Results 2009-2010 League Week 11

Double-header round-up

David Stainer shuffled his squad and rested himself for the first game of Pericardium's clash against Waterloo Sunset, and paid the penalty for his tinkerman ways as the visitors produced their best performance of the season to take a three-point win. Pericardium secured a split of the evening's proceedings with a comfortable win in the second game, thanks in part to their returning captain's 19 (the joint top score in the second game), but their defeat sees the league's last unbeaten record disappear.

Also disappearing was their lead in the table, as Nomads' double-win over Barb enabled the defending champions to hit the top for the first time this term. The first game proved very tight, with the visitors' Roger Robinson (17) and Jonathan Warschauer (14) both entering round 7 with a chance of a full house, but Nomads pulled out to a five-point margin at the end. Barb had the consolation of a full-house bonus. The second game was rather more one-sided, with Nomads securing a bonus-point win. Though Paul Steeples and Roger Robinson both scored 16, the difference came elsewhere, with Nomads having all four players in double figures once more (as, indeed, they had in the first game; in fact they have only failed to do this twice this season).

Allsorts won both their games against the Five Bells. Gavin Fuller's 20 in the first game was the highest single-game score of the week, and his 18 in the second leg also gave him the top aggregate on the night. Atletico also took two wins from their trip to the One Tun, hosts Old Itonians gaining just one point from the evening, courtesy of a full house in game one. Robert Willer was the other joint-top-scorer for game two, with 19 - all three of his colleagues joined him in double-figures in that game.

Telstars and Pineapple shared the spoils at the Calthorpe, with the visitors taking game one by a single point. Telstars fought back in game two, led by Bob Bunting's 18.

Moving on to Division Two, Gray Monks kept it up at the top of the table, with two wins over Ovalytes, the first including a full-house bonus. Scores of 19 and 18 for Peter Ediss left him just a point behind Gavin as the night's top-scorer. All four holy brothers scored 10+ in game two.

The Banana Splits kept up the pressure with two big wins over Wharfside, though are still yet to secure a full-house bonus this season, and this could prove the decisive factor in the race for the title. All three bananamen and the one bananawoman scored double figures in amassing 60 in game one, while Gill Woon's 18 was the joint-top score for game two in the division (with Peter Ediss and Hugh Brady of Mealy Bugs).

Rosslyn Park consolidated third place with two wins over Eclectics, with whom they were level at the start of play. Eclectics got a close-defeat bonus in the first game.

Mealy Bugs also got two wins, against Outcasts, the aforementioned Hugh Brady scoring 18 in both games. The only split of the night in Division Two came at the Crown. I'm led to understand that the first game finished 39-32 to London Scottish, though I haven't received the scoresheet. The second game saw a reversal of fortune, with Sons of the Dessert coming out comfortably on top.

So, Nomads and Gray Monks are the Herbstmeistern of their respective divisions as we enter the Christmas break. Limited connectivity and a dodgy battery mean I've got no time for the maths bit today, but the overall impression was that going first was a distinct advantage in game one and a bit of a disadvantage in the second game. Comments and observations on the evening's format are welcome.