Liverpool Lizards staged an extraordinary recovery to beat old rivals City of Manchester 11-10 in the women's Super 5s at Aldershot today.

Manchester were cruising as three goals from Stephanie Whittaker helped them build a 7-1 lead by the latter stages of the second quarter. Even at the start of the last, Liverpool were still 9-6 adrift. Then they took charge, turning the game on its head with goals from Lauren Tasker (3), Emily Pyper and Molly Boniface-Ashton.

Earlier, Otter had little difficult completing their second win of the weekend - 16-4 against Caledonia.

It was also straightforward for Invicta in the men's competition as they outplayed struggling Lancaster 13-1 to complete their second victory. Manchester also grabbed maximum points, beating Cheltenham with surprising ease at 16-7.

In women's Championship 1 at Newport, Hucknall finished with three wins but were made to fight hard by a young Liverpool Liver Birds team before edging through 8-6. Liverpool couldn't get a shot past Hucknall goalkeeper Naya Patel (Picture, above - Trevor Hyde) in the first two quarters, but scored four times in the third through Evie Jones (2) and Charlotte Hopwood (2) to draw level at 4-4. Hucknall recovered near the end to ensure the points with goals by Katelyn Fairchild, India Wilkinson and Eda Colliver.

In one of the best matches of the weekend, Sheffield Sharks withstood a determined effort from City of Bristol to win 9-6. Goals in the final quarter by Bernice Cowton, Larissa Partridge and Danielle Elliot made the difference.

Champions Solihull went down 10-8 to Invicta as the men's Super 5s got under way at Aldershot today.

Invicta enjoyed great success in phase one and maintained the momentum by building an 8-4 advantage towards the end of the third period. That sparked a revival from Solihull, who battled back to 8-8 with goals by Jake Vincent (2), Jordan Elliot and Ryan Padbury. But it wasn't enough - Scott Martin's third goal edged Invicta ahead once again with three minutes to go; Callum Bailey added a penalty 21 seconds from the end.

Manchester had to battle for a one-goal victory over Lancaster in phase one. But it was a different story this time as they swept to a 14-1 victory, including four goals from Joe O'Regan.

In the women's Super 5s, also at Aldershot, Cicely Turner's five goals in the first two quarters led Otter to a 10-6 win over Coventry - and revenge for a narrow defeat when the teams met in phase one. Manchester began their campaign in devastating fashion, demolishing Caledonia 31-4. 

Later, Coventry gained their first points, beating Liverpool Lizards 9-4. Kimberly Watson gave the Midlands side a great start, scoring four in the opening period.

City of Bristol marked their step up to women's Championship 1 by taking a point from a 6-6 draw with City of Birmingham at Newport today.

It could have been better because Bristol led 4-1 early on, only to be brought back to 4-4 - and then trail 6-5 as Jessica Arthur claimed her third goal for Birmingham. Harriet Robinson levelled for Bristol shortly afterwards.

Mid Sussex Marlins led Hucknall 9-8 early in the final quarter but Hucknall grabbed victory as two goals from Katelyn Fairchild - giving her a match tally of five - and another from Eda Collier set up an 11-9 Hucknall win. In the battle of the Sharks, Sheffield beat Leeds 11-8.

Six-goal Kelsy Evans was the star for Tyldesley in their 15-6 defeat of Liverpool Liver Birds. Hucknall beat Bristol 13-7, breaking clear after the game reached the halfway stage at 5-5. Katelyn Fairchild claimed another five-goal haul for the winners.

The death has occurred of Neil Tasker, a member of the powerful Polytechnic team of the 1960s.

Neil was an international freestyler with the Brighton Shiverers club before turning to water polo, his speed and mobility proving great assets to the Poly team as they won the ASA KO competition in 1963, followed by an ASA KO/National League double in 1970.

Following a fall, Neil had been a quadriplegic in recent years, although he still managed to swim every week in the Hove pool.

Former Poly captain and GB goalkeeper Neil May says: "Despite his many problems, Neil's cheerfulness and zest for life have been truly inspirational. He will be sorely missed by his many friends."

City of Bristol recovered from a slow start to beat Manchester Hawks 17-8 in men's Championship 2, completing the opening weekend with a perfect record from three matches. The bulk of the goals came from two of their most experienced players, Matt Thresher (6) and GB Olympic captain Craig Figes (4).

Watford are the other 100 per cent team, also from three matches. They were 4-6 down at one stage to Otter but recovered to win 14-9. Petar Djordijc scored four and there were three more goals for ex-Croatian star Miho Boskovic (Photo: Trevor Hyde).

George Wood scored four as Worthing beat Southampton 10-6. Six-goal Bence Kadar led Penguin to a 15-12 victory over Croydon Amphibians after the teams were level at 10-10 in the third period.

