D&DS&BL Captains Cup 2nd round

D&DS&BL Novice Cup 2nd round

D&DS&BL Week 6 Match Reports

Only Wallingford B were in action this week as A & C both had BYEs (so played a friendly in an attempt to stay sharp).

Wallingford B v Abingdon Con A

(Match report by Captain Andy... 'padded out/edited' by your Rep!)

It was always going to be a battle royal with the visit of the reigning Premier Champions & the Pretenders to their crown!

Simon Ellam started v Dave 'Slugger' Lugger.  After 5 minutes of play, the referee, Dave Rowe was falling asleep from the inactivity (Andy's description, not mine!), the frame score being 0-0!  Simon then relieved the tension & potted a red, pink but Slugger responded & raced into a 30-7 lead.  Simon fought back to near level with a nice 16 but fluffed a red.  It was a scrappy frame which Simon tried to salvage with some safety on the pink & went close to tucking the cue ball behind the black at one point, but unfortunately it was a less than perfect start with Dave Lugger triumphing 57-34 for a 0-1.

Next up was a welcome return to B Team action for Dave Glaves who faced a stern test in his first match for a while (after recovering well from illness & having a PaceMaker fitted!) v Nigel Barker.  Dave slotted in a nice red, but missed an easy black & from there on Nigel potted steady reds & colours, leaving Dave nothing in between.  In frustration, Dave smacked a cluster of reds open, leaving the cue ball on the black cushion.  Next visit he pots 2 reds & 2 blacks & was unlucky not to pot a 3rd along the cushion into the green pocket.  From there on, Nigel clinches the frame by 62-18 to put the B Team 0-2 down!  Good effort Dave & we know you'll be back on form soon!  As Nigel Prior always says, 'Form is temporary, Class is permanent'!

So, 0-2 down at home for the Premier leaders.  Now the B Team have evolved this season, spurred on by their historic 5 point match in the season opener & look to be getting quite comfortable at the top ('We like it here'?!).  Next up was another player returning to the fold after medical intervention.  Welcome back Brian Orton!  Brian has had a lot on his plate over the last few months (years!), with his lovely wife Heathers multiple operations, he has been busy caring & looking after her, plus throw into the mix his double Hernia Op earlier this year AND a recent Cataract Op!  Welcome home Brian, the boys have been doing well & fighting hard in your enforced absence.  He certainly faced a challenging opponent in Abingdon Con A Captain, Dave Lewis.  Brian opened with a screamer of a long red & dropped plum on the black!  (Has he been away, or just secretly practicing?).  After potting the black & taking the lead, Andy reports that it was 'basically a good old scrap' with Brian sinking a tricky middle bag black to secure the frame, 60-50 & pull a timely winning frame back for the B Team.  2-1 & the fight back was on!  Way to go Brian, Dave's a tricky customer!

Playing in an uncharacteristic 4th was the B Teams Mr 100%, Dave 'Club Singles Champion' Rowe.  Fresh from his annihilation frame in the Jim Taylor last week (including a 36 break), Dave faced stalwart, John Dawson (who has also had his fair share of health troubles in recent years, but thankfully is still fighting through!).  Dave started flowing with a nice 21, missing a long pink to the yellow bag, putting him 40+ points up with just 2 reds remaining.  John, obviously determined to show he could play, potted a red-black-red combination but missed the next black.  Still in with a slim chance, John battled on in vain as Dave comfortably secured the win, 61-24 to level the match at 2-2!  Great fightback B Team!

