Veterans League
Review of the 10-Man League Divisions 1 & 2 matches played on Tuesday 5 September
Golcar Lib 'A' have retained their Division 1 Champions title after beating their nearest rivals Lowerhouses 7-2 on Tuesday. They now have a 30-points lead which cannot be overtaken by any other team so well done to them. The second place is still up for grabs as no less than the next 11 teams in the table can, mathematically, still take that position. Amazingly any one of those same 11 teams can also take the second relegation place, so tight is the situation at present.
We already know the top and bottom teams with Milnsbridge 'A' sure of relegation but who is going down with them? Cowcliffe eased their plight slightly by beating Milnsbridge 7-2 to claim a 2nd win in their last 11 fixtures which took them out of the bottom three. Longwood lost 4-5 at home to Waterloo which kept them in the bottom two with Meltham 'A' also in the drop zone after losing 2-7 at Clayton West.
Elland C&BC also had a good 6-3 home win over high-flying Marsh United 'A' and that lifts them out of the immediate drop zone but not out of trouble. Lockwood Con 'A' had a great 7-2 away win at Rastrick who have only had one win in their last five matches to tumble out of contention for the runners-up position. The two teams are now level on points in mid-table but that means little in such a congested competition.
Things are still up in the air in Division 2 where Lindley Lib 'A' were the big losers this week going down 1-8 away at New Mill 'A' to lose the second promotion place and drop down to 4th place. The three teams above them all had good home wins - the leaders Netherton Con 'A' 6-3 versus Thorpe Green, Shepley moved into 2nd place with a 7-2 win over Holmfirth 'A' and Lindley BC 'A' had a 6-3 victory over Thongsbridge 'A' to swap places with Lindley Lib 'A'. It increasingly it looks like the two promotion places will be claimed from among the top three.
At the foot of the table, Linthwaite eased their chances a little with a 5-4 home win over bottom-of-the-table Hemplow 'A' and increased the gap to the bottom four to 8 points which is not guaranteed to retain their Division 2 status with two away fixtures still to come against teams higher up the table. Bradley & Colne were the only winners in the bottom four but their shortage of bowlers earlier in the season has become too big a debt to carry forward with any confidence of overcoming. Hemplow could find themselves relegated after next week's matches to be joined the week after with their current three companions unless something dramatic happens very soon.
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