The Carlisle and District Billiards League First Division clash between Annan Blue Bell and Inter Qzone was the week’s highlight.
It resulted in a resounding win for the away side to keep their title challenge on track.
An excellent start to the evening saw a very entertaining exchange between the number one players, Paul Whelan for Annan and Mike Nixon for Inter Qzone.
The Qzone player jumped out of the blocks to take an early 50 point lead, aided by a 10-hazard-warning break of 29.
Whelan then clawed his way back into the match, reducing the deficit to 23 points, with both players exhibiting some outstanding billiards shots.
Nixon, however, maintained his lead and won the match which had been a great spectacle for all the spectators present.
Bluebell then fielded John Glendinning, who faced Qzone’s Mike Griffiths, and the home player exhibited some amazing potting to take an early 29-18 lead.
The game was then nip and tuck, with Glendinning easing ahead with a small but effective 15 break.
Griffiths hit back with a 23 break to take a 75-69 advantage, and then took command over the ‘final furlong’, scoring a 22 break and then knocking in a potted red to finish-off the tie.
The outstanding performance of the night was Inter’s Peter Stanyer, facing Lindsey Currie.
A quick match of less than 25 minutes saw Stanyer hit breaks of 18, 24 and 40, demonstrating some excellent billiards skills to give the visitors their 3rd win and the extra two bonus points.
In the fourth frame, home player Jack Carlyle scored consistently early on to take a 62-39 lead over Michael Waring, and it looked like Bluebell would win their first game of the night, but then the tide turned, Waring never looked back and completing a sound win.
Visiting player Dave Midgley took an early lead in the fifth and final game of the match against Bluebell’s Mike Clarke.
An array of solid shots demonstrated the visitors massively improved skills over the last year.
Midgley continued to pull away and completed the second one-sided affair of the evening.
The final score-line of 0-7 was no surprise and fully justified, with the League leaders strength in depth just too much for the Bell team.
Thanks to the Bluebell’s Lindsey Currie for this report.
OTHER SCORES: Qzone 4, Denton Holme 2;
Buffs A 4, Rock A 2; Rock 4, Longtown 2.
In the Second Division, the Cons absolutely destroyed Southend C, who only turned up with four players.
Paul Watson beat Dene O’Neill 80-36; Peter Day beat Raymond Swailes 80-56 and Peter Douglas beat Stephen Swailes 80-62.
Ade Shaw got a consolation for Southend C by beating David Dixon 80-22 for a score of Cons 5, Southend C 1
OTHER SCORES: Ex C 5 Buffs B 1; Qzone Originals 4, Eastriggs 2; St Margaret Mary’s 4, Ex B 2.
The second individual league has kicked off, and on matchday two there was some quality matches played in both division A and division B.
In the Division A clash of the Inter Qzone team mates, Peter Stanyer played at the top of his game, giving Mike Griffiths a billiards lesson on his way to a 329-209 success.
An excellent 63 break, along with efforts of 35 and 33 helped the Welsh international to a one-sided victory.
Dave Midgley had decent breaks of 24 and 23 among others to emerge victorious over Brian Sloan 237-178. A series of flukes helped “Midge” to establish an early lead that he held to the end.
Peter Marsden got his first taste of Division A after winning Division B last season, and put up a commendable performance again Nigel Lewthwaite.
In a remarkably high scoring affair, Lewthwaite’s breaks of 39, 29 and 24 compared to a high of 28 for Marsden saw the former emerge victorious 357-304!
Finally, last season’s Division A champion, and ranking event last 32 qualifier Paul Cowing continued to show why he is regarded by many as the best player in Carlisle right now.
Breaks of 44, 57 and a 15-hazard 47 saw Cowing ease to a 305-207 victory over John Metcalfe, last season’s Division B runner-up.
In Division B, Archie Walker lost on debut in the closest game of the night, with Dan Sanderson edging the contest 251-244.
In the other Division B game Brian Makepeace earned two points by defeating Ian Cleminson 280-220 to take an early top of the table position.
The two games that were played on alternative nights and venues saw Peter Stanyer defeat Peter Marsden on the very last shot of the match, 182-180, and the Division B clash at the Rock saw the highest individual score so far with Neil Walby scoring 346 against Simon Elston’s 255, incredible for an hour’s play between two local league players!
The individual league continues with a full set of fixtures in Qzone on Thursday.
