Post by arf on Feb 22, 2009 14:06:37 GMT
Middlesex slip-up, yet another bad day at the office!!
The pre-match talk can be summarised succinctly as:-
You want the final round of matches to mean something, Sussex v Essex a fight for the title; Middlesex v Surrey a fight for the final qualifying place.
Well, you know what they say, 'Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it!' Guess what? I got!!! How did this happen?
The penultimate round of u175 matches sees Kent play Surrey along with the Middlesex-Sussex match. Kent with nothing but pride to play for did themselves proud by turning Surrey over 9.5-6.5. In the process they redeemed themselves for both their match away to Surrey in the 07/08 cycle and their capitulation to Sussex on the 31st January 2009. How they must rue not fielding a stronger team against Sussex as you never know right now they would have been on the verge of qualification. Consequently they can finish no higher than 4th.
The match for Surrey was one in which if they win they are in pole position to qualify for the ECF as the pressure to go for outright victory would be squarely on Middlesex's shoulders. However with defeat they will have to hope that Sussex have done them a favour. If that favour is given and Middlesex is defeated in order to qualify they are placed in the unenviable position of having to engineer at minimum a 8.5-7.5 result. If Middlesex have won or as what happened Middlesex lose and Surrey are unable to attain the requisite win in the final round, they're out. In fact if they're not careful they are in danger of winning the wooden sp00n!
Middlesex's place in the ECF would be guaranteed if their win is coupled with a Surrey loss. Well part of the equation was achieved but not the right one! Lady Luck, (or as Machiavelli put it, the wh0re Fortuna), intervenes yet again and conspires to give Surrey one final shot at qualification. So how exactly did the Middlesex-Sussex match unfold?
A match that was going to be tense for both sides didn't need any more drama; but that's exactly what it got! Having lent an unnamed captain two clocks on the proviso they were returned in plenty of time for the county match, with 5minutes to go to the start they were still en route to the playing venue and due to the wisdom of another Middlesex county captain as his team only need 12 clocks, a number had been taken away. Result? No spare clocks were to be had! Ok so I'll admit your author is equally culpable in contributing to the drama as maybe a contingency plan should have been considered.
How then do you start a XVI board match with only XIV clocks? You become creative and hope that the XVth player arrives after the clocks. Creativity was in evidence as clocks from absent players were rotated to those boards were both players were present, however a nagging doubt says, 'Go get a clock just in case the XVth man turns up earlier than the clocks.' Luckily with Chess and Bridge just being round the corner a clock was bought since the XVth man did indeed arrive before the absent clocks!
Lessons learnt - 1) Don't lend clocks! 2) Make sure you don't lend clocks unless you have spares; 3) If you do lend clocks if you know spares aren't available bring some! Hindsight makes geniuses of us all!
With the drama over the match can be summarised as: Another bad day at the office. The outgunned Sussex hold their nerve record a 8.5-7.5 win to set up an intriguing clash against Essex in a fortnight's time. Let's hope that Essex are not successful in their appeal as after the early tribulations for Sussex (8 defaults in the first two matches), they have recovered magnificently; the 2005-2006 champions have done themselves proud.
www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/match2.htm
In a match with few highlights the only highspots being:
George's demolition of Paul Kelly and Martin Crichton continuing his impressive form; he maintains his unbeaten record (5.5/7). Oh yeah the final highlight, and apologies in advance if this is deemed poor taste, Ray Harper beats Bobby Fisher!
The penultimate round leaves the table looking like:
Essex 5.5/7 } Essex win o/s appeal and they are champions
Sussex 4.5/7 } E appeal rejected & Sx win they are champions
Middlesex 2.5/7} Mx 3rd by virtue of win over Surrey
Surrey 2.5/7
Kent 2/8 } this may be 1.5/8 if E win appeal
Essex and Sussex both quallfy for the ECF stage.
www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/matchbcf.htm
The last round of SCCU matches sees the current and previous ECF champions face-off for the third and final qualifying place. I'd loved to be a fly on that wall - whoops I will be a fly on that wall! Qualification to the ECF stage favours Mx since, as previously mentioned, Surrey have to engineer a win or face the ignominy of failing to qualify and defend their trophy. I expect them to try and pull out all the stops and actively go for the win. Not sure how you do this as it's difficult trying to do this with one game let alone XVI. This match shows that it is not always the strongest team that wins - I have had my faire share of fielding strong teams and being on the wrong end!
Middlesex will qualify so long as they avoid defeat. This is equally as challenging as Surrey's task but in the words of Baldrick, 'I have a cunning plan!' In an earlier match - Middlesex v Essex - the 1st XI games were drawn the match being decided in Essex's favour with wins on 4/5 boards. What odds on a XVI board draw against Surrey? Would I be averse? I'll let you work that out!
I finish with an amusing observation: The last 3 winners of the ECF title have all been from the SCCU: 2005-06 - Sussex; 2006-07 - Middlesex and 2007-08 - Surrey. Sussex and Middlesex both failed to qualify to the ECF stage as defending champions. Another cycle another champion unable to defend the trophy? For Middlesex's sake, let us hope so!
Next match: 7th March 2009 home to Surrey