THE Skipton Veteran’s Inter-District team made an unconvincing start to the season with a below par effort against Castleford, going down by 23-33 points overall in the two legs.

The damage was done in the home leg at Sutton where the visitors played quite well but whilst the winners were shared at four each, three single figure defeats did severe damage to the locals who went down by a large amount on the aggregate.

The away team also shared the winners away at Pontefract but gained a narrow three-point victory thanks to good wins by Kevin Burnett and Welsh International Dennis Wynne Jones. Things will have to improve for the game against Leeds on May 17.

Richard Hargreaves, of Cross Roads, joined his team-mate Les Foster in the Intermediate Rounds of the Hillcrest Classic after two good wins including a great effort against South Yorkshire star, Chris Brown. Foster has been chosen to play for the Yorkshire Parks in their first county match of the season on May 19 against Cumberland and Westmorland, many moons since his last game for the side.

Yorkshire Cup games continue this weekend where Cross Roads receive a bye into the next round on June 1.

Whinfield also receive a bye in the mixed event for the Radley Trophy, but Oxenhope play Stanley BC, of Wakefield, at Wyke and should progress.

Finally, Broughton Road continue in the other mixed event, the Hutchinson Trophy, and meet Ripponden Park at West Bradford.

The Worth Valley competitions begin on Sunday at Highfield with the Foster and Ogden Handicaps but no details are yet to hand, while the Shipley Merit is at Shipley BC from 9.30am.

Silsden’s David Scott was on the Lower Hopton team that won the prestigious West Riding Cup recently defeating old rivals Pudsey BC.