A great mix of teams in the Team KO Q-Finals

Veterans League

It is the Quarter-Finals of the Team KO competition this Thursday with two Lockwood Con teams in the last eight just as there were in the Bistro KO Quarter-Finals last week. Only the club's 'B' team progressed in that competition and the challenge for the 'A' team is to pull back a +32 handicap start that their Division 3 opponents, Denby Dale, have over them.

The task for the Lockwood Con 'B' side looks equally as difficult as they take on Shepley who are in the second promotion place in Division 2 whilst the Lockwood outfit are in danger of suffering a second consecutive relegation which would take them down into Division 4. However their KO form has been very different with two wins against teams with a +23 handicap and coincidentally Shepley have a +23 handicap as well.

Cowcliffe also featured in last week's Bistro Quarter-Finals but lost out to Thongsbridge 'A' and will hope for better fortune this week. They face Clayton West on Thursday who are the Division 1 form team despite getting a lesson against their Bistro opponents at Cowcliffe yesterday.

The all-Division 1 tie between Marsh United 'A' and Golcar Lib 'A' is probably the most interesting meeting. Even though Golcar Lib 'A' are romping away with the Division 1 title and have only lost 3 matches all season, two of those losses have been to Thursday's opponents, Marsh United 'A'. Can they extend that League double to carry them through against the odds once more? Golcar Lib are the current holders and three-time winners of the Team KO title whilst Marsh United have never won it.

The Team KO competition consists of the top 32 teams from last season - i.e. all Divisions 1 and 2 and the top 6 teams from Division 3. All the other 10-man teams go into the Sub-Team KO. The match format is the same as for League matches - i.e. 4 x Singles and 3 x Pairs - with the aggregate totals determining the winners. In the event of a draw the number of games won will decide the team to progress. The four winning teams will go through to the Semi-Finals which will be played on Thursday 10 August.

QUARTER-FINALS Thursday 27 July

Cowcliffe (+9) v Clayton West (+5) at Springwood

Lockwood Con 'B' (+27) v Shepley (+23) at Ravensknowle Park

Denby Dale (+32) v Lockwood Con 'A' (Scratch) at Primrose Hill Lib Golcar Lib (Scratch) v Marsh United 'A' (+5) at Paddock I&C