The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsThe Sports Lowdown looks at the latest round of BBL games, with the season now past the halfway point.
Newcastle Eagles aim to make it eighteen wins out of eighteen when they take on Surrey Scorchers this weekend. Surrey currently sit just outside the play-off places and recently ended a long losing run, but Newcastle should be too strong for their opponents.
Elsewhere, Sheffield Sharks, who have won four of their last five games, take on the Bristol Flyers, who are currently tenth and will need to start performing if they are to make the play-offs. Bottom of the table Plymouth will be up against Leeds Force, who currently occupy the final play-off place. The final game of the week sees Cheshire Phoenix take on Worcester Wolves. Worcester are riding high in third place, while Cheshire are currently seventh in the table.
This year’s league has been dominated by Newcastle and Leicester Riders, who have just one league defeat between them all season. It would come as no surprise if it was these two teams who were contesting the play-off final at the end of the season.
The other end of the table remains just as competitive. Just four points separate Sheffield in fifth and Plymouth, the league’s bottom side. This means it is all still to play for as the league enters the business end of the season.
The top eight teams qualify for the play-offs, and so it is crucial that the teams near the bottom perform well in the second half of the season to secure their place in the top eight.
