STEVEN HIRST starts the defence of his Spring Handicap title tomorrow.

The Netherton Con ace – fresh from his winter success in the Griffin Champion of Champions – is part of a tough-looking qualifier at Almondbury Lib (6.30, start and scratch).

Draws will be done at the greens on the night, with everyone aiming to make Sunday’s final at sponsors Huddersfield RUFC BC (2.00).

Venues and competitors:

Waterloo

A Bamforth (Linthwaite Hall) (3), M Atkinson (Crosland Moor) (3), J Ollerenshaw (Milnsbridge BC) (3), G Beaumont (Newsome) (5), K Wenzel (Crosland Moor) (5), T Chatfield (Golcar Lib) (4), F Willen (Rastrick) (5), S Lord (Windmill) (5), M Hinchliffe (Linthwaite CB) (3), G O’Sullivan (Crosland Moor) (3), D Spencer (Canalside) (4), B Shaw (Milnsbridge Lib) (3), M Armitage (Linthwaite CB) (3), A Douglas (Canalside) (3), R Walker (Linthwaite CB) (4).

Almondbury Lib

J Brown (Kirkheaton Con) (4), D Duck (Lockwood Con) (4), A Beale (Milnsbridge Lib) (6), A Daykin (Netherton Con) (scr), M Wood (Lockwood Con) (2), W Dews (Netherton Con) (3), R Heaume (Cowcliffe) (5), T Holmes (Newsome) (5), S Hirst (Netherton Con) ((scr), ), D Radcliffe (Kirkheaton Con) (4), T Atkinson (Moldgreen Con) (3), N White (Thongsbridge) (scr), D Pollard (Cowcliffe) (3), S Lunn (Waterloo) (3), G McMahon (Netherton) (3), P Berry (Kirkheaton Con) (3)

Golcar Lib

J Martin (Canalside) (3), Kyle Spencer-Halsall (Canalside) (3), C Allen (Lindley Lib) (4), A Rose (Linthwaite CB) (4), GE Young (Almondbury BC) (3), M Sykes (Lindley Lib) (3), J Rushworth (Lindley Lib) (5), L Fallas (Milnsbridge Lib) (5), D Maguire (Milnsbridge BC) (5), S Irving (Milnsbridge Lib) (6), A Burns (Milnsbridge Lib) (4), K O’Prey (Crosland Moor) (3), P Higgins (Lockwood Con) (6), D Peacock (Milnsbridge BC) (5), D Jones (Moldgreen) (3), M Greenall (Clayton West) (3).

Lindley BC

S Smith (Canalside) (3), T Boothroyd (Crosland Moor) (3), J Bloomer (Albion) (4), P Kain (Lockwood Con) (2), D Hennessey (Elland) (2), B Tinker (Longwod) (4), Kieron Spencer-Halsall (Canalside) (4), T H Holmes (Longwood) (3), J Abdy (Rastrick) (5), P Ingleby (Longwood) (2), E Haigh (Clayton West) (3), R Whitwam (Longwood) (3), A Heaume (Canalside) (3), R Sutton (Waterloo) (3), C Noble (Lockwood Con) (6).

Linthwaite CB

T Eckersley (Slaithwaite) (4), D Oakes (Newsome) (5), M Hollingworth (Canalside) (3), D Allen (Lindley BC) (5), D Crawley (Newsome) (5), R Wiltshire (Netherton) (3), C Newton (Lower Hopton) (scr), A Wadsworth (Canalside) (3), S Tattersley (Moldgreen) (3), K Midwood (Netherton) (3), M Martin (Canalside) (3), A Cooper (Moldgreen) (3), M Hill (Almondbury Lib) (3), B Waddington (Kirkheaton Con) (6), M Higgins Snr (Lockwood Con) (3), T Brook (Crosland Moor) (3).

Longwood

A Wike (Crosland Moor) (3), R Mudd (Waterloo) (3), M Peacock (Milnsbridge BC) (3), R Quarmby (Crosland Moor) (3), M Rhodes (Brockholes) (3), C Gant (Netherton) (scr), B Walsh (Milnsbridge BC) (4), A Carter (Cowcliffe) (3), B Littlewood (Broad Oak) (4), D Reeves (Windmill) (2), C Taylor (Linthwaite Hall) (3), J Gant (Crosland Moor) (3), J Shaw (Kirkheaton Con) (4), D Wike (Crosland Moor) (5), T Randerson (Hemplow) (3).

Milnsbridge BC

T Poulter (Clayton West) (3), C Hey (Crosland Moor) (3), M Higgins Jnr (Lockwood Con) (4), A Battye (Almondbury Lib) (3), N Jones (Almondbury Lib) (3), S Price (Milnsbridge Lib) (6), F Griffin (Waterloo) (3), A Lumb (Kirkheaton Con) (4), R Morris (Almondbury Lib) (3), G Siswick (Crosland Moor) (3), A Tattersley (Moldgreen Con) (scr), B Holt (Kirkheaton Con) (6), N Small (Lindley Lib) (4), C Squires (Longwood) (3), I Briggs (Longwood) (2).

Slaithwaite

R Making (Waterloo) (3), J Dyson (Brockholes) (scr), P Toon (Waterloo) (4), D Fox (Kirkheaton Con) (scr), S Gledhill (Longwood) (4), J Grundy (Moldgreen) (7), N Slattery (Longwood) (4), T Giles (Crosland Moor) (3), G Brook (Netherton) (3), R Walsh Snr (Lockwood Con) (4), M Wenzel (Crosland Moor) (5), J Webster (Crosland Moor) (3), P Wike (Crosland Moor) (4), K Banforth (Linthwaite Hall) (3), R Battye (Almondbury Lib) (4).