And so, to the last & deciding frame!  Captain Andy faced Richard Belcher.  Now if I was a betting man, my money would've been on Andy producing a Captains Innings.  However, Richard was up to the task & Abingdon Con have a Champions Title (undefeated!) for a reason.  Despite a lovely long opening red & blue to the middle, Andy missed the split on the pack.  Cueing well, he potted a yellow from its spot into the green bag, but over hit the white which dropped in the middle!  (D'OH!).  Next visit, he missed a long pot red that collided with & potted the blue!  (D'OH!  D'OH!).  Richard, keen to build on this bad run, put his potting boots on & after a nice 2 reds, 2 blacks, was back in the frame.  He missed very little, long or short & none of the spectators (including your truly), had ever seen Richard play so well!  Andy's cue arm started to become cue shoulder & he missed a few key shots as he fought back to within 20, missing a yellow in the middle.  Richard took yellow, next visit green, brown, blue... Goodnight Nurse!  Richard won 66-31 to secure the 2-3 away win & all Andy could do, was sportingly congratulate an inspired player on an inspired performance.

With those 3 points, Abingdon Con A drew level with the A Team in 2nd place in the League on 13 points, 3 points behind the B Team.  They survive another home 2-3 loss to remain top (always take the positive lads!), but with Abingdon Con A & the A Team having 1 game in hand over the B, it makes for an interesting & tight situation at the top of the Prem!

No match for the A or B next week (who will have a friendly... if there can be such a thing after their last meeting!), but the C Team host RAF Benson & need to pull back 2 points after this weeks BYE week.  Good luck lads!

See you on the practice tables!

Comrades Club Team Stats 23/10/13 (Match 7)

A TEAM	Pl	W	L	Pts for	Av	Pts ag	Av	%	Breaks over 25
Aaron Tame	3	3	0	173	58	26	9	100
Pete Billingham	4	3	1	234	59	94	24	75
Dave Greathead	4	3	1	213	53	172	43	75
Nigel Prior	3	2	1	138	46	114	38	67
Tom Williams	2	1	1	96	48	57	29	50	34
Kev Higgs	2	0	2	74	37	114	57	0
Nigel Woods	1	1	0	64	64	36	36
Jon Hawkins	1	0	1	33	33	68	68
	No match for A Team again this week with the 1st of 2 consecutive League BYEs.  However, a kind invitation saw them have a 'friendly' with the C Team (obviously keen to re-challenge themselves after playing 'Top of the Prem' Wallingford B in the Jim Taylor Cup). Handicaps were challenging, but fair & a good night was had by all.
B TEAM	Pl	W	L	Pts for	Av	Pts ag	Av	%	Breaks over 20
David Rowe	6	6	0	371	62	122	20	100	36
Andy Rance	6	4	2	319	53	299	50	67
Simon Ellam	6	4	2	318	53	265	44	67
Rob House	5	3	2	286	57	213	43	60
Pirom Phai	5	3	2	256	51	186	37	60	24
Brian Orton	1	1	0	60	60	50	50
Dave Glaves	1	0	1	18	18	62	62
	B Team return to League action v Premier Champions Abingdon Con A. Simon uncharacteristically drops a frame as does Dave Glaves making his return v Nigel Barker. They fight back from 0-2 to 2-2 with wins for Dave Rowe & Brian Orton (Welcome Back!). Andy dips in the decider v Richard Belcher for a 2-3 final score.
C TEAM	Pl	W	L	Pts for	Av	Pts ag	Av	%	Breaks over 17
Hugh Baker	4	3	1	207	52	178	45	75
Alan Wells	5	3	2	211	42	195	39	60
Kev Pickworth	2	1	1	93	47	96	48	50
Bob Elliott	2	1	1	49	25	108	54	50
Pete Beaumont	3	1	2	111	37	148	49	33
Joey Edwards	3	1	2	102	34	133	44	33
Jake Crockett	3	1	2	79	26	145	48	33
Dan Milles	1	0	1	30	30	72	72
Luke Wells	1	0	1	20	20	51	51
	C Team challenge the A Team in their BYE week & Captain KP (who arranged handicaps, but didnt take his!) secures the opener! Jake, Hugh & Alan all have tough frames, but accredit themselves well (some going to the black, so I guess the handicap was about right!). Good experience for them before hosting RAF Benson next week!