Category: Raptors

9 March 20203 March 2021 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see the teams ahead of the 2020 British baseball season

The biggest pre-season baseball competition in Britain is back. Commencing on March 14, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 19 teams compete over the 3 weeks of the HSL. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it is Britain’s version of MLB’s Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues currently under way in the US, and it signals that the season is just around the corner.

FORMAT

The 19 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers – NBL/Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A – based on the ranking of the teams going into the 2020 BBF League season.

The organisers considered the possibility of a tournament format, but ultimately adopted a league format in the same way as the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in MLB. “The objective of the HSL is to enable the teams to prepare for the new season and we have noticed that teams are increasingly starting to approach the HSL in the same way as MLB teams approach the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues” said HSL Commissioner, Aspi Dimitrov. He added “we have taken this into account when formulating the schedule putting greater emphasis on the preferences and preparatory requirements of the teams over the format of the competition”.

The teams finishing at the top of their respective division will be the HSL champions.

THE VENUE

The action will take place at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, the home of Herts Baseball Club.

SCHEDULE

Over the three weekends 37 games are scheduled to be played on the two diamonds. The competition begins on March 14 with a morning clash between the Richmond Dukes and the Herts Raptors in the HSL Single-A division. The HSL NBL division commences on Diamond One as the Herts Falcons come up against the Richmond Knights.

Click to view full 2020 HSL schedule

EXCITEMENT BUILDING UP

The Herts Spring League adds a competitive edge to Spring training. It’s the time for managers to work out their winning formula going into the BBF league season. It is an opportunity to evaluate existing and newly recruited players. Which players will earn a spot in the pitching rotation and who will be batting where in the batting order? Who will make the first team and who will have to work their way up with the minor league teams? Not forgetting, it’s a chance to size up your rivals for the year ahead. It’s the first big challenge and the first big excitement of the baseball year. Don’t miss it.

GET IN THE GAME

Players, from beginners to advanced, are now registering for the 2020 baseball season. For more details about how to join the Herts baseball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or for more details about the HSL or if you are interested to give baseball a try in this competition contact Herts Baseball Club.

8 March 202013 March 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

19 teams will signal the arrival of Spring in the 2020 HSL

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that 19 teams have entered this year’s Herts Spring League (HSL). The teams come from all British baseball leagues including the National Baseball League (NBL), Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A Leagues.

The London Archers are also back for their third year in the HSL. They made history last year by becoming the first British team to win the Pony European Championships and qualified for the Pony World Series which was played in Pennsylvania. They will use the HSL as part of their preparations for this year’s PONY European Tournament later this year.

The HSL teams will be divided into three divisions as follows:

HSL – NBL/Triple-A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Herts Falcons	NBL	2
Herts Hawks	AAA	6
London Capitals	NBL	1
London Marauders	AAA	5
London Mammoths	AAA	3
Richmond Knights	AAA/AA	4

HSL – Double-A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Guildford Mavericks	AA/A	9
Herts Londoners	AA	11
London Archers	AA	10
London Musketeers	AA	12
Milton Keynes Bucks	AA	7
Sidewinders	AA	8

HSL – Single-A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Bracknell Inferno	A	13
Herts Eagles	A	16
Herts Raptors	A	18
London Mustangs	A	14
London Minotaurs	A	19
Milton Keynes Coyotes	A	15
Richmond Dukes	A	17

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

The HSL will be played over three weeks commencing on the weekend of 14-15 March and ending on 28-29 March. The HSL format and games schedule are expected to be announced shortly and hertsbaseball.com will bring this and all other HSL news as they happen.

5 February 20205 February 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts confirm 2020 league entries. Hawks and Londoners swap leagues.

Around this time of the year Herts baseball fans keep checking their smartphones for the official announcement of the Herts teams which will play in the various leagues of the British Baseball Federation (BBF).

The club has just confirmed that they have submitted five team entries. Its flagship team, the Herts Falcons, will be looking to improve on last year when it finished in third place in Britain’s top league, 17 games back on the London Mets and 8 on the London Capitals.

