In Division 2 there are just 4½ points between top and bottom, and the team at the foot of the table have a match in hand, too.
In Division 3 only 3½ points separate the teams. That's less than a single match result, so it's all to play for:
| Team | Played | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Stowmarket Rooks | 7 | 16 |
| Ipswich E | 7 | 14½ |
| Saxmundham B | 7 | 14 |
| Bury St Edmunds D | 7 | 13½ |
| Felixstowe | 7 | 13 |
| Clacton | 6 | 12½ |
| Manningtree B | 7 | 12½ |
The next matches in this division are on 28 January. If Clacton were to beat Saxmundham B and Bury St Edmunds D beat Felixstowe, then it's possible that Bury D could end up top of the division by the end of the month, having been bottom at Christmas. Clacton too could be top. Every half-point counts, so draw offers need to be balanced against team needs.
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteOnce again the Div 3 summary does not mention the Stowmarket Rooks who are still riding high at the top of the Division. What have we got to do to get a mention?
Ok so the Rooks play Ipswich E on 28/1/2013 but we will be at our full strength and should take a couple of points from that match. Roger Smith of Ipswich has 6 from 7 so far and if he plays he willl be up against the undefeated Rob Hayhurst who outgrades him by 15 points and is playing at 128 grade average this season. With an expected total of 18 points all the chasing teams will have to score mighty well to knock the Rooks off the top by the end of January.
For Bury D to be top requires Bury to win by 4-0 and the Rooks to lose by at least 3-1 when Bury would lead the Rooks by just 1/2 point. The big problem is that if the Rooks lose by 3-1, Ipswich E will gain 3 points and have 171/2. Bury would then be tied for top. However Bury are up against the undefeated and all conquering Felixstowe Board 1 Phil Hopkins graded 171, who has 7 straight wins so far. I would say that Bury scoring 4-0 against Felixstowe is at best "unlikely."
Clacton have just one more match in January and if they win 4-0 and the Rooks lose 4-0 then they still cannot be top because if the Rooks lose 4-0 to Ipswich E then Ipswich E will be top with 181/2 points and Clacton cannot score 6 points in one match. If the Rooks score anything more than zero against Ipswich E Clacton can only equal the Rooks total but will still be behind Ipswich E.
Good luck to all.
Regards
David Green Stomarket Rooks Captain
Perhaps, rather than just commenting, you could send me an article about the all-conquering Rooks. You could then have a whole page about your team. Apologies for any statistical errors I made. Also, I missed the fact that Stowmarket are playing Ipswich E on 28 January.
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