The Spin's Run-in Preview

[The Spin]

The Spin's Run-in Preview

Hi guys. Just 4 weeks left in the main part of the Championship season (plus a few games on Week 23) and it has been a great tournament so far. With so much up for grabs over these last games it is vital to have your team at optimal condition!

Division 1 - Play-Off Spots

Pl 1st: Everton 45pts
2nd: Bushwackers 39pts
3rd: Cricket Geniuses 39pts
4th: Umer's XI 36pts
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5th: The Falcons 36pts
6th: Pakistani Legend 33pts

With Everton being the only team virtually assured of a place in the play-offs to decide the championship winner, the last games of the season will be vital.

For Everton, all they will want to do is secure the Championship Division 1 Winners trophy. They face off with the Cricket Geniuses, Pingers, Legends and Bushwackers needing just 1 win to garuentee the play-off spot and 2 for the division 1 crown, and are already definitely going to have a home play-off semi-final.

The Battrick League Champions, Bushwackers, need 3 wins out of 5 (thanks to a game in hand) to be sure they will qualify for the play-offs, although just 2 wins could make it. They start with an easy game at home to Spinners United which should be their first win. After that it becomes more difficult, with home games against Pakistani Legends, a rematch of the League final aginst Cricket Geniuses and finally away to top dogs Everton. After that they play their game in hand, which could be abandoned depending on the position at the end. They will have to win 2 of these to be sure of qualifying, and winning 3 will be a priority to get themselves a home Semi-Final play-off match.

Cricket Geniuses also face a 3 out of 5 situation, with their second to last game against Bushwackers being likely to decide 2nd place and the home match in the play-offs. Before that, they play at Championship leaders Everton and home against Sri Krishna Team. Their final game is at home to the Pingers. They could drop out of the top 4 if they can't beat either Everton or Bushwackers so it is vital to win one of those.

Umer's XI and The Falcons look to be battling for that 4th and final play-off position. Both teams sit on 36pts and will need to get every point possible, especially Falcons who will need to battle back with Umers having a game in hand. The next 2 games for each are at home against Hampton Central and WeWak All-Stars for Umer's, and Falcons have Pakistani Legends away and Crickwick Legends at home. After these games they face off against each other in what should be the deciding match for that 4th spot, at Umer's XI's ground. Then Umer play the Pakistani Legends and have a game in hand to play, with Falcons playing WeWak-All Stars.

The dark horse hoping to cause an upset is Pakistani Legends. Only 3 points behind Falcons and Umer, they will pounce on any mistakes by the other 2 teams. Unfortunately for them, they have the hardest possible run in. The first game could ruin any chance they have or put them in pole position, when they play Falcons at home. After that they have to go to Bushwackers, before ending the season at home with Everton and Umers. They do have a game in hand which could help them out with trying to overtake Falcons. Their match with Falcons will be the decisive game for their season and hopes of play-offs.

The Division 1 Relegation Battle, and Division 2 Promotion and play-offs battles coming soon.

Please leave comments in the Sledging thread

 

[The Spin]

Division 1 - Relegation Battle

8th: Crickwick Legends 21pts
9th: Spinners United CC 18pts
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10th: Pakistani Pingers 15pts
11th: Hampton Central 9pts
R 12th: Sri Krishna Team 0pts

With places in Division 1 precious, these teams will be claiming any point they can to try and stay up. With the short distance between 8th and 11th anything could happen.

Sri Krishna are already relegated after a sorry season. After coming in to replace an inactive team and starting bottom with 0pts, the have failed to add anything to their tally and now face certain relegation. Their season ends with trips to WeWak-All Stars, Cricket Geniuses, Crickwick Legends and Spinners United, followed by a game in hand. They will be hoping to claim a single point to save themselves the humiliation of a duck season.

Crickwick Legends, conversely, are almost safe. They have a game in hand, meaning they have 5 games, and only need 2 wins to ensure survival. They have trips to the Pingers and Falcons before a home game with Sri Krishna. To end the season they have an away game against Hampton Central and a game in hand. With 3 teams to play who are also low in the league, they will be confident of picking up the 6 points for safety.

Spinners United have had a disappointing season and now lie just 3 points away from relegation. 3 wins from 4 will assure survival, but 2 or even 1 could do it depending on other results. With the Pingers looking like they will get 2 out of 4 maximum, Spinners United need just 2. Their season ends with 3 away games and a home game to finish. They will play Bushwackers, Hampton Central, Pingers and then Sri Krishna to finish up. The games with Pingers and Hampton will be crucial for them.

The Pakistani Pingers, Shield Finalists, will be devastated with their current position. They need all 4 wins to put pressure on the teams above, although 2 could do it if they are lucky. They start with a winnable home game against Crickwick Legends, then a very loseable trip to Everton. After that they will need to beat Spinners United at home in a crucial match for both teams and they then have an away day at Cricket Geniuses.

Hampton Central will hang on to the hope of survival, having arrived in the middle of the season they needed to build on their bad start. Being 9 points off survival means they need results to go there way, with 4 from 4 also being necessary. They go to Umers looking for an upset, before a crucial game with Spinners United in which a loss could end their campaign. They then travel to WeWak-All Stars and have a home game with Crickwick Legends.

There is a lot of pride at stake in these games, which nobody wants to lose.

Division 2 Promotion Battle - Coming tomorrow

 

[The Spin]

Division 2 - The Race for Promotion

C 1. Briggs Bullets 54pts
Pl 2. Old Wulfs 45pts
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Pl 3. Assasins XI 45pts
Pl 4. TT Lions 43pts
Pl 5. Jeanz 33pts
6. Borncricketers XI 30pts
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7. Challengers XI 25pts

With a lot of good teams starting in Division 2, promotion is the aim for everyone. Only 3 teams will be promoted, 2 automatically and 1 through the play-offs. With 2 or 3 games left for all the teams, wins are vital.

Briggs XI have already won the division, thanks to an unbeaten streak lasting until a loss to TT Lions in week 19. They are promoted, but still have to play Treva's Termites, Assasins XI and a game in hand (which may not be played, depending on its importance) before the end of the season.

Old Wulfs currently occupy the 2nd automatic promotion space, just. They will need good results in their last games to ensure their promotion. They are helped by having the easiest run-in, though. They start at home to Jeanz before a trip to the BFN Bombers to finish off. Wins are vital in both games.

Level on points with the Wulfs, Assasins XI look the most likely team to take the promotion spot off of Old Wulfs. They are not helped though by possibly the hardest run-in possible. They face a trip to the Lions Stands to play TT Lions and the a home meeting with Division Champions, Briggs Bullets. If they win those games, they need an Old Wulfs slip up.

TT Lions are another team who could take the final promotion spot. They will need some good fortune to get it, but it isn't out of reach. They need to play Assasins XI at home, a big game for their promotion hopes, and then Challenger's XI away. The latter game will be important to Embi's team, so it could prove tricky.

Jeanz have a play-off place wrapped up, but they won't get any more. They will be away to either 3rd or 4th place in the play-off, and may want to get in a position to play the easier team. They play Old Wulfs and Sid's Bashers, both away.

Borncricketer's XI need just 1 point to secure the final play-off position. They should easily get it, facing Sid's Bashers and Treva's Termites in the last 2 weeks, both teams have struggled this season. They then have a game in had to play as well.

Challengers XI cling onto last ditch hopes of a play off place. They will need to get wins in their final 2 games against Bianco Titans and TT Lions to stand any chance of a top 6 spot, they also need Borncricketer's XI to lose all 3 of their remaining games