The big change this year is that the Herts Hawks have applied to move up from the Double-A to the Triple-A League, while the Herts Londoners are moving down from Triple-A to Double-A. Tetsuro Shinkawa was appointed as the new Triple-A manager at the club’s annual general meeting last month and he will be taking charge of the Hawks in that league. The name of the new Herts Londoners manager has not been revealed yet.

There is no change for the Raptors and Eagles. They both remain in the Single-A League which means that their rivalry continues and they will meet again in a Herts derby in 2020. As reported last month, Herts Raptors begin a new era under manager, Mantas Poderys.

Last year adult player numbers grew by 54.7%. 2020 player registrations so far are 20.8% higher compared to the same time last year. We are pleased to see many new players who are completely new to the game. We are leaving room in our rosters to accommodate further growth. pic.twitter.com/flRTkz4dff

— Herts Baseball Club ?? (@HertsBaseball) February 3, 2020

A tweet from the club two days ago indicated that there has been a 20.8% increase in the number of registered players compared to the same time last year. We understand that the club did consider the possibility of adding a sixth team for the first time in its history, but that they chose not to overstretch the squads.

The teams have once again left room in their rosters so new players, from complete beginners to advanced, can join the club and go straight into the races for the playoffs with a team suitable for their level.

Existing players who have not reactivated their registration for the 2020 season can do so here. New players can register for the new season here or, if you would like to take part in one of the upcoming open sessions to give baseball a try and help you decide whether to join the club, then contact us for more details.

14 January 202030 January 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts baseball players start Spring Training next week

Herts Baseball Club published details of its Spring Training schedule. The adult baseball teams will be back in training on Sunday, 26 January.

The Club has invested again to secure high quality venues including The Harefield Academy which offers a large indoor 3G artificial grass venue.

Other venues include Middlesex University (pictured below) and JFK School.

The Herts baseball teams will return to the ballpark for the first time on March 1st.

The first pre-season games of 2020 are expected to be played on 14 and 15 March* as part of the Herts Spring League (HSL).

The Show begins in April as the Herts baseball teams get their 2020 league seasons underway.

As always, around the middle of March the managers of the five Herts adult teams will announce their preliminary rosters ahead of the HSL. Of course these preliminary rosters are likely to change as we get closer to Opening Day and managers promote those who impress in Spring Training. The movement of Herts players up and down the Herts league teams is usually an ongoing process. We have witnessed players start the season in the Single-A League and end up making their NBL debut later in the year. We will follow players’ progress over the course of Spring Training and during the league season.

ADULT BASEBALL (Ages 14 and over) – SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE

DAY	DATE	AGE GROUPS	EVENT NAME	VENUE
Sun	26-Jan-20	Adult Baseball	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sun	02-Feb-20	Adult Baseball	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sun	09-Feb-20	Adult Baseball	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sun	16-Feb-20	Adult Baseball	Spring Training	Middlesex University
Sun	23-Feb-20	Adult Baseball	Spring Training	Harefield Academy
Sun	01-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Spring Training	Grovehill Ballpark
Sun	08-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Spring Training	Grovehill Ballpark
Sat	14-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Herts Spring League*	Grovehill Ballpark
Sun	15-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Herts Spring League*	Grovehill Ballpark
Sat	21-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Herts Spring League*	Grovehill Ballpark
Sun	22-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Herts Spring League*	Grovehill Ballpark
Sat	28-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Herts Spring League*	Grovehill Ballpark
Sun	29-Mar-20	Adult Baseball	Herts Spring League*	Grovehill Ballpark

YOUTH BASEBALL

Youth players will be back in training on Saturday, 8 February. They will start with three indoor sessions, as follows:

DAY	DATE	AGE GROUP	EVENT NAME	VENUE
Sat	08-Feb-20	Youth Baseball	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sat	22-Feb-20	Youth Baseball	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sat	07-Mar-20	Youth Baseball	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School

HOW TO TAKE PART?

Existing players who have not reactivated their registration for the 2020 season can do so here. New players can register for the new season here or, if you would like to take part in one of these open sessions to give baseball a try and help you decide whether to join the club, then contact us for more details.

