PREM/DIV 1 FINAL WEEK PREVIEW
PREM/DIV 1 FINAL WEEK PREVIEW
Still plenty to play for at the top of the two highest divisions as the League programme reaches it’s exciting climax next week.
4 teams are still in contention for the Premier title, though realistically it’s between MK sides Spinners and Sasaki, who have been front-runners all season. Outsiders Kingpins will need to win big and hope results elsewhere fall kindly for them, but Bandits will take the title if they beat Sasaki and Spinners also lose. Coincidentally both Spinners and Sasaki play at Kingston on Wednesday night, so will be able to monitor each other’s progress set by set, and I expect it to go down to the wire. Spinners play bottom team Greenleys Monarchs and need to equal or better Sasaki’s result in order to hang on to their slender one point lead, unless both lose to let Bandits in. It will be a supreme irony if Bandits stop Sasaki winning the title as, not so long ago, Bandits star man Matt Evans was the cornerstone of a Sasaki team led by Thai-Anh Lieu, who craved a first title, still unfulfilled, for his team.
I shall be at Greenleys on Wednesday to see if Kings’ mercurial Guy Sparrow can be the first player to win all 15 sets in a single round of matches under the 6 team format. His last defeat was against next week’s opposition, Kingpins’ Julian Adams, since when Guy’s form has gone through the roof and Julian’s has plummeted to the depths. As I say, Kingpins could yet be champions themselves if they pull off a good result.
In Division 1 St.Chrispopher Van Hire, going for the second promotion place, will need at least 4 sets on Tuesday against table topping champions Greenleys Warriors to take the possibility of the runners-up spot out of rivals MK Pumas hands. Pumas play bottom team Chackmore Hasbeens on Wednesday, so will know by then what they will need to do. I expect Pumas to win easily but will it be big enough? I think the tussle for this second spot is too close to call.
Best of luck to everyone involved.