Veterans League
Review of the Divisions 3,4 & 5 matches played in the 10-Man League on Tuesday 30 April
Tuesday headlines
Division 3 leaders maintain 3-points lead
Still two unbeaten teams in Division 3
Three teams level on points at the top of Division 4
Marsh Lib win for first time and leap four places
New Mill B lost their 100% win record
An away win for Pip Hill Lib lifts them off the bottom of Division 5
With Division 3 leaders Denby Dale facing a difficult away fixture against Lindley Lib B hopes were high among the 2nd and 3rd placed teams to close the gap at the top. Brockholes A were at home to Elland WMC and it was the home team that won the day with a 7-2 scoreline. However all that did was to secure second place for the Brockholes team as Denby Dale showed their real mettle with a 7-2 away win over 4th placed Lindley Lib B. The 3-points difference was preserved and Elland even retained third place but are now 7-points adrift of a promotion spot. So the top three remain unchanged but then things start to fluctuate.
The real loser being Lindley Lib B who suffered a drop of 3 places to 7th as Slaithwaite, Outlane and Skel Windmill all won their matches to pass the Lindley team in the table. Slaithwaite and Skel Windmill both won their home matches whilst Outlane nudged a 5-4 away win at Hemplow A who stay bottom of the pile. The closest result of the day in this division saw Springwood beat Thorpe Green 5-4 due to a 118-114 aggregate score which left the losers still in the drop zone along with Hemplow A.
There are three teams on 25 points at the top of the Division 4 table after a day of big 8-1 wins. That scoreline marker being set by Kirkheaton C&BC A as they went to Lindley BC B to win. The same scoreline was reached by Marsh United B in their home win over Brockholes B whilst Milnsbridge B lost their grip on being sole leaders after dropping three-points to fourth-placed Ravensknowle Park.
With three teams on the same points totals it relies on the better 'Aggregate For' totals to separate the teams and on that basis the Kirkheaton team are top with 541 points against Marsh United B's 526 whilst Milnsbridge B despite having the only unbeaten record in the division are only third because they have a 492 Aggregate For total.
Lockwood Con B moved from 6th to 4th following the third 8-1 division scoreline of the day with the Rugby Club on the wrong end of that result. A first win of the season for Marsh Lib, 7-2 over the Recreation Club, produced a remarkable four positions leap up the table from the 2nd relegation spot to 7th place. A 6-3 home win for Meltham B over Thongsbridge B narrowed the gap between the two teams and that sees three teams on the same 15 points total just above the drop zone.
New Mill B lost their unbeaten Division 5 record by 2-7 at home to an improving Kirkheaton Con B side leaving Netherton Con B as the leaders and the only 100% win record in the division after their 6-3 home win over bottom-of-the-table Almondbury BC B, a commendable performance by the visitors. There was a first win of the season for Kirkheaton C&BC B who had a 6-3 home win over Dalton which lifted them two places to 9th.
Second-placed David Brown Sports saw off the threat from Hemplow B with a 6-3 home win with the losers dropping a place to 4th as a result. Primrose Hill Lib had a good 5-4 away win at Greenhead Park which lifted them above their opponents in the updated table. A 6-3 home win for Holmfirth B over Broad Oak B also saw their places reversed in a congested bottom six dog-fight with just 3 points between the six teams.