* HSL dates are subject to BBF confirmation of the Opening Day details in April

10 January 202010 January 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

New managers and other news from Herts Baseball’s 23rd AGM

Mantas Poderys and Tetsuro Shinkawa (pictured above) were elected as the new managers of the club’s Single-A and Triple-A teams, respectively. Both of them joined the club just 12 months ago as part of the tsunami of new players making up the 54.7% growth in the number of Herts adult baseball players in 2019.

Tetsuro Shinkawa made history driving in the first ever run for Herts in European club competitions

Shinkawa is well known around British baseball. He has a wealth of experience playing in the various league tiers of the British Baseball Federation including two years in the National Baseball League for the Richmond Flames with whom he lifted the NBL National Championship trophy in 2010. He has also played for the Guildford Mavericks, the Brighton Jets and, of course, the Herts Londoners in their debut season in the Triple-A League last year. He was also called up by the Herts Falcons to play in the team’s first ever appearance in the European Federations Cup.

Changing of the guard at Herts Raptors -Mantas Poderys (left) is taking over from Matt Jackson (right)

Mantas Poderys originates from Lithuania which is a country with a history of producing high calibre baseball players and teams. He was with the Herts Raptors in 2019 and takes over the reins from Matthew Jackson. Poderys added energy and enthusiasm to the team as a player and he will now be able to continue doing so as a manager of the Raptors which has an enormous potential with very talented young players who will be moving up the leagues in the next few years.

Cristobal Hiche was re-elected as the manager of the Herts Falcons so 2020 will be his third season in charge of the club’s first team. Arnie Longboy and Aspi Dimitrov co-managed the Herts Eagles who were based at the club’s new ballpark in North West London last year and they were also re-elected at Sunday’s annual general meeting. The exact number of Herts teams and the BBF leagues which they will enter in 2020 is not confirmed yet. Later this month the club will be analysing the list of players who have registered to play for Herts in 2020 to determine its team entries. They will be announced around the league entry deadline of 31 January. The club is still looking to fill the Double-A manager position and, depending on the number of Herts teams, they may need even more managers and coaches.

The AGM announced the £8,000 ballpark investment supported by a £3,000 Dacorum grant which we reported on in our earlier article. The club is expected to implement additional projects to upgrade its ballparks in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London, and it is in a good position to do that after appointing Cristobal Hiche and Aspi Dimitrov as the two Ballpark Operations Managers of those respective venues.

Every year the club sends out its annual report to members providing statistics on the club’s performance on and off the field during the past year. The 2019 edition was of particular interest to Herts and non-Herts supporters of British baseball as it gave a better idea of the impact of the MLB London Series on baseball clubs.

Basing Hill Ballpark may have had a very basic configuration with no permanent baseball infrastructure but it gave Herts the platform needed to take advantage of the momentum created by the arrival of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees to London. Significant growth was recorded not only in NW London but also in Hemel Hempstead. The growth in adult league players beat the previous record set in 2009. The club is now bigger than it has ever been.

There was a 23% decline in the number of youth players in Hemel Hempstead, but the club is currently looking to put the organisational structure in place in order to launch youth baseball teams in NW London which should boost that section of the club in 2020.

The Annual Report also stated that “while the club will be looking to achieve further growth with another two MLB teams coming to London, the mission for 2020 will also be to turn this army of new players into teams that can compete in the playoff races of the various British baseball leagues”.

Players, from complete beginners to advanced, are now registering for the 2020 season. Click here for details.

22 December 20192 January 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hawks and Raptors in search of new managers

Mike Cresswell and Matt Jackson will be stepping down as managers of the Herts Hawks and Herts Raptors, respectively. They informed their squads about their decisions a few weeks ago.

The club will now be looking to fill those vacant managerial positions at its annual general meeting next month. They served in their managerial roles for two seasons, both having been appointed at the start of the 2018 season.

*Hawks and Raptors at their 2016 playoff game*

Under Cresswell, the Hawks reached the 2018 postseason, eliminating the Bournemouth Bears which took them to the semi-final where they were knocked out by the eventual champions, the East London Latin Boys.

