It’s a tight race for the semi-final spots going into today’s final preliminary round of matches in all the lower divisions of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) competitions.
In the Intermediate, Old Brigand Dover, with an unassailable 54 points in Zone B, are the first team to secure a berth in the play-offs.
In Zone A, ICBL Empire lead the pack with 41 points, followed by ESA Field Pickwick on 34.
Empire meet Alleyne at Bank Hall, while Pickwick, who must win to stand any chance of going forward, will host Windward at Foursquare Oval.
Rocklyn Hardware Isolation Cavaliers, with 47 points, and Mount Gay North Stars, who are in a must-win situation on 41 points, are battling for the top position in Zone C.
Isolation Cavaliers take on Alexandra at Queen Street and North Stars are away to Barbados Defence Force (BDF) at Paragon.
It’s also a two-way race in Zone D with LIME on 47 points, three ahead of Barbados Fire Service (BFS). LIME will entertain Conrad Hunte at Wildey and BFS will clash with BRC at Passage Road.
In the Division 2 championship, Maxwell, on 66 points, 19 clear of Brereton, have already qualified for the semis from Zone A.
In Zone B, it’s a battle between Ince Transport MTW with 70 points and Combermere School Old Scholars (CSOS) on 62 points. However, Old Scholars have to win and hope MTW lose outright, and then most wins during the preliminaries will come into the picture.
Seven Seas Police and Pine Hill Dairy St John Cultural will be locked in a top-of-the table clash at Gall Hill in Zone C. Police have 77 points and St John Cultural 75.
Police and BNOC will conclude a rescheduled fifth-round match at Bridgefield tomorrow.
Standings
Intermediate
(eighth round – brackets indicate game outstanding)
Zone A: Empire 41, Pickwick 34, Banks 27, Wanderers 25, Windward 24, Belleplaine 21, Bayville 15, SJC 12, Alleyne 4.
Zone B: Dover 54, St Catherine 39, Melrose 32, Wotton 32, Maple 26 (7), Diamondshire 23, YMPC 19, Yorkshire 19 (7), Central 17, HMPO 0. NB: Maple and Yorkshire to complete last day of their match tomorrow.
Zone C: Isolation Cavaliers 47, North Stars 41, Spartan 38, Lords 28, Alexandra 26, UWI 22, BDF 16, Police 12, Ellerslie 11, Coleridge & Parry 9.
Zone D: LIME 47, BFS 44, BRC 37, Combermere 32, Sheffield 28, Malvern 20, Foundation 20, Boscobel 17, Conrad Hunte 7, Harrison College 5.
Division 2
(after 12 rounds)
Zone A: Maxwell 66, Brereton 47, Malvern 40, Market Hill 34, Wibix 34, Ipswich 29, Inch Marlow 27, UYG 25, Pickwick 23, North Stars 24, Conrad Hunte 20, Wotton 20, YMCA 13.
Zone B: MTW 70, CSOSA 62, Empire 57, Psychiatric Hospital 41, Carlton 37, Melrose 30, Windward 29, SJPP 16, BRC 14, Dover 13, Wanderers 11, GIS 11.
Zone C: Police 77, St John’s Cultural 75, BCC 51, Benfica 42, BWU 42, King’s Park 39, BNOC 39, Bristol 24, Mapp Hill 21, Central 16, QEH 13, MASSC 4, Standard 4.
Schools
(after eighth round)
Zone A: St Michael 47, Grantley Adams 39, Queen’s College 37, St Leonard’s 33, Deighton Griffith 27, Lester Vaughan 16, Princess Margaret 15, St George 12, Graydon Sealy 11, St Lucy 7.
Zone B: Combermere 49, St James 38, Foundation 31 (7), Lodge 31, Alexandra 26 (6), Parkinson 19, Ellerslie 15, Alleyne 13, Harrison College 10, Coleridge & Parry 5 (7).
