Match Day 17 - 26th January 2012

And so we start the run in only 12 game left due to byes so if any team is going to mount a challenge then now the time. This week sees an interesting couple of clashes with the Howards derby and a virtual derby between the Croft Hakes and British Legion…. Let the carnage begin

The Ferrets ‘A' hosted the nomadic Sazbah Lions who have found themselves dropping like a stone in recent weeks and with the point adjustments are perilously close to being the strongest team in the League (holding everyone else up). The singles saw the Ferrets ‘A' help to push the Saz Lions lower as they took a 6-2 lead, the doubles saw the teams share the frames giving the Ferrets ‘A' a good 8-4 victory. The Atlantic started the season in very good form and were floating up and around the top of the table but in recent weeks have stumbled, a game against the Queens was going to be interesting. The Singles saw some close games and by the doubles the Queens had a slender 5-3 lead, the doubles though saw the Queens step up a gear and take all 4 frames giving them an emphatic 9-3 win.

The Pool Club started the season …. No the Pool Club didn't really start the season until a couple of weeks ago but since then they have been like a tortoise on acid slowly doing the impossible. This weeks victims were the Sheaf of Wheat ‘B' who like others that came before were lulled into a false sense of security but found themselves trailing 6-2 going into the doubles. The Sheaf ‘B' did better in the doubles managing to share the frames but the Pool Club had already set up their 8-4 win in the singles… The Committee are considering giving the Pool Club a dope test but unfortunately we think they'd probably pass !!!! In recent weeks the Howards ‘B' have started to hit top form ready for the long run in so a Howards derby should of held no worries for them. The Howards ‘A' though are scary and quickly took a 4-0 lead before the Howards ‘B' managed to steady their nerves and start to fight back making it 5-3 going into the doubles. Again in the doubles the Howards ‘A' struck first taking the first 2 frames and the match before the Howards ‘B' knew what was going on, The Howards ‘B' took the last 2 but it was too late as the Howards ‘A' won 7-5.

The Legion are a team of two halves, the first half the singles which they are very good at and the second half the doubles which they are absolutely totally and completely crap at. The Croft Hakes came to the Legion after some very good results but found themselves trailing 7-1 to some excellent Legion Pool and some good luck, once again the Legion stood on the brink of a performance to make everyone take note. Once again the Legion managed to completely throw it away as they managed to lose all 4 doubles frames to the Hakes in a stunningly poor doubles performance, luckily the Legion had the match in the bag after their singles performance but they could have had much more than the 7-5 win they got. The Ferrets ‘B' only seem to have to turn up at the moment to keep their noses in front at the moment, so they turned up at the Cornish ‘A' and won 6 out of 8 singles frames to lead 6-2 going into the doubles. The doubles have got the Ferrets ‘B' to where they are this season their singles haven't really been anything to write home about but their doubles have dug them out of several holes and this week they took all 4 doubles frames again to win the match 10-2.

Performance of the Week - 3 Ferrets 'B'

Match Day 16 - 19th January 2012

I'm starting to get frustrated with this season so I hope things will settle down now as I don't have much hair left to pull out. If you haven't heard we have now lost the Lifeboat Inn as well as the Sazbah, this is going to make trying to work out the league table as enjoyable as an Algebra lesson ……..

Anyway there was some Pool played this Thursday with Ferrets ‘B' taking a trip to the Engine to play the Sazbah Lions (bare with me on this it gets easier), after last weeks hiccup against the Croft Hakes the Ferrets ‘B' Dream Team were looking for a good result to put things back on track. Well 12-0 was probably a bit over the top but react they did and fair play a damn fine result to put them back in pole position. After last weeks good result against the Dream Team the Hakes hosted the Cornish ‘A' and needed to continue their good work from last week. The singles saw them get stuck in and by the start of the doubles they led 6-2, the doubles though saw them let the chance of a really good result slip slightly as the Cornish ‘A' held them to a 8-4 win by sharing the doubles frames.

The Howards ‘B' were due to play the Sheaf ‘A' after their demolition of the Legion last week but the Sheaf were unable to field a team due to work, holiday and illness, so the Howards ‘B' had to settle for an average win plus 2. The Sheaf ‘B' did manage a team and they played the Howards ‘A', the singles saw the Sheaf ‘B' start well leading 3-1 before the Howards ‘A' fought back to make it 4-4 going into the doubles. The doubles though saw the Howards ‘A' take control as they took all 4 frames to win the match 8-4.

The Pool Club who have struggled to win frames let alone games this season took a visit to the Balnoon Inn to play the Atlantic (I know, I know, I'm confused too) and must of liked the surroundings because they took an early 4-0 lead. By the end of the singles the Pool Club still led 5-3 but better was to come as they took all 4 doubles frames. I've checked but there is no evidence of any strange planetary alignments to explain this and the fact that Colin Duffy played an absolute blinder tends to say that there must have been some kind of solar intervention but I guess we will never know!! Finally the Cornish Arms ‘B' hosted the Queens Hotel and finally got a result to reflect the quality they have in their side as they crushed the Queens 11-1.

The Legion was due to play the Lifeboat, who didn't turn up and the 3 Ferrets ‘A' were due to play the Sazbah.

Performance of the Week - Pool Club

Match Day 15 - 12th January 2012

And so we finally reach the halfway point and the day we like to call Fantastic Thursday (Sky have Super Sunday), all the top 4 in the League are in action against each other serving up a feast of 8 Ball Pool. First plays third and second plays fourth which should really add some spice to the evening and answer some long awaited questions ……

The Ferrets ‘A' have had an excellent first half of the season and hosted newcomers the Queens Hotel, it was the Queens though that seemed to be the established side taking a 6-2 lead into the doubles. The doubles saw an improvement from the Ferrets ‘A' who managed to share the frames with the Queens but the damage was done in the singles and the Queens finished with a good 8-4 away win. The Cornish ‘B' have been disappointing so far this season by not living up to their reputation so a game against the bottom of the table Pool Club was unpredictable. The singles saw a shaky start for the Cornish ‘B' but by the doubles the Cornish ‘B' led 5-3, the doubles saw the Cornish ‘B' perform to their potential and take all 4 frames and the match 9-3.

