IPSWICH Jaffa topped both the men's and ladies' team sections at their own meeting of the 53-12 Cross Country League, staged at Landseer Park.However, Springfield Striders finished a close second to move to the top of the League, after three of six events.

By Carl Marston

IPSWICH Jaffa topped both the men's and ladies' team sections at their own meeting of the 53-12 Cross Country League, staged at Landseer Park.

However, Springfield Striders finished a close second to move to the top of the League, after three of six events. They also provided the individual winner in Paul Dobson.

The Striders were actually missing six of their scorers from the previous race at Halstead, and it was so tight at the front of the field that four clubs each fielded two runners in the top eight.

Striders team captain Dobson led from start to finish, with club-mate Malcolm Muir in third. Muir was sandwiched between two Colchester & Tendring runners in 16-year-old David Gibbon (second) and triathlete Mat Rees (fourth).

Hosts Jaffa were also to the fore on Sunday, with fifth-placed John Weatherley leading home team-mate David Laing. Colchester Harriers were then represented by Colin Lewin (seventh) and Allen Smalls (eighth).

Jaffa's seven scoring men just had the edge, in the final analysis. The rest of their team was made up of Robert Chenery (10th), Richard Weston (18th), Paul Preston (23rd), Scott MacSepheney (24th) and Tom Jarrett (35th).

That was also the case in the ladies' race, where Helen Decker returned to winning ways in the ladies' event. Decker had finished second to Margaret Deasy at Halstead, but the England international was not competing at Ipswich.

Decker spearheaded a winning Jaffa team that also included Jayne Williams (sixth), Sally Steedman (10th), Val Jennings (13th) and Claire Wincomb (27th).

Springfield were not far adrift. Tracey Ransom moved up from seventh, a week ago, to second spot. Club-mate June Cordwell was also in the top 10 in eighth position.

Lynn Emmett, of Hadleigh Hares, was third as the top five places were filled by different clubs. Debbie Cattermole, of Colchester Harriers, was fourth and Tiptree's Laura Shewbridge an excellent fifth.

Sue McCann was the leading finisher for Colchester & Tendring in seventh, with debutante Grace Brown impressing in 11th, just ahead of club-mate Nicola Pyle.

Great Bentley Running Club finished fifth in the combined team stakes. They had three men in the top 20, in the shape of Peter Pearce, Geoff Tomlinson and Jon Nears.

Harwich were sixth, with regular runners Graeme Knott (11th) and Jason Meachen (12th) in good form.

Seventh-placed Witham Running Club's leading runner was Chris Feasey in 21st spot, while Nick Reynolds was first home for Tiptree Road Runners in 36th place.

Hadleigh Hares had the distinction of finishing the first team from Pool B, bolstered by a record turn-out