County Champs 2007

[NigelS]

The County Champs are almost upon us, and I would like to know if possible what individuals/teams the counties will be sending the Reading next month.

As it stands the timetable looks like this

23rd Sept – County Champs Division 1 and 2
Div 1 – Oxon A, Berks A, Sussex A, Kent A, Hants
Div 2 – Northants, Cambs, Surrey A, Bucks, Oxon B

30th Sept – Ladies County Champs
Div 1 – Sussex A, Oxon A, Sussex B, Kent
Div 2 – Surrey A, Berks, Surrey B + Oxon B?? + new teams??

7th Oct – County Champs Div 3, AE Singles, AE Ladies
Div 3 - Kent B, Berks B, Surrey B, Sussex B + new teams??
AE Mens (prob 9)
AE Ladies (prob 8/9?)

If anyone could PM me or respond on here with any info it would be very helpful for me to get things organised. As I have said before it is a possibility I may have to move the All England Singles to the 30th Sept if there are too many entries to the AE Singles or the Division 3 CC.

However if teams are dropping out this year are we end up with no or a very small Division 3 then it would be sensible to stick to the dates as they are.

I am also currently checking on the situation of Jersey and Guernsey invites as requested at the last AGM. If they do take up invites this also may cause me to move the AE mens to the 30th Sept also. I am also unsure if they are invited to the County Champs (if they are they would be unlikely to bring a team of 7 anyway) but have asked Sav to check whether they are invited to the County Champs or National Team champs (or both)

I am sorry to be vague re dates for AE Singles but it is the only tournament that may change dates. I am delaying the decision until I get some feedback to ensure that I don’t end up with a situation of just having the AE Ladies competition on the 7th Oct if Division 3 collapses and I have already moved the AE Singles to the 30th Sept...

I am aware that time is ticking, especially if Jersey/ Guernsey wish to send individuals, so any feedback from forum members, even if it is just a contact of your county secretary so I can get in touch with them will help in me making as quick a decision as possible.

Thanks

Nige

nigels said:

any feedback from forum members, even if it is just a contact of your county secretary so I can get in touch with them will help in me making as quick a decision as possible.
Thanks
Nige

Am sending you a PM with the telephone numbers for Colin Robbins - the Surrey County Secretary and contact for Surrey A and B - ladies and mens - teams.
Regards, tommo

[milhouse]

Steven Sheard and Jenny Abbott from Oxfordshire for the AE singles.

[keithmacdonald]

Nigel,

Cambridgeshire will be sending a men's (open) team but as usual we cannot field a ladies team.

Phil Buckle will be our open singles rep. with Denise Parcell our lady.

Keith

[davemay]

Nigel

Mark Brewster, will be representing Kent in the AE Men's competition, and Jackie Peckham will be representing Kent in the Ladies competition.


Dave



PS
We expect to have both an A side, and a B side for the County championships, but I think that Chris Saville will confirm shortly.

[Chris_Sav]

Thanks Dave,

I have been in contact with Nigel off list.

KBBA 'B' team representation will be dependent on KBBA leagues nominating players who are interested and available. The sum total of nominations so far is zero.

Sav.

[triplex]

Northants will be sending a team as usual ;D

I'd like to say thanks to Nigel for organising a great day, which seemed to go relatively smoothly and to schedule. And thanks of course to others involved (tables, caterers, raffle ec).

Congratulations to Oxon A - hopefully we'll get a comprehensive account of the event.

It's great to meet newly-made friends even if we do only see them once a year !

My day was made even before we got there, with a car with the Sussex team in speeding alongside a car with the Surrey team in, on the motorway and each giving each other "the bird" ! ;D

[Chris_Sav]

Results are on the AEBBA site, thanks to Nigel.

Sav

[NigelS]

Thanks Tommo

I have sent Sav all the results so i am sure they will be up on the aebba website soon.

Here is a run down of what happened for those that were not there.

