PLAY-OFF'S STILL POSSIBLE AS FINAL ROUND OF FIXTURES LOOM

Here we go for the final time of 2011 then as the North West cricket season reaches its scheduled end this coming weekend. There are still games outstanding of course and those look set to be squeezed in between now and next Saturday leaving Sunday week free for a play-off should one be required.

As well as this week's fixtures then the games between Bready and Limavady (45 overs), and Bonds Glen v Strabane (20/20) will be played this Sunday, while Strabane v Eglinton (45 overs) will now switch to Saturday week, 10th September.

Here's hoping for no rain this weekend or it could be October before it's all sorted!

BREADY V BONDS GLEN

There's certainly a bit at stake here, indeed you could argue that both clubs have an agenda as the Bee Gees look to complete a league double over the senior cup winners. Their win at the Glen in mid-season got Gary Hamilton's side up and running in the survival race but the visitors know that they caught the Magheramason men on something of an off day and they will have to be bang on their mettle if they are to pull off a repeat that would surely guarantee top flight safety. Bready have been truly hit or miss this season and while they have been superb in the cups some of their league performances have been much less convincing. It is fair to expect that with the trophy-winning scent now in their nostrils they could be a danger to all next season in the championship but for now they will surely look to close out their very productive season on a high. Bonds Glen's professional, Gihan Dilruk, is being retained until the season ends regardless of when that is, so they are looking to give themselves every chance now of staying up. The real Bready would have too many guns here though.

DONEMANA V BRIGADE

It's difficult to know where to start with this, the game that could well see Brigade re-claim the senior title at the home of one of their oldest adversaries. Strangely enough the last time that the Beechgrove side were crowned champions the pot was also handed over at this venue so the omens are with the league leaders. Not that Mark Simpson will be worrying about omens mind, his side has been doing all their talking on the pitch over the past couple of months and go into this one as the region's form team. Mattie Moran should be available again after holiday and whilst they will surely make a place in the team for him you would have to think the Beechgrove men would find it difficult to take Gareth McKeegan out of the opener's spot after his recent efforts. Brigade's quality was never in doubt but now that they have the bit between their teeth as well, they look worthy favourites to go on and take the honours.

Donemana have used the last few matches to experiment with a few of the fringe players and at times with their batting order as well so there has been no great consistency other than the fact that they keep winning matches. The Holm club are still smarting from the events surrounding the unplayed match at Limavady that effectively ended their own challenge but it has been another hugely successful season at all levels for them. Brigade will go into this at the top of their game and although Donemana would happily burst their bubble, form points to an away win.

FOX LODGE V EGLINTON

The villagers have two games to preserve their top flight status now starting with this one, before they extend the senior season by a week to go to Strabane. With both of their opponents now out of any consideration you could argue that this is an ideal opportunity for them to start the fightback, however Andy Christie's side looks like they need to convince themselves first. Against Bonds Glen they looked disjointed and in their last two matches against Brigade in the league and Bready in the Faughan Valley cup they looked way out of their depth. It's quite possible that even an Eglinton win still might not be enough to save them but one thing they do know is that it can't happen without one. The Foxes haven't been anywhere near their best in the past few weeks, hammered in Coleraine before winning that strange game against Glendermott last Saturday but Brian Allen's side remains capable of beating anyone. There is depth to the batting and a decent attack too although no doubt they are weakened by the fact that Darryl Brown will be home by the weekend. You get the feeling that this is it for Eglinton and if they are to find that all-important third win it has to be now. They definitely have a chance, but whether they have the self belief is another matter.

GLENDERMOTT V COLERAINE

The Rectory side is quite clearly at the stage now where they need to up sticks and take a break before coming back fresh for 2012. Stephen Smyth has left the club, Roy Silva will most likely have departed for Sri Lanka and the Bonds Street lads seem to have struggled a touch to even put out a recognised side in the past fortnight. The Rectory is usually always a hub of activity over the close season and despite a relatively quiet time of things last winter you would think it could be business as usual this year.

Coleraine apparently don't do end of season games, the Bannsiders ensuring that they keep going to the last to try to nick a top half finish. They have had a decent season despite struggling to get over the line in the bigger matches; three defeats to Donemana in particular highlighting maybe just the lack of experience in the team. Theirs is a side for the future, no doubt about that but they will also need to find a good replacement for Mohammad Salman when they gather their thoughts over the next few weeks. Glendermott is never an easy place to go but Coleraine should have enough to take the points here.

STRABANE V LIMAVADY

No better place or game to round things off than what is habitually one of the biggest games of the season and although the title can't be won at the Park on Saturday, it could certainly be lost. No doubt the fixture secretaries had a glint in the eye in deciding to keep this until the final day but like a lot of other things this season it hasn't quite worked out. Strabane's title defence floundered on their lack of penetration in attack, pure and simple and had they been able to close out relatively straightforward finishes against the likes of Fox Lodge and Donemana, they would be going into this as title favourites themselves. Limavady's plight was different; losing Des Curry to suspension and then Adnan Akmal to International duty and their lack of depth in the squad saw them forced to deploy players with little or no experience at this level during the run-in. To their credit they kept winning up until their trouncing at Beechgrove but they now find themselves having to close out a win at home to Bready last night, then win this, and then finally do the same at Magheramason on Sunday just to force a play-off with Brigade. You wouldn't rule them out of course, there remains loads of quality in the side, but its a big ask. Strabane have had a good record against the Roesiders in recent seasons too, making it much too difficult to call.