Division 1 title race is wide open

Veterans League

Review of the results from Monday 11 August for matches in the Veterans 6-Man League

A bit of a shake-up at the top of the Division 1 table after the leaders, Clayton West A, and 4th placed Skel Windmill A both lost this week. The pecking order hasn't changed but the title race becomes a little more congested with just two points between the top three teams. With Clayton West A losing 2-5 at Netherton Con A making it a run of three straight away defeats which is not the form of Champions.

Waterloo took full advantage of that slip by beating Skel Windmill 6-1 to close the gap between the top two to one point whilst Marsh United A had a 5-2 away win at Shepley A to feature strongly in the title race.

The biggest aggregate winners of the day were bottom of the table New Mill A who hit 101 in winning 5-2 away at Brockholes A to make it 3 wins in their last 4 fixtures to reduce the gap to safety and have Thongsbridge A firmly in their sights as their next target.

Lindley Lib A enjoyed a 5-2 home win over Holmfirth A to go top of the Division 2 table and both teams overtook previous leaders Broad Oak A who were without a match this week. Marsh Lib A failed to capitalise on that bye week by going down 1-6 away at Longwood who move out of the relegation places to be replaced by Paddock I&C 0-7 losers at Golcar Lib.

Thongsbridge B are firmly rooted to the foot of the table after a 1-6 home defeat to Brockholes B and Lockwood Con drop three places to 9th after losing 1-6 at Crosland Moor. We are fast approaching the time in the season where we can work out which teams cannot be caught in the table and those that cannot escape relegation. Thongsbridge B are likely to be one of the first teams to be included in that latter situation. Now 18 points behind the safety mark with a third of the season still to go but with only two wins all season their plight looks to be getting worse week by week.

There were five 7-0 scorelines this week in the 6-Man League and two of those came in Division 3 to include the leaders Almondbury Lib. Claiming their first whitewash win since the opening fortnight of the season to confirm their superiority over the chasing pack by damaging Denby Dale's bid for the second promotion place. That was compounded by a big 6-1 away win for Milnsbridge BC B at Marsh Lib B who tighten their hold on second place by making it a 9-points gap now to third-placed Primrose Hill Lib. The Pip Hill team did all of that was expected of them by winning 5-2 away at Greenhead Park A but are now playing catch-up with their prime rivals for that second spot.

The other 7-0 win in this Division came from Linthwaite Hall when easing their relegation worries by beating Elland C&BC and moving clear of the bottom four teams. Holmfirth B failed to take advantage of Hemplow B's bye week when losing at home 1-6 at home to Lindley Lib B and remain firmly entrenched in the drop zone.

Shepley B lifted themselves clear of the bottom two places in Division 4 after an amazing away win at 2nd in the table Marsh United B. Winning by 6-1 despite only having 5 bowlers and winning the aggregate by 18 points. That result condemned Brockholes C, 1-6 losers away at New Mill B, to drop into the bottom two. That result also saw the Marsh team drop two places to 4th being overtaken by Netherton Con B and Skel Windmill B.

Hemplow B enhanced their title claims with a 7-0 home win over Thongsbridge C to make it 14 points between the top two teams. Skel Windmill B reawakened their promotion hopes with a 7-0 home win over Greenhead Park B and Netherton Con B's 6-1 away win at Clayton West B saw them take in the second promotion place, one point ahead of Skel Windmill B.