The Atlantic have been good value so far this season and a visit from the Howards ‘A' left them feeling short change with only Lee Eastwood managing a win as the Howards ‘A' took the singles 7-1. The doubles saw a slight improvement as they shared the frames 2-2 but again it was the singles that had done the damage as the Howards ‘A' left with an excellent 9-3 away win. The Sheaf of Wheat derby has fallen on the last game before the turn around and having played in a few myself they are always a competitive and enjoyable evening. The singles saw the games start well and both teams took frames but by the end the Sheaf ‘A' had a slight advantage as they led 5-3, the doubles though saw the Sheaf ‘A' turn up the heat taking all 4 frames and the match 9-3.

The Legion took a trip in the Boogie Bus to the Howards ‘B' for an eagerly awaited match and swiftly found themselves 4-0 down against a determined Howards ‘B'. All the matches were extremely close and competitive but by the end of the singles only the Legion's super sub Rachel Care had managed to take a frame. The doubles saw the Legion digging deep and managing to share the frames with a momentous first win of the season for Shaun Care and Andy Livermore in the doubles, but even this wasn't enough to avoid an excellent 9-3 Howards ‘B' win. In the other top clash of the night the Ferrets ‘B' Dream Team took a trip up the hill to the Croft Hakes, and once again the Ferrets ‘B' failed miserably in the singles going down 6-2 to the Hakes. The doubles saw the Ferrets ‘B' save some face as they took 3 out of the 4 frames to restrict the Hakes to a 7-5 win, without their doubles this year the Ferrets ‘B' would really be struggling.

The Lifeboat Inn were due to play the Cornish ‘A' but due to circumstances of absolute idiocy they have had their table removed from the pub and tried to organise to play their matches form the Golden Lion, unfortunately this didn't quite come off so the Cornish Arms have been awarded a 9-0 win for this match

Performance of the Week - Howards 'B'.

Match Day 14 - 5th Janurary 2012

So we have all ate and drunk too much, probably and now we have to return to the stress and strain of top sporting competition. Unfortunately we have had a casualty over the Christmas and New Year period the Sazbah have failed to make it through the festivities and have pulled out of the League. All the Sazbah Stats have been removed and their fixtures will now become a bye……..

So the Croft Hakes return to a game against the Sazbah Lions, the Lions seem to have still been enjoying Christmas as they found themselves trailing 7-1 after the singles. The doubles saw an improvement by the Lions sparked by an 8-ball clearance by Simon Gill but alas the damage was done in the singles and the Croft Hakes ran our comfortable 9-3 winners. League leaders the Ferrets ‘B' Dream Team hosted the Lifeboat and took a 4-0 lead but the Lifeboat hadn't read the script and took the next 3 frames before the Ferrets ‘B' took the last to lead 5-3. The doubles saw the Ferrets ‘B' do what they have been doing all season and took all the doubles to win the match 9-3.

After the Howards ‘B' ruined the Ferrets ‘B's Christmas they had a visit to the Cornish ‘A', after a slow start they found their form and by the end of the singles led 5-3. the doubles saw the Howards ‘B' take complete control and all 4 doubles frames to win the match 9-3 . The Legion have started to show some signs of life in recent games and the Sheaf ‘B' were the unlucky team who woke them up as only Matt Hickenbottom of the Sheaf ‘B' managed a win as the Legion took a 7-1 lead. The doubles have proved the Legion's Achilles heel but apart from one absolute howling cock up (which I am still waking up at 3am and screaming about, Matron bring me my revolver I'm going for a walk) they made short work of the doubles taking 3 out of 4 frames and the match with a confident 10-2 win.

Both the Sheaf ‘A' and Atlantic have had decent starts to the season and are both probably looking to improve their league position, anyway the Atlantic started well and managed to hold onto their narrow lead going into the doubles. The doubles saw the Atlantic struggling to stop the Sheaf ‘A' as they fought back from 5-3 down taking 3 out of 4 frames to level the match 6-6. The Howards ‘A' a bit of a dark horse in the league capable of causing huge damage as the Cornish Arms ‘B' found out, the Howards ‘A' took the singles 6-2 against a pretty much full strength Cornish ‘B'. The doubles saw the Howards ‘A' keep up the pressure taking 3 out of 4 frames and the match with an impressive 9-3 win.

The Pool Club have how shall we say flattered to deceive and a visit from the in form 3 Ferrets ‘A' looked like another hard day at the office, but fair play to the Pool Club they went about their business and led 5-3 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the teams share the frames giving the Pool club a 7-5 win, their second win of the season…… have they finally turned the corner.

Performance of the Week - Howards 'A'

Match Day 13 - 15th December 2011

And so we reach the Christmas break with the Christmas No1 achieved with a week to spare by the Ferrets ‘B' Dream Team. Unfortunately this week proved a week to far for the unbeaten players in the Singles and Doubles as they all crashed to defeats failing to make it to Christmas unbeaten… a fine effort from them all !! All that remains for me to do is wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us all in the Pool League and look forward to seeing you all again in 2012….

The Queens have been a bit unpredictable so far this season and the Saz Lions are the most travelled team in the League so the outcome of this game was anyone's guess. The singles started with the teams swapping frames until the Queens took control winning the last 4 singles to lead 6-2 going into the doubles, the doubles saw the teams go back to swapping frames as the Queens ran out 8-4 winners. The Sazbah played the bottom of the League Pool Club and apart from some minor resistance from the said Pool Club the Sazbah led 6-2 going into the doubles. The doubles saw something that the Sazbah were not ready for as the Pool Club rattled in the first 3 frames, Dan Navin and Billy Harper of the Sazbah managed to hold their bottle to take the last frame and secure a narrow 7-5 win

The Ferrets ‘A' and Howards ‘A' two teams capable of inflicting damage up against each other, who would win out. Well the singles saw the Howards take an early 4-1 lead but the Ferrets tailed wagged (do Ferrets have a tail?) and pulled things level going into the doubles. The doubles saw these two teams prove that they are hard to beat as they shared the frames 2-2 and the match 6-6. After last weeks singles fiasco the Cornish ‘B' hosted the Sheaf ‘A' and started well taking the first 3 frames, but by the end of the singles it fell to Peter Hart of the Cornish ‘B' to win to level the scores 4-4 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the Cornish ‘B' start well again and the Sheaf ‘A' finish well both taking 2 frames to end the match level at 6-6.

