Just A & C Teams in action this week as B Team sit out (another) BYE week.
Abingdon Con A v Wallingford A
(Match report by Club Rep)
Now this was always going to be a crunch match with Top of the Premier v 3rd. The A Team have knuckled down to the task in hand after giving the rest of the League a 5 points head start (after THAT 'historic' match with the B Team!) to pull themselves up from Bottom of the Premier to 3rd (with a very useful game in hand over 1st & 2nd).
1st frame saw a re-match from last season of Dave 'Slugger' Lugger v Captain Billy. Dave made all the running at the start, scoring well & leaving nothing (sometimes by fortune rather than design!). Captain stuck to the task & had his first opportunity to catch up (& take the lead), but 'twitched' on a straight pink to leave Dave with an easy red. It went down to the colours & Captain was 17 behind on the brown. Dave tried to slip the brown past the blue into the yellow bag, only to clip the blue & leave brown in baulk & cue ball near the side rail. Captain cued it well & slotted in the brown, then cut/screwed the blue in the yellow bag to put the cue ball down the other end for the pink, which he over/under ran (whichever it wasn't ideal position, as 'commentated' by his Eagle Eyed Team mates!). With a fine cut-back pink, he left cue ball mid table for a medium range black... which he hammered home to win 63-58 for a 1-0 lead! Get in!
In the 2nd frame it was the 'Battle of the Nigels' with Barker v Prior. This was a crunch frame & when early on the blue came down the table with the 'small' colours, pink tied itself up with a red & the black was near the side rail, it looked as if it was to be a long drawn out affair! Mr Barker had different ideas & potted some trademark long ones to pull a lead. VC battled on & was left a tall order of 39 behind with 2 reds left. He was left a tricky pot on the penultimate red but never really had a chance to show his scintillating recent form (Mr 51!) & dipped, 14-55 to make the frame score 1-1. Unlucky VC, it was just your week to 'pull the plum'!
Next up was Tom Hamilton-Williams v Richard Belcher (a last minute substitute as Paul Gillespie failed to appear). Tom, realising the huge importance of every frame & point, set about a demolition of Richard who offered little resistance. Tom was scoring heavily & even getting a bit of 'run' (which you'll always take as it's quick enough to run against you!). He slotted in a lovely fluent 20 break during his 48-16 win to put the frame score 2-1 in our favour! A welcome relief for Tom to show what we all know he's capable of, after having 'pulled the plum' in the last few matches.
In an usual playing slot of 4th saw Dave 'Daddy G' Greathead take on their Captain, Dave Lewis (Battle of the Nigels & now Battle of the Daves!). Dave (ours) was at his imperious best & knocked in a nice 3 reds, 2 blacks 17, showing some fabulous touch & positional shots. Dave (theirs) was below par as Dave (ours) bossed the frame & gave him no chance to come back, let alone catch up! Older & wiser, eh Daddy G? Dave (ours) secured the all important match win, 67-32 to make the frame score 3-1! Mission accomplished! We went there to win & now anything else was a bonus!
Last on was Kev 'Cuz' Higgs v Colin Bark. Cuz admitted to being quite tired after a heavy few days work & with the kids & he looked it! Thankfully this was (another) 'home' table for him as he plays Oxford League there on Monday nights & you take any small advantage when you're not on song. From his performance, you wouldn't have known he was tired as he slotted in a 2 black 16 to open. From there on, Cuz also bossed the frame, pulling a healthy 34 point lead & even trying a medium range slow rolled black down to the corner (later saying he was hoping to block the pocket if he missed), which gave Colin a glimmer of hope when the black didn't go in & cleared the pocket, leaving the cue ball nestled in amongst a cluster of pottable reds (the assembled A Team-mates could all hear the late 'Legend' George Flynn's dulcet tones, 'Never give a sucker an even break'!). Thankfully Colin only made a red & black & Cuz ran out a very convincing winner, 57-21 to make the final frame score 4-1!
So, with that all important last frame win the A Team moved to the summit of the Premier Division! An awesome performance since our woeful start to the season & testament to the lads 'Never say die/Never give up attitude'. The hard work is complete - we've fought our way from the bottom to the top. Now the harder work begins... staying there!
Wallingford C v Kennington
(Match report 'padded out' by Club Rep as Captain KP was too distraught!)
The C Team needed a win at home (first task) & a good points haul (second task) to drag themseleves back up the 3rd Division after a few erstwhile results recently. Against Kennington, this was always going to be a big ask as they are an experienced bunch of seasoned campaigners.
Hugh Baker was to start v Kennington Captain, Martin Clements. Now Martin is a very experienced player, having started (too many years ago to want to remember!) playing for Didcot Con Club in the days of his older brother Tim Clements, Phil Organ, Paul Norden & Ray Rogers etc. Martin ran out a convincing winner by 16-62 to put the C Team 0-1 down. Not the ideal start.
Alan Wells was next up v Alan Richards (now we have the Battle of the Alans!). Alan has discovered a new found confidence & self belief after his epic last 3 balls, black ball win (by 1 point!) v Ade Jackson (Marlborough) in a dead rubber in the Presidents Cup last wee. Judging by the winning frame score of 36-9 to level it at 1-1, looked as if Alan had a low scoring, hard fought battle.
Young Jake Crockett played 3rd v Mark Trafford. Jake (The Biker) was up against it playing against Mark, who as an seasoned veteran of notable ability, utilised all his experience to put Jake away by 14-61 to give Kennington the lead in frames 1-2.
Next up (to stop the rot) was Captain KP v Foley Sercombe, who is a new name on the sheet. Captain Kev was, by his own admission, destroyed by an unbelievable potting display, 13-70 to give Kennington an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Last on was 'new boy' Chris Strange, signed up by Captain KP & is one of his co-opted Cricket pals. Chris was to face experienced Neil Buckingham (holder of High Break prizes in past seasons), but Chris didn't disgrace himself, limiting Neil to below the half century in a frame score of 19-45 to give the visitors a 1-4 away win.
Disappointing for the C Team, but I'm sure that their Captain will rally his troops for better home results than that.
Next week sees more League action as Wallingford A home v Abingdon RBL, Wallingford B travel to Marlborough B & Wallingford C host Challow RBL D.
See you on the practice tables... & don't forget there are a number of House & D&DS&BL competition Play By dates rapidly approaching!