In 2019 the Hawks were one of the pace-setters in the first half of the season winning 7 of their first 8 games, but their form took a downward turn and they just missed out on the postseason.

Matt Jackson had the task of building a team made up of predominantly rookie players in 2018 and he exceeded expectations with a .500 winning average in his first season. They just missed out on the playoffs.

In 2019 his task was made even more difficult as the club grew by 54.7% and expanded from three to five league teams, which meant that most of the Raptors from 2018 were promoted to Herts teams in the higher leagues. That didn’t faze him and 2019 saw a brand new generation come through to make their senior league debuts and that group of players is expected to be making the headlines in the coming years.

Don’t worry, though — Cresswell and Jackson are not going anywhere. They will be very much in the thick of things in 2020 looking to focus on their playing careers with the Herts teams in the BBF leagues.

In addition to these two positions, the club is now inviting candidates for the following board positions:

♦ President
♦ Secretary
♦ Facilities Manager Grovehill Ballpark
♦ Facilities Manager Basing Hill Ballpark
♦ Manager NBL
♦ Manager Triple-A
♦ Manager Double-A
♦ Manager Single-A
♦ Manager Single-A
♦ Head of U17 Baseball
♦ Head of U15 Baseball
♦ Head of U13 Baseball
♦ Head of U11 Baseball
♦ Head of U8 Baseball
♦ Head of Softball

Those interested to put their name forward can contact the club for more details.

The AGM will be held just a few minutes away from Grovehill Ballpark, at Gadebridge Community Centre.

DATE: Sunday, 5 January 2020

TIME: 12:00pm (registration starts at 11:45am, AGM expected to end at around 4:00pm)

VENUE: Annex Main Hall, Gadebridge Community Centre, The Nokes, Rossgate, Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3LF (Directions and Map)

FOOD & DRINK: Refreshments and snacks will be served during the AGM.

11 December 201915 December 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players now registering for the 2020 baseball season

Player registration for the 2020 season has commenced. Last season Herts Baseball Club unveiled two new teams in NW London giving it a total of five teams playing in the BBF senior baseball leagues. The number of adult team players rose by a staggering 54.7%. In 2020 the club will be on a mission to turn this army of new players into teams that can compete in the playoff races of the various British baseball leagues.

ADULT BASEBALL LEAGUES

How many teams will represent Herts in 2020? The next few weeks will be crucial as the number of players registering will determine how many teams will be entered before the BBF league entry deadline of 31 January; how many will play in Hemel Hempstead and how many will play in London; which BBF leagues the teams will play in.

KEY DATES – ADULT TEAMS

26 January- players report for indoor Spring Training
1 March – teams return to the ballpark for the for the first time in 2020
14-15 March – Start of the 2020 Herts Spring League (subject to confirmation of the BBF League Opening Day)*
March – Great Britain National Team Tryouts (senior and youth teams)*
5 April – BBF League Opening Day (subject to confirmation)*
May – Midweek Evening Baseball commences
13-14 June – MLB London Series (see details below)
August-September* – BBF Postseason Playoffs and National Championships
September-October – Hunlock Series

* – these are preliminary dates. The BBF will be making its official announcements in due course.

YOUTH BASEBALL

The Herts youth players are probably suffering the most without baseball this winter, but they will not have to wait much longer. Registration for youth baseball players will be launched next month.

MLB LONDON SERIES – CUBS vs CARDINALS

Following 2019’s incredible sold-out slugfest between the Red Sox and the Yankees, 2020 will see the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs going toe-to-toe. On June 13-14, London Stadium will be transformed into Europe’s largest ballpark as it becomes MLB’s home once again. These are regular season games with everything on the line. Get ready for a day to remember both on and off the field. Various events and activities will take place as part of the MLB London Series and details will be announced in due course.

WHICH BALLPARK WILL YOU PLAY YOUR HOME LEAGUE GAMES AT?

