Pontefract's march to the Yorkshire Premier League title gained yet more momentum on Wednesday night as they opened up a chasm between themselves and second-placed Hallamshire.

Ponte's thrashing of fourth-placed Harrogate combined with Hallamshire's home defeat by Queens stretched the lead at the top from 25 to 37 points with seven matches remaining.

The leaders' 20-1 victory by the Stray maintains their 100% record and brings the prospect of a first title for 15 years ever closer. It started with the no.1s going on first, and it was world no.52 Patrick Rooney who downed his training partner Lwamba Chileshe in straight games to set the tone of the evening.

On the adjacent court, Ponte captain Matt Godson betrayed a few after-effects of a heavy match the previous night in the North West Counties League by dropping the first game against Alec Fuller, but he soon found his rhythm to take the next three, and that turned out to be Ponte's only dropped point of the night.

Pontefract no.2, Rory Stewart of Scotland, was an impressive winner against veteran Chris Simpson, Kiwi teenager Freddie Jameson won in three over Josh Rowley at fifth string and Adam Taylor chopped the indefatigable Ross Kneller, also in straight games.

Hallamshire's surprise 15-8 home defeat to Queens was a further boost to Ponte's evening. The Sheffield club were missing the two Nicks, Wall and Matthew, and their stand-in top order duo both lost.

Welsh international Lowri Roberts got an early three points on the board for Queens by defeating Nick Hargreaves at no.5, but Hallamshire established a 2-1 lead thereafter through young Welshman Oliver Jones and club head coach Adam Turner.

However, Queens turned things round late in the evening with a tough three-game victory for Kuwaiti Bader Almaghrebi against Matt Gregory, then James Earles's see-saw five-game marathon against New Zealander Temwa Chileshe at top string.

Defending champions Doncaster climbed off the bottom despite losing 15-7 at Ferriby Hall, who have themselves pulled away from danger into seventh. Dan Lawrence and Yusuf Forster laid a solid early platform for the hosts and their no.1, England international Ben Smith, finished things off with a great win over world no.52 Simon Herbert.

However, middle order wins by skipper Joel Arscott and David Turner saw Doncaster take seven points home which was enough to lift them above Abbeydale, who were soundly beaten 20-1 at third-placed Dunnington. Welshman Owain Taylor, Jamie Brown, Cai Younger and Sam Gibbon all won in straight games for the York hosts, with only no.5 Ed Shannon letting a single game slip away.

Eighth-placed Cleethorpes are still looking over their shoulders uneasily after this week's 17-4 home defeat by Woodfield. The home side got their one win via Adam Stevens's victory over young Charlie Waller at no.5, but it was Woodfield all the way thereafter, with Alex Cutts, Thomas Ramsey and Egyptian giant Moustafa Elsirty all winning in three and Londoner Caleb Boy dropping just one game against Reece Newell.