Post by arf on Jan 13, 2009 15:29:12 GMT
Middlesex record 9 -7 win!
Middlesex scored a successive win with a 9-7 home win over Kent.
After 3 quick - GM?! - draws the real damage to Kent was done when we established a 5.5-1.5 lead with consecutive wins from, Jon Kay (Bd11), Peter Staneland (Bd14), Peter Ackley (Bd1) and your author (Bd7). Consequently Kent could never quite recover. Steven Coles's win (Bd4) meant we could not lose as score stood at 8-4 and Peter Morton's draw (Bd16) ensured we hit the winning line with games to spare. In golfing terms 3 dormy games! (See link for full match details - www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/match2.htm)
Usually highlights of the match are given however with the foundation for victory being laid at such an early stage it is felt that this time around it is better to publish the 5 winning games (these will be published in due course).
This victory puts Middlesex back in the mix and catapults us into second. However due to a dispute between Essex and Surrey in their recent match it is unknown if there is still an outside chance of securing the SCCU title. A combination of events will need to occur in order for this to happen:
1) The dispute is in Surrey's favour; final result 8-8
2) Middlesex win all their remaining matches starting with the game against Essex and
3) Sussex and/or Kent do us favour and get something out of their respective matches against Essex. Yes the unfortunate draw against Kent at the beginning of the season has come back to haunt us!
Anyway qualification for the ECF stage is still on track. For those of you who are interested the ECF draw has been done www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/matchbcf.htm
You will note that there are 3 teams qualifying from the SCCU - about time too! Although the draw maybe revised to allow for at least 1 entry from WECU it has been confirmed that 3 teams qualify from SCCU by right. This must be recognition for the fact that SCCU are the only Union to regularly hold a qualifying event in this section that is not reliant on a jamboree. It is a pity that the other Unions are unable to hold a season long qualifying event and have to rely on either a one-off jamboree and/or nomination. I suspect that the existence of the Minor competition contributes. Depending on decisions around grading limits for future cycles, if the limits remain unchanged let's hope that these Unions do decide on a change of heart.
Next game is the away match to Essex on the 31st January 2009. Victory there will pretty much secure a qualifcation berth.