Week five in the Shield commenced with Greetland (Ken Fleming, George Simpson, Gordon Bradford and Pete Lea) looking for improvement against leaders The Mixtures of Rastrick and Elland (Roger Stopford, Trevor Heley, Derek Hewitt and Viv Smith). Bradford started the ball rolling with a 21-11 victory over Smith, unfortunately for Greetland he was to be their only winner. Fleming with nineteen was best of the rest. Mixtures continue their run with a 17-13 win.
Cleckheaton Sports (John Ineson, Paul Fincher, Ian Poutney and Richard Bentley) played Hanging Heaton (Alan Thompson, Malcolm Preston, Ian Smith and Graham Hirst) in a mid-table battle. There were wins for Bentley and Fincher with Thompson and Smith replying and a 14-15 overall score reflected their positions.
Under performing Crosshills (Barry Turnbull, Rod Bastow, Kevin Burnett and Barry McCourt) played fellow strugglers Mirfield Old Bank (Walt Morgan, John Green, Kevin Morton and Mel Stradling), with only a point separating the teams both needed the win. McCourt was just pipped by Morgan but Burnett levelled the scores as he beat Green. It was the final pair of Mirfield who were both winners that pulled off the victory for Old Bank 18-14.
The final game in the Shield was table topping Clayton (Alan Peel, Hedley Kettlewell, Ian Johnson and Paul Gill) against Lindley Libs (Richard Dickinson, Mark Sykes, Richard Saunders and Mike Lee). As has happened in previous weeks Clayton didn’t have it all their own way. Kettlewell and Lee were level at eight across but the Clayton man ran out to record a 21-8 win. Peel was always in front in his game with Saunders and finished a 21-10 winner. Johnson led Sykes 11-7 but they were level at sixteen, from where Johnson went on to win 21-19. Gill was in front 13-4 but Dickinson turned it round and went in front at 16-15 but Gill finished the stronger to record a fourth Clayton win 21-17. A match result of 20-10 which didn’t really reflect the game.
The opening game in the Plate was Lindley B C (Tony Lockwood, Marie Lockwood, Linda Gledhill and Steve Haigh) against Rastrick (Graham Hall, Donald Booth, Ann Heley and Alan Standing). With two winners each and a 13-14 score line both teams would remain mid table.
Silsden (Derek Metcalfe, Alan Hughes, Andy Welch and David Beardsworth) only had one winner against Bronte’s (Fred Rothwell, Derek Pollard, Dave Hemsley and Martyn Benson) in their 12-16 defeat.
Spen Victoria (Les Mitchell, Barry Firth, Kevin Wood and Gerald Bromley) one of this year’s title contenders played local rivals Cleckheaton Sports (Janet Inness, Elaine Binns, Dave Griffiths and Jayne Bradley). Spen did their championship chances no harm as they had all four winners, Binns was best for Sports with nineteen. “A bad day at the office” as Inness the Sports Captain commented.
Sowerby West End (Andy Wike, John Sharp, Lorraine Hirst and Pat Skene) another team with eyes on the championship were matched with Pellon (David Agnew, David Gowing, Mark Bolton and Paul Firth). Wike lost to eleven against Gowing in the first game but Sharp levelled it up with a 21-11 win over Bolton. Hirst won to single figures as Firth struggled without the jack. The best game of the afternoon was Skene against Agnew. Skene led 9-3 and 11-7 but Agnew was in front at 16-11 only for Skene to turn it round again and hit the front 17-16. Agnew counted two singles to lead yet again, Skene countered with a pair and a single to put her in a winning position 20-18. Agnew wasn’t done and three singles took him to game 21-20. With two winners each West End just took the match 16-12 to preserve the last unbeaten record in the Plate.