Challow C v Wallingford A (a repeat of last seasons Jim Taylor Final!).
After their historic defeat to Wallingford B in the local derby opener last week, the A Team had a bit of a point to prove, i.e. they still knew how to win!
With the team assembled at Challow, Captain asked preferences for order of play & new 'signing' Aaron Tame, making his A Team début & now fully fit after his 'Sick Note' on week 1, jumped at the opportunity to start v Chris Rose. Now Chris showed his mettle in the Jim Taylor Final & has developed into a nice player with a good attitude & deportment around the table. However, Aaron was not to be denied & made a flying start to his A Team 'career'. He was solid from the break off (even if he chooses the 'unusual' route, playing diagonally BETWEEN blue & pink(!), which he nailed with some aplomb, settling the cue ball nicely into the 'D'). Aaron continued with excellent shot selection & safety, playing the percentage game & running out a (very) convincing winner by 58-8 to put the A Team 0-1 up. Solid!
Next up was Captain, Pete Billingham fresh from his Greene King victory on Saturday (including High Breaks of 34 & 49 in the Knockout & Group Stages). Captain 'Billy' has re-found his 'mojo' & kept the momentum going with a comprehensive victory over the D&DS&BL's newest qualified referee, Nigel Greenard by 58-6 including a 23 break. 0-2 to the A Team & on the brink of their first win!
The 3rd frame saw a clash between Ian Bowman (now promoted back in the Premier/1st Div.) v Tom Hamilton-Williams, who was literally 'just back from Honeymoon' with his lovely wife Clare. Ian made the running & potted well on his 'home' table. Tom, reigning Novice Champion steeled himself for the task & hung on to Ian's coat tails. With 2 reds left, Tom needed a snooker & with a chance of a red & a black, took the red, but the punched black 'bobbled' making the come-back task even harder! Challow tables - very tight, unforgiving pockets! Tom continued to fight for snookers & showed great determination, not looking like he'd been away, but it was always a little to much to ask, especially with Ian saying a few 'Sorries' for flukes & eventually triumphing 54-30 to make it 1-2 & stop the rot for Challow.
Next up was Dave 'Anchorman'/'Daddy G' Greathead, playing in an unaccustomed position of 4th v Matt Dixey. Now Matt played a blinding opening frame in the Jim Taylor Final, but after the match admitted to little practice since. It was to be his undoing as Dave has been on the practice tables getting sharp for the season. Playing his last frame with his wafer thin tip (let's get our moneys worth out of it, eh Daddy G?!), Dave stroked 'em at Challow & even dug out some lovely screw shots (one safety shot was sublime as he tucked Matt behind a baulk colour - how did he do that with virtually no tip?!). In usual Anchorman style, Dave closed out the win for the A Team by 48-19! Woo hoo! We can still win! 1-3 up away on a Challow table - anything else would be a bonus!
With the match win secured, last man up was Kev 'Cuz' Higgs v Steve Hunt. Now Steve hasn't graced the Snooker green baize for a couple of years since he played for Martin Dawes Wantage B (& previously C) team. However, he has been keeping his arm in playing Pool, so Cuz would have to deal with an unknown quantity! In practice, Cuz's form has been sporadic, varying from one extreme to another. One night you can't get a frame off him as he's 'nailed on' & then... it just evaporates (along with self belief & confidence!). Mercurial talent! So when Cuz made all the running & led from virtually the start... but not by a frame winning lead, so there was always that nagging doubt 'This could go wrong, 'cos Steve's no mug'. It ended as the closest frame of the night & with Cuz in the lead with brown, blue, pink & black left on... you guessed it, in typical Cuz - 'They have the frame of their life against me!' frustrating style, Steve sealed the victory with the black after solid match pots by 51-47 to give Challow C 2 of the 5 points! Play through it Cuz, tough to do, but 'What doesn't kill ya, makes you stronger'!
Final frame score, Challow C 2, Wallingford A 3. A much needed win for the A Team & lifting us off the bottom of the League & above Abingdon Con A (reigning Champions) who went down 3-2 away to Wantage! It's not all bad lads! BYE week next week & a 'practice' night with the C Team (when THEY will teach US how to be undefeated - read below!).
Wallingford B Team took a week off after their exertions last week to reflect & bask in the glory of being top of the Premier! Well, they had earned a BYE week, but stayed sharp with some team practice & waited for results to come in. It was to be heartening news with Wantage leap-frogging them to the top of the League, but only by 1 point! Best you boys get a nice big points haul next week away to Challow B!
Chairman Bob Elliot, conscripted in at the last minute & having to act as vice-vice-Captain (due to Pete Beaumont being delayed... due to his wife driving off with his cue & leaving him the spare car with no petrol! D'OH!), got the team off to a great start. Showing plenty of ring rust, he kept at it & showed that class is permanent overcoming Allen Aldridge 49-25. C Team 0-1 up!
Next up, the 'veteran' Alan Wells, who had already shown he knows his way around a snooker table having won his first game comfortably last week. Alan found himself facing a table where all but one ball ended up gathered in 2 square feet of the top pocket for a large part of the game! Even he found it difficult to get flowing, but his experience got him through safely 51-28 against Luke Archer & put the C Team 0-2 up!
A still nervous, Joey Edwards was next up & soon found himself behind to Sam Fielden. However the youngster dug deep & grew in confidence as the frame progressed, potting some stunning shots to ease to a 50-29 victory! Well done Joey! C Team win secured & 0-3 up away from home.
Jake Crockett was the next débutante for Wallingford C & fought a tight battle against Jake Faulkner. He showed some lovely control though, stroking the ball gently on a number of pressure shots & his finesse paid off with a 41-30 win! Congratulations on a winning début! C Team 0-4 up!
Last on was the old campaigner Pete Beaumont, who with the pressure off at 4-0 soon got into a commanding 40 point lead against Ryan Cload. With the colours badly placed for snookers, it was just a case of rolling the balls over the pocket & leaving his opponent little chance of recovery... although he tried valiantly to force a mistake, Pete was not to be denied giving the newest Team in the League their first 5-0 victory with a final frame score of 53-40! The only 5-0 of Wednesday night! Superb!
Wallingford C Team now sit proudly at the top of the combined 2nd & 3rd Division (as a 3rd Division side!), clear by 1 point from Crown Technology (who are in the 2nd Division & an ex-Premier side!). Good job lads, keep it there!
So, next week sees just the B Team in action as the A & C have a 'Comrades' night! See you there!
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