Div 1

Came down to a fight between the favourites Oxon A and Sussex A. Both teams had won 3 matches out of 3, and Sussex had a 1 leg lead going into the final match against Oxon, where the winner would take the title. Oxon went 2-0 up with wins by Jon Bamsey and Steven Sheard (against Chris Reeves and Ian Lelliott). Richard Wooton won a scrappy game against Leon Beer (on horrid table 6) but KT lost a 6k break against Dennis Atkins, leaving Oxon 3-1 up and needing 1 leg. Dave France kicked off with 8k against Keith Sheard, and Phil Collins made 7k start in 9.5 minutes against Nigel Senior. Nigel missed on 4k handing Oxon the leg they needed and then Keith rubbed salt in the wounds by coming back with an incredible 9,800 to lead 5-1. Mark Turner beat Gareth Lloyd for the 6-1 win and Oxon take the title by 4 points. Sussex still cannot beat Oxon that, they have not beaten them since the full records i have got starting in 1991, where they have played each 10 times, Oxon winning all 10.

Kent A were relegated after a run of 9 years in the top flight. Hants were in desperate trouble taking 2 legs from the first 2 matches, but an amazing 5-2 win over Berks put them in the driving seat for their final clash against Kent. A 3-4 loss was good enough to keep them up by 2 points.

Phil Collins completed a great day with the highest break (10,420) and 4 wins out of 4, and topping the averages with 8,995. Paul Sainsbury and Mark Turner were also unbeaten.

So thats 8 wins in 9 years for Oxon and it seems even losing KT hasn't stopped their dominance!

Div 1 positions

P W L Score Pts
D Oxon A 4 4 0 192,880 22
C Sussex A 4 3 1 172,290 18
A Berks A 4 1 3 140,920 12
B Hants 4 1 3 121,730 10
E Kent A 4 1 3 73,260 8

Division 2 -

Oxon B join Oxon A in the top flight, comfortably winning Div 2 dropping just 5 legs from 21. They won all 3 matches against Surrey A (5-2), Northants (6-1), Bucks (5-2). Tony Martin, Kevin Godfrey, Ray Sturgess and Tony Willis all won 3 out of 3, they were joined by Gary Powell who also won all 3 for Surrey A. Tony Martin had the top div 2 average of 8,207. Bucks who only just got 7 players to make the event finished bottom but should not be relegated due to the absence of Cambridge. Chris Lawman (Northants) let rip in his final game to take the highest break with 14,940.

P W L Score Pts
F Oxon B 3 3 0 109,070 16
G Surrey A 3 2 1 107,930 12
I Northants 3 1 2 81,730 9
H Bucks 3 0 3 53,420 5

A good day, my thanks to all the players for taking part, and yes I enjoyed giving you the bird on the motorway Tommo!

nigels said:

, and yes I enjoyed giving you the bird on the motorway Tommo!

That was you in the back was it, Nigel. I could make out Lloydy in the front and also Richard W laughing. I swear the whole bonnet of Vernon's XK/R lifted as he floored it, the supercharger kicked in and we left you in our slipstream...... ;D

A few "well-dones" I forgot to mention.
1. To Milhouse, eventually getting his county call-up, and winning Div2 with Oxford B at the first attempt. (Surrey once again runners-up, that's now 3 years out of the last 4)
2. To Ian Lelliott for once again playing for Sussex A, nearly forty years after his first call-up, which is before over half the team were born.
3. And to Lolly for his magnificent break in the last leg. Never was a trophy more deserved, as he was also unbeaten on the day - as he was also in last year's top division.

[Lolly]

Just wanted to express our thanks too to the organisers as the day did go very well. Well done to the winners too.

Thank Tommo for your kind comments, but sorry to say that I did actually lose a game yesterday to the ever consistent Ray Hussey. Had my chance after he posted 6500, but I cocked it up!

