MTR back on top but the rest are in a dog fight

MTR's 'New Lines New Minds Enginetic' leap two places and past their colleagues to take pole position, while the other MTR team 'New Lines New Minds' remain in second. Arup's 'They think its all Ova' slip to 3rd from first, so it might not quite be all over yet. MottMac's 'MM MoneyMakers' hold 4th place. So the top four are still there. Arup's 'The Ovaheads' climb from 7th to 5th to join the top six placing two Arup teams in the top six. Arup and MottMac with two previous Championships each may well be playing for who's best. The 6th place is held by ‘Aurecon Global’ down from 5th.

Atkins India's 'VIRTUS' up to 7th from 9th are threatening. AURECON's 'Unicon' down to 8th from 6th are still there or thereabouts. AMEY MDP slip one place to 9th but are still not out of it. Atkins HK's 'NOVA' hold on 10th ready for the final push. The CIOB HQ teams are at 27 and 29 and need a good effort in the last round to make the final.

Lower down big movers include 'Murphy's Cannock' up to 41st from 64th with an 18% improvement as with TaylorWoodow/BAM's 'Victorious Station Upgrade' move to 64th from 75th.

Our student teams UTM are at 13th and Manchester University's 'Fenns Stars' at 57 and 'Emsleys stars' at 88. Margaret Emsley is Loughborough trained but that isn't shining through!

The competition for the top six is as hot as its ever been. The top four are looking good but its too soon to be confident. The other places are being fought for and we can't predict the out-turn. We'll just have to wait for the final round.

We're enjoying the excitement.

Preliminary results, subject to change.

Has the final whistle gone?

Arup's 'They think its all over' have ousted MTR's 'New Lines New Minds' to head up the leader board.

Arup are the current reigning MERIT 2012 Champions and clearly aren't going to give up their title easily. The two MTR teams hold second and third place with a trip from Hong Kong to Loughborough for the Final looking likely.

Mott MacDonald, always competitive have recovered from a slip in Period 9 and returned to the top six with 'MM Money Makers' in 4th, and the last two places in the top six are now held by AURECON's 'Global' and 'Unicon' so AURECON may again have two teams in the final.

Arup's 'The Ovaheads' are stealthily creeping up now at 7th from 9th, but squeezed out of the top six this time are Amey MDP now in 8th with Atkins India's 'VIRTUS' in 9th who are joined by their colleagues 'NOVA' in 10th.

With a 19% improvement, ‘AECOMeritocracy’ are big movers from 22nd to 11th, Sinclair Knight Merz’s ‘Prop’ are lurking at 13th having improved from 19th, and NPS's 'Norse Warriors' with a 15% improvement have leaped from 60th to 45th.

AURECON's 'AurecANZ' have surged from 42nd to 15th with a huge improvement of 24%, could AURECON be plotting to have three teams in the final?

With two rounds to go the top three have consolidated their lead but the rest of the places are up for grabs with only 60 points covering 4th to 10th place.

The biggest improvement this round was 24%. Repeating this level of improvement over each of the two remaining rounds rules no team out. Serious times concentrate minds and focus we expect some imaginative tactical moves that will change the rankings.

Its not all over... yet!

Preliminary results, subject to change.