Post by Mark James on May 23, 2008 5:45:55 GMT
Mens Doubles Final
Kevin Tunstall & Ian Lelliott v Nigel Senior & Chris Reeves
Not a bad line-up for a local league final, 3 players ranked in the national top ten, plus a man bidding for his 11th Worthing Doubles title, who has himself appeared in two Open finals in the last couple of years.
And, like the Champions League final exactly 24 hours before it, this was a match that was to start slowly, but ultimately deliver tremendous excitement to those watching.
The rules, for those of you unfamiliar with them, are that it’s best-of-3 games. In the 3rd game, the break must be taken by the players who did not have it in games 1 & 2, and equal opportunity means that the 3rd leg can be extended if the 2nd player is still on their opening break.
Nigel & Chris won the toss, and inserted their opponents. Ian took the break, but fluffed the first one-up. Nigel failed to retrieve the awkward red, and KT stepped forward to make an assured break of 10,020 to take the leg. Chris had time for a 2k effort at the end.
For the 2nd leg, Chris took the break. He couldn’t leave the one-up right, however, and broke down on 1840. Ian got the balls back, and seemed to be on his way to a match-clinching break, but he got into trouble behind the right-hand 30, and was off at 5970. By now, the clock was a factor. Nigel got them back and set off briskly, but he rimmed a split around the 100 hole and came off next shot, still 2k behind. Amazingly, Chris got another chance when KT missed the ball that Nigel had left by the 100 hole, and he was able to clear to the bar to take the leg with scores of 6500 – 6100 approx.
The 3rd leg would see the breaks taken by KT & Nigel, (just the 1 & 2 ranked players in the game, that’s all). There’s no further coin-toss in WDBBL comps, because their team had taken the break in game 1, KT had the choice whether to go first or second. After lengthy deliberation with his partner (I believe a pistol was involved at one point) KT elected to make Nigel break first.
How Nigel stayed on the table for the opening 3k, no one who witnessed it will ever fathom. He chased the ball to all parts of the table, but somehow kept going. Eventually he found some rhythm, and seemed set for a run-out, but then a split whipped the 100 hole and finished in a difficult position just in front of it and tight to the centre. Nigel successfully potted this, but was off next shot, having put 12, 670 on the board.
At this stage Ian and Chris became irrelevant, as the match would be decided by KT’s break, either he would overhaul Nigel in overtime to win, or he wouldn’t. KT did not miss a 100 split for the first 9k, as he approached the target he left a couple of one-ups a bit too short and had to split to the 20 hole, but he never really looked like missing. His final shot was a break shot, to take his score to 12, 740 and win the match, a truly epic performance.
Well played to all 4 players in this gripping match, it was a contest that would have graced any occasion in bar billiards.
Kevin Tunstall & Ian Lelliott v Nigel Senior & Chris Reeves
Not a bad line-up for a local league final, 3 players ranked in the national top ten, plus a man bidding for his 11th Worthing Doubles title, who has himself appeared in two Open finals in the last couple of years.
And, like the Champions League final exactly 24 hours before it, this was a match that was to start slowly, but ultimately deliver tremendous excitement to those watching.
The rules, for those of you unfamiliar with them, are that it’s best-of-3 games. In the 3rd game, the break must be taken by the players who did not have it in games 1 & 2, and equal opportunity means that the 3rd leg can be extended if the 2nd player is still on their opening break.
Nigel & Chris won the toss, and inserted their opponents. Ian took the break, but fluffed the first one-up. Nigel failed to retrieve the awkward red, and KT stepped forward to make an assured break of 10,020 to take the leg. Chris had time for a 2k effort at the end.
For the 2nd leg, Chris took the break. He couldn’t leave the one-up right, however, and broke down on 1840. Ian got the balls back, and seemed to be on his way to a match-clinching break, but he got into trouble behind the right-hand 30, and was off at 5970. By now, the clock was a factor. Nigel got them back and set off briskly, but he rimmed a split around the 100 hole and came off next shot, still 2k behind. Amazingly, Chris got another chance when KT missed the ball that Nigel had left by the 100 hole, and he was able to clear to the bar to take the leg with scores of 6500 – 6100 approx.
The 3rd leg would see the breaks taken by KT & Nigel, (just the 1 & 2 ranked players in the game, that’s all). There’s no further coin-toss in WDBBL comps, because their team had taken the break in game 1, KT had the choice whether to go first or second. After lengthy deliberation with his partner (I believe a pistol was involved at one point) KT elected to make Nigel break first.
How Nigel stayed on the table for the opening 3k, no one who witnessed it will ever fathom. He chased the ball to all parts of the table, but somehow kept going. Eventually he found some rhythm, and seemed set for a run-out, but then a split whipped the 100 hole and finished in a difficult position just in front of it and tight to the centre. Nigel successfully potted this, but was off next shot, having put 12, 670 on the board.
At this stage Ian and Chris became irrelevant, as the match would be decided by KT’s break, either he would overhaul Nigel in overtime to win, or he wouldn’t. KT did not miss a 100 split for the first 9k, as he approached the target he left a couple of one-ups a bit too short and had to split to the 20 hole, but he never really looked like missing. His final shot was a break shot, to take his score to 12, 740 and win the match, a truly epic performance.
Well played to all 4 players in this gripping match, it was a contest that would have graced any occasion in bar billiards.