The Atlantic now at the Balnoon Inn played host to the British Legion, and I must say that all you teams due to play the Atlantic at the Balnoon Inn are in for a treat. Back to the Pool, the Legion took the lead after an early hiccup and held onto the advantage leading 5-3 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the teams share the frames 2-2 giving the Legion a narrow 7-5 win, but once again I must say that the venue is a definite winner and long may it continue. The Sheaf ‘B' played the other Cornish team the Cornish ‘A' and once again two teams fought out a close 8 singles ending up 4-4, the doubles though saw the Cornish ‘A' take control winning 3 out of 4 frames to win the match 7-5.

Without any question the game of the week was the Howards ‘B' against the Ferrets ‘B' the top two and ex team mates following a split from the original Ferrets ‘B' team of 2 years ago, everything you need for a ding dong battle. Oh Boy it didn't disappoint either the Ferrets ‘B' started well winning the first frame, but that's all they did in the singles as the Howards ‘B' turned up the flame and roasted the Ferrets ‘B' with a run of 7 singles wins including an 8 ball clearance by Andy Badcock. Credit the Ferrets ‘B' though as they licked their wounds and fought to win 2 frames in the doubles to limit the Howards ‘B' to a huge 9-3 win knocking some of the polish off the Ferrets ‘B' fantastic start to the season. With the Ferrets ‘B' getting hammered the Croft Hakes had a chance to reel in some points with a game against the Lifeboat Inn and started well in the singles taking a 6-2 lead going into the doubles. The doubles saw the Hakes take the first frame but then they failed to force home their advantage as they lost the last 3 doubles frames to end up with a narrow 7-5 win and chance missed for the Hakes.

Performance of the Week - Howards 'B'

Match Day 12 - 8th December 2011

With a week left to play the Ferrets ‘B' Dream Team have secured the Christmas Number 1 having an unassailable 13 point lead, Congratulations to them and no doubt the drinks will be on Frank ….. again !!

Last week saw the Saz Lions put some distance between themselves and the bottom side the Pool Club now faced the team third from bottom the Lifeboat Inn. In a very keenly fought game the singles saw both sides win 4 frames and the doubles also saw both sides win 2 frames meaning the match ended up in a 6-6 draw. The two teams chasing the Ferrets Dream Team, The Croft hakes and Howards ‘B' faced each other knowing that a big win for either could put them in a very strong position. The Hakes started well leading 4-1 at one point before the Howards ‘B' pulled it back to a level 4-4 going into the doubles. The Hakes again dug deep and took the first 3 frames of the doubles before the Howards ‘B' took a consolation last frame making it a 7-5 Croft Hakes win, no help to either team really !!!

With the two teams in 2 nd and 3 rd playing each other the Ferrets Dream Team had a chance to extend their lead at the top, the Sheaf ‘B' stood in their way but by the end of the singles had pretty much moved aside as the Ferrets ‘B' led 6-2. The doubles saw the Dream Team press home their advantage by taking 3 out of 4 frames to win the match 9-3. The Ferrets ‘B' have now won 39 out of 48 doubles frames this season, that's 81% of their doubles, a big factor in them being the Christmas Number 1. The Cornish Arms ‘A' were looking to bounce back after their derby defeat by the Atlantic had other ideas and by the end of the singles it was all still to play for with the teams level at 4-4. The doubles saw the Atlantic step it up a gear taking 3 out of 4 frames the win the match 7-5.

The British Legion have been poor in recent weeks and a game against the bang in form Cornish ‘B' was probably not the fixture you would chose in this situation, but by the end of the singles the Legion led 7-1 with only Chris Worrall of the Cornish ‘B' putting up any resistance. The doubles beckoned and again the Legion failed to ram home their advantage as the Cornish ‘B' fought back taking 3 out of 4 frames to hold the Legion to an 8-4 win. The Sheaf ‘A' hosted the in form Ferrets ‘A' and again another close match ensued with the teams sharing the singles 4-4, the doubles saw the Sheaf ‘A' make a bid for the match and took the first 3 doubles frames to win the match with a close 7-5 victory.

The Howards ‘A' can't make up their mind whether they are in form or not when the Sazbah came visiting, the singles saw the Howards ‘A' decide that this week they were in form taking a 6-2 lead to the doubles. The doubles saw the Sazbah make a mini fight back before the Howards ‘A' wrestled back control again taking the last 2 frames to win the match 8-4. The Pool Club now firmly rooted to the bottom of the table hosted the Queens and found themselves losing more ground as the Queens took control of the match and finally run out 8-4 winners leaving the Pool Club 14 points adrift at the bottom.

Performance of the Week - British Legion

Match Day 11 - 1st December 2011

So there are two weeks left to go before we find out the Christmas number one and with the way things stand it looks like the 3 Ferrets ‘B' Dream Team will be hard to catch, but it's almost Christmas the time for miracles so you never know. On the Player front Shaun Care (British Legion) has won 11 out of 11 singles and Aldo Black and Paul Murray of the Ferrets ‘B' have won 11 out of 11 doubles a fine effort from them all …..

The leagues bottom side the Pool Club hosted the second bottom Sazbah Lions and according to my inside source at the Pool Club they were well up for it. Unfortunately they needed to be up for the Pool as they crumbled and trailed 6-2 going into the Doubles, which they managed to share 2-2, but the Saz Lions walked away with an easy 8-4 win. The Howards ‘A' travelled to the Queens to play on an apparent new innovation of a floating table, the singles saw the Queens take advantage of this and lead 5-3 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the Howards ‘A' fair better as they shared the frames but by then their chances had drifted away as the Queens took the match 7-5.

