Six weeks into the South London & Kent Pool Alliance summer season and Hotshots are now just one of two teams in the entire league to have an unbeaten record.
This week they played second placed Eltham Terrace Nuthouse, who have had an excellent season so far, but Hotshots got off to the perfect start, winning the first three frames for the set.
They went on to take the first set, 4-1 with Danny Kent preventing the whitewash for Nuthouse.
Hotshots took a, 2-1 lead in the second set, but Paul Cook equalised and Trevor Biggs won the set decider for Nuthouse, to tie the match, 1-1 in sets, although Hotshots were, 6-4 up in frames.
That very soon became, 7-6 as Nuthouse went, 2-1 up in the final set.
This time it was Hotshots turn to tie the set, as Ryan Francis won the penultimate frame, which also gave them the bonus point.
Trevor Biggs couldn’t repeat his heroics from set two and was beaten by Steve Krishnan, giving Hotshots the, 2-1 & 9-6 triumph.
There was only one unbeaten player in the match, Francis who won all three of his fames.
With this defeat Nuthouse have dropped to third, five points behind Hotshots, with Bull Tavern overtaking them to go two points behind the league leaders.
Bull played bottom team, Falconwood Club, who started well with Kev Nankoo and Akar Necati giving them a, 2-1 lead.
However, that would be their only two frames of the night, as Bull went on to win all of the remaining twelve frames for a, 3-0 & 13-2 victory.
Jason Baker was exceptional in winning both his frames, with his skipper, Adam Coppen not knowing he had it in him.
Baker was joined by Coppen, Jordan O’Connor, Naf Ayieko and Clive Black on unbeaten braces and they were supported by Bruno Silva, winning his only frame.
Just above Falconwood, Sharks picked up their first win of the season to go four points ahead of them.
Sharks played very well, capitalising on the chances Pickwick gave them, while Pickwick were well off the pace, winning just one of the first ten frames and that was because their opponent went in off on the black.
Pickwick did not let that dishearten them and they won the third set, 4-1 making the final score, 2-1 & 10-5 to Sharks.
Sharks had two unbeaten players, Vu Son on a hat-trick and Scott Reeves with two frame wins.
Pickwick are now two points ahead of their opponents and one point behind Eltham Terrace Club A, who this week lost to Foxy Meatballs, 2-1 & 10-5.
The first two sets went to Meatballs by four frames to one, giving them an, 8-2 lead and the bonus point before the final set.
Terrace edged the last set, 3-2 to steal a point.
Foxy Meatballs are now fourth two points ahead of their opponents.
The only other unbeaten side in the league is Greyhound, who are five matches unbeaten and two points clear at the top of SLKPA Tier Three.
This week they played bottom team, Real Hustlers and just edged a, 2-1 & 10-5 victory.
New Eltham New Boys are top of the chasing pack, after beating Royal Oak, 2-1 & 9-6 to open up a six point lead over them.
Although its still early days it looks like this division may be a two-horse race already.
Second played first in Tier Two West, as Rugrats took on unbeaten Bellegrove A and it was the home team who stunned the league leaders by taking the first set, 4-1.
Bellegrove gained revenge by winning four frames on the bounce and taking the second set by the same score as the first to tie the match at, 1-1 & 5-5.
Rugrats took the advantage by winning the first two frames of the last set, but Stacy Redman prevented them from securing the win with frame thirteen.
However, Rugrats Captain Scott Shephard sealed the victory with the penultimate frame and Bellegrove kept it close by taking the last frame making the final score, 2-1 & 8-7.
Redman was the only unbeaten player on the night with three out of three.
Rugrats have replaced Bellegrove at the top of the table and are now two points ahead of them.
Eltham Terrace Rack Pack Rovers join Bellegrove on sixteen points, after piling the misery on Academicals, leaving them on just one victory for the season so far.
Gary Mason got Academicals off to a great start, winning the first frame but Rack Pack Rovers won the next three to take the set, before Kevin England brought it back to, 3-2 with frame five.
The second set went exactly the same as the first, with Mason and England winning the first and last, with England beating Ernie Wellhausen for the second time, and Rack Pack Rovers taking the middle three, for a, 2-0 & 6-4 lead.
Wellhausen recovered by winning frame eleven and Rack Pack Rovers went on to take the next three frames to secure maximum points.
England continued his fine form by winning his third frame of the night, to make the final score, 3-0 & 10-5.
England wasn’t the only hat-trick hero, as Dean Rider and Chris Parlett both had great games for Rack Pack Rovers to win all three of their frames as well.
Despite losing to Crayford A, Sea the Angles have closed the gap between them and Academicals to just one point, after Dan Brown, Claire Stork and Angie Hobbs gave them the first set, 3-2.
Brown and Hobbs looked to give Sea the Angles the second set, but it wasn’t to be, as Crayford won the other three frames to take the set and tie the match at one all in sets and five all in frames.
That was where the luck ran out for Sea the Angles, as Crayford whitewashed the final set, to win the match, 2-1 & 10-5 which didn’t reflect how close the game actually was.
This result puts Crayford in fourth place, just one point behind Rack Pack Rovers and Bellegrove and three points behind Rugrats.
After losing last week, Rose Inn’s woes continued this week, as they made it two defeats in a row, with a, 2-1 in sets loss against New Eltham New Stars however, Rose nicked the bonus point by scoring more frames, 8-7.
This result puts New Stars top of SLKPA Tier Two East, with Rose Inn two points behind them.
There was a basement battle between Rugrats Guardians and Just Bellegrove, with Guardians coming out on top, 2-1 & 9-6 to lift them one place in the table to fourth.
Third played fourth, with Duke of Northumberland three points ahead of Fox & Hounds and looking to make it three wins in a row.
The first two frames were shared, but Duke raced away, winning the next three frames to take the set, 4-1.
Neil Shelton pulled it back to, 4-2 however, Duke won three on the bounce again, to take the set.
That made it, 7-2 so Kerry Wyatt taking frame ten prevented Duke from securing the bonus point before set three.
Shelton continued to stave off Duke’s pursuit of the bonus point, with his second win from three frames, but Sam Kinsville did secure it by winning frame twelve for Duke.
The next two frames were also shared, sending the set into a final frame decider, with John Cochrane looking to gain maximum points for Duke, but Clive Forrest had other ideas, winning the last frame to give Fox the set and make the final score, 2-1 & 9-6.
Duke did the damage in the first set, with Dave Pearce doing most of their damage by winning all three of his frames.
Fox drop one place to fifth, on the same points as Guardians, while Duke are now just one point being second placed, Rose Inn.
For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit our website at www.slkpa.com or contact our Secretary, Paul Gafa on 07443 456662 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.
The league is looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article