A TEAM representing the Land Registry have made a long overdue return to the Weymouth & District League.

The new club have begun life in the second tier with two victories from their opening three games that included a fine opening night 22-18 success at St Osmund’s Hawks.

This encounter was evenly matched all evening with no player dominating and no fewer than four players ending the night with eight games to their credit, with four rubbers decided over five very tight sets.

The turning point for the Registry though came in the ninth and final singles with the score standing at 17-16 in the hosts’ favour.

Amazingly, having not taken a leg all evening, league debutant Lee Stainer pulled off a heroic 3-1 triumph over Hawks’ skipper Chris Webb (2) to put his side in the driving seat at 19-18 ahead of the final rubber – the doubles.

Experienced duo Andy Millar and Steve Cockram, who had claimed eight sets apiece in the singles, overcame strong, early determination from Sam Roles (8) and Josh Harman (8) to take that doubles and the match overall with a 12-10, 11-3, 11-8 victory.

Meanwhile, leading the way in the second division, Preston A have won all four of their opening matches, including an impressive 24-15 success over Shipton Gorge at Westfield College, where Mike Page (9) starred for the victors.

Paul Beeston (6) gave his side the early momentum with a quick-fire three-sets defeat of Alan Woodbridge (2) before Page then extended the advantage to 6-0 with an emphatic 3-0 triumph over Alec Brown (3).

However, Peter Billingham (7) was putting up more resistance for the visitors, and by game three Shipton were up and running with three points as Billingham fought back from losing the opening set to Ros Page (7) to take the game 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8.

Game of the night saw Brown fight back from 2-1 down to upset Beeston while the doubles saw Shipton earn more consolation from another five-setter which they won 11-8 in the fifth.

RESULTS Weymouth & District League Division One: Springfield C 10 Crusaders 25, Wyke A 21 Colliton A 18, Colliton A 27 Shipton A 11, Wyke A 25 Springfield C 7, Shipton A 21 Wyke A 21.

Division Two: Hawks 18 Land Reg A 22, Preston A 24 Shipton B 15, Pilgrims 18 Hawks 20, Shipton B 28 Preston B 16, Wyke D 10 Pilgrims 26.

Division Three: DYS 29 Wyke C 8, Colliton C 26 Preston D 14, Preston E 5 Budmouth 27, Shipton C 16 Preston C 24, Preston C 12 Budmouth A 27, Preston D 28 Shipton C 14.