Second XI competitions nearing closure

posted by John Winn

With the Second Eleven Trophy Semi Finals due to played a week today and the list of outstanding SEC fixtures reduced to a handful it is time to try and identify which counties are in the running for second XI honours.

In the one day competition only two games remain to be played and both are scheduled for today, Kent v Middlesex in the South Division at Beckenham and Northants v Notts at Finedon in the North Division. A win for Kent** would take them past Hampshire and Sussex into second place behind  Somerset who by their win over Essex at Halstead yesterday clinched top spot. In the North Division the semi finalists were clarified by an abandoned game at Bowden when rain thwarted Lancashire and Leicestershire's attempts to play their match. The two teams finish level on points with Lancashire top by winning a game more than the Foxes.

The final of the SEC competition is set for September 6th and five matches remain to be played, two beginning on Monday, one on Tuesday and two the following Monday, August 22nd. Durham who scraped a draw against Yorkshire at Clifton Park this week, have one match left, success in which could take them above Lancashire, who have finished their programme, into top spot in the north. In the South Division Middlesex's win over Kent at Beckenham on Thursday would seem to guarantee them top spot and a place in the final. Please excuse the use of the word 'seem' but the tables have not been updated to reflect this past week's matches.

Finally many of our readers will have followed this week's quarter finals in the t20 blast and be aware that for the first time the four teams who will be in action on finals day are all from the Northern Section*. A gentleman whose name I did not catch but who appeared to be employed by the ECB and whose job was to hold the bag from which the balls were drawn to determine the draw for the semi finals described the competition as being 'dominated by the south', The past winners are as follows

South: Hants 2, Surrey 1, Somerset 1, Kent 1, Middlesex 1,  Total 7
North: Leicestershire 3, Northants 1, Warwickshire 1, Lancashire 1, Total 6
an advantage of one win to the south which will of course be negated on Saturday week come what may.

* described by some southern based pundits as 'the weaker northern section'. the same section that has provided the last eight winners of the county championship.

** Kent won by 48 runs and will play either Lancs or Leicestershire at Beckenham on Friday 11:00 start.