BRISTOL COUNTY
REPORT
ISSUE
11
MARCH
2006
www.bristolcountypool.com
Bristol County Pool Report
Issue 11 - March 2006
Bristol A
Bristol A were on the wrong
end of a shock 24-20 defeat at the hands of Dorset
A.
Looking for a good start to the season, the exact opposite happened when they
lost the first set 7-4. By the half way
point Dorset A opened up a four frame gap to lead
13-9. The come back started in the third
set and continued on into set four.
Finally, with Neil Walsh’s
win in frame 39, Bristol
A led 20-19 for the first time in the match. With the momentum in the Bristol court for the first time in the
match, Dorset unexpectedly reeled off the next five frames to deal the A side an
early blow.
The second game saw Devon travel to Bristol. With the teams recording shock first match
defeats (Devon’s at the hands of Somerset) both teams
needed to record their first win of the season in order not to fall away from
the leading pack. Unfortunately the day
got off to the worst possible start for Bristol
going down 8-3 in the first set. Bristol
hit back with a 6-5 win in the second set, however another 8-3 win for Devon in the third set all but condemned Bristol to their second defeat of the season.
With Bristol
21-12 down going into the fourth set nothing but an 11-0 victory would do to
win the match. Devon
proved too good on this occasion winning the match 27-17.
The best records coming over the two matches have come
from the captain Mick Dagostino,
Mark Wood and Gary Davies, all winning five of their eight frames. New boy Jon Millard
is proving he can cut it in the A team winning four of his eight frames. No less than nine of the twelve players
picked for A team matches this year have a 50% or less
record. As a result the A team find
themselves in fifth place, already a massive 29 points behind leaders Cornwall.
Bristol B
Bristol B team were back for another crack at
qualifying for the Nationals. Captain
Kevin Smith had a big selection headache with a squad of twenty-four players to
choose from ahead of the game in Dorset. Dorset got
off to a flyer winning the first set 7-4. By the second set Dorset’s
lead was 12-10 and the atmosphere in the Dorset
camp showed that their confidence was growing at the thought of an upset. However, Bristol’s experience shone through taking the
next two sets 17-5 to record a very impressive 27-17 victory.
The second game of the season saw Bristol seeking some revenge for their last
three league defeats to Devon. The atmosphere was electric from the off and Devon couldn’t compete vocally or on the table with Bristol taking a 12-10
lead at the half way stage. With the
momentum with the Bristol
team the third set saw Bristol
win it 6-5 and take a three frame lead going into the last set. Another 6-5
fourth set win saw Bristol
cross the line 24-20 victors. The win
and the atmosphere created by the whole team is a huge foundation for the rest
of the season and if continued Bristol
must be a contender for National glory.
The best records in the Bristol B team with seven wins
from eight frames are Dave Barrett
and Craig Hill. Antonio Scarpatti has started the season
strong with six out of eight wins. The
two victories have seen Bristol
move into second place eight points behind Cornwall, but nine points in front of Devon. Important
factors this season will as always be the Devon
v Cornwall
games but also the fact Bristol
meet Cornwall
in the last game of the season.
Ladies
The Ladies had a tough task meeting National
qualifiers Dorset in the first game of the season. With four new players joining the team the
Ladies will no doubt struggle with the loss of Bristol Pool League Singles
winner Caroline Gamlin who has decided to take a break from the county
scene. The ladies stuck with Dorset through the first set just being pipped 6-5, but Dorset’s dominance hit back taking a 14-8 lead at the
half way stage. Dorset
moved ahead in the final two sets and proved too much for the Bristol team finally taking the match 28-16.
Bristols second game was always going to be tough
against a strong Devon team. Bristol saw some
hope even though Devon took a 12-10 lead at the half way stage but Devon kept
the momentum going and recorded a 25-19 victory.
The rankings after two games see captain
Ruth Henley, Jenny Bennett and Lynne Emmerton all fight for the top spot
winning six out of their eight frames.
All three players are strong and may well be contenders for England trials come the end of the season. The ladies find the team in
fifth place 21 points behind conquerors Dorset.
Congratulations to Holly
Bird who narrowly missed out on an England team place losing in a
play-off.
If you are interested in competing please phone Jenny Bennett on 07900825821 or
visit our website at www.bristolcountypool.com