Points Penalty! What Points Penalty?

Winter League

Review of the results in Divisions 3&5 played on Wednesday 4 February

Denby Dale are the 2025-26 Division 3 season Champions after overcoming a start-of-season 10-point penalty. That penalty was given following the Denby Dale clubs appeal to not be promoted last season when finishing 2nd in the Division 3 final table. They have always maintained that they were only available to play on a Wednesday in Huddersfield due to other bowling commitments on other days of the week. That has now changed with changing circumstances and the team has accepted their promotion and will play in Division 2 next season. They are leaving Division 3 with a flourish after recording a third consecutive 8-0 win on the final day of the season when beating Lindley BC B to clinch the top spot.

Denby Dale are founder members of the Winter League and made a key contribution to the introduction of the League in 2020 by suggesting that the League be gender neutral. They indicated that they would only be able to form a team if women bowlers were welcome in the League. It was not a matter that caused anyone any concern at that time and it was agreed that women bowlers would be accepted on an equal footing with no restrictions on teams to have a set number of male and/or female bowlers in a team. Ironically the 2025-26 season is the first season that the Denby Dale team hasn't featured any female bowlers at all.

Almondbury BC B featured regularly in the promotion places throughout the season but a final day 0-8 defeat to already relegated Springwood A sealed their fate this year. Nevertheless, they have had a good season after their three Divisions jump after winning the Division 6 title last season with a record 100 points total.

Slaithwaite take the second promotion place with a 6-2 win over Thorpe Green C and that is a third successive promotion since joing the League for the 2023-24 season and winning the Division 5 title and then following that up last season by winning the Division 4 title.

After only winning once in their first 9 fixtures of the season, Lockwood Con A went on a run of 5 straight wins, 4 of them by 8-0, to produce a fast finish to push themselves into the promotion picture but just failed to move into the top two and had to settle for third position.

Of course where there are winners there are also losers. Despite that 8-0 final day win over the Almondbury team, Springwood A finished in the second relegation place. As a host club they have the option to play the Avoid Relegation card if it jeopardises their means to fulfill the full range of hosting duties. Early indications are that they will not be playing that card this season so Thorpe Green C can sleep a little easier now that the threat of a belated relegation is unlikely to happen.

COMING SOON:

Photographs of the presentation of trophies to the Division 3 top team and top bowler.

One round of Division 5 fixtures still to be played and the only certainties are that the two Mirfield teams will be promoted and Dalton are relegated. The meeting of the top two last Wednesday went the way of the Mirfield A team who beat their Old Bank counterparts 6-2 and overtake their rivals and go top as a result and in poll position to take the Champions title as well. The remaining round of fixtures to be played next Wednesday sees the Old Bank with the toughest looking fixture as they have to play third-placed Jackson Bridge whilst Mirfield A have to play strugglers Thorpe Green B. Only two points difference between the teams with Aggregate For records of 750-751 and everything to play for.

That Mirfield A fixture against Thorpe Green B is a key factor at both ends of the table. Thorpe Green B sit just above the drop zone with Kirkheaton C&BC A and Dalton in the relegation hotseats. The two bottom teams face each other on the last day of the season and present the Cricket Club with the best chance of avoiding relegation, which a good win could produce.

REMAINING DIVISION 5 FIXTURES