Seven teams turned up at the Marling School in Stroud on Sunday 19 June for the 2016 Spring Cotswold Tournament, and with the rain holding off until the final hour, the Coventry Blitz came away the winner’s trophy, defeating the Clifton Sons of Pitches from Bristol in the final.
The Oxford Knights won the third place playoff, while the Milton Keynes Diamonds took the Plate title, defeating the Dragon Warrior Superheroes.
For the third year in a row, the MK Diamonds took the tournament’s Spirit of the Game award for their sportsmanship and contributions to the day.
MVPs were Grant Robertson from the Clifton Sons of Pitches and Nikita Shkurko from MK Diamonds.
Unexpected finalists
Given the round-robin results, the two finalists were slightly unexpected. The two pools finished like this:
POOL A
MK Diamonds
Coventry Blitz
Cardiff Red Sox
Cotswold Chaos
POOL B
Dragon Warrior Superheroes
Clifton Sons of Pitches
Oxford Knights
In the semi-finals, however, the two second-place teams were both winners, with the Coventry Blitz defeating the Dragon Warrior Superheroes while the Clifton Sons of Pitches knocked off the MK Diamonds.
In the final, the Blitz put a very close game against the Sons of Pitches out of reach in the final inning to claim the top prize.
There was a new venue for the tournament -- the Marling School – but it didn't provide the change the organiser and teams were hoping for, so all future Cotswold Tournaments will be held, as in the past, at the Archway School in Stroud.
The autumn Cotswold Tournament will be held on Sunday 2 October.