WEEKLY UPDATE 5 DECEMBER 2025

Competition at the top of the league table intensified this week, as unbeaten Princeville A won 4 - 0 away to Deaf Centre B, to take top spot, while previous leaders Princeville C could only pick up half a point away to third placed Deaf Centre A, who moved above them into second place. The middle section got closer, with only a point and a half between 4 teams, but they are all 8 or 9 points off the top. (Bottom of the table Princeville B's point and a half did little to improve their position).

After 5 weeks without any signs of a drawn game there were 2 this week, as John Allan and I finished level at Princeville and Ian Ford and Michael Cookson did likewise at the Deaf Centre. There was, however, nothing close about Princeville A's victory against Deaf Centre B. Richard Bowes returned from illness for the home side (perhaps too soon) and suffered a heavy defeat to the in form Trevor Kershaw. Edward Lawson followed up with a smaller win against Peter O'Connell before Gareth Kershaw completed the 4 - 0 rout with a 42 point victory over Ihjaz Hussain. 

On the other table Gerry Garland was down to play, instead of the holidaying Brian Robinson, in the clash between Deaf Centre A, who were third and league leaders Princeville C, but during the evening his name was removed leaving Ian Ford to play first and last. His first game saw him beat previously unbeaten John Bedford, to get the home side on their way, and then Jeremy Dixon showed why he is top of the Players Table with a big win against Chris Jarvis. In Ian's second game, he finished level with the previously unbeaten Michael Cookson, who thus prevented a white wash for the league leaders, who nevertheless only picked up half a point.

At Princeville it was the bottom four teams in action, but you wouldn't have thought so if witnessing Paul Devitt's performance in the first game of the night. as an early break of 42 and a later run of 38 made short work of Dave Howarth's 55 point handicap advantage. On the other table John Allan and I finished level a game which didn't have any of Paul Devitt's impressive control of the balls. Brian Haigh continued Princeville D's opening success, with a 12 point win against Graham Tudor, in a game between two players without a win between them up until this point. Returning Princeville D captain Steve Gatenby, (playing only his second game of the season) must have wondered why his team were stuck in middle of the table, after what he had seen, and he looked like picking up at least a draw, against Sid Ash, as with the seconds running down both players had a couple of visits, each without scoring, and with scores level. However at the death Sid secured a unfinished beak of 5 to ensure that Pudsey B did not return home completely empty handed.

For Princeville B, Don Hardcastle was also making his second appearance of the season and he made it 2 wins from 2 as his opponent Peter Allan failed by 15 to overcome Don's 55 point handicap advantage. The home sides narrow lead disappeared however in the third game, as some late scoring by Ralph Allan got him a 38 point win over Graham Bentley and secured Pudsey A the aggregate point, in a match where the individual points were shared one and a half each

This coming week is the last round of league fixture before Christmas and it's derby week everywhere, At Princeville it's A v C and D v B, while at the Deaf Centre it's A v B and at Pudsey it's B v A. The following week is reserved for preliminary round matches in the Individual and Pairs competitions but with 16 entries for both Individual Billiards and Snooker there is just one Pairs match - which I understand is to be played on a different date but before the next round on 24th March

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary