Match of the day had to be the leaders Mytholmroyd (Shaun Frewin, Phil Brown, Mark Jeffries and Paul Fisher) against second placed Shipley Club (Chris Bedford, Dave Bland, Sharon Gadd and Paul Wilczynski). The first game saw the Mytholmroyd skipper Fisher beating Shipley’s consistent Wilczynski but it wasn’t as easy as the 21-11 score line suggests. Wilczynski bowled very well but he found Fisher on top form. In the second game Jefferies was slowly away as Gadd started well, Jefferies did level at seventeen but the Yorkshire Lady bowler pulled out all the stops to take the game 21-17. Brown, on debut for the valley team, was paired with Bedford and it was another close game but again it went the way of the Shipley club 21-17. Frewin with only one defeat to date was last up to try and turn it round for the leaders as he played Bland, himself undefeated. As expected, another close encounter as Bland kept his record intact and Frewin finished on sixteen. Mytholmroyd going down 14-17 but held on to top spot and there are now only four points in it with two games to go.
Mirfield (Brian Scarth, Terry Varney, Mel Stradling and Graham Sheard) and Sowerby West End (Pat Skene, John Sharp, Baz Morgan and Geoff Price) was the next fixture. It was another game that finished with two winners each, Varney and Sheard for Mirfield and Sharp and Morgan for SWE. West End took the game 16-14 with their better scoring losers.
Old Bank (Dave Sharp, Kevin Morton, Dave Bentley and Duncan Terry) were pitted against Moldgreen (Andy Bairstow, Trevor Atkinson, Andy Hoult and Craig Wood). There were wins for Bentley and Morton of Old Bank and Hoult and Bairstow of Moldgreen and the Huddersfield side winning the game 16-13.
Drighlington (Ann Billington, Derek Goor, David Billington and Josh Gamble) took on the defending champions Hanging Heaton (Mick Armitage, Ian Smith, Steve Wainwright and David Armitage) who in recent weeks have put themselves in with a chance of retaining the title. In another tight game Drig started the stronger with Ann Billington and Goor both winning their games against Smith and Mick Armitage. Wainwright and David Armitage turned it round as they both won their games against David Billington and Gamble. Two winners each and the Bradford team beating the Batley team 16-13.
In the Trophy the leaders All Stars (Lynne Saxby, Linda Gledhill, Lynda Drury and Carole Harpin) were looking for a big win against Hit & Miss (Paul Lowery, Michael Briggs, David Avery and Lynn Hobson) who belied their position last week as they secured a draw with second placed Cleckheaton. All Stars provided all the winners in a 20-06 win.
Second placed Cleckheaton Sports (Tony Quinn, Dave Marshall, Jack Glazzard and Dave Griffiths) needed the points to keep in touch with the leaders but third placed Luddenden (Claire Broadbent, Kay Lund, Judy Cockroft and Mick Skwarek) were also keen to take the points. In the opening game Griffiths went down 21-20 in his game with Skwarek but Glazzard levelled the scores with another close encounter as he beat Lund 21-19 in the second game. Quinn was beaten by Cockroft in the third but Marshall battled for a victory in his game with Broadbent and the game ended all square at sixteen all, a result that did neither team any favours.
Next up were Coxenhope (Alan Downing, Derek Pollard, Lorraine Douglas and Fred Rothwell) against King Cross (Graham Dewhirst, P McDonald, P Stead and Terry Jackson). Coxenhope winners were Rothwell and Pollard, with MacDonald and Jackson replying for King Cross in a 16-12 score line.
Drighlington 2 (Mark Smith, Dianne Hoole, Bruce Illingworth and Stuart Avison) struggled in their game with Shroggs Park (E Craven, P O’Callaghan, Joshua Craven and Mike Murray) and went down 16-08, Smith their only winner as he beat O’Callaghan.