Another Cowcliffe team under pressure

Winter League

Preview of the fixtures in Divisions 6&7 this Thursday

The Division 6 fixture programme gets underway today (Thursday) and is the last of the 10 divisions to begin their season. The two teams dropping out of Division 5 go up against each other as Springwood B take on Almondbury BC A. When they played each other last season Springwood won once 6-2 and the other was a 4-4 draw.

The two teams moving up from Division 7 are the B teams from Cowcliffe and Hanging Heaton. Cowcliffe will play the host team from Netherton Con B whilst Hanging Heaton have to take on Brockholes B. The Brockholes team won 10 of their 14 fixtures last season, a win total only bettered by the Champions but somehow that equated to a fourth place finish. They will expect more from their efforts this season. Cowcliffe B open their season with a match against Netherton Con B and I fear for the future of both these teams and they are my selections for the drop.

I feel really guilty about selecting a second Cowcliffe team for relegation this season having already named their A team as my tip for relegation from Division 1. They responded soundly with an opening day 8-0 win making a mockery of my choice, not for the first time. If my comments spur any team on to greater performances I am very pleased for them even if I get no credit for doing that!

Back to Division 6 matters and the Hanging Heaton B versus Brockholes B clash will be a good test for both teams as to what may be possible this season and neither will want to open their seasons with a defeat.

Outlane A finished a disappointing fifth place last season and I struggle to picture them any higher than that this season. Their opening day match is against Springwood C who completed a League double over them last season and will be expecting more of the same this season.

Springwood C finished two points off a promotion place last season which was a second successive 3rd place finish and will be aiming to go one better this time around. They will fancy their chances to take points off their club colleagues that form the B team and I expect them to do that when they meet and take the title this season.

A top two clash sees Holmfirth's unbeaten Division 7 record come under scrutiny from the Rugby Club this week. The Rugby Club have 20 bowlers registered with their team, more than any other team in any division. This provide a winter bowling experience for them all but means that their strongest team is rarely on the green at the same time. That is why I expect them to get points unexpectedly on occasions but also why I cannot see them winning the Division 6 title although that thinking may not transfer itself to the reality of forecasting correctly. Rotation systems rarely win titles in my experience but I fully understand why they are popular among Winter League teams.

The 3rd and 4th placed teams also go head-to-head as Marsh Lib A confront Kirkheaton Con B. Too tight to call but I do expect my clubmates from Kirkheaton Con B to be very much in the promotion mix come the end of the season even if they miss out on a win this week..

The Huddersfield Recreation Club B will be keen to avoid a second successive relegation and a win against Broad Oak A, the team at the bottom of the table, is a must-win match if they are intent on avoiding another drop in class. New Mill C are also under threat of a second consecutive relegation and falling out of the division so a win over the team just above them in the table is a real test they must win.