Ladies Works League
Review of matches played 23-27 August
Preview of remaining matches in the season
The race for the Division 2 title in the Ladies Works League continues with four teams still in with a chance of winning it. Although there is no guaranteed promotion to go along with top place it surely must be a factor when the 2022 season is being structured but which of the four contenders will support any claim by winning the Division 2 title this year?
It has been a very close race all season but two wins in the past week for Pearce Displays has opened up the Division 2 title race even further as one of those was against D Haigh & Co who looked to be the favourites for the title, that is changing fast! A 155-114 win over D Haigh & Co probably surpassed anyone's expectations and that was followed by a final fixture 137-126 win at personaliseHR and they can now do no more in support of their bid for the silverware. Holmes Dresser took their season-long unbeaten record to 10 matches with a 152-122 win at home over Colne Valley Garden Centre to remain firmly in contention to win a trophy they also won in 2015 but the ultimate test now awaits them.
Let's look at what each team needs to happen between now and the end of the season's fixtures with the final day scheduled for 14 September.
Pearce Displays After finishing the 2019 season exactly mid-table with a Won-8 Lost-8 record Pearce Displays have kicked on to the next level winning 8 of their 12 matches and having completed their fixtures sit top of the pile and can do nothing more to support their bid for the title.
Paul's Kitchens One match left to play and that is away at personaliseHR from which they need to collect a minimum of 148 points to pass Pearce Displays. Even that may not be enough to secure a third Division 2 title success with the last one being in 2018. When the teams met in June, Paul's Kitchens racked up 154 points their biggest total of the season and they will probably need to repeat that to retain an interest in the title destiny outcome. To Go: Friday 10 Sept - personaliseHR v Paul's Kitchens
Holmes Dresser Unbeaten all season with a Played-10 Won-10 record but the with the ultimate test of home and away fixtures with D Haigh & Co still to come. They need a total of 250 points from those two games (125 per game) to pass Pearce Displays and having not scored less than 131 points in any game all season it is obviously within their grasp. To Go: Friday 10 Sep - Holmes Dresser v D Haigh & Co Tuesday 12 Sep - D Haigh & Co v Holmes Dresser
D Haigh & Co As well as the two games against Holmes Dresser to come they have a home game next Tuesday against Brook Hansen 'B' and they still need 406 points from their final three fixtures to pass the current leaders. If we make an assumption that they collect a minimum 154 points from the game at home to Brook Hansen 'B', as they did in the away fixture in June, then that leaves them with a need for a further 252 points to pass the current leaders. That is a remarkably similar target to the 250 points that Holmes Dresser need from the same two matches. To Go: Tuesday 31 August - D Haigh & Co v Brook Hansen 'B' Friday 10 Sep - Holmes Dresser v D Haigh & Co Tuesday 12 Sep - D Haigh & Co v Holmes Dresser
You can draw your own conclusions from all this information but it seems likely that the outcome will go down to the final match of the season on Tuesday 12 September. What a great finale that would be.
Let's not forget Division 1 where things are a lot more settled and predictable as Atkinsons Butchers formally clinched the title after beating Bolster Moor Farm Shop by 166-91 on Friday and cannot be caught by any of the other contenders. This is a second consecutive title win and third overall so congratulations to Atkinson Butchers for a commanding season. Their 139 point lead over 2nd placed Alicia Dawn Photography, who have completed their season, cannot be bettered by any other team so a comfortable position to be in. It will be party time for their final match when they travel to play third-placed Brook Hansen 'A' who will do well to hold on to that position with Bolster Moor Farm Shop only 18 points adrift and a home match against Huddersfield Recreation Club to come to conclude their campaign. Last week Brook Hansen 'A' deprived PEG Perego of their first win of the season when narrowly beating them 130-128. Alicia Dawn Photography concluded their season with a routine 149-117 victory away at Strait Kutz Hairdressers who will draw the Division 1 2021 programme to a conclusion away at PEG Perego on Friday 1 September.
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