malcolm Adamson.

Adamson played his usual wily game, as did Mike Foxall with his de Sade mix of spins, lobs and lures. Heroes for Walkers were the irrepressible Sweet girls, and that epitome of the cool and unhurried, Nigel Wright.

Phil Noden turned out for Winter Hill but struggled as Astley's Andrew Westmoreland slid ace after ace past his helpless reach. Westmoreland and partner Hannah Wilson were in unstoppable form, Miss Wilson beginning to bring a welcome increase in consistency to her game.

For Winter Hill, the old firm of Mark Perks and Shirley Sharples carried the flag with two tied sets but with Westmoreland and the redoubtable Gilt Dempsey also in opposition, the odds were much in Astley's favour.

Cricket Club turned out a team of welcome new faces with Sally Crudden joined by boy marvels Howard Davies and Dave Sutton. Guile and style combined to see off the Allsorts in decisive fashion.

RESULTS

Division One -- Longsight 33 Walkers C 16; Holcombe Brook A 33 Walkers A 22; Bolton CC 41 Allsorts 15; Markland Hill A 31 Walkers A 27.

Division Two -- Bradshaw 26 HRM A 24; MGB 28 Eagley 21; Astley 39 Winter Hill 23; Markland Hill B 30 Harwood 17.

Division Three -- Chorley 44 Bolton School B 14; Walkers B 32 Egerton 19; David Lloyd 33 Bolton School A 14.