Week 18 Review, some outstanding league matches/results and who’s celebrating!

Well, officially the League season drew to a close last Wednesday, but we know that due to the World Cup in June and July and other reasons there are still a number of games to be played and earlier season games still to be concluded or, in some cases, points awarded because of defaults. We will, hopefully in the next week or so clear up all of the outstanding games so that all of these can be completed or points awarded accordingly. I just need to remind those actually playing deferred games mostly from week 12 to send copies of their match cards to either myself or team support, do not try to post them on line as that will corrupt the score system and override scores already entered.

Last week and last week!

So back to last week and firstly let’s focus not on the team results nor individual scores, but how it affected the final placings in the 7 sections. 

Well it went down to the wire in the Premier with 3 of the 5 teams potentially having the opportunity to take top spot, after the results were in though it was Abingdon Conservative Club who once again secure the title (just!) winning their game against Croft Nomads which meant that the Nomads finished in third place, Berinsfield SC A were the the most likely threat to the Con Club but despite winning their game against the College Oak 5-1 fell agonisingly just 1 point short of the top spot. That 1 point dropped cost them the title as their doll count would have been enough to give them top spot, so close!

Steventon Sports SC A had already clinched the A section title and last week’s opponents enjoyed a late season moral victory over the section winners and confirmed their runners up spot in some style defeating the Plum Pudding 6-0 in their final game of the season. 

In the C section Grove RFC have an unassailable lead so the outstanding games/results in this section will only determine the runners up spot and in the D section The Fox, Boars Hill have won the section with the best points haul in the League this season with 86 points out of a possible maximum 108. A great season for the Fox.

The final placings in the E section are dependant upon deferred games and possible postponements so until all of those are recorded we can’t declare either the winners or runners up in this section although Challow & Childrey who have already reached the final of the Skol Trophy look to be favourites for the title. Brewery Tap who sitll have 2 re-arranged matches scheduled cannot be caught at the top, but the runners up spot is still to be sorted and likewise the G section has been dominated by newcomers to the League with The Seven Stars 4 points clear of 2 sides who finished level on points, but by virtue of scoring 15 dolls more than the White Hart B side The Old Anchor secure the runners up position.

Top Performers

So back to individual performances last week. There were 4 “sixers” last week and 3 of those were in the Abingdon Con Club/Croft Nomads tie and Dave Dix wasn’t one of them! It was the first of the season for Leigh Clapton for the Con Club and also the first of the season for both Steve Enock and Barry Townsend for the Croft. The other was another first of the season for Berinsfield’s Geoff Lee.

Dave Dix did once again share top dolls on the night hitting 13 dolls a total shared by Geoff Lee, and Long Wittenham’s AC Michael Rainbow in the D section. There were a lot of “first of the season” individuals recording double figures Michael Rainbow’s 13 leading the way, but Scott Tabor’s 12 for the Red Lion A, Darryl Justice, Colin Bishop (Croft Bar), Ian Rogers (Red Lion A), Ken Fisher (Con Club) Dave Sapey (AbRBL) and Andy Rainer (7 Stars) all hit 10 dolls, and other more frequent double digit scores were Dan Hamilton (Vine), Stuart Wilson and Richard Jones (Berinsfield SC A), Steve Martin (Ab Utd A), Paul Barrett (Con Club), Steve Enock (Croft) and Derrick Brown (WADS) all with 10 dolls. Leigh Clapton and Phil Adams(Con Club), Martyn Bolton (W’sheaf), Scott Humphries (Steventon S A), Liam Brooks(Bell) and Barry Townsend (Nomads) all contributed 11 dolls for their teams on the final of the league season. 

Top Dolls

Just a quick look at the doll count an top averages Dave Dix once again averaged a remarkable 215 dolls and a 4.21 average from his 17 games, teammate Paul Barrett was the next highest in terms of total dolls scored with 167. Overall 54 players scored at least a 100 dolls for their teams and another were agonisingly close falling just short of 3 figures.

Final competitions

We have 4 more Wednesday evening’s Aunt Sally. Tonight it’s the 3’s and 4’s competitions which play will start at 7.30 and these will be played at the Croft Bar, next week it’s the turn of the 5’s again with a 7.30 start at the WADS Bar, Wootton. On Wednesday it will be a full night of Finals at Abingdon United and will feature the final of all of the team competitions including the 8’s and also the finals of the Lower Section Pairs together and the Captains/Secretaries competitions. This promises to be a full, and hopefully, successful end of the season evening.

Finally on the 23rd its the turn of the “oldies” when The Founders & Legends Trophy will be played for, this is open to all over 50, no prior registration needed. This will take place at Abingdon Conservative Club again with a 7.30 kickoff.