Post by arf on Mar 7, 2013 20:06:11 GMT
Middlesex on brink of first SCCU Open title since 1989!
This match is the rearranged fixture from the one scheduled for 19th January 2013. It’s been said it before and it’ll be said again, ‘The match was cancelled due to snow!’ What snow you say? Exactly! Essex match captain was not enamoured about have to travel to The Pilot anyway due to engineering works in the West London area. So the forecast of overnight snow may have helped sway his decision to cancel. To be fair the London parts of Essex definitely escaped the worst of the snow but the same may not be said for their farthest reaches. Anyway on with the report!
The Hertfordshire match report indicated the optimism of securing a QF berth was slightly misplaced as when calculating the permutations of the final matches it turns out that there is a possibility of non-qualification to National Stage of Open. The odd thing though is although being thorough in working out various permutations one was missed. In order to secure qualification all Middlesex has to do is match or better the Kent performance, namely either both win or both lose and third place guaranteed. The ideal results then after Match Day 4 are: Middlesex defeat Essex and Kent defeat Surrey. Why ideal will be explained shortly!
With your author on duty with the u180 a full account of the match may be supplied by either, Acting Match Captains, Guy and/or Nevil; or by anecdotal comments from team. In short the team won 9.5-6.5 to maintain their 100% record.
Well done guys!
Full match details here: www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/match1.htm
Match Day 4: There was one other tie of the round which sees Kent play Surrey. The Hertfordshire vs. Sussex match is being played 9/3/13 but has no bearing on Middlesex as prior to match day they cannot finish outside top four and these two are playing for fourth at best. Both Kent and Surrey went into their match knowing that defeat was not too disastrous as opportunities for either to qualify still existed in the final round, although of the two Surrey would have desired a victory to take pressure off their clash with Middlesex. Their match was complicated by the fact that their u180 teams were also facing each other which meant the selection of the teams had to be made carefully. The averages of the respective teams were separated by1point (193 vs. 194) and looking at the line-ups there was little reliance on the u180 squads thereby having no impact on the u180 match. The match was close run thing with Surrey edging a tense match – by all accounts – 9-7.
Table after Round 4
1. Middlesex 4/4 (42)
2. Surrey 3/4 (39)
3. Kent 2/4 (28.5)
4. Essex 1/4 (28.5)
5. Sussex 1/3 (22.5)
6. Hertfordshire 0/3 (15.5)
In concluding the 2011-12 Finals match report it was said that, ‘SCCU Controller David Smith must suspect something great is going to happen as our 2012-13 match is at the end of the season - SCCU Title-decider?’ Kudos to CMC, the match against Surrey is a title deciding one! Had Kent done their duty Middlesex would have been crowned SCCU champions. However their dereliction of duty means the destination of the Shannon Trophy is up in the air but will either stay in Surrey or head north of the river to Middlesex.
With Middlesex leading the division they are on the brink of their first Open title since 1988-89, so certainly a draw is enough to secure it. Thus Surrey has to play for a win to deny Middlesex their 35th SCCU Title. Having wrested the Lowenthal Trophy from Surrey in the 2011-12 County Championship final it would be fantastic to also wrest the Shannon Trophy from them in the final SCCU match of the current cycle. Victory would also see Middlesex win an SCCU Grand Slam and set up the potential of achieving a perfect season – P8 W8 but reflections on that nearer the time. Defeat will guarantee Middlesex second.
With Surrey needing to win and determined to win Shannon Trophy for the 25th time it is to be expected that they will pull out all the stops to get a team resembling that which faced Hertfordshire with maybe Suarez, Buckley, Lalic (both Susan and Peter), Frostick and Keane thrown in for good measure. We will need to be at our fighting best for what should be an epic match; dare it be said, one that would grace a National Final!
Middlesex vs. Surrey Statistics:
Head-to-Head: P74 W49 D7 L18
Last 5 matches (most recent first): WLLLD
Martin Blaine Best Performance Cup
Each year MCCA awards the Martin Blaine Best Performance Cup to the best performing Open team player. To date Andrew has been far and away the leading performer in the competition. His lead has been cut as multiple Martin Blaine award winner, Simon Spivack, closes gap to 1 point after his win. Leading players are:
1. Andrew Stone 23points
2. Simon Spivack (22)
3. Bob Eames (20)
Fixtures Round 5 – 16/3/2013 Middlesex vs. Surrey; Essex vs. Sussex; Kent vs. Hertfordshire.
Next fixture details:
Match: Middlesex vs. Surrey
Date: 16th March 2013
Start time: 2pm
Venue: Willesden Working Men's Club, 202 Villiers Road, Brent, London NW2 5PU
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE
Go on the Middlesex!