Winter League
A review of the fixtures played in Divisions 1 & 2 on Wednesday 9 November
Week 3 of the new season and the Division 1 table shows its third different leading team with Champions Lower Hopton going top this week. They made short shift of the Lindley Lib 'A' side and were one point short of a whitewash win over the previous leaders in the table but that promising position lasted just 7 days.
I counted 74 people on and around the green just after midday with the steak pie and mushy peas doing great business at £1.50, what a bargain! Still we are here for the bowling and there was plenty of good bowling to savour. Meltham won for the first time this season beating Kirkheaton Con 6-2 who were losing for the first time this season. Just two points difference (50-48) in the aggregate totals proving to be the decisive factor.
After a week off New Millers and Lindley BC 'A' both lost their return to action matches and coupled with having played one less match now occupy the bottom two places.
Again we had a first-win and first-defeat scenario as Thorpe Green were winning for the first time this season after two opening drawn matches which means they are the only Division 1 team still to taste defeat. They beat the New Millers 6-2 who were losing for the first time this campaign and again a close aggregate score (55-51) the key in clinching the points.
In a week of firsts in the top division a third 'first win first defeat' situation arose in the Clayton West v Lindley BC 'A' match with the West team claiming their first win by 6-2 and inflicting a first defeat on Lindley BC 'A'. It promised to be much closer than the 61-43 aggregate score eventually recorded with a 65-minute opening singles match where Lindley BC bowler Peter Thornton threw away an 11-1 lead before recovering to take the points 21-19 over Tim Poulter. However the West took the other two games with Malcolm Gilbert a comfortable 21-4 winner to take over the top spot in the Averages before a closer pairs encounter eventually going the West's way by 21-18.
In Division 2 Lockwood Con continue to enjoy their first Winter League experience with a third win this time a whitewash 8-0 win over Rastrick 'A'. The same four bowlers have played in all three of their matches to date but this may be a false dawn as the three teams they have seen off so far now occupy the bottom three places in the table. It is possible that sterner tests are ahead and then we will have a better guide as to their longer term threat to the other challengers for the top slot but they can do no more than beat the teams put in front of them to date.
Milnsbridge 'A' lost for the first time this season when going down 2-6 to Lowerhouses 'A' and that cost them the lead in the table as they dropped to third whilst Lowerhouses remain fifth despite that win. The fight-back-of-the-day featured amongst the results in this match as Milnsbridge bowler Shaun Irving recovered from being 2-17 down to run out a 21-19 winner. An 8-0 win for Lindley BC 'B' over Denby Dale extended their winning record and moved them into second place. Springwood made it three 8-0 Division 2 wins on the day and doubled their season's points tally when they overwhelmed Jackson Bridge who are one of three teams in this division still looking for their first wins of the season.
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