MONDAY 13TH NOVEMBER
2006
PREMIER A
HOME
THE BELL
A top of the table clash! The Bell
(Ingatestone) has been a Premier A side for some time
started the night in top slot on 53 points. The Tulip ‘C’, their first season in
Premier A and already showing their credentials as contenders, also on 53
points only 2nd due to matches lost.
This was going to be a crucial match for both teams.
Jamie started the night off with a loss
in the opening frame, snatching at a shot which had it gone in would have
almost certainly have given him victory. The big guy then had to endure
countless safeties before finally losing. 0-1.
Glenn had to make several tactical
shots before he levelled the scores in a frame that really should have got away
from him, the Bell player making too many errors and gifting the frame to the
Tulip man. 1-1.
The Tulip ‘C’ were
in front for the first time with Gordon keeping his nerve with the black
sitting over the pocket. The Turtle Wax Kid looking more like Uncle Fester with
his shaved head, looked calm and confident as he cleared 3 balls including a
4/5 table length pot to leave himself with an easy black. 2-1.
The Tulip ‘C’ were
technically top of the league at this point, but from here on in it was
downhill. MJ snatching defeat from the
jaws of victory when given ball in hand with one red over the pocket and the
black 12” from the bottom pocket. MJ tried to set the black but over hit it and
left himself without a pot, his opponent making the clearance on his next
visit. 2-2.
Craig was well off form
making too many errors and never really entering the frame. 2-3.
Trevor, usually so reliable, tried a
deep screw and chipped his ball, fouling and gifting his opponent a simple
clearance. 2-4.
Tam looked like having an easy ride of
things but just couldn’t get a positional shot on the black, his opponent
continuously leaving him with nothing to play with and then making the finish
himself. 2-5.
Things looked grim but Ian had a great
chance to finish from his first turn on the table. But a stun shot turned into
screw and Ian was left with very little to play with. Snookering himself behind a group of ball Ian
gave his opponent 2 fouls and it looked like match over for the home side. But a poor positional shot gave Ian the
chance he needed and he took it to keep the home side in the match. 3-5.
All three doubles were needed to get
the win and possibly the top slot in the league.
Glenn’s contribution to the doubles was
to win the toss and elect his partner Jamie to break. Jamie broke and potted 2 reds. 5 reds and a black later and it was game over without the Bells best 2 players getting a
chance at the table! 4-5.
Ian & MJ paired up for the first
time in 2 seasons and the pair were first to the black
with the opposition still having 6 yellows left. Potting one of these the bell player then
managed to put the white into the middle giving MJ ball in hand and the black
over the pocket…..GAME OVER! 5-5.
With the match on a knife edge Tam
& Trevor were given the task of taking the victory for the Tulip C. The bell team had obviously not anticipated
to be in this position as they’d played all their stronger players in the first
2 doubles. However it was the Bell
pairing who looked likely to take the frame.
Tam couldn’t make his pots count even with 2 visits, and Trevor was only
left with safety shots to play. But the
pair battled through and stopped the Bell players from potting the final
black. When given 2 visits it was Trevor
who made the final clearance potting his last yellow and positioning the white
onto the black so perfectly he couldn’t have placed it better with his
hand. A huge roar went up from the home
side as the team as a whole celebrated a fabulous team performance victory.
FINAL SCORE
TULIP ‘C’ 6 - 5 THE BELL