WEEKLY UPDATE 7th JANUARY 2024

In the second half of the season - which started this week - there is an extra aggregate point available  for the team with the highest aggregate over two fixtures played this season. At Pudsey the point went to this week's winners, in both instances, but at Princeville it was the teams who had won in the first half of the season who picked up the extra point.

In a top of the table clash between the joint leaders, Pudsey A defeated Deaf Centre A 4 - 1 and in doing so opened up a 3 point gap over their opponents. Deaf Centre B won the other match at Pudsey to move to within a point of their A team, and are now third, where they are joined by Princeville D who, after a good start, have picked up only 5 points from their last 3 fixtures (while Pudsey A have picked up 10).

John and Peter Allan had very convincing wins for Pudsey A, while Ian Ford beat Ralph Allan, by just 7, to pick up Deaf Centre A's only point. On the other table the games were closer, but with Peter Wood and Peter O'Connell winning by enough to secure both aggregate points for Deaf Centre B, after Ihjaz Hussain had lost only narrowly to Dave Howarth.

At Princeville, Steve Gatenby got the D team off to a flyer, beating Edward Lawson by 53, but Gareth Kershaw pulled all of them back, and more, beating an out of sorts Mick Cockcroft by 74. The match then stalled until Thursday, when Chris Jarvis returned from a New Year break to play Trevor Kershaw. A win by 35 for Trevor secured 3 points for the A team but a bigger win for the D team first time round, meant that they finished with 2. In the other match, between two teams in the bottom half of the table, John Bedford turned in a fine performance against Graham Bentley - who must have been wishing it was his week to not be available - as John racking up 217 points to win by 99. Neither Paul Devitt nor I were particularly pleased with our performances in the next game, but despite my break of 33 Paul won a low scoring encounter 105 to 67. As has often happened this season Peter Turner was just pipped at the post, this time by Keith Tomlinson, but John Bedford's fine performance meant a 3 - 2 overall win the for the B team, despite him being the only winner, while Princeville C remain rooted to the foot of the table.

This coming week leaders Pudsey A visit bottom of the table Princeville C, while on the other table Princeville A entertain Pudsey B, with both teams in the wrong half of the table. The matches at the Deaf Centre carry far more importance to the league table than that one, as second placed Deaf Centre A entertain Princeville D, who are joint third and Deaf Centre B who are also joint third, meet Princeville B

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary