Post by arf on May 19, 2013 22:45:36 GMT
The QF results of all the Open matches are now known.
In Middlesex’s half of the draw Kent emerged victorious attaining a 10-6 win over Staffordshire. Although you should root for a fellow SCCU team for the health of the competition it is a pity that Kent won as apart from the fact that battle will once again be joined with familiar faces the ‘National’ element of the Championship is eroded. The top half of the draw sees the SCCU have 2 representatives in the SF and if Surrey prevails against Yorkshire they will have 3 thereby increasing the prospects of another all SCCU-final (16 to 2012 when it became a possibility after QF round introduced in 1957).
The ‘National’ element is also eroded even if Yorkshire prevails as the final will once again see a NCCU vs. SCCU contest. Of the 93 finals between 1907 and 2012, 65 of them are one of the following combinations: NCCU vs. NCCU; NCCU vs. SCCU or SCCU vs. SCCU. Warwickshire’s appearance in 1995-96 was the last time a team outside of the NCCU or SCCU challenged for the title. Staffordshire vs. Hampshire in 1991-92 was the sole time a representative of the NCCU and SCCU failed to appear in the final.
The Championship is definitely the hegemony of NCCU/SCCU and from a selfish perspective long may it continue but on occasion it would be nice to do battle with unknown names. How to break this North/South domination? How about this as a solution if it cannot be done over the board? Between 1907 and 1954 in the early days of the Championships when there were only 3 Unions a bye was used on rotation to determine which Unions played in SF and which proceeded directly to the F, this ensured all Unions were represented even if NCCU and SCCU were in the main the victors. How about reintroducing ‘bye’ into final to be awarded to EACU; MCCU and WECU in rotation to give the other Unions a fighting chance? Yeah right I can already imagine the uproar!
In the other half the outstanding match sees Surrey defeat Yorkshire 9.5-6.5. Owen Phillips writes: “Just to say we had a great tussle today with Yorkshire. The match was played as usual in a great spirit. Cyril Johnson and his wife who kindly arranged the neutral venue and very good refreshments-also deserve our thanks again. Cyril also acted as Arbiter-again thanks for that Cyril.The match went to the wire and it looked until the last few minutes like Surrey would either just edge it on Board count or by 8.5 to 7.5, but in the end the score line slightly flatters Surrey, but still a hard fought win. Yorkshire averaged 197 and Surrey 194”.
So the SF in the bottom half sees Lancashire face-off against Surrey. Their Head-to-Head record is: P13 Lancashire leads 8-5 [They have actually been drawn against each other 14 times but the 1938-39 SF match was abandoned due to war.] On balance history points to a Lancashire win but Surrey have established themselves once again as a powerhouse. Further Lancashire have not been as strong as they been in recent years. These factors should point to a Surrey win but if Surrey have an Achilles heel it is how representative their team will be when on the road – remember they were significantly weak when travelling ‘up the road’ to Middlesex in the final round of the SCCU competition. If they can overcome this failing as they did when playing Yorkshire (team average 194) then a 17th all SCCU contest in the final is guaranteed.
Middlesex continue their march to Warwick and it is now down to Kent to try and prevent them getting there. Previous results against Kent show Middlesex have a winning record so will hope to continue in that vein and make it to Finals Day once again. Apart from increasing their prospects of retaining title a victory would see Middlesex achieve their 50th win against Kent since their affiliation to SCCU in 1907. This would be the 3rd 50th victory over fellow SCCU counties in the current cycle, earlier in the campaign victories over Sussex and Surrey en route to the Shannon Trophy were incidentally 50th victories also. If achieved it will means Hertfordshire is the sole SCCU County yet to lose 50 times to Middlesex (P52 W 38 D4 L10). However Kent will want to avenge the defeat they suffered at Middlesex’s hands at the beginning of the cycle. A titanic battle is on the cards if both sides get out truly representative sides – Middlesex maintain their average of 196 and Kent of 193.
Last 5 Open National Championships -
Middlesex: 2012 – Champions; 2011 – QF; 2010 – DNQ; 2009 – SF; 2008 – Runner-up
Kent: 2012 – DNQ; 2011 – Runner-up; 2010 – DNQ; 2009 – SF; 2008 - DNQ
Head-to-Head Statistics: All P74 W49 D4 L21
SCCU: P72 W47 D4 L21
National Stage: P2 W2 (1985-86 F 10.5-5.5 & 1986-87 F 8.5-7.5)
Next Fixture details:
Match – ECF SF vs. Kent
Date – 8th June 2013
Venue – Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford
Start Time – 2pm
Time Control – 35moves in 1h 3/4 + 30mins QPF
If this match can be safely negotiated one of two mouth-watering finals is in prospect; either Lancashire vs. Middlesex which sees the two most decorated counties slugging it out for world domination yet again; alternatively a Middlesex vs. Surrey final which reprises the 2011-12 final where Surrey will not want to suffer a hat-trick of defeats that sees Middlesex lift another title at their expense! Would they be prepared to get the big guns out – Bogdan Lalic for example – in order to prevent this happening? Game on! Yes Kent vs. either Lancashire or Surrey will equally be intriguing but less face it who really is thinking about those combinations?!
Go on the Middlesex!
P.S.: It was mentioned in the Warwickshire match report that Middlesex’s victory (14-2 adjusted to 14-1 due to ineligibility of Warwickshire player) was either the 3rd or 5th on their all time list of greatest margins of victory. One of the problems in deciding is that in the history of the county championships the number of boards that National Stage matches have been contested over has varied with the minimum being 12 so it is hard to really establish which match should be considered as Middlesex’s greatest margin of victory.
Having reviewed the likely contenders I think the order should be:
1st 1962-63 QF vs. East Glamorgan 11.5-0.5 (96%)
2nd 1955-56 SF vs. East Glamorgan 15-1 (94%)
3rd 2012-13 QF vs. Warwickshire 14-1 (93%) [Note drops to 4th= if 14-2 score-line reinstated (88%)]
4th 1963-64 QF vs. East Glamorgan 11-1 (92%)
5th 1912-13 F vs. Staffordshire 10.5-1.5 (88%)
Do you agree? Do you have any other way of determining the order of results, especially considering matches in main have been played over 12, 16 and 20 boards?
If using the same formula when applied to the National Stage in its’ entirety the greatest margins of victory to 2012 are:
1st 1962-63 QF Middlesex vs. East Glamorgan 11.5-0.5 (96%)
2nd 1955-56 SF Middlesex vs. East Glamorgan 15-1 (94%)
3rd 1968-69 QF Oxfordshire vs. East Glamorgan 16.5-1.5 (92%)
4th 1963-64 QF Middlesex vs. East Glamorgan 11-1 (92%)
5th= 1956-57 SF Warwickshire vs. East Glamorgan 15.5-1.5 (91%)
5th= 1987-88 QF Essex vs. Devon 14.5-1.5 (91%)
5th= 2010-11 QF Surrey vs. Warwickshire 14.5-1.5 (91%)
8th= 1912-13 F Middlesex vs. Staffordshire 10.5-1.5 (88%)
8th= 1929-30 F Lancashire vs. Nottinghamshire 10.5-1.5 (88%)
10th=1969-70 SF Lancashire vs. Leicestershire 13.5-2.5 (84%)
10th= 1986-87 SF Middlesex vs. Staffordshire 13.5-2.5 (84%)
10th= 2008-09 QF Yorkshire vs. Devon 13.5-2.5 (84%)
A score of 15.5-0.5 (or better!) then would rocket the county achieving said score to top of the charts. Has a whitewash been achieved over the board at county level? It may have been achieved in lower sections of Union run competitions but surely it is unlikely in any of their top sections? Irrespective of what happens at Union stage it surely is unthinkable that it has been achieved National Stage. Yes some counties outclassed but it would be odd to think one has been whitewashed even in the lower sections!
Where then does Middlesex’s 2012-13 victory over Warwickshire stand on the list? Well for a start it depends on which result is final [there is a question whether Rob Walker became an ECF Member on eve of match but Membership List not updated.] If the 14-2 score is upheld they slip into equal 8th (88%); however if adjusted score 14-1 is enforced they pop into 3rd place (93%). It would be great if the latter as Middlesex would then have the best 3 scores and 4 of the top 5. East Glamorgan would equally be grateful as finally have a county that breaks up their occupation of top 5 positions as worst performing county!
