ICC Play-Offs

[Markymark]

We know who has been relegated from Prem A and Prem B and who has been promoted to Prem A, but the final piece of the jigsaw is who will replace Derbyshire and Hampshire 2 in Premier B.

The four teams in the play-offs are: Lanarkshire, Herts 2, Kent and Wiltshire. Which teams will make it???

I think I'll stick my neck out and say Lanarkshire and Herts 2 but Kent might make it also. Herts 2 are rumoured to be pushing the spirit of the rules to the limit by playing Rachel Howard (who may have played for Herts 3 late in the season to play enough matches to qualify for the play-offs!!). Will no doubt raise some eyebrows if this proves to be true.

Wiltshire I think are the weakest of the 4, but they've obviously played well all season.

[alansd]

Its been a while since I imparted my wisdom!

If kent can get a full team out then they can beat anyone but it all depends on who can be bothered... knowles burgess waterman... plus a few other good players that are more than strong enough to play in that line up and pretty much gurantee all the mens and mixed.
Could be down to a toss up between the scottish international men and the english ladies to see who fills in that other spot. Could be wrong but the lanarkshire women are a bit weaker than the rest? mark?

[Phil McBride]

Can I ask a silly mad question not knowing how the county thing is set up but does Lanarkshire and Glasgow & North Strathclyde not belong to the same overlaping geographical area?

I'm assuming they dont play the same players or is there some movement between teams?

Apols for the off topic but i'm intreagued

[Markymark]

Can I ask a silly mad question not knowing how the county thing is set up but does Lanarkshire and Glasgow & North Strathclyde not belong to the same overlaping geographical area?

I'm assuming they dont play the same players or is there some movement between teams?

Apols for the off topic but i'm intreagued

No, they are completely distinct - set out in the ICC regulations.

Lanarkshire's women are slightly weaker, but they have some great juniors and they're not any weaker than Kent really. Lanarkshire have the strongest men if they get everyone out. Herts 2 have the strongest women.

[alansd]

You really think lanarkshires men could compete with the guys from kent. With the greatest respect to the scottish guys, I cant see anyone other than maybe goddard getting close to either knowles or burgess.

[Markymark]

You really think lanarkshires men could compete with the guys from kent. With the greatest respect to the scottish guys, I cant see anyone other than maybe goddard getting close to either knowles or burgess.

Andrew Bowman, David Gilmour, Keith Turnbull etc are all capable of beating them and lanarkshire are definitely stronger at guys 3 and 4 (assuming they all play).

[alansd]

is that with you playing at 4th man?

[Markymark]

is that with you playing at 4th man?

Lol. Maybe not. They also have Jamie Neill, Kenny Young and Craig Robertson.

[ifindoubtcallitout]

it is true Jo Goode and Rachael Howard have played third team matches for herts so they are eligible for the play off's

[Markymark]

it is true Jo Goode and Rachael Howard have played third team matches for herts so they are eligible for the play off's

Jo Goode also? Lol. Dear oh dear. The rules need to be changed in my opinion. Pretty desperate.

[alansd]

to be fair if herts have all the ladies out jo goode is probably second team!

[Markymark]

to be fair if herts have all the ladies out jo goode is probably second team!

Yes, but to play in a third team match to enable you to have played enough matches to qualify for the play-offs? I also don't think you should be able to play for the 1st team in a season and then play for the 3rd team afterwards. The nominations rules also needs changing - you should have to nominate 6 players as a minimum, especially now that it's very rare for teams to only use 4 men or 4 women with the rule changes.

It's clear from the way the Herts teams have been picked all season that the rules are well researched and pushed to the limit. Will no doubt be a talking point.

[JustinA]

Its all very well to say that a minimum number of players should be nominated but here in Wilts we struggle to fill teams at times so that sort of change would not be good for us. It will be interesting to see which stars suddenly come out of the woodwark just to try and get their teams promoted then play just enough again next season if asked to. Wish we had these kind of players sat around not playing much that we could call on!!

Still what ever happens in the play offs at least we can say we got there I guess and you never know we may all play out of our skins and surprise a few people, stranger things have happened.

[colindow1]

Herts 3 did have Jo Goode and Rachel Howard in their team versus sussex on sunday in div 1C, they also had Richard Southward who normally plays in a higher Herts team, very good ladies to be playing in the 3rd team, great to play against them but not sure why they fielded them, must be a reason i guess

[Markymark]

Its all very well to say that a minimum number of players should be nominated but here in Wilts we struggle to fill teams at times so that sort of change would not be good for us. It will be interesting to see which stars suddenly come out of the woodwark just to try and get their teams promoted then play just enough again next season if asked to. Wish we had these kind of players sat around not playing much that we could call on!!

Still what ever happens in the play offs at least we can say we got there I guess and you never know we may all play out of our skins and surprise a few people, stranger things have happened.

