Queens edged ahead in the Yorkshire Premier League for the first time this season after this week's thrashing of Pontefract 2 secured them a slender advantage over the chasing pack.

The top four - Queens, Pontefract 1, Dunnington and Doncaster - are separated by a tantalising three points at the season's midway point, setting up a thrilling second half when the campaign resumes in mid-January.

Round nine saw 2021/22 champions Queens of Halifax cruise to a dominant 20-3 home victory over Pontefract 2 with Danny Bray and Kuwaiti national champion Bader Almagrebhi both winning in four games to get the hosts off to a strong start.

Queens' experienced middle order duo of James Earles and Josh Taylor, both former pros, conquered Connor Sheen and Chester Dockray respectively in quick time. That left former British Junior Open champion Finnlay Withington to complete the whitewash by taking care of Ponte's Kiwi debutant Anthony Lepper in four.

Only one of the tightly-packed top four lost on Wednesday night - that was long-time leaders Doncaster. Without their big names Greg Lobban, Simon Herbert and captain Joel Arscott, they went down 19-6 at Abbeydale.

Abbeydale's Phil Scully and Hayden Tetley got the Sheffield side off to a lightning start, and although Canadian Brett Schille got one back for Donny in an absolute monster of a battle against Stanley Sykes (a 20-18 first game set the tone), Abbeydale's top order were just about able to seal the deal.

The home side's No.2 Jordan Hardwick got the better of Toby Ponting in another five-game epic, before Welshman Elliot Morris Devred toppled Will Salter in the top-string clash to finish things off.

While Doncaster drop to fourth, Pontefract 1 sneak above Dunnington on points difference to claim second spot at the halfway stage.

Ponte were pushed all the way by dogged Harrogate in a see-saw encounter. The night's opening exchanges were shared as Harrogate's Ross Kneller kept up his 100% record this season by beating Chris Gillespie in five, only for Ponte skipper Matt Godson to grind out his own five-game win against youngster Gabriel Cox.

On came the numbers two and three, but these too were shared - Ponte's Adam Taylor getting the better of Lewis Harding, but Declan Christie responding for Harrogate with a straight-games triumph.

That set up a winner-takes-all top-string affair between the home side's Egyptian 22-year-old Omar El Torkey and Harrogate's Kiwi giant Lwamba Chileshe. The decider was a bit of a damp squib, however, with El Torkey taking it at a canter to seal a 16-9 Ponte victory.

The passage to glory was a lot simpler for third-placed Dunnington, who thumped second-bottom Woodfield 20-1 in rapid fashion.

Matthew Stephenson and Luke McFarland kept up their exemplary YPL records this season with early victories (McFarland dropping the only game of the night), then Seif Heikal, former world No.20 Chris Simpson and Owain Taylor rattled off straight-games wins, although Taylor was taken to 20-18 in a mammoth second game by Woodfield No.1 Caleb Boy.

The battle to avoid relegation could be equally as tight as the title race - although bottom-placed Ferriby Hall look favourites to go straight back from whence they came.

The top-flight newcomers were walloped 20-4 by defending champions Hallamshire. Matt Gregory and former world No.1 Nick Matthew won in three; Adam Turner and Nick Wall Snr dropped a game, but top string Temwa Chileshe was taken to five by tenacious England youngster Ben Smith.