The Sazbah buoyant after their narrow win over the Legion welcomed the Sheaf ‘A' who it is fair to say have been inconsistent this season and found the Sheaf ‘A' on one of there better weeks as the Sheaf took the singles 5-3. The doubles saw the teams again share the frames giving the Sheaf ‘A' a narrow 7-5 away win. The Legion have been in recent weeks suffering from a very bad case of the bad starts, and this week was to be no different as they found themselves trailing 4-1 to a very competent Ferrets ‘A' side. By the time the doubles started the Legion had recovered well to be level at 4-4, the doubles saw the Legion dig very deep and having to play some very good pool to win 3 out of 4 frames and narrowly take the match 7-5.

The Cornish Teams came up against each other in the Cornish Arms derby and the Cornish ‘A' struck first taking a 1-0 lead but alas for them they could only manage one more frame in the singles and doubles as the Cornish ‘B' finally showed some form and walked all over their ‘A' side winning 10-2. The Atlantic have been forced to move this week by new landlords and the Ferrets ‘B' Dream Team were their first visitors at their new home the Balnoon Inn. The singles saw the Ferrets ‘B' adjust to the new surroundings better as they took a narrow 5-3 lead including an 8 Ball clearance by Adam Farrell in the singles, but as the Dream Team have done all season they turned it on in the doubles winning 3 out of 4 frames and the match 8-4.

The Sheaf ‘B' had a visit from the Croft Hakes who if they have any intentions of winning this years league need to start fulfilling their potential, Dan Richardson opened up for the Sheaf ‘B' taking the first frame …… and that was that as the Croft Hakes then took the next 11 frames to win the match 11-1. The Howards ‘B' are also in the same boat as the Croft Hakes needing to improve to try and catch the Ferrets Dream Team, the Lifeboat Inn found themselves on the end of a 7-1 singles defeat with only Scott Hudson managing a win for them. The doubles saw the Lifeboat regain some composure as they managed to share the frames but the damage was already done and the Howards ‘B' took the match with a comfortable 9-3 win.

Performance of the Week - Croft Hakes

Match Day 10 - 24th November 2011

So there's only 3 weeks to go before the Christmas break and the Ferrets ‘Dream Team' are 10 points clear and looking a dead cert for the Christmas No1. Can they break the curse of the Christmas No1 by continuing their good form and winning the League……. Who knows only time will tell !!!!

So the Sazbah Lions finally settle in at the Engine and welcome the Howards ‘A', who seemed to settle in better than the Saz. Lions by taking a 5-0 lead, only Simon Gill of the Lions could register a win as the Howards stormed to a 7-1 singles lead. The doubles saw much of the same as only that man Simon Gill and his partner Andy killick could manage a doubles win as the Howards ‘B' romped to a 10-2 victory. The Sheaf of Wheat ‘B' seem to have found some form this season and away at the Lifeboat Inn they found themselves leading 6-2 which included an 8 Ball clearance for Mike Sharps. The Doubles saw them take 3 out of 4 frames to win the match convincingly 9-3.

The Croft Hakes played host to the Atlantic who have started very well this season, but they found the Hakes a difficult proposition and they found themselves trailing 5-3 going into the doubles. The doubles saw a slight improvement for the Atlantic as they shared the frames with the Hakes who ran out narrow 7-5 winners. The Cornish ‘B' haven't really played to their potential yet but a game against the Ferrets ‘B' was a good challenge, the Cornish 'B' found themselves trailing 5-3 going into the doubles. The Ferrets ‘B' have built their lead this season on their doubles form so must have been confident of pushing on and taking the win, but the Cornish ‘B' did something no other team has managed this season and took 3 out of 4 frames to level the match 6-6.

The Cornish ‘A' have been very unpredictable this season and the Ferrets ‘A' have been a revelation, the singles saw the Ferrets ‘A' continue to be a revelation taking a 5-3 lead into the doubles. The doubles saw the Cornish ‘A' continue to be unpredictable as they found their form and took all 4 frames to sneak the match 7-5. The Legion have made hard work of most of their fixtures this season but have managed to remain unbeaten so far and hoped to stay that way against the Sazbah, the singles saw them go 3-0 down for a second week in a row but they fought back to make it 4-4 going into the doubles. Once again the doubles let the Legion down as the Sazbah took their chances and made the most of their luck to win 3 out of 4 frames and win the match 7-5.

The Sheaf of Wheat ‘A' and the Queens have both been under par at the start of this season and this match was no different for either team, the Sheaf took advantage of being at home and took the singles 5-3 before the teams shared the doubles giving the Sheaf ‘A' a narrow 7-5 win. The Howards ‘A' have been in good form recently and the a game against the completely inept Pool Club probably got their juices going, only Linda Curley of the Pool Club managed a singles win as the Howards ‘A' took a 7-1 lead into the doubles. The doubles saw the same again as the Howards ‘A' took 3 out of 4 frames to win the match 10-2, a good week for the Howards teams both winning 10-2.

Performance of the Week : Cornish Arms 'B'

Match Day 9 - 17th November 2011

Week 9 and with the Dream Team out in front and looking good for the Christmas No1 the rest were looking to try and close the gap. One thing to note no team has won the league after being top at Christmas for a good number of years………

The unpredictable Howards ‘A' hosted the Sazbah Lion Nomads who have now played at more home venues in one season than any other team, The Howards started well but the Nomads hung in there and by the start of the doubles it was 4-4. The doubles saw the teams again share the frames to finish the match level at 6-6. The Pool Club are in danger of becoming this years wooden spoon holders already and a visit from the Sheaf ‘A' who have played well this season saw them trailing 7-1 going into the doubles. The doubles proved to be much of the same as the Sheaf ‘A' took 3 out of 4 frames to win the match with a convincing 10-2 score line.

The Legion are still unbeaten but have failed to really put their opponents to the sword so far this season and a game against the Queens Hotel was no different as they found themselves 3-0 down to the Queens, by the end of the singles they had managed to turn it round to 4-4. The doubles saw a solid performance by the Legion taking 3 out of 4 frames to narrowly snatch the match 7-5. The Sazbah played their first home game at the Croft this week and found the Cornish ‘A' too hot to handle as the Cornish raced to a 7-1 lead in the singles. The doubles didn't do much for the Sazbah either as they lost 3 out of 4 frames and the match 10-2 to the Cornish Arms ‘A'.

