Three Thirds

Another Battrick season comes to a close and somehow I've managed to finish all three leagues in 3rd place despite not even having an average team in all three.

First Class
In the final First Class match of the season I managed to grab the points needed to keep third place despite an heavy loss to one of the pre-season favourites who managed to lose their first three matches but still bounced back to take second.

This was the first season of the new look FC leagues and I think the new shorter season and re-alignment of the leagues are a big success. Things are now much more even between the teams but without the massive relegation trapdoor that could previously end an FC season before it even starts.

One Day
The One Day league was also a shock as I somehow avoided the relegation dogfight to finish a comfortable third in my division 4 league, and winning 9 out of 14 games along the way. The two auto-relegation spots had long been decided, but the playoff spots went down to the wire with three teams entering the final round on the same points. Our camping friend is again champion but this time in an auto-promote spot and so will be leaving my league. If the guys in the forums have got things right with the team coming down from division 3 then it looks like I'm going to be facing an old rival next season, one I competed with but always lost too when in division 5.

20-20
I think most of the people were throwing matches in the 20-20 league as that could be the only explanation for me finishing so highly against what were mostly better teams despite me not really trying. Despite it's real life success 20-20 does seem to be the unwanted relative of the other leagues. This is despite of the new international league structure that saw me face off against a number of suposedly quality Aussie sides.

Also of note is that John's team has finally bitten the dust after he got feed up with the game. That just leaves Ray and me as the remains of the four bar-flies who joined up within a couple of months of each other at the start of 06.
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