Monday briefing

Time to get the abacus out of the attic as we approach our final BSN Series Scottish section qualifier at Armadale on Friday night.

After our defeat at Glasgow, we still top the group with four points from three matches.

The Tigers currently have three points from two matches and still have to rearrange their rained-off home and away clashes with Edinburgh. With five points available from those meetings the Tigers can potentially reach eight points.

The Monarchs haven’t yet got a point on the board but have a potential eight to play for from the Tigers meetings along with the three points at stake against the Jewson Bandits, powered by Keenwood Karpets on Friday.

Victory by Rory and the boys on Friday would take us to seven points – still not a given as we would need Glasgow and Edinburgh to split their series to top the table but probably enough for at least the best runners’ up spot. A loss by three points or less would give us the aggregate point but a total of five points is very unlikely to be enough to progress.

• Berwick and Scunthorpe have only met once before in the second tier Knockout Cup, way back in 1976.

The Bandits won the first leg at Shielfield Park 45-32, skipper Graham Jones scoring 11, Mike Hiftle 10 and reserve Eddie Argall 8+2.

For Scunthorpe, known then as the Saints, Keith Evans dominated their scoring with 14 points, Ray Watkins and Tony Gillias adding six apiece.

Evans was at it again in the return at Quibell Park, scoring 13 and Colin Cook 8+3 as Scunthorpe had the Bandits struggling at one point. In the end we lost 35-43 to reach the next round with five points to spare on aggregate.

Oxford were then beaten 88-68 and Boston 84-71 as Berwick reached their second KO Cup Final only to lost 83-72 on aggregate to Newcastle Diamonds in front of huge crowds at both Shielfield Park and Brough Park.

Richard Lawson will again stand-in for Lewi Kerr in the Jewson Bandits’ line-up on Saturday, Jack Smith guests for Scunthorpe in place of injured reserve Nathan Ablitt. Full weekend preview on Wednesday.

Tickets for Saturday night are on sale now – £18 until midnight on Friday. Accompanied under-16s free. Buy tickets

• The 2024 Jewson Bandits hoodies – as modelled by Rory and the boys at Ashfield on Friday, will be on sale in the club trackshop before Saturday’s meeting as well as during the interval. There will also be the opportunity to buy the new season shirts with headgear and other exclusively designed items also on sale.