• The Road Trip

Following a fantastic performance by the Riders on Saturday night, the Jets now had a chance to make it to the semi-finals. It was in their own hands!

Saturday night had seen the Riders, who could not make it into the semis, defeat the BBL Cup winning Milton Keynes Lions by a scoreline of 84 points to 79. The man for the Riders was new signing Carlos White who had 21 points.

The situation now was that if the Riders could defeat the Jets at Northgate then it would be the Plymouth Raiders who would go through, however if the Jets could pull off a victory then it is they who would go through to the semis to face the Newcastle Eagles at Ponds Forge.

Somehow I had to be at both of these events. In the end I decided that I would take in the first of the Junior semi-finals in Sheffield then drive to the Northgate for the Big Game.

As the teams lined up in Sheffield I was amazed by how many of the players I actually knew. Having done Cranwell amd Cosford quite regularly for the past few years I have seen these players develop, some into quite exceptional players.

For the Trafford U16s the starting 5 was captain John Gould, plus Aaron Gerami, Josh McGinn, Dujon Lattie and Shomari Simmonds. For the Sharks it was captain Devon Van Oostrum, Calvin Morant-Hudson, Mykel Moodie, Ross Williamson and the hi flying Joseph Baugh.

The Coaches were Graham Williams for Trafford and Duco Van Oostrum for Sheffield.

Top photographer Sumo is in the house. He’ll make sure I get some decent pics.

I am also amazed by the number of people who are in the stands for these junior games, and What a fantastic game this was as the players went head to head. The intensity is, at times, breathtaking! Trafford get of to an early lead but Sheffield would storm back.

As soon as Sheffield take the lead then the boys from Trafford would drain a three to turn it round. They would nail 7 threes in the game.

This game could have gone either way, had it not been for the star of the show, Sheffield’s Devon Van Oostrum. He was quite sensational, taking hold of the game and making it a comfortable victory for Sheffield in the end. He would take it to the rack for the and 1, make the assist or steal the ball. He terrorised the Trafford guards.

He would finish the game with 35 points on 13 for 23 shooting. He went 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. He would add 6 rebounds and 4 assists. WOW!

The next best scorer across both teams was Dujon Lattie of Trafford with 16 points .

This is an on-going battle for supremacy in junior basketball. These two teams carry out their own War of the Roses on a regular basis and today, in this one, it was Sheffield who would prevail, by a scoreline of 71 to 63.

As I depart the hall Sumo says good luck with the lights at Chester (One of the darkest venues in the BBL). Thanks Sumo!

So with that game over it is time to head out of the venue and hit the motorways to Chester. As I get to reception at the EISS I find out that Manchester United had defeated Tottenham 3-1 in the 4th round of the FA Cup.

The scoreline kinda makes up for Spurs dumping Arsenal out of the Carling Cup earlier this week.

I also bump into the Head Coach of the Sheffield Sharks, Peter Scantlebury and his family who had just arrived for the second semi-final which would see The Sheffield Junior Sharks take on Manchester.

He must be looking at the two Junior Sharks players, the other Van Oostrum and Wes Hall who play up with the senior Sharks also here at the EISS.

I would love to have seen this game but I had to be elsewhere.

I take the M1 heading north then head across to the A628 for the trip to Manchester. It is 4:23. I will then take the M67, M60 and M56 which should get me to Chester in good time for the 5:30 tip. Joy oh joy the roads are relatively clear and I am making good time.

I am listening to the excellent 5-Live on the radio. They are broadcasting the FA Cup 4th round tie between Sheffield United, (the Blades) and Manchester City. The Blades from the Championship are killing City from the Premier League

I suppose from here on in this will be described as the balloon cup tie, as one of dozens of balloons in the City penalty area causes an obstruction which leads to the first Blades goal. In the end the side from Sheffield would dump Manchester City out of the FA Cup and secure their place in the 5th round draw. Now Sven has experienced the “magic” of the FA Cup.

The drive over the pennines is fairly uneventful and I stop off at the first available petrol station and pick up a large sausage roll and diet coke to keep me going.

Down the M67 through Denton and onto the M60 heading clockwise. I am still making good time and then I get on to the M56.

It is a carpark!

Nothing is moving as 67,000 Manchester United and Tottenham fans head out to the M6 to get home.

Now to be honest, I do not know how many Manchester United fans live in Manchester or live out of Manchester, but I think we should be told. I try to get a photo, it is not easy but I think you get the picture.

The cars coming towards us, the white lights, are moving freely but from here to the turnoff for the A556, it is mayhem and any thoughts of making the tip-off at the Northgate Arena are quickly put to one side.

Now as I sit there I begin to harbour thoughts of just going home. When we get to the M6 I could just head north and be back home in Bolton in about half an hour. That now looks like the option.

We eventually get to the slip road for the A556 and the vast majority of the football fans take this exit. The motorway is now clear and I am on my way to Chester. My favourite parking space away from the car park is available and I am in the arena within seconds of arriving.

The time is now 4 minutes past 6. It is a full house and I have missed the first quarter and part of the second. Unfortunately the game is also over as a contest. The Jets lead by a scoreline of 38 to 19. Could the Riders get back into this? I think not.

The Riders work hard but all to no avail. The Jets continue to control the game. Victory here will take them into their first semi-final for three years. The crowd is loving it. Each basket is accompanied by a crecendo of noise. The Riders fans are glum.

I am not going to dwell on this game but I am going to try and illustrate one sensational play in particular.

As regular BBL fans will know, I always try to take my camera to games these days, and unfortunately I have not got a truly great picture yet. Most of the best pictures on mikeshaft.com are by Sumo, who is trying to help me learn the settings for my camera. I am forever letting him down. Mind you, if I’m that bad how come I made him look that good?

Now some of the pics in this sequence might not be the greatest photos in the world of Sumo but I think you will get the picture.

The Jets are on offence and their sensational guard/forward Jason Obazuaye is advancing the ball…Steven Vear of the Riders is trying to defend him…Obazuaye is too much for him but it’s OK as Darren Mills of the Riders comes with the help…

Now let the pictures tell the story…
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