Division 2 Roundup - Weeks 1-6
Princes Looking Good to ‘Ascend to the Throne’ (well, the D2 Title)
My first “Roundup” of the season, as life seems to have got busier!? With my team (Mursley Hawks) now back in Division 2, after a struggle in Division 1 last season, I will try to do an occasional quick report of events in Division 2. Anyway, here's the first one, covering the 'Period' of the first six weeks, with all teams bar Cavaliers having already had one ‘gap’ week (as there are only seven teams in the Division), so the current positions reflect an almost complete first third of the season.
As suggested by the Report's Title, the best team (so far) have been Greenleys Princes, who already have a ten point lead at the top of the table. This was largely due to their big 9-1 win over second placed Woburn Sands Mosquitoes, who had previously been roughly level with them, thanks to maximums in that match by both Saravana Kumar and Lewis Copp, backed up by two wins by Richard Bailey. Princes also have the only 10-0, so far, defeating Milton Keynes Cavaliers in Week 3, with Cavaliers finding the move up from Division 3 quite challenging, to date, although they did claim their first 5-5 draw, this week, against third-placed Little Horwood Wooden Tops.
Aside from just a couple of other one-sided sounding scorelines (though they've usually been closely contested matches), most matches in the Division have ended up quite close, with five 5-5 draws until now (including all three matches this week), and four 6-4 results. Mursley Hawks have managed three consecutive 5-5 draws, and they are in a congested mid-table, currently lying equal fourth with both Leighton Buzzard Van Hire and Open University Shockwave. Indeed, there are just five points between positions 2 to 6 in the table, and even 7th placed Cavaliers are only another four points adrift.
All that said, there is still quite a way to go in the season, and no doubt many more very competitive matches before positions start to settle down.
Matches coming up next week see leaders, Princes, visit equal fourth-placed Shockwave, third-placed Wooden Tops entertaining nearest neighbours Hawks in equal fourth, whilst second-placed Mosquitoes face the trip to Wing to play equal fourth-placed Van Hire, as Cavaliers get the week off.
Team of the Period : Greenleys Princes.
Player of the Period : Saravana Kumar.