If you don't have the players, don't enter multiple teams! Simple as that.

I think it's very much against the spirit of the rules to have players playing for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams in the same season. You are also supposed to nominate the players who you intend to playing regularly for the teams (and there should be a minimum of 4). To not nominate Rachel Howard or Jo Goode in any team is, in my view, not in the spirit of the rules. By no stretch of the imagination are they 3rd team players and Badminton England should show some balls here and stamp it out.

[Badboy]

Badminton England should show some balls here and stamp it out.


April Fools day was last week Mark....

[Markymark]

April Fools day was last week Mark....

Very true!

[David69]

Herts 3 did have Jo Goode and Rachel Howard in their team versus sussex on sunday in div 1C, they also had Richard Southward who normally plays in a higher Herts team, very good ladies to be playing in the 3rd team, great to play against them but not sure why they fielded them, must be a reason i guess

Desperation?

Doesn't feel right but for once I agree with Mark :eek:

[Markymark]

Desperation?

Doesn't feel right but for once I agree with Mark :eek:

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

To be fair, I think you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who agrees that what they are doing is "fair".

[Markymark]

And the ICC play-offs are being played in accordance with the regional championship rules - so 15 rubbers and players can play all three events. Seems extraordinary given that they are playing to play in Premier B where different rules will apply.

[Jamie Neill]

Hi,

So can anyting be done about this situation or will they just get away with it.

[alansd]

What team will lanarkshire be bringing down for it?

[Luncheon]

Hasn't Howard been injured and Goode doesn't play much, so if the 1st and 2nd teams have been fairly consistent. 1sts with internationals, 2nds with the youngsters....the 3rds must be the returning from injury or players who don't play as much anymore.

I don't see anything wrong with it, there would be no moans from anyone if they lost every game they played!!!!

[Jamie Neill]

We have 5 guys and 5 girls, ideally wanted 6 guys but 1 isn't playing.

Our girls aren't as strong as our guys, some are younger, some are a lot older...our best 2 juniors can't play either. I think the Premier format would actually have suited us better so our guys could focus on our specific events and it would restrict the strength of other teams, but we're used to this format this year anyway so will go for it either way.

[Markymark]

Hasn't Howard been injured and Goode doesn't play much, so if the 1st and 2nd teams have been fairly consistent. 1sts with internationals, 2nds with the youngsters....the 3rds must be the returning from injury or players who don't play as much anymore.

I don't see anything wrong with it, there would be no moans from anyone if they lost every game they played!!!!

Without commenting on the rights and wrongs on the rules, if you're no.4 in the country, you're not a third team player.

[Luncheon]

Without commenting on the rights and wrongs on the rules, if you're no.4 in the country, you're not a third team player.

Surely you can be if you're coming back from injury?

Lets take one of your beloved Scots.
Thompson (hoping he has a speedy and successful recovery)
If he comes back about November time, wouldn't have been nominated in 1sts, so coming back from injury, he is more than likely to play in a lower team (if Glasgow have one, I don't know)
Then with his comeback in the first team, probably sometime in 2009.
Then although he is one of Scotland's top singles player, he will for that period of time be a 3rd team player.

**CAVEAT = Hopefully he returns very soon, not having to wait till 2009, was just an example**

[Markymark]

Surely you can be if you're coming back from injury?

Lets take one of your beloved Scots.
Thompson (hoping he has a speedy and successful recovery)
If he comes back about November time, wouldn't have been nominated in 1sts, so coming back from injury, he is more than likely to play in a lower team (if Glasgow have one, I don't know)
Then with his comeback in the first team, probably sometime in 2009.
Then although he is one of Scotland's top singles player, he will for that period of time be a 3rd team player.

**CAVEAT = Hopefully he returns very soon, not having to wait till 2009, was just an example**

Not so sure about that. And the argument doesn't work when the same player played for the first team only a few weeks earlier.

[Markymark]

So, the results are:

Round 1:

Herts 2 (8) v. Lanarkshire (7)
Wiltshire (6) v. Kent (9)

Round 2:

Herts 2 (13) v. Wiltshire (2)
Lanarkshire (8) v. Kent (7)

Round 3:

Herts 2 (12) v. Kent (3)
Wiltshire (6) v. Lanarkshire (9)

So, Herts 2 and Lanarkshire are promoted to Premier B. Well done to them.

[Jamie Neill]

hi, on the mini-bus home, just saying that we managed to win the 1st mixed in 3 sets, so the final score was 10-5 vs Wilts. Good match.

[Markymark]

hi, on the mini-bus home, just saying that we managed to win the 1st mixed in 3 sets, so the final score was 10-5 vs Wilts. Good match.

Oops. There was me being presumptuos. They had lost the first and were well down in the second when I left! Well done to them!