Division 3 promotion race hots up again

Veterans League

Review of the 10-Man League matches in Divisions 3,4&5 played on Tuesday 29 July

Division 3 leaders, Almondbury Lib, were pushed all the way by relegation-threatened Lockwood Con B before edging their fixture 5-4 despite losing the 'Aggregate For' race by 10 points. That match was played on Wednesday and Almondbury Lib knew that Linthwaite Hall had crept nearer following their Tuesday fixture when they had won at Slaithwaite 5-4. So that maintained the 12-points difference between the two top teams. However there was no such luxury for Linthwaite Hall who saw Springwood and Brockholes A move alongside them with all three teams setlled on the same 69 points marker.

Springwood had a good 7-2 home win over Holmfirth A which saw them leap 3 places in the table to 3rd and send Holmfirth in the opposite direction from 3rd to 6th. Brockholes A had a good 6-3 away win at Paddock I&C to move back into contention as the race for the second promotion place hots up again.

Things remain very tight at the foot of the table as the bottom four all picked up good points with Thorpe Green excelling to beat Hemplow A 6-3 and with Lockwood Con A picking up 4 points from their match versus Almondbury Lib and Marsh Lib collecting 3 points from their trip to Linldey Lib B and Slaithwait get 4 points from Linthwaite Hall it is apparant that none of the strugglers are going to go down without a fight.

Skel Windmill kept their remarkable Division 4 winning run going with a 14th consecutive win and this time it was a routine 7-2 home win over Ravensknowle Park to give them a 21 points lead in the table. I've trawled through all the Bowlsnet records back to 2014 when the Veterans League first used the Bowlsnet system and I cannot find any team that has won every League match all season in any Division of the 10-Man League. Will Skel Windmill be the first?

Skel Windmill's efforts have started to impact on the chasing teams as they are getting stretched out but 8-1 wins for the 2nd and 3rd placed keeps Kirkheaton C&BC B and Huddersfield RUBC in sight of the leaders, just.

A big 9-0 home win for Primrose Hill Lib over bottom of the pile Netherton Con B lifted them out of the relegation places and dropped David Brown Sports right into the relegation mix after a 1-8 home defeat to the Rugby Club enabled them to leap from 5th to 3rd place.

All six home teams in Division 5 won their matches this week including Lindley BC B who saw off the leaders Kirkheaton Con B by 6-3 and that lost them top place in the table. That honour is taken by Brockholes B who had an impressive 8-1 home win over third-placed Dalton now dropping to 4th spot.

New Mill B were one of those home team winners as they transferred some of their Bistro form to their League matches after beating Broad Oak B 6-3 but remain in bottom place for now but just one point behind Kirkheaton C&BC B who lost away to Hemplow B who were winning for the 7th time in their last 8 fixtures.