Roger Stopford Mixtures Captain before his game with Nomad Les Holmes
Week four in the Shield commenced with The Mixtures of Rastrick, Cowcliffe and Elland (Roger Stopford, Trevor Heley, Derek Hewitt and Andy Balmforth) against defending champions Nomads (Phil Holroyd, Mark McGorlick, John Armitage and Les Holmes). Mixtures captain Stopford had a good start against Holmes, leading 6-1 and 19-3 before Holmes rallied to finish with nine. Heley and McGorlick exchanged points to eight across from where the Nomad kicked on leading 12-9, 16-11 and 17-12. Heley wasn’t finished yet and stormed back to level at eighteen and went in front 19-18. McGorlick counted a pair to reach all but only to see Heley count a pair at the next end to take the game 21-20. Balmforth was 3-0 behind to Armitage but scored the next twelve points and went on to win 21-8. In the final game Hewitt was always behind and Holroyd led 17-6 before Hewitt made a come back but could only finish with thirteen. A final match score of 17-11.
Mirfield Old Bank (Walt Morgan, John Green, Kevin Morton and Mel Stradling) were matched up with this year’s team to fear Clayton (Alan Peel, Hedley Kettlewell, Ian Johnson and Paul Gill). Morton and Peel exchanged points early on as is the norm but it was Peel who proved the stronger coming through to win 21-8. Stradling and Kettlewell were level at eight from where Stradling moved on to lead 17-9 and 18-12, Kettlewell then crafted a break of 7 to lead 18-19, only for Stradling to count a pair and swing the game in his favour, 20-19 but Kettlewell took two at the next end to pinch the game for Clayton, 21-20. Green and Gill up next and again they were level at six from where Green got the upper hand and went on to lead 18-9. Gill pulled out the stops and built a break of eleven to go in front 20-18, Green took the next point to reach nineteen but it was Gill who took the game at the next end, 21-19. The Morgan and Johnson game fell in to the same pattern, Morgan starting the stronger leading 11-3 and 15-6. Johnson got back in to the game at 15-13, only for Morgan to move on to nineteen but as in the previous games Johnson built a break of eight to take the game for Clayton 19-21 and a match score of 13-20.
Hanging Heaton (Alan Thompson, Malcolm Preston, Ian Smith and Graham Hirst) took on Greetland (Barry Sugden, George Simpson, Mick Shaw and Pete Lea) who were under achieving to-date and that continued this week as the Batley side provided all four winners. Shaw was best for Greetland with nineteen and the match score was 20-9.
The final game in the Shield was Lindley Libs (Richard Dickinson, Mark Sykes, Richard Saunders and Pete Hopkinson) playing Cleckheaton Sports (Jack Glazzard, Richard Cleghorn, Ian Poutney and Richard Bentley). With two winners each it was the Libs who just came out on top 15-13, Sykes and Saunders victorious for the winners and Bentley and Poutney replying for Sports.
In the Plate, Pellon (David Agnew, Robert Walker, Mark Bolton and Paul Firth) had one winner, Bolton, in their game with Spen Victoria (Les Mitchell, Barry Firth, Kevin Wood and Brian Thompson), who counted three winners, Thompson, Firth and Wood as they took the game 18-12.
Cleckheaton Sports (Anne Watkinson, Joyce Ellis, Dave Griffiths and Jayne Bradley) played Silsden (Derek Metcalfe, Alan Hughes, Andy Welch and David Beardsworth) who came good this week and provided all four winners. Griffiths was best for Sports with seventeen.
Rastrick (Graham Hall, Donald Booth, Ann Heley and Alan Standing) played the only unbeaten team in the division, Sowerby West End (John Sharp, Shirley Dillingham, Andy Wike and Lorraine Hirst). SWE kept their run going with a 17-9 win and three winners to one. Booth the victor for Rastrick.
Bronte’s (Fred Rothwell, Derek Pollard, Dave Hemsley and Martyn Benson) were against high flying Asa Briggs (Don Harrison, Malcolm Isles, Trevor Kendal and Graham Pearson). Asa took the spoils 19-12 with three winners and Pearson contributing four points with his losing score of 20.
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.
