Spring League 2018 Winners
Winners: Pyros
Div 2
Div 3
The format of the league for the 2nd half is determined after the Promotion/Relegation has been applied and the Arrows have dropped out. (There are no other teams dropping out or joining in the second half this year). The league format for the Summer League is:
Div 1: Pyros, Misfits, Pyromaniacs & Royals
Div 2: Tigers, Brewers, Sheriffs & Misfits 2
Div 3*: Beavers, Redbacks & Rebels
* There are only 3 teams in Division 3 and this was determined as a result of Arrows being relegated. If one of the other 2nd Division teams had been relegated then it would have been Div2 that was left with only 3 teams.
With the reformatting of the divisional structure last year the league now produces three winners each half and the ‘Spring’ season was an absolute belter.
Division 3
The 3rd division was the tightest of all of the leagues with three teams tied for the title on the same win-loss record of 4 & 6 (There are more losses than wins due to the cross-divisional games against the Div 2 teams).
In the case of a tie on points, league position is then decided on Head-to-Head results between the tied teams, howevereach team had won 2 and lost 2 against their opposition!
The next decider is runs conceded against those teams in the games played between them. This showed Redbacksconceding 73, Beavers as Runners-Up having conceded 66 runs, but the winner of the division with 56 runs conceded being Misfits 2 – well done!
Unfortunately at the other end Rebels failed to put any points on the board but are planning to rectify that in the Summer League.
Division 2
In the 2nd Division the title went to the Leicester Royals with an 8-3 winning record – only losing games to opposition from Division 1. This secured them back-to-back promotions having won the 3rd Division of the Summer League in 2017 – congratulations!
However, the statisticians had to get their calculators out again to determine who got relegated from Div 2 to Div 3, after the University of Nottingham Arrows upset the form guide with a final week win over Division 1 side, Misfits. This left Arrows, Sheriffs and Brewers all on a 6&5 record.
Again Head-to-Head couldn’t separate the teams – all of them having a 1&1 record against each other – so it came down to runs conceded.
In this case it was heartbreak for the Arrows who, despite their heroics in beating the Misfits, had ended up conceding a total of 27 runs in their two games, with Sheriffs in third place (-25) and Brewers taking the Runners-Up spot (-13).
Division 1
Proving just how competitive the EMSL is, the first division also ended up with teams tied at the top. This time it was Pyros and Misfits – both on an 8 & 2 record.
Again Head-to-Head couldn’t separate them, with one win each, so it was back to runs conceded. Despite a tight defence for the Misfits in the second game the teams played, when Misfits won 14-3, it was the crucial early season ‘run fest’ for the Pyros, when they won 31-9, that decided the title with Pyros taking it with only 23 runs conceded to 34 for Misfits.
At the other end of the division, the newly promoted Tigers were sent straight back down to Division Two with their metaphorical tails between their legs, ending with a 2 & 8 record.
The league now runs from July until mid-September with another three divisional titles to play for and for the divisional winners from both halves to play in the League Play-off Day on the 16th September.
Individuals are also looking to stake their claim for a place in the side to represent the League ‘All-Stars’ in the All-Stars v. Div 1 Winners game, that will be held on the same day.
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