Bolly take the league honours

THE North West Counties Summer League drew to its conclusion on July 19, with the very final match to be played determining the destiny of the South Division title for 2018.

In the event, the honours went to long-time leaders Bollington 1. The ‘Bolly Firsts’ played host to Glossop, the only team in with a chance of catching them. And although the visitors were victorious by the odd match in five, Bollington’s 19-point advantage before the match had been sufficient to ensure that anything other than a landslide defeat should prove enough for the championship.

Eugene Mole and Will Jordan both triumphed 3-1, as the hosts picked up points to get themselves over the title-line – despite an overall reverse on the night which prevented their remaining unbeaten throughout this year’s campaign.

That they required relatively little from the final fixture owed something to nearneighbours Prestbury 1, who, a week previously, had travelled to Glossop and come away with a 3-2 win – courtesy of victories for Paul Bartle, Dave Jones and Alan Whiston that left the Derbyshire side with what turned out to be too great a gap to close on Bollington.

Prestbury’s ‘Firsts’ finished eighth – three places below Bollington 2, who ended the summer schedule on the same night (July 12) with a narrow 3-2 loss at Alderley Edge 1. Rick Walters and Rob Harland were successful for the visitors. Two other teams from clubs had already completed their fixtures during the first week of the month – with Prestbury 2 and Macclesfield Squash ending up, respectively, third in the East Division and in the 10-strong South Division’s basement position. The serious business of the Winter League gets under way again in September.