Week three of the Saturday League started with a derby game as early league leaders Mirfield (Mel Stradling, Brian Scarth, Walt Morgan and John Green) played the early stragglers Old Bank (Dave Bentley, Kevin Morton, Dave Sharp and Duncan Terry). As you might expect with a derby game it was a very tight affair, Morgan going down 21-12 to Sharp and Green beaten 21-14 by Terry. Scarth and Stradling turning it round as they both won, Scarth beating Bentley 21-15 and Stradling getting the better of Morton 21-12. An overall result of 14-15.
Drighlington (Charlie Wood, Dave Billington, Ann Billington and Derek Goor) last year’s runners-up were paired with new entrants Mytholmroyd (Shaun Frewin, Mark Jeffries, Scott McHugh and Paul Fisher). The first game had Dave Billington playing Frewin and it was a game that could have gone either way but it was Frewin that just came out on top, 21-18. The other three games not quite living up to the initial cliff hanger. The Mytholmroyd boys completing the white wash with wins to 10,12 and fifteen respectively for a match score of 10-20.
Defending champions Hanging Heaton (David Armitage, Ryan Mitchell, Ian Smith and Steve Wainwright), seeing the Mytholmroyd result, needed a win to avoid falling behind on the league ladder. Their game with Sowerby West End (Pat Skene, Glenda Hartley, Shirley Dillingham and Geoff Price) started shakily as Price and Mitchell traded points through out their game with Mitchell just getting home 21-19. The next two games were more comfortable for the Batley side as Smith beat Dillingham 21-14 and Armitage got the better of Dillingham 21-5. The last game had Skene and Wainwright tied together through out, this time it was the West End bowler who clinched victory 21-19. An overall game score of West End 12, Heaton 19.
The final game saw promoted Shipley Club (Chris Wilson, Mick Gadd, Sharon Gadd and Paul Wilczynski) against Moldgreen (Andy Hoult, Pete Wike, Andy Bairstow and Trevor Atkinson) who are taking time to find the form that saw them at the top end of the league ladder last time. There were wins for Shipley’s Wilson, Wilczynski and Sharon Gadd with Hoult the only winner for the Huddersfield side. 18-8 the final score.
In the Saturday Trophy Drighlington 2 (Diane Hoole, Mark Smith, Dave Scott and Neil McPhail) were up against Cleckheaton Sports (A Walker, Dave Marshall, Jack Glazzard and Dave Griffiths). There were two winners each, Smith and Scott for Drig and Marshall and Griffiths for Sports for a final score of 15-16.
All Stars (Marie Lockwood, Linda Gledhill, Lynda Drury and Carole Harpin) played Coxenhope (Debbie Hosty, Gordon Cox, Derek Pollard and Alan Downing). The first game between Lockwood and Pollard could have gone either way but it was Lockwood who prevailed by the smallest of margins, 21-20. The other three games were a little one sided as the All Stars mastered the conditions the better and took the match 20-8.
New entrants King Cross (Terry Jackson, J Ashton, Richard MacFarlane and P MacDonald) took on Luddenden (Claire Broadbent, Kay Lund, Judy Cockroft and Mick Skwarek) who were currently lying second. As conditions worsened Luddenden came strong and provided all four winners, taking the match 20-5.
Shroggs Park (E Craven, Joshua Craven, Chris Meade Jnr and Mike Murray) and Hit & Miss (Lynn Hobson, Paul Lowery, Alan Standing and David Avery) had the worst of the weather as they bowled in heavy rain. The experience of Hit & Miss came to the fore as they mastered the heavy conditions and provided three of the four winners, Meade over coming Lowry 21-18 for the sole Shroggs win. A match result of 10-18.