Holmfirth hang on to Division 7 topspot

Winter League

With all 8 matches in Divisions 6 & 7 ending with the same 6-2 scoreline, resulting in Division 6 effectively being split into equal halves. Early days.

The start of a new season in the Winter League can be very misleading for us simple souls. I associate some bowlers with certain venues and when I go to somewhere like Netherton Con for Division 6 fixtures, I am looking for the usual band of bowlers. But they aren't there because half of the teams who played in Division 6 last season have been promoted or relegated and their places have been taken by some other regulars from other divisions who themselves are on display but out of context.

Cowcliffe B and Hanging Heaton B were Division 7 teams last season and both won promotion and they had different introductions to life in Division 6. Cowcliffe B had a good start with a 6-2 win over the homesters of Netherton Con B whilst Hanging Heaton B found Brockholes B too strong for them going down 2-6.

Springwood C and Outlane finished 3rd and 5th in this division last season with Springwood completing a league double over their rivals. Different story this year with Outlane coming out on top to ease into 2nd place and a promising start to their season. Ahead of them in the table is the Springwood B side who beat Almondbury BC A. Both teams came down from Division 5 at the end of last season and the Almondbury side haven't made a good start this time around but I am sure that better times are ahead. Maybe they have already arrived for the Springwood B team who top the table with the top four teams all on six points.

Use the side arrows to scroll through all 23 Divisiion 6 photographs taken at Netherton Con on Thursday

Holmfirth lost their first Division 7 fixture of the new season going down 2-6 to the host team from Huddersfield RUFC. Despite that setback they hang on to first place in the table with a better 'Aggregate For' total of 163 points just ahead of Marsh Lib A who have 162 points and who in turn just nudge Huddersfield RUFC aside who are on 161 points. Building up to a close contest with Huddersfield Recreation Club B who are just two points behind the top three.

Marsh Lib A are second because of their win over Kirkheaton Con B which was the closest score of the day with it ending 56-53 in the Marsh team's favour. So only two points separate the top four teams with Marsh Lib A and the Rugby Club teams remaining unbeaten. Broad Oak A and Lockwood Con B are both still looking for their first victories as their winless season continued with Broad Oak A losing out to the Recreation Club and Lockwood Con B going down to New Mill C who were pleased to chalk up their first win of the 2025-26 campaign.