Week three in the Shield commenced with Cleckheaton Sports (John Innes, Richard Cleghorn, Ian Poutney and Dave Griffiths) matched up with Clayton (Alan Peel, Hedley Kettlewell, Ian Johnson and Paul Gill) who adapted to the conditions far better. Clayton had all winners with Cleghorn carding 20 and Ineson 19 being best for the Sports. A match score of 10-20.
Greetland (Barry Sugden, Ken Fleming, Mick Shaw and Gordon Bradford) were drawn with Lindley Libs (Richard Dickinson, Mark Sykes, Richard Saunders and Daniel Bousfield) and were another team to struggle with the conditions. Lindley provided all four winners, with Bousfield and Sugden tied at twelve across, Bousfield finished the stronger running out a 21-16 winner. Hopkinson and Shaw were level at seven, ten, twelve and fifteen, Shaw was ahead at 18-15 only to slip as Hopkinson finished strongly for a 21-18 win. Sykes was always in control in his game with Fleming as he ran out a 21-6 winner. In the final game Dickinson was off to a flier as he led Bradford 16-5, Bradford did mount a rear-guard action and pulled it back to 19-16 before Dickinson counted two singles for game. Final score of 10-20.
Defending champions Nomads (Phil Holroyd, Mark McGorlick, James Senior and Les Holmes) with a maximum-points win and a 15 point match under their belt already met Hanging Heaton (Alan Thompson, David Armitage, Ian Smith and Graham Hirst). New recruit Holmes was up first against Hirst and clearly the conditions didn’t suit as he was turned over to eight. McGorlick steadied the ship with a 21-14 victory over Armitage. Holroyd and Senior both got home for wins but the Batley side could count themselves unlucky as both their men counted twenty. 16-15 the final result.
Crosshills (Barry Turnbull, Kevin Burnett, Dave Rankin and Barry McCourt) took on The Mixtures of Rastrick and Elland (Roger Stopford, Viv Smith, Derek Hewitt and Andy Balmforth) and first up were Rankin and Smith. Smith hit the ground running and led 13-1 Rankin did stage a come back but could only manage a final score of 21-9. Turnbull and Stopford had a much closer affair, they were level at eight and twelve from where Stopford made the break and ran out for 21-12. McCourt led Balmforth 6-3 and 16-11 but could only finish with eighteen as Balmforth finished strongly. In the final game Burnett led 3-2 but was behind 8-4 and 15-6 and could only reach nine by the end for a 21-9 result and a match score of 07-20.
In the Plate, Asa Briggs (Don Harrison, Malcolm Isles, Trevor Kendal and Steve McGrevy) going well were matched with Silsden (Derek Metcalfe, Paul Outhwaite, Andy Welch and David Beardsworth). Asa continued their good start to the season with three winners to one, taking the points 17-14.
Lindley B.C. (Simon Anderson, Mick Thornton, Tony Lockwood and Linda Gledhill) played Bronte’s (Fred Rothwell, Derek Pollard, Dave Hemsley and Martyn Benson) who, on paper, were two evenly matched teams and so it proved as they finished with two winners each. Tony Lockwood and Gledhill were the winners for Linley and Hemsley and Benson replied for Bronte’s. 13-17 the final result.
Pellon (David Agnew, Robert Walker, Mark Bolton and Paul Firth) and Cleckheaton Sports (Janet Inness, Joyce Ellis, Elaine Binns and Jayne Bradley) trailed the field as both had had byes in the first weeks. There were four close games but with three winners to one it was Pellon who came out on top, Ellis the sole winner for Sports beating Firth who counted nineteen. A match result of 19-12.
Spen Victoria (Les Mitchell, Gerald Bromley, Kevin Wood and Brian Thompson) on similar points to Rastrick (Graham Hall, Donald Booth, Ann Heley and Alan Standing) were looking to steal a march on their rivals. Rastrick captain was first up against Wood, the normally reliable Hall never got going and Wood found it straight away playing extremely well for his 21-5 win. Mitchell and Heley were locked together to ten but four pairs by Mitchell made the difference and the Spen man went on to win 21-14. In the Bromley, Booth game it was the Rastrick man who held the upper hand and he led 14-9 only for Bromley to level at fourteens and take a further pair to lead for the first time. It was nip and tuck from there on but Bromley held on for a 21-18 win. In the final game Standing led Spen’s Thompson 7-5 but then went behind 7-14. Standing did fight back but he had a mountain to climb and finished with fifteen. Match score 20-09.