The two Herts baseball teams based in North West London made their BBF League debut in 2019 and the club is implementing the gradual process of adding the baseball infrastructure at Basing Hill Ballpark. 2020 player registration has just commenced (see details below). Now that the club has two ballparks, the online registration form will ask players to indicate whether they prefer to play their home league games in Hemel Hempstead or in NW London, or whether they would be happy with either. This will provide vital information to club management when they configure the team rosters for the new season.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE 2020 HERTS BASEBALL SEASON

For those who already have a Herts Online Clubhouse account they will be prompted to register when they log on next time (click here to go to the Herts Online Club House and log on with your existing username and password). Those who are new to Herts Baseball Club and do not have an online account can register as members by completing this form. For more details about joining our teams in 2020 click here or contact us.

26 October 201927 October 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

MVP vote results are in

The Most Valuable Players (MVP) of the ten Herts adult and youth teams have been announced. This year the club opened the voting up to include not only Herts club members but the wider public, similar to MLB’s All Star voting.

The Herts Falcons made history this year playing in the European Federations Cup for the first time and despite a disappointing season in the National Baseball League, there wasn’t a shortage of candidates. In a very close race fans decided that this year’s Falcons MVP is Jarrod Pretorius (17% of the votes) who was among the team leaders in a number of categories including home runs and slugging average.

There was less doubt about the Herts Londoners’ MVP. Pitcher Chris Gregory won it convincingly with 29% of the votes after a phenomenal debut season at the club during which he had the most wins, best ERA and was also at or near the top of many offence and defence categories. He was also the starting pitcher who recorded the only Falcons’ win in the five European Federations Cup games.

Mike Cresswell was the driving force for the Herts Hawks this season as the team’s player-manager and he was voted MVP (31% of the votes). He has made huge strides since joining Herts in 2012 starting at Single-A and moving rapidly up the leagues. This year he even earned a call-up to play for the Herts Falcons in the European Federations Cup.

Similar to the Hawks, fans decided that the Raptors MVP is its player-manager, Matt Jackson, with 22% of the votes. He led the team in most of the batting categories. With so many young players making their debuts for the Raptors this season and performing better with each passing week, it is expected that Jackson will have a lot more competition in the MVP voting in the years to come.

There were many credible candidates for Herts Eagles MVP but Rob Gibson was the one who stood out in every aspect of the game and this was reflected in the MVP poll which he won convincingly with 28% of the votes. It is rare to see a 5-tool player in the Single-A League and Gibson is not far from being certified as one.

The MVP poll for the Herts youth teams attracted the largest number of votes and it looks like friends, family members and school mates took part in vast numbers which the club was very pleased to see. Involving the wider community was one of the reasons for opening the voting up to the public.

Herts U18 MVP – Oliver Durer

Herts U15 MVP – Nicholas Durer

Herts U13 MVP – Leon Gutowski

Herts U11 MVP – Daniel Heal

Herts U8 MVP – Jake Walder-Davis

There was a tight race in the vote for Play of the Year. Eight of the nine nominees were Eagles or Raptors, but it was the Herts Falcons’ semi-nude antics in Bulgaria that won it. Originally, this was nominated for the Nob-Out Award and it was added to the Play of the Year category in the last minute, but the fans have spoken and it looks like they felt that, despite lacking in baseball skill, it had an abundance of flair. Over 30,000 viewed the video on social networks which reaffirmed its credentials.

It was an even bigger surprise that it didn’t win the Nob-Out Award. That accolade went to Herts Raptors’ Mantas Poderys who nominated himself for falling face-first a few feet short of first base in the Herts Derby away at the Eagles. Herts Hawks’ Gilberto Medina just missed out in second place. He was nominated for reporting for duty at the ballpark on the wrong day of the week.

The 2019 season may have ended but the start of Spring Training is not far away and the Herts adult and youth league teams in Hemel Hempstead and North West London will be starting their preparations for the 2020 season. New players interested to find out more about playing baseball and joining Herts in 2020 can contact the club.

8 October 20198 October 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

It’s time to cast your votes

It has been a record year for Herts Baseball Club with 116 players appearing for the five Herts adult league teams and 49 players for the Herts youth teams.

