Meadows West
Each of the players played all the others, with one having a bye in each round.
Eighteen-point games were played, with a time limit of one and three quarter hours.
All of the early games went to time, with Tony showing a predilection, which continued
throughout the day, for conserving bisques, beating Joe on time with one bisque still
standing. This didn’t stop him from keeping his last bisque in his game against
Martin until the last minutes of the game – this time, however, he managed to peg
both balls out two minutes before time was due to be called.
In Robert Lay’s first game, against James, James kept him out for much of the game
by keeping his balls well separated across the lawn, and used his bisques to get to
five with his first ball, and take the second to peg. Robert, who had had the first
bye and hence no opportunity to warm up, was getting increasingly frustrated as he
was unable to find his usual hitting in skills. When he finally managed to get a
break going, and broke-down at three back, he was thoroughly exasperated and convinced
that he was going to lose the game. He was convinced he was some way behind James
on points, and time was about to be called. When time was called in his turn, he
very casually put his ball in front of his hoop, and left the lawn confident that
James had won. James, on the other hand, knew that they were level, but hadn’t
realised that, if the game hadn’t been decided in his turn, a draw was not an
option. James failed to hit in, and Charlotte, who was standing in for Fergus
as manager and referee, suggested to Robert that he should count the number of
hoops scored before abandoning the game. Robert claimed to be unable to do so,
but finally realised the scores were level. He made the hoop in front of which
he had so casually put his ball, and won the game.
It was James’ first tournament, and he and Tony, playing with no bisques, managed
the record for the smallest number of hoops scored in a game. During the first
thirty five minutes of their game, no hoops were scored. The manager had begun
to wonder whether there was a mechanism to decide the game if it went to time
without a hoop being scored and if no-one seemed inclined to score the “golden
hoop” after time. Then James scored hoop one, and Tony hoops one and two. It was
a long time, however, before they finally managed to bring the score up to eight-six
to Tony, on time.
By the time Robert played Joe, he was beginning to find his form, and got both
balls to the peg with Joe well behind. However, he failed to peg out one ball,
and Joe hit in and managed to put together an impressive three ball break with
some splendid split shots. It began to look as though he might get the ball round
when he blobbed in two back. Robert won on time, without managing to peg out his
second ball.
By the final match of the penultimate round, it was clear that the deciding match
would be between Tony and Robert. Tony had won all three of his games, and had to
play Robert in the final round. Robert had a nerve racking game against Martin
in the penultimate round – if he won it, he only needed to beat Tony in the final
round to win the tournament, but if he lost it, he would need both to beat Tony
and to have accumulated more points in the tournament. As time approached he was
well ahead of Martin, for peg and penult, with Martin for peg with green and five
with brown. He failed to get hoop position for penult, and joined his balls up
at rover, with Martin’s green ball at penult and the brown on the middle of the
west boundary.
Martin, clearly challenged by this leave, played the brown and hit Robert’s ball
at rover – no doubt thanking Robert for kindly leaving him such a perfect four
ball break. The spectators were beginning to think Martin had the game – and
Tony, by now, had worked out that in order for Robert to win the tournament if
he lost this game, Robert would have to win the final game +18 – unlikely, given
Tony’s 5˝ bisques. However, Martin broke down at three back, leaving his own
balls together and Robert’s well separated. Robert missed, and time was called
in Martin’s turn. Martin took a long take off down the lawn to his hoop – if he
ran it, he had a good chance of regaining his break. It was a longish approach
and he blobbed. Robert hit in with his final turn, and pegged out his forward ball,
winning the match on time by three points. [Editor's note: spot the mistake.
Clue: Law 38. Supplementary question: if you had been a watching referee, what
should you have done if you noticed what had happened (a) before the players quit the
lawn or (b) after the players quit the lawn?]
In the deciding match, Tony two-balled both balls round the lawn, leaving Robert
with few easy shots. Robert had one good break to two-back, but then Tony
continued with his impressive two-balling to the peg, finishing with two bisques
standing. Tony’s first ever cup, and a handicap reduction to 18.
We were lucky with the weather – despite gloomy forecasts we only had a couple
of showers and there was enough sun to make much of the day very pleasant. The
wind created more problems, with a large number of leaves being blown about the
lawn – but some players found these useful as markers!
Everyone played well, and it was good to see that a lot of breaks were being
played and players were working on strategy rather than just playing “Aunt Emma”
with each other. An enjoyable day was had by all.
Charlotte Townsend
Results
| TLW | RGL | JL | MAS | JRH | Wins | |
| Tony Whateley | -- | +11 | +8t | +14 | +2t | 4 |
| Robert Lay | −11 | -- | +9t | +3t | +1t | 3 |
| Joe Lennon | −8t | −9t | -- | +15 | +11 | 2 |
| Martin Stephenson | −14 | −3t | −15 | -- | +11t | 1 |
| James Hopgood | −2t | −1t | −11 | −11t | -- | 0 |