This week saw the Ferrets derby as the Ferrets ‘A' took on the Ferrets ‘B' a real test for the much improved Ferrets ‘A', but alas not even the high flying Ferrets ‘A' couldn't stop the Dream Team as they took a 6-2 singles lead. The doubles saw the Ferrets ‘B' do what they have done for most of this season and take all 4 doubles frames to win the match with a convincing 10-2 score. The Cornish ‘B' and Croft Hakes haven't really got going this season and match between the 2 promised much. The Cornish ‘B took the imitative in the singles leading 5-3 but the Hakes came back to take the doubles 3-1 making it a pretty predictable 6-6 draw.

The Atlantic have had a great start to the season and were looking to continue their good start against the Lifeboat but the Lifeboat wouldn't lie down and at the end of the singles the teams were locked together at 4-4. The doubles proved to be the same as the two teams couldn't be separated sharing the frames and the match score 6-6. The Sheaf ‘B' hosted the Howards ‘B' who were looking to gain some ground of=n the ferrets ‘B' but the Sheaf had different ideas. The singles saw the teams swapping frames and by the doubles it was 4-4, the doubles though saw the Howards'B' take a bit more control as they won 3 out of 4 frames to take the match 7-5.

Performance of the Week : Cornish Arms 'A'

Match Day 8 - 10th November 2011

And so another week comes and goes a quarter of the season done and the Ferrets ‘B' and the team to beat as they take an early lead in the League. On the unbeaten front only Shaun Care of the Legion remains unbeaten in the singles with 8 out of 8 and the doubles have Aldo Black and Paul Murray of the Ferrets ‘B' also with 8 out of 8…….

The Sazbah Lions are going for some kind of record this season by playing their home games in as many different venues as possible, this week they have had to play at the Queens due to a temporary fixture clash at the Engine. After all the rearranging the Sheaf ‘B' managed to turn up to the right place and a committed and close 8 singles frames took place with the teams sharing the spoils 4-4 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the Sheaf ‘B' take control as they took the first 3 doubles frames before the Saz Lions took the last as a consolation to make the score 7-5. The Howards ‘B' have been tracking the Ferrets ‘B' from a distance and a local derby against the Atlantic probably wasn't going to help in their efforts to close the gap on the Ferrets ‘B' but they managed to take the singles 5-3. The doubles saw the sides share the frames as the Howards ran out 7-5 victors.

The Cornish ‘B' have in recent weeks started to show some signs of life again and a trip to the Lifeboat showed signs of promise, The singles saw the Cornish ‘B' take a 5-3 lead including an 8 Ball clearance from Richard Astle, putting themselves in a good position for the doubles which they then took 3 out of the 4 doubles frames to win the match 8-4. The Croft Hakes have also been misfiring a bit at the start of the season and a visit from the high flying Ferrets ‘A' could be a test, the Ferrets ‘A' took the first singles but the Hakes then took the next 7 to lead 7-1 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the Ferrets ‘A' again take the first frame and again the Hakes then took the next 3 to win the match with a good 10-2 score line.

The Ferrets ‘B' have been slowly opening up a gap at the top and a game against the Sazbah should be another chance for them to improve their lead, only Billy Harper-Miller of the Sazbah managed a win in the singles as the Dream Team slip into overdrive to take the singles 7-1. They continued their good form into the doubles with the Sazbah only managing the last frame as a consolation as the Ferrets ‘B' took the match with a very convincing 10-2 win. The Cornish ‘A' and Queens have had similar seasons and in this match the Cornish ‘A' managed to squeeze a 5-3 lead out of the singles. The doubles saw the Queens fight back to take 3 out of 4 frames and unsurprisingly level the match 6-6.

The Legion have how shall we say been good in parts but on the flip side of that they have been awful in the remaining parts so a visit from the leagues bottom team the Pool Club should have been a chance to kick themselves into gear. The singles started well enough as the Legion stumbled slightly to a 6-2 lead going into the doubles, yes the doubles again the Legion failed to ram home their advantage as they shared the frames with the Pool Club disappointingly only running out 8_4 winners. The Sheaf ‘A' hosted the extremely unpredictable Howards ‘A' and by the end of the singles the teams were level at 4-4, the doubles saw home table advantage take its toll as the Sheaf ‘A' took 3 out of 4 frames to win narrowly 7-5.

Performance of the Week - Croft Hakes

Match Day 7 - 3rd November 2011

Seven weeks in and the League is really starting to shape up with the Dream Team otherwise known as the 3 Ferrets ‘B' taking an early lead and showing some good form. The rest of the chasing pack are stumbling along behind can anyone spoil the 3 Ferrets ‘B' dream and is it too early to mention the Christmas No1 with only 6 weeks left to play…….

The Sheaf ‘A' hosted the homeless Saz Lions (more of this in coming days) and the singles started well with both teams swapping frames until the Sheaf ‘A' managed to take the last 3 frames to lead 5-3 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the teams share the frames 2-2 and the Sheaf take the match 7-5. The Legion took a trip to Carbis Bay to visit the unpredictable Howards ‘A', the singles saw some good frames the best of which saw Michelle Doyle of the Howards tying Shaun Care of the Legion in knots and causing much head scratching and intense thought before Shaun managed to drag himself across the line, a superb effort from Michelle. After all the tight frames the scores were level going into the doubles and at this point the Legion managed to dig deep and finally break the deadlock winning 3 out of 4 frames to narrowly win the match 7-5.

The lowly Pool Club had a visit from the Cornish Arms ‘A', and after some tight games the singles were drawn 4-4, the doubles saw the Pool Club take 3 out of 4 frames to win their first match of the season. The Ferrets ‘B' strolled round the corner to the Queens and quickly slipped into gear taking a 6–2 lead in the singles including an 8 Ball clearance form Steve Singh of the Ferrets ‘B'. The doubles saw the Ferrets ‘B' continue their good form by taking the last 3 doubles frames to win the match 9-3.

The Sazbah took a trip to the Croft to play the Croft Hakes and started well by taking the first two frames but the Hakes took control after this winning the next 4 frames and eventually taking the singles 5-3. The doubles saw the teams continue the close games as they shared the frames 2-2 and the Hakes narrowly took the match 7-5. The Ferrets ‘A' who have really been the surprise of this years league hosted the Lifeboat Inn and took a narrow 5-3 lead in the singles, but credit to the Lifeboat who didn't buckle but fought back taking 3 out of 4 doubles frames to draw the match 6-6.

The Howards ‘B' like the Legion haven't ripped up any trees so far this season and took a visit to the Cornish ‘B' only to find themselves trailing 3-1, the Howards then moved up a gear or two taking the last 4 singles frames to lead 5-3 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the Cornish ‘B' dig deep again taking the first 3 frames including an 8 Ball clearance by Chris Worrall, leaving Lee Tacagni and Chris Care of the Howards ‘B' to rescue the draw by taking the last frame. The other slight surprise of the season the Atlantic hosted the Sheaf ‘B' who came out fighting and by the end of the singles both teams had won 4 frames. The doubles saw the Sheaf ‘B' dig deepest as they took 3 out of 4 frames to win a very close match 7-5.

Performance of the Week - Sheaf of Wheat 'B'

Match Day 6 - 27th October 2011

Week 6 and it proved to be the week that broke the camels back for both of our unbeaten players as both fell and lost a singles match, but a fine effort 10 unbeaten singles and doubles matches. This week see's the Ferrets ‘B' still at the top but the Ferrets ‘A' have been the surprise package and this week they face the Howards ‘B'….

The high flying Atlantic took a visit to the happy go lucky Saz Lions and continued their good early form taking the singles 5-3 and with the doubles left were looking for a good win, taking 3 out of 4 frames ensured they ended up with a 8-4 win. The Cornish ‘B' haven't really fired yet and a visit to the Sheaf ‘B' have been a bit unpredictable so anything could happen, the singles saw both teams share frames and eventually the singles ended up a 4-4 draw. The doubles couldn't split the two teams either as they shared the doubles and the final match score 6-6.

The High flying Ferrets ‘A' faced their toughest test yet with a trip to the Howards ‘B' and the Howards ‘B' weren't taking any prisoners as they stormed to a 6-2 lead. The doubles though saw the Ferrets ‘A' find some of their new found resilience as they fought they way through the doubles taking 3 out of 4 frames and holding the Howards ‘B' to a disappointing 7-5. The Lifeboat have gently meandered their way through their matches so far as have the Sazbah so after the singles it was a bit of a surprise to see the Sazbah leading 6-2. The doubles saw the Sazbah get even better as they took all 4 frames to win the match 10-2.

The Croft Hakes have been effective but unspectacular and hosted the Queens hoping to kick start their season, the singles saw the Queens take a surprise 3-1 lead before the Hakes took the last 4 frames to lead 5-3. The doubles saw the Hakes ram home their advantage taking 3 out of 4 frames to win the match 8-4. The Ferrets ‘B' have been effective so far this season and apart from the one obvious exception have controlled their matches and this was no exception as they started slowly but by the end of the singles led 6-2. The doubles saw them take 3 out of 4 frames making it a comfortable 9-3 win to consolidate their top of the table position.

The Cornish Arms ‘A' hosted the Howards ‘A' and promptly lost the first two frames but then sparked into life and took the next six frames to lead 6-2 before the doubles. The doubles saw the Howards ‘A' gain some composure as they shared the frames 2-2 but the damage was done by the Cornish ‘A' as they took the match 8-4. Finally the Legion who have also started slowly hosted the Sheaf ‘A' who gave the Legion something to think about as they led 4-2 in the singles, but the Legion dug deep and drew level at 4-4 before the doubles. The Legion doubles have been poor this season but for once they dug in and took 3 out of 4 frames to narrowly scrape the match 7-5.

Performance of the Week - Sazbah

Match Day 5 - 20th October 2011

Ok, Sorry for the late update but a couple of people asked me if I could alter a couple of things and contrary to their belief it has taken more than a couple of minutes. And so to the games this week the Dream Team, sorry the Ferrets ‘B' have an awkward trip to Carbis Bay to face the Howards ‘A' and the Pool Club have an equally difficult visit from the Croft Hakes……

So we start with the Legion who hosted the ever happy Saz Lions who to be fair even after going 8-0 down in the singles were still smiling, perhaps they knew that the Legion were going to fall apart in the doubles with only Richard Goldsmith and Dave Venn managing a win for the Legion giving the Legion a 9-3 win that could have been a lot more. I must just take this opportunity to apologise to the rest of the team and especially my doubles partner for the absolutely horrendous shot I played to lose our particular doubles match.. Sorry. The Sheaf ‘A' who have been a bit in and out this season welcomed the Cornish ‘A' who took the hospitality to the extreme and promptly took a 6-0 lead and by the end of the singles led 6-2, the doubles saw the teams share the frames giving them an 8-4 win.

And so to the Ferrets ‘B' awkward trip to the Howards ‘A', who to be fair gave as good as they got in the singles in which both teams had the lead, eventually ending in a 4-4 draw before going into the doubles. The doubles saw the match go down to the last doubles frame in which Gareth Schofield and Frank Meszaros won for the Ferrets ‘B' to take the match by a narrow 7-5 win. The Pool Club who have suffered this season took this to a new level by losing the singles 7-1 with only Tony Bungay of the Pool Club winning a frame. The doubles saw the Croft Hakes win 3 out of 4 frames to take the match 10-2 and firmly plant the Pool club to the bottom of the table.

The Queens who have started the season reasonably well hosted the Lifeboat and things started well before the Lifeboat fought back, eventually by the end of the singles the Queens led 5-3. The doubles saw the Lifeboat fight back and by the end of the match they had won 3 out of 4 frames to level the match 6-6. The Howards ‘B' have quietly picked up their form and against they erratic Sazbah they led the singles 6-2 before starting the doubles. The doubles saw them tighten the screw and win 3 out of 4 frames to take the match with a good 9-3 away win.

