THE NBF will break with tradition this year and stage the semi-finals and final of the Dan Duffy team championship on Sunday afternoons instead of Thursday evenings.
One principal reason for the change is that at that stage of the season it is often a race against time to complete the match in reasonable light, especially the final which is played over 25 ends as opposed to 21 in the earlier rounds.
One intriguing preliminary round clash is a repeat of last year’s final when Blackstones defeated defending champions Parkway.
The Adams Cup will continue to be played on Thursday evenings, including the final on July 30th.
Defending champions Whittlesey Manor have drawn their own B team in the opening round.
DAN DUFFY CUP
Preliminary round (Thursday, July 9): Whittlesey Manor v Stamford; City of Peterborough v Crowland; Parkway v Blackstones.
Semi-finals (Sunday, July 26): Parkway or Blackstones v City of Peterborough or Crowland; Whittlesey Manor or Stamford v Yaxley.
Final (Sunday, August 2 at a venue to be decided)
ADAMS CUP
Preliminary round (Thursday, June 18): Parkway v Conservative; Peterborough & District v West Ward; Crowland A v City of Peterborough.
Quarter-finals (Thursday, July 2): 1 Crowland A or City of Peterborough v Stamford; 2 Crowland B v Parkway or Conservative; 3 Yaxley v Peterborough & District or Westward; 4 Whittlesey Manor A v Whittlesey Manor B.
Semi-finals (Thursday, July 16): 1 v 2; 3 v 4.
Final (Thursday, July 30 at a venue to be decided).