We have seen some outstanding individual and team performances and plays this year and now it’s time to cast your vote for the 2019 Most Valuable Players (MVPs) of the Herts adult and youth baseball teams as well as the Play of the Year and Nob-Out Awards. We even have the unusual case of a play being nominated for both Play of the Year and Nob-Out Award at the same time.

This year we are opening up the vote to everyone. You can vote regardless of whether or not you are a club member. Also, unlike previous years, you can vote for the MVP of all of the Herts adult and youth teams, not just of your team.

Cast your vote now here. Voting closes at 23:59 on Sunday, 20 October 2019.

15 August 201929 August 2019 by Rob Jones

Honours even as Herts sides clash again

A Herts derby is not like a normal baseball game.

The national anthem was played as the Herts Eagles and Herts Raptors took their places along the baselines for a pre-game formality at Basing Hill Ballpark. The Herts Londoners got an opening ceremony earlier in the season, why shouldn’t the Eagles get one, too, at its tail end?

The usual Basing Hill playlist of Eighties rock classics was augmented by some new tunes. Lil Nas X made an appearance (on the playlist, not on the field). This would be a special day.

When these two teams met at Grovehill, the Eagles swept the double-header. Could they repeat for a season sweep?

Game 1 got under way with Yasu Ichige on the mound for the Eagles. It didn’t start as smoothly as he might have liked, with the Raptors’ leadoff man and pitcher Matt Jackson getting aboard with a single, and Oli Durer then hit by a pitch.

Laurence Currington drove in Jackson, while Callum Barwick — who had reached on a fielder’s choice – was brought home by GB youth player, Harry Quixley.

But the home side dug in defensively, with a catch by shortstop Rob Gibson and a groundout limiting the damage to two runs. When Ichige faced the lineup again in the second inning, he stepped up a gear and struck out the side. He ended with 7 K’s.

In between, the Eagles’ bats had given them the lead. Gibson took Jackson deep for his second home run of the year. This was just the first instalment in a dominant day at the plate for the rookie shortstop – only the time limit on Game 1 kept him from a chance at the cycle.

His team-mates helped build a big lead in the bottom of the second, bringing home the maximum 5 runs. Catcher Rob Jones drove in a pair, while there were hits for Andy Stratford and Louis Verman.

The visitors did not surrender easily, of course. Dan Shaw hit a double, and the team totalled 8 hits, only one behind their hosts.

But the Eagles were mostly able to keep them from scoring. Alex Trautman applied a neat tag to get out a base-runner at third, while Zack Longboy made an improbable leaping catch to end the third inning and save a run.

It ended 10-5 to the home side. Yasu Ichige took the complete game win, his second victory of the year.

The second half of this double header – and the final quarter of the season’s derby drama – would see a measure of revenge for the Raptors.

They came out of the blocks fast, with Harry Quixley and Paul Barton among those scoring in the first inning. Matt Jackson — who didn’t make an out all day long – had started it all off.

On the mound for the Raptors, Barton was calmly dealing. After inducing two pop-ups, he got the key strikeout of Zack Longboy to end the first inning. Only one batter reached in the second.

A double from Laurence Currington helped to add on in the third and the Raptors led 6-0 in the middle of the third.

The pattern of this game saw the Eagles being effective on offense only in bursts. The inning was either scoreless, or was a maximum 5-run affair. So, in the bottom of the third, ground rule doubles from Rob Gibson, Adam Porte and Darren Priest were among the hits. The Eagles were back in it.

The Raptors were more consistent, though, scoring in every inning. Catcher Kai Rajah was the last man to cross the plate, giving them a 14-10 lead and the chance to close it out in the final, unlimited inning.

The Eagles hopes of a dramatic rally were high, especially when Kumail Jaffer got the last of his four hits on the day to lead it off. But Barton and his defense did what they needed to do.

Two force-outs at second base and a liner to Callum Barwick at third ended the contest. 14-10 to the Raptors, their third win of the season.

The day had delivered everything it promised – as did the season’s four derby match-ups. Both sides have one more fixture remaining, and will look forward to building on their foundations next year.