This seasons surprise team the Ferrets ‘A' absolutely out performed themselves this week against the Sheaf ‘B', they started well in fact they started very well leading the singles 7-0 before Graham Rowe of the Sheaf ‘B' took the last singles frame to make it 7-1. The doubles saw the Sheaf ‘B' make more of a fist of it as they shared the frames but the damage was already done and the Ferrets ‘A' marched on with a 9-3 win. The Cornish ‘B' haven't really played to their potential this season and the Atlantic took advantage of this and by the end of the singles they were drawing 4-4. The doubles saw the Cornish ‘B' knuckle down and take the first 3 frames to narrowly win the game 7-5.

Performance of the Week - 3 Ferrets 'A'

Match Day 4 - 13th October 2011

With nights drawing in and the slight hint of a chill in the air it feels like the League is really under way now and with 4 games gone there are only 2 unbeaten players this season. Stuart Kennerley (3 Ferrets ‘A') and Jason Shaw (Howards ‘A') have both played 4 singles and 4 doubles and both remain undefeated…. How long can they stay unbeaten only week 5 will know !!!

The Sazbah Lions have how shall we say had a slow start to the season and the potential of the Cornish ‘B' is not the ideal game to play when your looking for a win and so it turned out to be with the Cornish ‘B' narrowly sneaking the game 7-5. The Atlantic have started this season with a flourish and are using nose bungs to stop the bleeding as are the Ferrets ‘A' both teams in the top 5 at the beginning of the night and with the Ferrets starting the singles by winning the first 2 frames who knows what would happen. The Atlantic though have found resilience this season and by the end of the singles led 5-3, with a slender lead they ploughed through the doubles taking the first 3 to lead 8-3 before the Ferrets ‘A' took the last as a consolation.

The Sheaf ‘B' also seem to have found some form this season and the Sazbah found themselves 5-3 down after the singles in which the Sheaf ‘B' won 5 games in a row. The doubles though saw the Sazbah get to grips and take 3 out of the 4 frames to end the match all square at 6-6. Now the Howards ‘B' probably finished last season the strongest behind the Ferrets ‘B' so its been a bit of a surprise that they have struggled a bit this season, and the Queens took full advantage of there fragile state to lead at the end of the singles 5-3. But the Howards ‘B' know how to scrap and by the end of the doubles had taken 3 out of 4 frames to salvage a 6-6 draw.

If you could start a season any worse then Pool Club would like to know how and a visit to their near neighbours the Lifeboat would once have been a tonic but this year it just seems to be adding to their woes. The singles saw them start well leading 3-0 but the Lifeboat fought back to draw level 4-4 going into the doubles. The doubles saw the momentum carry with the Lifeboat as they took the first 2 frames before the Pool Club took the next, then a win or a draw, Matt Harry and Rory Neville of the Lifeboat took the frame to earn a narrow 7-5 win for their team. The Croft Hakes seem to have started this season with a whimper and the Howards ‘A' must of smelt blood from the off as they fought their way to a 5-3 singles lead. But it was the doubles that crowned the night for them as they took the first 3 frames to lead 8-3 before the Hakes found any form to take the last frame but by then it was too late as the Howards ‘A' had already done the damage in an 8-4 win.

The Legion have had an indifferent start also (there's a theme going on here) and were hoping to get things going with a trip to the Cornish ‘A' , and things seemed to be going to plan as they led 6-2 at the end of the singles. But once again a complete doubles collapse left them pondering what could have been as the Cornish ‘A' took 3 out of 4 doubles frames to restrict the Legion victory to 7-5. The only team that seem to have picked up from last year are the Ferrets ‘B' and after last weeks fright in the singles they still looked wobbly in the singles only leading 5-3 gong into the doubles. The doubles though is where its at for the Dream Team, played 16 and won 16 so far this season the Sheaf ‘A' didn't stand a chance as they took all the doubles and the match 9-3.

Performance of the Week - Howards 'A'

Match Day 3 - 6th October 2011

And so we get to week 3 and another huge game again involving the Legion but this time they host last years champions the Ferrets ‘B'. So early in the season but so important…. Good Luck everyone !!!!!

The Sazbah Lions have had it tough so far losing heavily to both of the Ferrets teams and this week they faced fellow strugglers the Cornish ‘A', with things looking grim for the Lions they rallied and took the last 3 singles to lead 5-3 going into the doubles. This though only served to wake the Cornish ‘A' who took the next 3 doubles before the Lions took the last to snatch a draw. Last years Champions the Dream team arrived at the Legion with a solid start behind them and a large lead at the top of the table, so finding themselves 4-0 down, including an 8 Ball clearance by Richard Goldsmith, was quite a surprise and the lack of noise said it all. Finally Christian Fitzgerald managed to register a win for them and Adam Farrell added another but by the end of the singles they trailed 6-2. At this point it was looking like the Dream Team were going to have a nightmare but credit where credit is due they dug deep and started winning doubles frames and by the end of the doubles they had clawed their way back to a 6-6 draw.

The Croft Hakes visited the Sheaf ‘A' and both teams have started Ok so it was going to be an interesting match, the Sheaf taking early control until the Hakes rallied and took the last 3 singles to lead 5-3 going into the doubles. They then took the first two doubles and it was looking ominous for the Sheaf ‘A' but they dug their heels in and fought for the last two frames that they won giving the Hakes a narrow 7-5 victory. The Atlantic and Sazbah had to postpone their match on the Thursday night due to a Sazbah outing but replayed on the Friday and in a close game the teams managed a 6-6 draw.

Surprisingly the Howard's ‘A' have started slowly this season and the Lifeboat have been playing well so anything could of happened at the Howard's when the Lifeboat visited. The Howard's narrowly took the singles 5-3 and managed to cling on to their narrow lead as the two teams shared the doubles 2-2 to give the Howard's ‘A' a 7-5 win.

