Northamptonshire
v Warwickshire
13th April 2008
Gaz
Calcott Pool Guru...
So
to match number 3 in the 2008 fixture list and it was a trip to Northampton
to take on our archrivals in what could be termed and “Old Firm Clash”!
The usual scenario for
Warwickshire, 3 matches into the season and all those “Dead Keen” and “I’ll
turn up” players fail to materialise when it comes to away games. Nevermind
...
So
missing players meant we had to draft Baz Hinde, Mark Winham and young Ben
Deeley, into the A side.
A
predictable start as Northants took the 1st section 8-3, but
Warks A fared better in the 2nd section and just lost out 6-5 to
enter the 3rd section trailing 14-8.
A
similar performance and score line saw Warks trailing 20-13 as the
entered the final section and it wasn’t long before Northants had sealed
the win with the eventual score being 27-17 to Northants.
A
brilliant 4 out of 4 saw Paul “Fudge” Willis get the Man of the match trophy
whilst Rob Butterworth got a very credible 3 out of 4, but there were
several players falling short of the mark with either 0 or 1 frame to their
names.
Team: Paul
Willis, Craig Sturmey, Scott Varden, Roger hunt, Ben Deeley, Mark Winham,
Daz Lee, Rob Butterworth, Sam Mills, Andy West and Baz Hinde.
A couple
of players missing for the B team provided openings for Steve Valentine and
Dave Hegarty to get their first start in a county match as the team
attempted to build on their 2 out of 2 winning start to the 2008 campaign.
A couple
of players missing for the B team provided openings for Steve Valentine and
Dave Hegarty to get their first start in a county match as the team
attempted to build on their 2 out of 2 winning start to the 2008 campaign.
They got
off to an absolute flyer by winning the 1st section 8-3 and at
one point were 12-4 in front before Northants started to reel them in a bit.
Northampton won section two 6-5 and the 3rd section 7-4 to make
it 17-16 to Warwickshire going into the final section.
Crucial
frames from Howard Bailie and Russ “Lucky B*st*rd” Blinco (his use of the
jaws to gain position had to be seen to be believed – anyone else would call
it lucky not to go IN-OFF!) put Warks 19-16 in front, but Northants pegged
it back to 19-18.
Neil
Pincham made it 20-18 only to see Northants pull one back to 20-19. Steve
Valentine cut a massive last red the full length of the side rail to get on
the black that his opponent had just jawed to make it 21-19, Dave Collins
ensure Warks of the draw and New Boy, Chris
Team: Dave
Easson, Howard Bailie, Russ Blinco, Martin Groves, Russ Harding, Steve
Valentine, Dave Collins, Dave Hegarty, Chris Lowe, Neil Pincham, Aaron
Easson, Dave Lea and Gaz Calcott.
A couple
of players missing for the B team provided openings for Steve Valentine and
Dave Hegarty to get their first start in a county match as the team
attempted to build on their 2 out of 2 winning start to the 2008 campaign.
Lowe (he’s
left the Pet Shop Boys and took up pool), got the match winner in the very
next frame. Dave Lea made the final score 24-20 to Warwickshire B.
Steve
Valentine and Aaron Easson both won 3 out of 4 with Azza getting the Man of
the match.
Same old
story for the Ladies team – didn’t have 11 players!
The tables
were shit and that’s the reason they were 8-3 down after the 1st
section. The tables were still shit in the 2nd section which they
also lost 8-3 and, ….. would you believe it, shit tables were the root cause
of them losing the 3rd section 8-3 to put the match beyond
Warwickshire’s grasp.
The tables
must have been even shittier in the last section cause they lost that one
9-2 to give northants a 33-11 win overall.
However,
it wasn’t all doom and gloom as Ali Wilkins won 3 out of 4 to earn herself
the player of the match trophy and there were 2 out of 4’s from Tracy
Layfield, Sally Brazener and Katie Bonham.
Team:
Wendy Forde, Hazel Payne, Lorna Kernaghan, Sally Brazener, Vicky Moore, Kat
Jarvis, Ali Wilkins, Tracy Layfield, Liz Cheetham and Katie Bonham.
