The 2024 Team Handicap Knockout Cup is about to start, with teams vying to wrest the cup from Poole The Other One, the current holders.
Format
Once again there will be 14 teams competing.
This competition is scheduled to run from Spring to Autumn 2024. This has worked well in past seasons.
There will be a full set of matches for the 1st round. The best winning team relative to its required score will then receive an automatic bye into the semi-final. If 2 teams have the same ‘best score’ then the team with the lowest average rating will receive the bye. The other 6 winning teams will play in the 2nd round.
Consistent with previous years, for the 1st round only, teams will play a different team to any of the teams it played last year and the 1st round draw has been regionalised as much as possible so there is a little less distance to travel.
1st Round Draw plus allocated fixture dates
These have been added to LMS.
* Due to the distance between the 2 clubs being greater than 30 miles, the Wimborne v Yeovil match can alternatively be played at Dorchester on Thursday, 29th February, at the agreement of both captains.
Please advise Martin Simons and the opposing captain by 22nd February at the latest if any dates need to be changed together with a proposed alternative date.
All matches should be played by Friday 11th April.
Practicalities
The 1st named team has the choice of venue.
The Rules, including the rating handicap system, can be found here and via the main menu under B&DC League.
A blank Match Scoresheet can be found here (this includes the required scores so please familiarise yourselves).
As stated in the rules, we will be using the latest live monthly ratings which will include games played up to the end of the previous month. So as an example, if a cup match was played now, it is the fixed February 2024 rating that will count (and games played in February 2024 will not count).
Please remember to have a calculator ready at your matches to calculate both teams’ average ratings and the difference in ratings to work out the required score!
Team Captains
Contact details are all here on LMS
Bournemouth – Paul Errington
Dorchester – Mark Potter
Highcliffe Carlsens – Richard Ursell
Highcliffe Fischers – Ron Salinger
New Milton – Barry Jolly
Poole Position – Tark Reghif
Poole The Other One – John Weatherlake
Purbeck – Steve Peirson
Ringwood – Martin Clancy
Southbourne Seagulls – Nikki Forster
Southbourne Sharks – Martin Simons initially
Weymouth – Allan Pleasants
Wimborne – Peter Wilcock
Yeovil – Adam Batson
