Veterans League
Review of the fixtures played on Monday 3 July in the 6-Man League
Big away win for Slaithwaite in Division 2 this Monday as they had a whitewash 7-0 away victory at Paddock I&C. The Paddock green is notoriously one of the most difficult for visiting bowlers to read with its shelf-like crown spread over a third of the total surface but that was no problem to a buoyant Slaithwaite team this week. At the start of the day the gap between the two teams was just 2 points but that all changed as the previous table toppers went down for a third consecutive match to drop 9 points behind Slaithwaite. With second-placed Lindley Lib 'A' also having a bad day when losing 2-5 at Golcar Lib that sees the leaders now opening a 5-points lead at the top.
Holmfirth 'A' are the only team to beat Slaithwaite this season but they are so inconsistent to undermine their chances of entering the promotion battle. This week they won away from home for the first time whilst also winning for a second successive match for the first time this season. That 5-2 win came at Linthwaite Hall who remain in a relegation place as Denby Dale move out of the drop slots for the first time as they beat Skel Windmill 'B' 6-1 who take their place in the relegation zone.
The Lindley Lib 'B' team continues to quietly climb up the table and now appears in third place after a fifth consecutive win this time 6-1 over Almondbury Lib. Their promotion aspirations will be well tested in the next two fixtures with their 'A' team next in line followed by a trip to Slaithwaite the following Monday. The closest encounter of this matchday was the 4-3 home win for Milnsbridge 'B' over Clayton West with an 85-82 aggregate scoreline key in the match outcome.
Marsh United 'A' protected their 9-points lead at the top of the Division 1 table after matching the 6-1 winning scoreline of their major opponents, Shepley 'A' this week. Both teams were at home and the Marsh team saw off Crosland Moor, who remain in the relegation places, whilst Shepley beat a Netherton Con team losing for the fourth consecutive match and dropping down the table at an alarming rate. They need to address that decline and with two home matches coming up against teams on either side of them in the table there would be no better time to start that recovery.
Skel Windmill 'A' had a 6-1 home win over bottom-of-the-table Elland C&BC to move up a place to third overtaking Golcar C&BC who narrowly won at home 4-3 to Milnsbridge 'A'. Another 4-3 scoreline at Thongsbridge 'A' where the visiting Brockholes 'A' team took the majority of the points. At the start of the day Lockwood Con and Longwood were locked together on the same points totals but a 5-2 home win for Lockwood Con sorted that little matter out.
In Division 3 Marsh Lib take over at the top of the table after a 5-2 home win over Hemplow whilst the previous leaders, Marsh United 'B', were suffering a 1-6 drubbing at Meltham. Marsh Lib have a 4-points lead at the top now but following them things becoming a little congested. The next 7 teams are only separated by 3 points and all seven will consider themselves, with some justification, to be in the promotion race. Brockholes 'B' and Shepley 'B' now look seriously adrift with one win between them all season and that came when they played each other.
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