Sorry to Milhouse too.....didn't know it was his first county matched. :-/

[beefy]

tommo said:

I'd like to say thanks to Nigel for organising a great day, which seemed to go relatively smoothly and to schedule. And thanks of course to others involved (tables, caterers, raffle ec).

Congratulations to Oxon A - hopefully we'll get a comprehensive account of the event.

It's great to meet newly-made friends even if we do only see them once a year !

My day was made even before we got there, with a car with the Sussex team in speeding alongside a car with the Surrey team in, on the motorway and each giving each other "the bird" ! ;D

I trust you didn't get booked or else you wouldn't be bragging on here. I hope it wasn't the M25 or you'll be on the cameras......

beefy said:

I trust you didn't get booked or else you wouldn't be bragging on here. I hope it wasn't the M25 or you'll be on the cameras......

Use of the word 'speeding' in the phrase 'speeding along' not to be taken literally, Beefy.
Besides, I was in the Surrey car, we were poodling along in the middle lane and minding our own business. 8-)

[bigtj]

Sounds like a great weekend, and well done to Both Oxen teams. A particularly good win in the last game against what appeared on paper to be a very evenly matched game against Sussex.

[NigelS]

I would also like to thank my team (Chris R, Richard, Gareth, Ian L, KT and Dave France) for their efforts on the day. It was a privelige to captain you guys.

To take 17 out of the first 21 legs is pretty impressive especially when in 2 of those legs the opponent kicked off with enough, and in another our player went off with 6k only to lose by 1,000. Our final match against Oxon was a lot closer than the 6-1 scoreline suggested, and could have easily gone the other way.

Well done to Oxon who also played surperbly all day, and hopefully we will be back next year to try to wrestle that trophy from you!

[milhouse]

tommo said:

A few "well-dones" I forgot to mention.
1. To Milhouse, eventually getting his county call-up, and winning Div2 with Oxford B at the first attempt. (Surrey once again runners-up, that's now 3 years out of the last 4)

Not so sure about the word eventually as i have only just completed my 3rd season playing bar billiards !!!!!

[milhouse]

lolly said:

Sorry to Milhouse too.....didn't know it was his first county matched. :-/

No worries, with nothing left to play for, anyone would have done the same thing in your position!

milhouse said:

Not so sure about the word eventually as i have only just completed my 3rd season playing bar billiards !!!!!

Only said it as I recalled all the wingeing a year ago ! ;) ;D ::)

nigels said:

Our final match against Oxon was a lot closer than the 6-1 scoreline suggested, and could have easily gone the other way.

Are you sure, Nigel ? 6-1 sounds like a bit of a stuffing to me ! ;D

[beefy]

tommo said:

beefy said:

I trust you didn't get booked or else you wouldn't be bragging on here. I hope it wasn't the M25 or you'll be on the cameras......

Use of the word 'speeding' in the phrase 'speeding along' not to be taken literally, Beefy.
Besides, I was in the Surrey car, we were poodling along in the middle lane and minding our own business. 8-)

So you didn't give em the birdie back then - your words where speeding alongside

Meaning

speeding - exceeding the limit

Alongside - next to

Only joking we have all done it at some point in our lives.

[beefy]

tommo said:

nigels said:

Our final match against Oxon was a lot closer than the 6-1 scoreline suggested, and could have easily gone the other way.

Are you sure, Nigel ? 6-1 sounds like a bit of a stuffing to me ! ;D

Not if all the games were lost by less than 1000 but I suspect that wasn't the case given the players involved.

Just to confirm Beefy, were were not speeding and neither was I bragging.
I was commenting on the delightful and fun experience it was finding ourselves miles from home and suddenly alongside familiar faces. As far as I know it is not illegal for passengers to give each other the bird (something like this) :

Good luck to the B Teams playing in Reading tomorrow - especially to Surrey and Sussex. ;D ;D
And good luck also to the Ladies playing in their AEBBA Championship.

Have a great day everyone, and please try not to give Nigel too hard a time ! ;)

[bigtj]

Yes good luck to all taking part.