Lower Hopton take on New Mill A

Winter League

DIVISION 1 (Lindley Liberal) WEDNESDAY PREVIEW

LOWER HOPTON climbed to the top of the Division 1 table following their win over Hanging Heaton A last week and face a New Mill A side with the likely winner difficult to establish based on early-season results. Both teams have played Hanging Heaton A and both recorded 6-2 wins so look evenly matched It’s yet another contest on the Lindley Lib green that looks well worthy of the admission money alone (if there was any). It is worth noting that only two teams managed to draw a match with Lower Hopton last season - Thorpe Green and New Mill A.

It doesn’t get any easier for Hanging Heaton and after the games already referred to, they have another tough encounter with this week’s opposition being Thorpe Green. After their opening week defeat to Lower Hopton, Thorpe Green picked up maximum points in a success over Cowcliffe A last week.

Our third match to look at is the contest between New Mill B and Lindley BC A. Both teams could only pick up two points on the opening week but fared much better on their second appearances when both teams picked up six points.

The final encounter on Wednesday sees two teams at the wrong end of the table with Cowcliffe A and Clayton West coming head-to-head. At full strength there’s plenty of quality in both teams, so it’s a game between two sides you wouldn’t expect to see struggling and highlights the quality of the bowling on show on this green.

DIVISION 3 (Springwood) WEDNESDAY PREVIEW

DIVISION 3 action takes place on the Springwood green where three rounds of the season have already taken place. Two teams, Mirfield Old Bank and Lindley Lib B are unbeaten with just two league points separating them at the top of the league ladder. The Old Bank will fancy to add to their tally of 20 points when facing seventh-placed Lowerhouses, a team who have yet to record a win and who have just four points to their name.

Lindley Lib, two points behind the Mirfield side, meanwhile will be urging caution against an Almondbury BC B outfit who gained their first success of the season last time out. That was against Lowerhouses so a win this week will provide a better guide to their potential going forward.

Another team gaining their first win of the season last week was Elland WMC A. After struggling in their opening two rounds they had no trouble in gaining maximum points against Primrose Hill Lib. Lockwood Con A are their opposition this week and will be a step up in class with two wins to their name already this term. For Primrose Hill it looks as though it will be a struggle this season. They could only muster 20 points between them in their match last week and will need much more than that if they are to trouble third-placed Milnsbridge A.

DIVISION 5 (Milnsbridge BC) WEDNESDAY PREVIEW

NOT too much can be placed on the early-season league table in Division 5 where only one round of fixtures have been bowled at Milnsbridge. The stand-out results in the opening round were recorded by Brockholes B and Kirkheaton C&BC A who both took maximum points off their opponents.

Brockholes B recorded three comfortable wins against the Cowcliffe B opponents and will be in confident mood as they take on Jackson Bridge. Bridge picked up six league points against Thorpe Green B a week ago and a good contest looks to be on the cards this week.