Go on the Middlesex!
In Middlesex’s half of the draw Kent emerged victorious attaining a 10-6 win over Staffordshire. Although you should root for a fellow SCCU team for the health of the competition it is a pity that Kent won as apart from the fact that battle will once again be joined with familiar faces the ‘National’ element of the Championship is eroded. The top half of the draw sees the SCCU have 2 representatives in the SF and if Surrey prevails against Yorkshire they will have 3 thereby increasing the prospects of another all SCCU-final (16 to 2012 when it became a possibility after QF round introduced in 1957).
The ‘National’ element is also eroded even if Yorkshire prevails as the final will once again see a NCCU vs. SCCU contest. Of the 93 finals between 1907 and 2012, 65 of them are one of the following combinations: NCCU vs. NCCU; NCCU vs. SCCU or SCCU vs. SCCU. Warwickshire’s appearance in 1995-96 was the last time a team outside of the NCCU or SCCU challenged for the title. Staffordshire vs. Hampshire in 1991-92 was the sole time a representative of the NCCU and SCCU failed to appear in the final.
The Championship is definitely the hegemony of NCCU/SCCU and from a selfish perspective long may it continue but on occasion it would be nice to do battle with unknown names. How to break this North/South domination? How about this as a solution if it cannot be done over the board? Between 1907 and 1954 in the early days of the Championships when there were only 3 Unions a bye was used on rotation to determine which Unions played in SF and which proceeded directly to the F, this ensured all Unions were represented even if NCCU and SCCU were in the main the victors. How about reintroducing ‘bye’ into final to be awarded to EACU; MCCU and WECU in rotation to give the other Unions a fighting chance? Yeah right I can already imagine the uproar!
In the other half the outstanding match sees Surrey defeat Yorkshire 9.5-6.5. Owen Phillips writes: “Just to say we had a great tussle today with Yorkshire. The match was played as usual in a great spirit. Cyril Johnson and his wife who kindly arranged the neutral venue and very good refreshments-also deserve our thanks again. Cyril also acted as Arbiter-again thanks for that Cyril.The match went to the wire and it looked until the last few minutes like Surrey would either just edge it on Board count or by 8.5 to 7.5, but in the end the score line slightly flatters Surrey, but still a hard fought win. Yorkshire averaged 197 and Surrey 194”.
So the SF in the bottom half sees Lancashire face-off against Surrey. Their Head-to-Head record is: P13 Lancashire leads 8-5 [They have actually been drawn against each other 14 times but the 1938-39 SF match was abandoned due to war.] On balance history points to a Lancashire win but Surrey have established themselves once again as a powerhouse. Further Lancashire have not been as strong as they been in recent years. These factors should point to a Surrey win but if Surrey have an Achilles heel it is how representative their team will be when on the road – remember they were significantly weak when travelling ‘up the road’ to Middlesex in the final round of the SCCU competition. If they can overcome this failing as they did when playing Yorkshire (team average 194) then a 17th all SCCU contest in the final is guaranteed.
Middlesex continue their march to Warwick and it is now down to Kent to try and prevent them getting there. Previous results against Kent show Middlesex have a winning record so will hope to continue in that vein and make it to Finals Day once again. Apart from increasing their prospects of retaining title a victory would see Middlesex achieve their 50th win against Kent since their affiliation to SCCU in 1907. This would be the 3rd 50th victory over fellow SCCU counties in the current cycle, earlier in the campaign victories over Sussex and Surrey en route to the Shannon Trophy were incidentally 50th victories also. If achieved it will means Hertfordshire is the sole SCCU County yet to lose 50 times to Middlesex (P52 W 38 D4 L10). However Kent will want to avenge the defeat they suffered at Middlesex’s hands at the beginning of the cycle. A titanic battle is on the cards if both sides get out truly representative sides – Middlesex maintain their average of 196 and Kent of 193.
