Veterans League
The Division 1 Champions, Shepley 'A', have been beaten on their own green for the first time since 12 July 2021 when they lost 3-4 to Milnsbridge BC. This week's scoreline was more emphatic as promoted Marsh United 'A' clocked up a tremendous 6-1 win and so inflicted the heaviest home defeat on Shepley since August 2017 when they went down by the same scoreline to Lockwood Con. This result means the Marsh United team take over from their vanquished opponents at the top of the table.
In fact it was worse than that for Shepley as that defeat forced them down three places to fourth as Netherton Con and Brockholes 'A' both passed them after good wins.
Brockholes had a 7-0 whitewash win over Crosland Moor whilst Netherton Con extended their unbeaten run to three matches when winning 5-2 away at Elland C&BC. That left the Elland team as one of three still looking for their first wins of the season and they join Lockwood Con and Longwood in the bottom three.
There was a time not too long ago when these two teams dominated matters in the 6-Man League for several seasons but things change and away defeats this week sees both of them in danger of losing their Division 1 status.
Lockwood Con lost the aggregate by 2 points (90-92) and the match 2-5 away at Golcar C&BC whilst Longwood recorded the League's lowest aggregate total of the day (46) when losing 0-7 at Skel Windmill 'A' who were clocking up their first win of the season. Meanwhile the mid-table duo of Thongsbridge 'A' and Milnsbridge 'A' had a close encounter with home advantage seeing Thongsbridge over the line by 4-3.
In Division 2 the two Lindley Lib teams made a mess of the form book and wrecked the unbeaten records of Golcar Lib and Clayton West to open up the title race with Paddock I&C taking advantage to go clear at the top. A third consecutive 6-1 win for the Paddock team, this time over bottom team Denby Dale, puts them four points clear at the top and one of two remaining unbeaten records in the division. The other belonging to Slaithwaite who extended that sequence to three matches after a 4-3 away win at Milnsbridge 'B' but can only reach fourth place despite that 100% win record.
Back to the two Lindley Lib teams with the 'B' side beating the table-topping Golcar Lib team by 5-2 to go second and condemn the previous leaders to third place. The Lindley Lib 'A' side won at Clayton West by 5-2 with a 79-78 aggregate win proving crucial in lifting the winning team into the promotion mix and pushing Clayton West out of the top three and dropped to 6th position. Four teams are on 14 points taking up the places behind Paddock in the table in what promises to be the closest promotion battle in Monday bowling.
Linthwaite Hall won for the first time since July 2022 with a 5-2 home win over Skel Windmill 'B' and in the meeting of two teams looking for their first wins of the season Holmfirth 'A' put home advantage to good use when beating Almondbury Lib 5-2.
Greenhead Park returned to the top of the Division 3 table following a 5-2 home win over Brockholes 'B' but that position only comes about because of a better Aggregate For total (279-276) over Marsh Lib who beat the previous leaders Holmfirth 'B' 6-1 who drop two places to third as a result.
The two Thongsbridge teams both had 5-2 away wins to go 4th and 5th in alphabetic order after wins at Primrose Hill Lib and Meltham. Hemplow are still awaiting their first win of the year after a third defeat this time away at Marsh United 'B' and Shepley 'B' also remain without a win to date after going down 2-5 at New Mill.
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