Another Inter-District surprise?

Veterans League
1 hour ago
2 min read

Veterans League

Aire & Wharfe are the penultimate opponents for the Huddersfield Inter-District team in the 2026 season for today's home and away teams match format. The home team will be playing at Lowerhouses for a third time this season (teams are only allowed to play on any one green for a maximum of four matches in an Inter-District season).

The Aire & Wharfe team sit in 7th position of 9 in the latest table with a very similar match record to the Huddersfield team of Won-2 Lost-4 to date as shown below. The Huddersfield team sit two places ahead of their Friday opponents.

I almost applauded the last green selection of Lowerhouses to counter the clear evidence that the visiting Leeds team was a stronger setup than the Huddersfield team was likely to be (see the league table below). That worked out well with the Huddersfield home team being the first team this season to beat the Leeds away team. So well done on that but I have to question the approach that the same green suits every situation. I don't believe it does.

For the same reasons I supported the choice of Lowerhouses last time out, I cannot endorse the selection of the same green for this Friday's encounter. The circumstances have changed as the Aire & Wharfe away team are nothing like as strong as the Leeds away team having won only one of their six away games to date. Putting them on a green that presents a challenge to any non-home bowler offers the chance of a surprise result.

I liken this decision to the one used for the Skipton home match. Selecting a Lockwood Con green in the worst condition than anyone can recall, for a home match against an obvious weaker team than the Huddersfield one, introduces the element of luck into the contest and they paid the consequences of that decision by losing the home match by 10-18 and the match by 19-37. That being one of only two wins all season for the Skipton away team, the other one being against bottom-of-the-table Castleford, which doesn't really count. Therefore, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Aire & Wharfe team had a good day and stole some points from their trip to Lowerhouses. Why take the risk when there are some good local greens around which favour the better bowlers and eliminate the element of luck? Time to have a little more confidence in the team selected, me thinks.

The Huddersfield home team is: Peter Fuller, Andy Wike, Ray Whitwam, Martin Skuse, Rob Spencer, Stephen Haigh, Mick Chapman and Rob Dickinson. Reserves Graham Sigsworth (captain) and Adrian Cooper.

The away team play at Burley-in-Wharfedale LS29 7NK. The team is Malcolm Gilbert (captain), Garry Senior, Steven Haigh, Derek Hewitt, Tim Poulter, David Pollard, Edwin Haigh and Andy Lumb. Reserves: Stuart Greaves and Steve Mallinson.

TODAY'S FIXTURES

Friday 21 August

West Riding v Halifax Aire & Wharfe v HUDDERSFIELD

Wakefield v Skipton Leeds v Castleford Bradford BYE

LEAGUE TABLES

COMBINED HOME & AWAY