2020 Competitions Round Up – Brian Maddocks

Post date: Sep 19, 2020 1:32:3 PM

Our programme of competitions this year has been curtailed, with no doubles competitions or national qualifiers ( All England and Grassroots ).

The remaining competitions have though been very successful. Almost all are now complete:

1 GB High Handicap Level Singles ( Bennett Cup ) 13-15 August

The first two blocks were won by Phil Weatheritt and Jacky Waite , each with 3 wins out of 3. The final block was much closer, both Helen Wilson and David Knill-Jones achieving 3 wins out of 4, with Helen topping the group, but ceding her semi-final place to David due to personal commitments. John Legg ( runner up in block B ) completed the semi final line up.

The finals were not blessed with good weather, David K-J pipped Jacky in his semi, but Phil Weatheritt took the trophy with an impressive unbeaten record after beating John 7-4 in his semi and David by the same score in the final.

2 GC Mid Range Handicap Level Singles 3-6 September

This new event was a huge success with high quality play and tightly contested games. To nobody’s surprise, Andrew Eperson and Colin Helps topped their blocks with 100% records with 3 and 4 wins respectively and were joined in the semi finals by runners up Keith Lugton and Colin Smith.

The finals day provided great entertainment. Colin Smith played excellently, and was on the verge of a great scalp when leading 6-3 in his semi, but Andrew Eperson rallied brilliantly. An excellent angled jump shot kept his chances alive at the 11th and he went on to win 7-6 at the golden hoop.

The second semi was also a humdinger. Colin Helps forged 4-2 ahead only for Keith Lugton to level by running hoops 7 and 8 with the same stroke ! A lengthy tussle for hoop 9 saw Colin edge in front and he closed it out 7-5.

So two undefeated players contested the final. Colin took a 4-2 advantage after two in-offs ( one expertly executed, the other by his own admission a massive fluke ). Andrew got within one at 4-5, but Colin won the next 2 hoops to secure the title 7-4.

3 GC Club Championship (Cobbold Cup )

Andrew Wilson and Robert Cook won the two blocks, both winning all their ( best of three ) matches 2-0. They were joined in the semis by block runners up Ian Rees and Brian Maddocks. Ian edged out Robert 5-7, 7-4, 7-4 after an epic tussle. Brian came close to a shock result by becoming the first to take a game off Andrew and was only 2 hoops from a win at 7-3, 5-5, but Andrew raised his game to win the second 7-5 and the third 7-3 to set up a final with Ian.

In the final, Ian looked set to take the first game, but twice missed chances to take a 3 hoop lead and Andrew eventually won it at a tense golden hoop. Undeterred, Ian raced into a 4-0 lead in the second game, only for Andrew to switch into his accustomed superman mode and take the next 7 hoops in a row to win 7-4 and take the match 2-0. Congratulations to Andrew on defending his title once more and also to Ian for reaching his first CC final and so nearly scalping the champ !

4 AC Level Play Club Championship (Criddle Salver ) – 18 September

The “select” field for this event was reduced to just 3 after Ian Cobbold’s withdrawal due to a recurring back injury.

Geoff Gunton retained the title, winning both his games, trading huge breaks with Brian Maddocks in the morning and then storming back from the dead in the afternoon against Andrew Wilson from no less than 18 hoops behind, to peg out his last ball in sudden death overtime and win by the narrowest possible margin. Brian clinched the runners up spot, holding off a very strong fightback from Andrew in the “consolation” third game.

5 AC Handicap Competition ( Timberlake Trophy )

This all-play-all event is finely balanced at the time of writing as its conclusion has been delayed by Ian’s back problems. Two players remain undefeated - Andrew Wilson (4/4 ) and Ian Cobbold ( 3/3) , with Ian Rees still in with a shout on 3 wins out of 4. A relative newcomer to the challenges of AC, Ian (R) has added much improved roll shots to his excellent GC-honed touch play and used his bisques well to win his first 3 matches very comfortably. Watch this space ! Andrew is in “pole position” , but 2 wins for Ian C in his last games would give him the title. One of those is against Andrew and the other against Ian R who could snatch the title with a win if Ian C beats Andrew.