Bistro KO shocks abound

Veterans League

Three Division 1 teams went out of the Bistro KO on Thursday to lower division teams including the defending title winners Marsh United 'A'. They went down to Division 3 high-fliers Linthwaite Hall who didn't need their 16-point handicap advantage to seal the win 118-92. Another Division 3 success saw mid-table Skel Windmill eliminate Kirkheaton Con 'A' 108-99 and both of those giant-killing feats are rewarded with further Division 1 opposition in the next round against Waterloo and Lindley Lib 'A' respectively.

The third Division 1 team to lose out was Meltham 'A' who went down to Division 2 mid-table team Shepley 101-104 and they will meet Primrose Hill Lib who prevailed over fellow Division 4 side Almondbury BC 'B'.

There were some close encounters with Clayton West and David Brown Sports both progressing with one-point wins but no result was closer than the Netherton Con'A' v Holmfirth 'B' tie which ended level at 108 apiece. That is when the game count comes into play and Division 2 side Netherton Con 'A' won that 4-1 to set up a Round 3 match versus Clayton West.

The online preview of matches highlighted the potential banana skin ties of Division 1 strugglers matched against Division 2 high-fliers with Longwood and Lindley Lib 'A' in particular at risk. That is not how it worked out with both having comfortable passages into Round 3. Thank you to Longwood for pointing that out to me and providing a too-late warning about the risk that Division 3 opponents would provide to my side! Humble Pie is definitely on the menu!

Other Division 1 sides to progress were Waterloo, Lockwood Con 'A' and Cowcliffe and surprisingly all 6 surviving Division 1 teams have avoided meeting each other in Round 3 so expect some more surprise results which I will attempt, probably unsuccessfully, to identify in the preview prior to the 21 July fixture programme.

All the Round 2 results, Round 3 programme and neutral greens are listed below.