Falcons and Eagles prepare for their first ever BBF Cup games. Raptors meet Redbacks in the league.

Can Herts Falcons keep the winning run going this Sunday against a very awkward opponent (photo by Paul Holdrick)

This weekend sees the first round of the newly introduced BBF Cup. The concept is similar to the FA Cup (football). Two teams meet in a one-game decider. The loser is eliminated. The winner progresses through to the next round.

The draw paired the Herts Falcons with the London Metros. The two teams finished just three places from each other in the overall ranking in 2014. Herts Falcons second from bottom in the NBL and Metros second in Triple-A League, so this is expected to be a very close encounter. The two teams have met once only. That was just four weeks ago in the Herts Spring League. The Falcons came out on top, but not before a late surge from the Londoners, who will have home-field advantage this Sunday.

The Herts Eagles were drawn at home versus Bracknell Blazers. They go into the game as the clear underdog so there is a potential for a major giant-killing. The game starts at 1pm on diamond one of Grovehill Ballpark. This would be the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Raptors were the winners in their last meeting with the Redbacks. Can they do it again?

Unlike the FA Cup, the BBF version of the competition features only teams from the top two league tiers. The Herts Hawks are resting this weekend, but the Herts Raptors will play their second game of the season looking to bounce back after a defeat against Tonbridge last week. Their opponents are the Forest Glade Redbacks. The last meeting between the two teams was the final league game of the 2014 regular season. The Raptors came out on top in that clash. The game commences at 12pm on diamond two.

The Herts Harriers were expecting to get their U19 league season underway on Saturday, but they will have to wait an extra week for their season opener versus the London Mets.