Last 5 Open National Championships -
Middlesex: 2012 – Champions; 2011 – QF; 2010 – DNQ; 2009 – SF; 2008 – Runner-up
Kent: 2012 – DNQ; 2011 – Runner-up; 2010 – DNQ; 2009 – SF; 2008 - DNQ
Head-to-Head Statistics: All P74 W49 D4 L21
SCCU: P72 W47 D4 L21
National Stage: P2 W2 (1985-86 F 10.5-5.5 & 1986-87 F 8.5-7.5)
Next Fixture details:
Match – ECF SF vs. Kent
Date – 8th June 2013
Venue – Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford
Start Time – 2pm
Time Control – 35moves in 1h 3/4 + 30mins QPF
If this match can be safely negotiated one of two mouth-watering finals is in prospect; either Lancashire vs. Middlesex which sees the two most decorated counties slugging it out for world domination yet again; alternatively a Middlesex vs. Surrey final which reprises the 2011-12 final where Surrey will not want to suffer a hat-trick of defeats that sees Middlesex lift another title at their expense! Would they be prepared to get the big guns out – Bogdan Lalic for example – in order to prevent this happening? Game on! Yes Kent vs. either Lancashire or Surrey will equally be intriguing but less face it who really is thinking about those combinations?!
Go on the Middlesex!
P.S.: It was mentioned in the Warwickshire match report that Middlesex’s victory (14-2 adjusted to 14-1 due to ineligibility of Warwickshire player) was either the 3rd or 5th on their all time list of greatest margins of victory. One of the problems in deciding is that in the history of the county championships the number of boards that National Stage matches have been contested over has varied with the minimum being 12 so it is hard to really establish which match should be considered as Middlesex’s greatest margin of victory.
Having reviewed the likely contenders I think the order should be:
1st 1962-63 QF vs. East Glamorgan 11.5-0.5 (96%)
2nd 1955-56 SF vs. East Glamorgan 15-1 (94%)
3rd 2012-13 QF vs. Warwickshire 14-1 (93%) [Note drops to 4th= if 14-2 score-line reinstated (88%)]
4th 1963-64 QF vs. East Glamorgan 11-1 (92%)
5th 1912-13 F vs. Staffordshire 10.5-1.5 (88%)
Do you agree? Do you have any other way of determining the order of results, especially considering matches in main have been played over 12, 16 and 20 boards?
If using the same formula when applied to the National Stage in its’ entirety the greatest margins of victory to 2012 are:
1st 1962-63 QF Middlesex vs. East Glamorgan 11.5-0.5 (96%)
2nd 1955-56 SF Middlesex vs. East Glamorgan 15-1 (94%)
3rd 1968-69 QF Oxfordshire vs. East Glamorgan 16.5-1.5 (92%)
4th 1963-64 QF Middlesex vs. East Glamorgan 11-1 (92%)
5th= 1956-57 SF Warwickshire vs. East Glamorgan 15.5-1.5 (91%)
5th= 1987-88 QF Essex vs. Devon 14.5-1.5 (91%)
5th= 2010-11 QF Surrey vs. Warwickshire 14.5-1.5 (91%)
8th= 1912-13 F Middlesex vs. Staffordshire 10.5-1.5 (88%)
8th= 1929-30 F Lancashire vs. Nottinghamshire 10.5-1.5 (88%)
10th=1969-70 SF Lancashire vs. Leicestershire 13.5-2.5 (84%)
10th= 1986-87 SF Middlesex vs. Staffordshire 13.5-2.5 (84%)
10th= 2008-09 QF Yorkshire vs. Devon 13.5-2.5 (84%)
A score of 15.5-0.5 (or better!) then would rocket the county achieving said score to top of the charts. Has a whitewash been achieved over the board at county level? It may have been achieved in lower sections of Union run competitions but surely it is unlikely in any of their top sections? Irrespective of what happens at Union stage it surely is unthinkable that it has been achieved National Stage. Yes some counties outclassed but it would be odd to think one has been whitewashed even in the lower sections!
Where then does Middlesex’s 2012-13 victory over Warwickshire stand on the list? Well for a start it depends on which result is final [there is a question whether Rob Walker became an ECF Member on eve of match but Membership List not updated.] If the 14-2 score is upheld they slip into equal 8th (88%); however if adjusted score 14-1 is enforced they pop into 3rd place (93%). It would be great if the latter as Middlesex would then have the best 3 scores and 4 of the top 5. East Glamorgan would equally be grateful as finally have a county that breaks up their occupation of top 5 positions as worst performing county!
Go on the Middlesex!