The Pool Club have been poor in fact they have been very poor and at this rate they would struggle to accumulate enough points to disqualify them from driving so a visit from the Howard's ‘B' wasn't a ideal game. The singles saw only Tony Bungay and Matt Whomersley manage a win for the Pool Club in fact they were the only points they managed all night as the Howard's ‘B' rolled away with a 10-2 win. The Queens played host to the Sheaf ‘B' and in a close game managed to draw 4-4 in the singles with a determined Sheaf team. The doubles saw an equally tight game as they shared the doubles frames too to end the match 6-6. The Ferrets ‘A' have had their best start to a season in living memory and several of their players have been seen at the stennack surgery getting treatment for nose bleeds, so a visit from the Cornish ‘B' held no fear. It was only the dogged determination of the Cornish ‘B' who took the last 3 singles frames that gave them a 5-3 lead going the doubles. The doubles saw the sides again share the frames after the Cornish ‘B' took the first 2 frames but the Ferrets refused to lie down and fought back winning the last 2 frames to narrowly lose the match 7-5.

Performance of the Week - Howard's 'B'

Match Day 2 - 29th September 2011

So after the initial shock of playing in week 1 we move on to week 2 with the table having an unfamiliar look with the Atlantic sitting at the top albeit after one game. Week 2 see's the first big clash of the season with the Legion playing the Croft Hakes……

So after taking on the Ferrets ‘B' in the first game the Lions of the Sazbah entertained the Ferrets ‘A', I can only think that they must have an aversion to small furry creatures. The Lions started well leading 2-1 but then failed to register another win as the Ferrets ‘A' roared louder than the Dream Team and took the match with an extremely impressive 10-2 win. After last weeks heroic fight back against the Queens the Cornish ‘B' faced the Sazbah who seemed to have recovered from last weeks defeat as they took 8 frames in a row against the Cornish ‘B' as they took the match 9-3.

The Atlantic entertained the Queens who did well last week against the Cornish ‘B', all I'll say about this match that was a bad tempered affair by the sound of it and the Queens scraped a 7-5 win. The Sheaf ‘B' welcomed the Pool Club to their table and as last week the Pool Club took the first frame and then promptly lost the next 4, by the end of the singles the Sheaf ‘B' were leading 6-2. The doubles saw the teams share the frames and the Sheaf ‘B' take the match 8-4, so far a slow start for the Pool Club this season.

This week also saw the Howards derby as the ‘B' team hosted they started well, very well with only the ever reliable Jason Shaw of the Howards ‘A' taking a singles frame as the Howards ‘B' stormed to a 7-1 lead at the end of the singles. The doubles though saw the team's share the frames and the Howards ‘B' take the match 9-3, what a difference a week makes. The Lifeboat who played well against the Legion last week hosted the Sheaf ‘A' and again started well leading 3-1in the singles before the Sheaf ‘A' took the last 4 frames to lead 5-3. The doubles saw the Sheaf ‘A' carry on their good form taking all 4 doubles frames making it 8 frames in a row and winning the match 9-3.

The big game of the week was at the Croft where the Hakes took on the Legion who started well taking a 4-1 lead in the singles and by the end of the singles they had made that 5-3. The doubles saw the Hakes take the 1 st frame with an outstanding finish by JP before the Legion took 2 of the next 3 frames with 8 ball finishes by Davey Park and Mark Williams, In a very competitive match the Legion ran out narrow winners 7-5. The Ferrets ‘B' welcomed the Cornish ‘A' to their nest and promptly beat them 12-0, maybe the Dream Team rumours are true ……….

Performance of the Week : 3 Ferrets ‘A'

Match Day 1 - 22nd September 2011

Once again we reach that time of the year when we get out our cues and start bashing balls around again, the 2011 / 2012 season is upon us. With extra interest this year playoffs were needed to bring us to our 16 teams for the season and the Lifeboat Inn and Queens Hotel played their way through to join the other 14 teams and we were ready to begin……..

Week 1 started at 8:00pm on the 22 nd of September and last years defending champions the Ferrets ‘B' (Who some are now calling the Dream Team) welcomed the Sazbah Lions to their table with captain Ruth O'Shea of the Sazbah Lions taking the first frame, but alas for the Lions the singles ended 5-3 to the Ferrets. The doubles saw the Ferrets roar and take all 4 frames to win the match with a convincing 9-3 score line. The Croft Hakes (aka the Rugby Club) last years runners up took a trip to the Cornish ‘A' and started well winning the first 3 frames before the Cornish ‘A' took a couple to stop the rot but by the end of the singles the Hakes were in control leading 6-2. The doubles saw another convincing performance and a 3-1 doubles win to take the match 9-3 with another convincing all round performance.

The Legion last years under achievers welcomed the Lifeboat Inn and saw Matt Harry win the toss break and promptly 8 balled his opponent (me), things got worse for the Legion with only Davey Park winning a frame in the first 5 as the Lifeboat led 4-1. By the end of the singles the frames were level at 4-4 and with some effort the Legion took 3 out of 4 frames to crawl over the line and win 7-5. Last years other top 4 team the Howards ‘B' visited the Sheaf ‘A' with ambition and hope for a higher finish this season to find themselves 6-2 down with only Joe Jeavons Jnr and Lee Tacagni managing to take a frame. With a mountain to climb they clamped on their crampons and set off and by the end of the doubles they had taken all 4 frames and rescued a 6-6 draw.

The Howards ‘A' entertained the Sheaf ‘B' and started far better than their ‘B' side taking the first 4 frames before the Sheaf ‘B' battled back to end the singles 4-4, going into the doubles it was anybody's game but the Howards ‘B' dug deepest and took all 4 frames to win the game 8-4. The Pool Club have lost a couple of players this season and started against the Atlantic with a new look team. They started well taking the first frame but failed to win another until the first doubles and that proved to be the only other one as they crashed to a crushing 10-2 defeat by the Atlantic.

The Queens are the only new team this season and they faced a stern test against the always competitive Cornish ‘B' and did surprisingly well leading 5-3 at the end of the singles. The doubles though saw the Cornish ‘B' use their experience and take 3 out of 4 frames to pull it back for a 6-6 draw. And lastly but far from least the Sazbah entertained the Ferrets ‘A' who after the singles led 5-3, the doubles saw both teams share the frames to give the Ferrets ‘A' a very credible 7-5 away win.

Performance of the Week : Atlantic