COMPETITION for promotion places is hotting up in the Bolton Badminton League as the half-way stage of the season comes into view.

The scramble for the top spot in E Section is typical of the competitive situation for local players.

Here, Smithills B are hanging on by their fingertips to the top spot but, as their clash with Springfields D reveals, nothing is certain.

Smithills have been managing to hold off rivals Hawkshaw D, Moorside A, Springfields D and Forrest D.

But, when they went to Springfields' Kearsley Leisure Centre base, it was the home team which made most of the early running.

Eileen Beeney and Dennis Corbett set out Springfields' stall with both opening games, before Smithills' Linda Singh and Malcolm Rolfe took their top mixed.

Diane Hunt and Len Ball at Smithills' third couple kept hopes high -- but they were dashed again when Eileen and Dennis and then Carol James and Richard Moon put Springfields into a useful 6-4 lead.

Smithills' top ladies Linda Singh and Diane Hunt fought back. They took the first game 15-13, but the two teams were on level pegging again when the second game went to the visitors after Eileen Beeney had to retire injured.

Top men's were shared, and Diane Hunt and Cath Ball took both second ladies 15-4, 15-2 to put Smithills on at least a point.

When Tony Sames and Len Ball took the first of the final men's games 15-13, Smithills had taken two points. Richard Moon and Harry Jackson took the final game of the night 15-12, but this left a 10-8 scoreline for the visitors from a tough match which could have gone either way.

Moorside's two teams in F Section are both in the promotion zone. So Moorside C's home clash with mid-table Metro E was important.

Pat Morran and Phil Wignall kicked off the scoring for the home side with their top mixed games. But the next set was shared and Metro third couple Delia and Paul Topping took the next for the visitors.

Pat and Phill won their next two, but when Margaret Bryan and Ken Edmondson took the final mixed games for Metro, the score was 5-5.

The men's and ladies' were equally hotly contested, and results divided.

Lilian Walton and Hazel Pennington finally put Moorside in the driving seat with both their second ladies' games in an exciting 15-13, 15-14 clash.

Metro's Ken Edmondson and Paul Topping, however, pulled out all the stops in the final men's games to take them both 15-7, 15-6 and force a final draw.

All teams playing against Metro at St Joseph's School at Horwich are asked to please enter the premises via the Chorley New Road entrance.

RESULTS

A Section: BIT 7, Markland Hill B 11; Markland Hill A 16, Forrest A 2; Christ Church 17, Bury B 1; Bury A 6, ABC 12; Chowbent A 16, Chowbent B 2.

B Section: Racquets 5, Hawkshaw B 13; Sharples A 5, Swinton 13; Forrest B 13, Springfields A 5; Markland Hill C 5, Metro A 13; BSC 9, Westhoughton A 9; corrected result Springfields A 10, Park A 8.

C Section: Springfields B 17, Forrest C 1; GMT A 16, Springfields C 2; Metro B 16, Sharples B 2.

D Section: David Lloyd LC 10, GMT B 8; Markland Hll D 18, Farnworth C 0; Smithills A 10, Markland HIll D 8; Deane A 10, Westhoughton C 8; Farnworth B 14, Farnworth C 4; Sharples C 11, Metro C 7.

E Section: Moorside A 6, Hawkshaw D 12; Springfields D 8, Smithills B 10; Metro D 4, Sharples D 14; Park C 4, Forrest D 14; Westhoughton D 5, Deane B 13.

F Section: Smithills C 16, Springfields E 2; Farnworth D 1, Moorside B 17; Forrest F 10, Holy Cross 8; Moorside C 9, Metro E 9; Markland Hill E 13, Smithills D 5; Deane C 12, Moorside D 6.