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FINAL MIDLAND LEAGUE MATCHES FOR 2007 - PREVIEW
Sunday 7th October - 1sts Home to Notts at Handsworth - 2nds away to Notts at Wollaton Park. Your Firsts team goes back to Handsworth for a second year, knowing that a big win will bring with it the Midland League Trophy. The Second travel to Wollaton, and whilst they cannot retain that league's trophy, a win is a must for our great rival's Worcestershire if they are to take that title.

Matt Cryer returns to the 1sts after his superb play in the Home Internationals, as part of the victorious England Team. That followed his success in the first stage of trying to qualify for the European Tour and before that a first British title.

The team will be -

Gareth Jenkins (Capt.), Rob Browning, Matt Cryer, Sam Dodds, Antony Gascoigne, Rory Kirwan, Dale Marson Ben Stafford, Ian Stranks, Andy Sullivan.

'I am going to do something different at lunchtime,' said Captain Jenkins, 'Maybe change the order around, and I need to work on my rallying speech!'

Warwickshire have a 1.5 match point advantage over the only other undefeated side Staffordshire, who go away to Shifnal to play Shropshire & Hereford. Winning side look to keep doing so but the match point total will play a part in deciding the destination of the Trophy.

If Warwickshire win narrowly (say 8-7), then any big Staffordshire win of 10-5 or better would mean our neighbours taking the silverware.

Gareth would take a 9-6 win now and if Staffordshire play well enough (11-4) 'Fair play to them' he added. However both sides are by no means guaranteed success. Notts are always strong and whilst this year has not been their best, they may well be looking for a good win to finish the year.

Shrops & Hereford beat all the other Midland League Counties in the 2007 English Championship qualifier and have a very good junior section which continually feeds players into their teams so Staffordshire will need to be at their best to win away.

Our Second team will include a handful of our Juniors who are looking for practice for the Midland League play-offs against Notts at Wollaton later in October. They all feature very highly in the JOM tables and they have last year's successful team players to emulate so Notts will have a very good test in their search for the Second Trophy.

David Morgan on 2007-10-05