Free-scoring Cheltenham Spartans top men's Championship 3 after the opening weekend of competition, winning all three matches at Gloucester.

After beating Birmingham and Tyldesley, they finished with a 23-5 demolition of Bridgefield. Michael Thomas (Picture: Trevor Hyde) was again in fine form, scoring five and taking his tally in the three games to 13.

Castleford also enjoyed a successful weekend, although they had to survive a nerve-racking final quarter before taking the points against Rotherham Metro at 13-12. Rotherham led 9-6 at one stage but Castleford pulled up to 11-11 by the end of the third quarter and edged 13-12 ahead with three minutes remaining. The rest of the game saw Castleford suffer three exclusions but survive each time, finishing the weekend with five points from three games.

Birmingham beat Tyldesley 15-10 to complete a second win, including four goals by Nigel Greenwood and three from Nathan Wilkes.

In 2012, Miho Boskovic famously starred as Croatia claimed water polo gold at the London Olympics. Today, he was back in the UK - playing for Watford in the British League's men's Championship 2.

Boskovic, 36 yesterday, retired from top competition some time ago. But he was happy to turn out for Watford and demonstrate that players of his calibre (108 caps and voted LEN Player of the Year in 2007 and 2012) rarely lose the ability to mesmerise even the most determined defence.

Watford won 14-9, with their star import scoring three in the first period and adding a couple more before taking a rest. 

This weekend sees matches in men's Championship 2 and 3 at Watford and Gloucester. The Championship 2 clash between London rivals Penguin and Otter produced a real thriller. Penguin built a 4-1 lead early in the second period, but Otter hit back to go 8-6 up before the teams ended all square at 9-9 at the end of the third. The final period was a tense affair with Penguin taking the points at 12-11 thanks to goals by Taka Ota (Photo: Trevor Hyde), Lorenzo Cacciola and Andras Kovacs. Cacciola and Kovacs both scored four, as did Nicholas Corjon for Otter.

Later, Watford beat Penguin 13-9 - just one goal this time from Boskovic - and Bristol collected their second win, defeating Worthing 12-9. It meant that only Watford and Bristol survived the first day in Championship 2 without dropping a point.

In Championship 3, Cheltenham Spartans are the early pacesetters, following up 14-9 defeat of Birmingham with a 19-13 success against Tyldesley. Rotherham hammered Cambridge 19-3. York recovered from 8-4 adrift to draw 10-10 with Castleford. Birmingham also wiped out a 9-6 deficit to beat Bridgefield 13-10. 

Coventry, 7-4 adrift after two quarters, hit back to beat Caledonia Storm 11-9 in men's Championship 4 at Haberdashers today. The Midlanders scored three times without reply in the third period to level the match at 7-7, then finished strongly with goals my Matt Hannah (2), Sarunas Beleckas and Sam Goodwin.

Invicta Marlins won for the first time - 11-10 against Leeds. The final quarter began with the teams locked at 8-8; then goals by Doug Sheppard, Jamie Bailey and James Spencer-Boyce gave Marlins the points. Quinn Walker and Matt Bottomley notched hat-tricks for Leeds. Four goals by Tom Endy, including a third period hat-trick, took Hucknall to an 8-5 victory against Watford Saxons. 

After drawing against Coventry and Watford Saxons, the British Army took their weekend points tally to four with a 12-6 win against Sheffield Dolphins. Nick Covington scored four and Mike Chadwick and Adrian Davey three apiece.

Photo (Trevor Hyde): Josh Silverbeck, one of the goal-scorers for Watford Saxons against Hucknall.

We're off again - the start of the second phase of another exciting British League season!

Early drama was provided in men's Championship 4 at Haberdashers as City of Coventry and the Army drew 10-10. It was a close match all the way through, decided in the last two minutes when Nick Covington's seventh goal edged the Army into a 10-9 lead - only for Ashley Keen to claim a Coventry equaliser. 

Hucknall led 6-1 after the first quarter against Caledonia Storm - including four goals by Tom Endy - on the way to a 9-7 win.

In women's Championship 2 at Newport, five goals from Nia Sanders earned Welsh Wanderers a 7-4 victory over Penguin Emperors. Andrea Norris contributed four in English Roses' 7-2 defeat of Southampton. In their second match, Penguin Emperors led Southampton 5-4 after three quarters but lost 6-5 after conceding late goals from Kimberley Gray and Aime Park.

Photo (Trevor Hyde): Invicta Marlins' goalkeeper James Blything makes a fine save against Watford Saxons at Haberdashers today, but he couldn't prevent Watford taking the points with a 7-3 win.