The BSF’s 2024 NSL league season culminated on the weekend of July 27th and 28th at Farnham Park. With the weather heating up, so did the competition, resulting in a thrilling conclusion where champions were crowned, and qualifications for the Finals weekend in September were decided.
NSL 1
Entering the final weekend, Legends and H2O were tied at the top with eleven wins each. H2O emerged victorious, winning seven of their eight games to finish the season as league champions with an 18-4 record.
Pioneers made a strong impression by handing H2O their only loss of the weekend and securing the runner-up spot with a record of 6-1-1, qualifying for the 2025 European Super Cup alongside the 2023 NSL Champions, Legends and returning holders H20.
The mob celebrated their first year in NSL with some excellent wins and secured qualification for finals weekend at their first attempt mirroring the highest place finish achieved by newly promoted teams - Travelling Dodgers (2017) and Spittin Camels (2023).
Blitz Bombers and Blue Steel entered the weekend in the relegation zone trailing Greensox and Spittin Camels who were 2 ½ games clear of relegation but neither team were able to make any inroads, and both will be playing their softball in division 2 in 2025. Both Sox and Camels missed out on qualification for Finals weekend.
The playoff games were intense, with H2O defeating Pioneers 19-4 in the Cup final, Travelling Dodgers overcoming Tigers 16-11 in the Trophy final, and Mob beating Chromies 15-9 in the Plate final.
NSL2
After 2 weekends of play Honey Badgers were leading division two, closely followed by Warriors and Tempest, 1 and 2 games behind respectively.
However, a run of seven consecutive wins by Tempest scoring 102 runs and conceding only 44 took Tempest to the top of the league before the final round of matches. That final match was against the second placed Honey Badgers who knew that a win would make them champions because of their head-to-head record.
Tempest kept up their winning record for the weekend and secured the title with a 14-7 victory and can look forward to playing in division one alongside the Honey Badgers in 2025.
Meerkats topped off an excellent season and nearly completed back-to-back promotions, finishing a very creditable third place, one game behind. If they can avoid the injuries they suffered leading up to weekend 2 they look likely to be challenging again in 2025.
The relegation dogfight was also very close with Bracknell and Mavericks propping up the table after 2 weekends, close behind Fuzzy Ducks and KK’s, who were half a game ahead of Mavericks. Mavericks though, had a stunning weekend, winning three games on Saturday alone, including a crucial encounter with Fuzzy Ducks on Saturday evening to allow them so sleep a little easier on Saturday night.
Two more wins for Mavericks completed their escape on Sunday resulting in Fuzzy Ducks and Bracknell suffering relegation to division 3 in 2025.
In the playoff games Meerkats topped off a great season by dealing Tempest their only defeat of the weekend in the cup final winning 18 – 17 in a thrilling game.
In the Trophy, Honey Badgers beat Mavs 8 – 3 and in the very low scoring plate final LNZ beat Warriors 1 – 0.
NSL 3A
The top of division 3A could not have been tighter at the beginning of the final weekend with Shafting, MK Diamonds and Southern Stormers all tied at the top with nine wins and 1 tie, closely followed by Spam with 9 wins in the chase for the single promotion spot.
Spam fell away with two losses on Saturday leaving Shafting and Southern Stormers to battle for the title.
Excluding the matches against Storm, the dominant team from division 3B, both teams won all seven matches with Southern Stormers scoring 120 runs and conceding only 48.
Shafting had some much closer games, edging two of those games by just one run which meant that promotion would ultimately be decided by the result of their matches with all-conquering Storm.
Shafting played Storm first, losing 22 – 4 giving Southern Stormers the chance to move ahead if they could end Storms unbeaten streak. A very closely fought match saw Southern Stormers score nine runs in the 4th innings to take a 12 – 11 lead into the final inning. Storm scored four unanswered runs to ultimately consign their Southern namesakes to second place as runners up.
Relegation was another tightly fought battle with Tempest 2, Manchester Dodgers and Maidenhead battling to avoid the second relegation spot ahead of Bobcats who needed a remarkable run of results to make up the 5-game deficit they were facing at the start of the weekend.
Ultimately the very youthful Maidenhead team were unable to overcome their inexperience and join Bobcats as the two teams to be relegated from division 3A but there are a lot of talented players from both teams that will undoubtedly be seen again on the diamond in the very near future.
NSL 3B
After missing out on promotion in 2023 Storm entered the third weekend with an unblemished 14-0 record in division 3B. Needing just 4 wins to secure the title, their hope of a 100% record for the season was immediately put into perspective in the first game when Tempest 2 shot into an 8 run lead after 2 innings.
Not for the only time in the weekend, Storm responded with good defence and produced the runs needed to secure the wins required to win the title with a perfect record of 22 wins, scoring 385 runs and conceding 133.
The relegation positions were occupied by Niños and Game of Throws at the start of the weekend with Reading half a game ahead and Bristol Bees 3 games clear.
A great weekend by Game of Throws saw them record five wins and pull clear from the relegation zone. By contrast Bristol had a weekend to make any captain nervous losing seven but managing what turned out to be one crucial win that consigned Niños and Reading to NSL oblivion for 2025 at least.
In the playoff games Storm won the cup in the battle of the champions 13 – 3 against Shafting. In the Trophy, Southern Stormers defeated the fOXes 15 – 12. Manchester Dodgers won the Medal 18 – 5 against Game of Throws and the Plate winners were Panthers who defeated the MK Diamonds 13 – 12.
Replacing the relegated teams in 2025 will be Breaking Bats, Dublin, Cardiff and Camels 2.
The 2024 NSL league season showcased intense competition, emerging champions, and rising talents. As teams prepare for the Finals weekend in September, players, captains and fans can look forward to more thrilling softball action.