Round 5 Match Report – Princess Garden Snooker & Billiards (Handicap) Team Leagues
17th & 18th Nov 2020
Snooker
Biggest Winners: N/A
Highest Break: 53 – Aaron Canavan (St. Aubin)
Billiards
Biggest Winners: 16 v 13 – Services v Tower Royals
Highest Break: 32 – Guy Heys & Martin Le Gallais (St. Aubin & Tower T’ree)
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Princess Garden – Snooker (Handicap) Team League
Mechanics B 3 v 5 Mechanics A
After being the better man of a black ball finish in the first, Paul Bradbury made lighter work of things in the second frame to earn a 2-0 lead for the A-team (himself with 3 wins from 5 matches in an impressive start to the season) and hand Bob Rondel his first loss of the season. Mechanics B’s super sub Jeremy Gogan stepped up next and despite netting an enticing break of 52, he went on to lose his first frame to Robert Salkeld. Unperturbed, a break of 38 in the second from Jeremy pulled back a frame for Mechanics B to begin a run of frames that we see them haul back their 3-0 deficit, a task taken on and completed by Paul Bullock who won his two frames against Lloyd Letherbarrow to earn parity on the night. The evergreen Ernie Bird however, could not be shaken. Winning the first frame against Richard Corbert, (who has missed the past couple weeks of play following a strong start to the campaign with two wins from two), and then taking a low scoring and quite possibly tense final frame to take victory and earn the bragging rights for the A-team in this all Mechanics clash.
Services Short Cue Wonders B 3 v 5 St Aubin
Having suffered four straight matches without a win so far this season, Services had the chance to end their woes against the reigning champions St Aubin, who again find themselves sitting atop the league table. But as all champions tend to do, with the match finely balanced at 3-3, St Aubin found a way to win. Their solid start to the season was extended by two striking frame wins by captain Robert Le Moel up against Ryan Swann. With Ryan Swann in control of the first frame, Robert who had struggled to pot for much of the frame came alive with one red remaining. Finding electric form right when it mattered most, Robert took the final red with the pink followed by three consecutive and well made doubles on the baulk colours, every shot a superb pot, to swing the momentum of the frame back in his favour. Nicking the remains colours to take the frame on the black. A second equally tight frame saw Robert seal the match and yet another win for St Aubin, their fifth in succession. Prior to the finale, the first frames of the evening were shared between Lee Travers and Martyn Le Gallais, in what were two delightfully watchable frames, a mix of good potting and compelling safety play to earn each player a deserved frame a-piece. Next, Chris Blampied extended Robbie Kilpatrick’s difficult run of form by winning his two frames to put St Aubin in the lead in what ended up being two scrappy frames. A compelling bought of safety play on the colours of the first frame, in which both players traded repeated attempts at escaping well laid snookers, was the point of intrigue in frames in which neither of these former island champions were really able to hit the heights that the reputations suggest. Aaron Canavan can consider himself desperately unlucky not to have gained anything from his two frames against Darren Malzard. Aaron was much the better player with breaks of 30 and 53 in the first and putting together a top quality 47 in the second, which looked for all intents and purposes to be a clearance in the making, but for an unexpected miss on the blue. A victim of the deficit of his handicap rather than good play from his opponent left the match in the balance, with Darren picking off the final colours in the first and Aaron Canavan potting the black but following it in in the second to finish off empty handed.
St Lawrence Miniature Rifle Club 5 v 3 St Brelade Steelers
Joint top of the league at the start of the nights play, and given St Aubin’s penchant for winning this season, St Lawrence new they would have to bring their a-game, up against an always strong St Brelade line-up, if they were to keep up the pressure and their tilt at the league title. Andre Bonjour couldn’t get St Lawrence off to the start they wanted, held-up by the streetwise Gary Boschat who won a comfortable first frame before pinching a closer second. St Lawrence showed their fortitude thereafter, responding with five frame wins from the remaining six to maintain their strong winning form of late. David Proctor began the fight back, continuing his good run this season, with a win against Sean McDonald who fell foul of the rub of the green, in particular losing their first frame after running in-off the black. Upon his return after a lay-off from league play Martin Houguez did well to split frames with Karl Le Fevre. Karl won the first frame comfortably potting extremely well and scoring with nearly every visit to the table. His head of steam however was halted in the second frame, when a fortunate Chinese snooker on the yellow from Martin, with a red in the jaws of one top pocket and the black in the jaws of the other, landed Karl in trouble. Miss cuing and subsequently finding himself snookered tight behind the yellow on his next visit meant enough foul points were conceded to leave Karl out of contention for the frame, eventually conceding with reds remaining. Pat Patterson and Steve Thomas were last on for the night, Pat making the better of the final frames to tie up another win for St Lawrence and extend two contrasting runs of form for each player. – Pat having won all but one of his frames played this season (7/8) and Steve having only picked up one frame thus far this season (1/6).
Tower Beans 5 v 3 St Thomas’ Tower
Unbeaten so far this season, Stephen Rive took both frames against Bob Denison, adding to his win last week, to see himself shoot up the averages at a rapid rate. With a 40 point margin of victory in the first frame and a 30 point margin in the second, Stephen Rive ensured that the Beans proceeded with an untroubled start to the evening. In similar fashion, Andy Richardson bookended the night with a 2-0 win over Herbie Bruggraber, the first a black ball finish and the second a more comfortable affair. Like Stephen, Andy Richardson also won last time out to make it four frames on the bounce for the pair, confirming them as the main driving force behind Tower Beans resurgence to winning ways over the course of the past two matches, which sees the Beans climb to the top of a cue of ‘midfield’ teams in the league table. Sandwiched in between was a draw between Andrew Vibert and new comer to the league, Simon Wade. Simon nicking the first with a black ball finish. And, Connor Davies dealt Dave Ferre a rare loss, breezing to a win in the first with strong scoring, and just pinching the second frame on the black after a rallying response from Dave, in what ended up a very high scoring frame.
Tower Pirates 2 v 4 Tower Pocket Rockets
With two frames left to play Tower Pocket Rockets find themselves in a strong position to extend their lead against the Pirates in a bid for a forth win from five matches so far this season. Steve Wilson and Daniel Cavey found themselves to be each other’s equal on the night, both taking a comfortable frame win each to begin. In the same vain Stephen Morgan and Nathan Piziura followed suit. Though it was James Martin who gave the Pocket Rockets their advantage, beating Scott Le Noa to the line in a black ball finish in the first, after both players had compiled breaks, James 22 and Scott 21, in a frame of high quality play. James compounded his ascendency by taking the sixth frame of the night by a scoreline which suggested he had more breathing space than in the first. It remains to be seen whether the Pocket Rockets can make good on this promising position ahead of the remaining frames to be played – likely to be between Ben Garnier and Alistair Simon.
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Princess Garden – Billiards (Handicap) Team League
St Aubin 15 v 13 Tower T’ree
Up against Martyn Le Gallais, Richard de la Haye, with limited openings, struggled to score with breaks of significance, again not at his best in falling to a finish of just 3 points scored for the third time this season. In contrast Martyn did enough to reach his target of 5 quite comfortably, with breaks of 32 and 30 along the way. Peter Robinson faced up against Guy Heys who was in blistering form, raising the bar in terms of scoring this season with 350 points scored in the frame, including two breaks in the 30’s and three breaks in the 20’s, for a well deserved 7 points. Consequently, Peter restricted to less table time just managed to get over the line with 3 points. The last frame of the night was a much closer battle. A good break of 30 from Robert Le Moel allowed him to pull ahead of Howard, who proceeded to claw back the deficit, taking a slender lead into the final minutes of the match. Yet, in the closing stages an unfinished break of 15 from Robert meant he pinched the frame by just 4 points, right at the death. Both players in stride with their respective handicaps, scoring 5 team points on the night. Overall a good nights work by St. Aubin, winning be enough over their top of the table rivals to see them return to the summit of the league table by a single point over Tower T’ree.
Tower Royals 13 v 16 Services
In contrast, this was a bottom of a table clash, but a good hall of points sees Services off bottom, swapping places with the Royals and gaining ground back on the top teams above them. Proceedings were begun by Paul Destro finding good form to take a respectable haul of points and beat Andy Richardson by a margin of 6 points to 3. Malcolm and Malzard and Robbie Kilpatrick held stroke, each taking 5 points and frame wins against Daniel Cavey (4 points) and the ever improving Stephen Rive, who extends his handicap again, with another haul of 6 points for the third time this season.
