Division 3 top two go head-to-head

Veterans League

Here we go in an effort to find a Match of the Day in three divisions of the Veterans League to be played on Tuesday afternoon. Easy selection in Divisions 3 as the top two teams go head-to-head on this week.

The Division 3 Match of the Day is the obvious choice of the top two teams in the first table of the season who go head-to-head. Brockholes A and Springwood both started the season with 7-2 victories and sit one and two in the table. However the fact that Springwood's win was away from home doesn't get them any more points but does make the acheivement all the more noticeable. With home advantage this week and the opportunity to top the next table to be published should be all the incentive required to go for a second win in two matches played.

It is far from that straightforward though as the teams in 3rd and 4th places also meet up as Paddock I&C play host to Hemplow A. Both teams had good wins last week with Paddock I&C taking the honours after an opening day away win at Marsh Lib A.

I could have chosen the Slaithwaite versus Marsh Lib A as my preferred Match of the Day after I tipped them as my top two teams for this season which of course meant that they both suffered opening day defeats. The more observant reader will also have noted that my two tips for relegation both won last Tuesday with Paddock I&C and Springwood now sitting 4th and 2nd respectively. I take full credit in spurring them on to victories by picking them as my end of season fall guys.

There are three teams all on 2 points and propping up the table at present with two of the bottom three meeting with Almondbury Lib hosting Linthwaite Hall as both teams look to address poor opening day results. With only 5 points between the top and bottom teams the table could be turned upside down in a day so good luck to all the teams.

I am choosing Thongsbridge B versus Huddersfield RUBC as my Division 4 Match of the Day for no other reason than that I tipped Thongsbridge B to get promotion and they have home advantage over the table toppers from the Rugby Club this Tuesday. Both teams started the season with good wins but the Thongsbridge away win at Meltham tipping the odds in their favour for this week's encounter.

I hope my other top two tip of Kirkheaton C&BC A follow up on their narrow away defeat at Milnsbridge B last Tuesday by using their home advantage against Ravensknowle Park this week and I fully expect an emphatic win although I could be totally wrong of course.

The three teams promoted from Division 5 last season all lost their opening day fixtures last Tuesday. Of the three it looks to me that David Brown Sports have the best chance of clocking up a first win as they have home advantage this week against the Huddersfield Recreation Club who also tasted defeat on the opening day.

In all probability I will stop referring to my tips for promotion in every division as the season progresses but whilst they feature in the top half of their respective tables they are likley to be handicapped by constant reminders of the burden they carry as my preferred March selections. In Division 5 my two top tips are Kirkheaton Con B and New Mill B and both duly won their opening day fixtures 6-3. The fact that the New Mill win was away from home gives them the advantage this week when the two teams meet in a top four clash. Hardly a title decider but important to both teams if they have every intent in remaining in the top order from here on.

Dalton had the biggest win of the opening day results but now have to go to play Marsh Lib B and will need to win to retain their top spot. Greenhead Park are one of my tips for a bottom two finish this year and so they duly completed an opening day away win at Kirkheaton C&BC B. Now they have a home fixture on their new Thorpe Green surface so it will be interesting to see how they settle down to their new home. Last season the Park only completed one League Double and that was against Holmfirth B who they play this Tuesday so expectations are high of a second successive win and a good start to their season.

All this of course is against a backdrop of Division 5 teams being subjected to the Alternate Jacks experiment. Any bowler who has experienced this new format and would care to comment on it please feel free to use the Comments facility at the foot of this posting to share your early thoughts on how that is working in practice.