PUNJAB Lions clinched a third successive title in the John Pettit Grimsby and District Cricket League as they became division three champions.

There are no certainties in sport but the Lions being crowned again has looked nailed on since the first game of the season.

Last season they were division four and Grimsby Sevens champions having won division five the previous year.

They secured their latest title in week 12 of the season with a crushing 116-run victory over Bradley OB.

Lions posted 145 for six in 18 overs with opener Rakesh (43) and No6 Pali (49) scoring freely before they both fell to Donoghue (three for 52).

Old Boys' reply was in trouble from the beginning as they were reduced to six for five with Girish (3-2-3-3) and Pali (3-1-5-1) causing havoc.

No9 Martin top scored with 10 before falling to Sandhu (5-2-5-2) and Bradley were all out for 29 in the 17th over.

HLC Badgers cruised past Rovers thanks in no small part to a great all-round performance by West.

First he took four for seven from four overs as Rovers were restricted to 78 for eight from 16 overs.

Howard removed both openers before Taff (23) staged a mini revival.

Once he fell the rest found West almost unplayable. He was soon in action with the bat as he scored 36no and helped steer his side to victory by eight wickets with four overs to spare.

Humberston BW are also in the winning habit having dispatched the villagers of Cuxwold by nine wickets.

Cuxwold could only muster 52 for seven with Skudder top scoring with 16 and Dent, N Bagnall and Freeman all in amongst the wickets.

HBW then set about the modest target and reached it comfortably. Sharpe (25no) contributed the most runs and the win was confirmed in the 13th over.

In division one, Springfield Ibwest managed to put one hand on the title with a solid victory over Waltham Millers.

Openers Alex Osmond (42) and Hollamby (68) dominated and pushed their side to 136 for three from 16 overs.

Millers' reply saw two early runouts leave them reeling. Rich Griffin (40no) and Stuart Harvey (35no) started to fight back but they were always behind the rate and eventually they closed on 104 for three, 32 runs adrift.

Western OB strengthened their hold over third place with a comfortable 61-run win over Catholic Sports.

Consistent scoring throughout the top order allowed the Old Boys to post 113 for six.

Airey was top scorer with 30 while Carr led the bowling with two for 32.

In reply, opener Barlow joint top scored with 11 before becoming one of Dennis Parker's two victims.

No8 G Clarke also managed 11 before falling to Dunn (two for seven) and Xiarchos (two for two) and Rendall (two for nine) also managed to bag braces as the Catholics slumped to 52 all out inside 15 overs.

The race for the division two title is still wide open with any of the current top three mathematically capable of winning the race. Tuesday's encounter between Grimsby Pumas and One Medical, the current top two, could well have the trophy resting on its outcome.

Pumas, entertaining Phoenix, batted first and opener Chris Waters was still there at the end having run up 63no of the total of 110 for three from 16 overs.

Pumas' opening bowler Nick Gibbons cast injury problems to one side and dismissed three of the Phoenix top order for only 18 runs.

Faisal was standing firm but, when Waters sent him back to the pavilion for 40, Pumas seized their chance and rattled through the doctors' tail. Waters completed a superb all-round match with figures of four for 31 and Phoenix were all out for 99 giving the Pumas an 11-run victory.

Hot on the Pumas' heels are One Medical 1sts who overcame Emplex in a high-scoring match.

Rob Baty carried his bat for One Medical, crashing his way to a superb 101 not out.

Ably supported by Chandika with 42 and Ullah with 22no, the home side reached an impressive 168 for one from 16 overs.

The strong Emplex batting line-up made a solid start and was up with the required rate at the halfway point thanks to Chandrasekera (21), Blackburn (23) and Maddocks (26).

However no-one could go on to make the big score required and a 31no from Waghorn still left them 27 runs short on 141 for seven.

Change bowlers Chandika (two for 22) and Hawkins (two for 31) kept it tight at the death and pick up the plaudits with the ball.

PO Milan 1's chances of overtaking either of the top two took a huge blow as they fell to a 63-run defeat at home to Willy's.

The visitors helped themselves to 140 for seven from 20 overs with R Cowlam top-scoring with 45.

The Posties were far from their usual first class standard as P Sunley ripped through the top order to finish with four for 29 from five.

Holmes (25) was the only batsman to show any resistance with 25 as wickets fell regularly and PO Milan were all out in the 14th over for 77.

They responded with a fine win over Old Clee, which not only goes some way towards maintaining their second tier status for a fifth consecutive year, but also condemns their opponents to the Division Two wooden spoon.

In-form Eddie Carlton (46), Simon Thompson (29) and Adam Aisthorpe (22) contributed well to a decent target of 131 for visitors Old Clee to chase.

But two wickets in the first two overs of the reply put a huge dent in their efforts.

Bloomer (35no) and Burnett (32no) battled on but with John Hampson (three for 27) claiming three middle order wickets without conceding a run, Old Clee fell short by 13.

Hendry Electrical strengthened their position for promotion from division four with a seven-wicket win over Crystal Millennium.

Crystal Millennium lost openers Hardy (26) and Neil Burniston (31) to change bowler R Pearson (5-0-24-2), while an unbeaten 22 from Welsh gave them a total of 94 for two from 20 overs.

Jon Battersby opened the Hendry reply with Phil Parsons, who was the first to go for 23.

Battersby lost two more colleagues, but his undefeated 47, along with eight not out from P Lynch, saw Hendry Electrical home at the start of the 18th over.

Grainthorpe made a solid start, losing their second wicket for 69 after 10 overs when Elvidge fell on 26, against promotion hopefuls Woodlands.

Change bowlers Johnny Leach (3.2-0-15-3) and Paul Fannon (3-1-7-3) induced a huge collapse and having dismissed the well set Chapman (24) and Marsh (24), knocked over the next four batsmen for ducks.

The final wicket gave Fannon his third catch and Grainthorpe were 78 for eight all out in the 15th over.

Woodlands paced their reply perfectly with opener Kev Taylor (25) providing a strong foundation for skipper Fannon (27no) to achieve the seven-wicket victory with nine balls to spare.

S Ford (23) and Tommy Watson (nine) gave Westlands a solid start when they played host to Novartis 1sts.

M Powell, with a fine 55, and Patterson (32) increased the momentum, and with Ken Meech adding 15no, Westlands closed on 159 for four off 20 overs.

Ford opened the bowling for Westlands and took three for 28 in five overs, while his new-ball partner Pete Manarin bowled a parsimonious spell of 5-1-6-2 and included D Mawer (13) amongst his victims to put Novartis in real trouble.

Their top-scorer D Cole made 17 before falling to Powell (5-0-35-2) and some late runs came from L Cox (13), B Mawer (16no) and D Jackson (12no) as Novartis closed on 93 for eight, 66 behind Westlands.