The business end

posted by John Winn

Yesterday afternoon, after a sunny morning, a cold wind blew across Weetwood to remind the faithful that although the season has over a month to go late August and September are not always blissful, golden days. Jennifer reminded us that Sunday will bring down the curtain on cricket at Weetwood for the season and whilst there is plenty of cricket to be played it is not simply a question of looking at the fixture list to determine exactly where and when the juiciest morsels are to be found.

 

pcws at Weetwood

Such is the case with the two second XI competitions still to be decided, for look on the ECB website under second eleven championship and you will find the season's fixtures (useful) and last year's tables (of limited use), but what you will not find is a table, even an out of date one, showing this season's positions. Turn to cricket archive and things get a little better for there you will find an almost up to date list of this season's results. missing only those games that finished yesterday, and a table but alas not up to date. In the northern division Durham II for example are shown as having played only six games when they have in fact played eight, the last of which finished a week ago.

In the southern division things are clearer; Middlesex have finished their programme and are champions and they will play in the championship final against the northern section winners. Who that will be and where, however is yet to be determined. The Middlesex website gives good coverage of their victory over Surrey last week which clinched top spot but says  they will have to wait and see who they will face, either Warwickshire, Durham or current leaders Notts. The cricket archive table shows Notts top of the northern section with one game left to play as have their two rivals. I have not been able to determine the current points for Durham and Warwickshire but it seems that anything like a good performance from Notts at Stamford Bridge next week should mean it will be they who will go forward to face Middlesex. The final will be over four days beginning on September 7th

The Second XI Trophy situation is, thankfully, a lot clearer for the semi finals will be played tomorrow, Friday August 21st and are Derbyshire v Surrey at Chesterfield and Somerset v Durham at Taunton. As are all four counties are in championship action tomorrow the semi finals will be between genuine second XI teams. The final will be played next Thursday, 27th at a venue to be confirmed.

Turning to the Under 17 competition things are not a great deal clearer but having consulted Tony yesterday here is the position as I understand it. In the two day competition the final is being played today and tomorrow at Arundel with wickets pitched at 11:00, so if you live more than about ten miles from Arundel you will have to get your skates on. The finalists are Warwickshire and Hampshire. The one day final, Div A, is being played on Sunday at Kibworth, Leicestershire, wickets pitched 10:45 between Surry and Derbyshire. The Div B final is also being played at Kibworth, on their second pitch, with Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire facing up. 10:45 start too.

Something else that came to light yesterday were the arrangements for the National Final (club) T20 day at Cardiff on Tuesday 1st September. The first semi will be 11:15 between Exmouth and Pudsey Congs and the second at 14:45 between Chester Boughton Hall and Ealing. The venue seems just about equally inconvenient for all four clubs but I note that Congs are hoping to run a coach with a 5:00 am departure, contact Michelle on 07902 263164 for further details.

And finally we turn to Minor Counties cricket. In the KO competition the final is between Northumberland and Cornwall and will be played at Wormsley on Wednesday 26th August with gates open 10:00 and play from 11:00 to 6:30 with a reserve day. For full details go wormsleycricket.co.uk

In the Minor Counties Eastern Division winners Cumberland will host their Western Division counterparts Oxfordshire at Carlisle on September 6th to 9th.