Tense night at the Terrace

 

So early in the season and this is a potential title winning match, which was a fantastic game for the spectators, with some high-quality pool being played all night by both teams. 

 

This was reflected in the fact that around half of the frames were won in one visit. 

 

Allstars won the first two sets, 3-2 & 4-1, but Hotshots weren’t going down without a fight, taking the first two frames of the final set, which included a break and dish by Ian Ali. 

 

Allstars pulled one back, then Richie Mitchell tied the set, with what can only be described as a flawless display, as he became only the second player in SLKPA history to win all three of his frames by dishing his opponent, with two break and dishes and one from a dry break. 

 

Mark Eldridge is the only other player to do this, but we almost had two in one night, as Paul Cook had break-dished in his first two frames.

 

 However, he couldn’t repeat this in the final frame, with Danny Kelliher taking it to give Hotshots the third set, making the final score, 2-1 & 9-6.

 

First blood to Allstars but we will see what happens in the return fixture later in the season. 

 

These two teams sit in third and fourth of the Elite League, both on five points, but Sharks are top after a convincing, 3-0 & 11-4 triumph over New Eltham New Stars. 

 

Just behind Sharks are Bellegrove, who also had a comprehensive victory this week over Falconwood Club. 

 

Bellegrove were on fire, winning the first four frames to take the set, before Ian Stringer prevented the set whitewash with the fifth frame. 

 

Akar Necati made it two in a row for Falconwood however, Graham Levingbird, Dan Foley, Dec Kelly and Peter Whyte gave Bellegrove another, 4-1 set triumph and claim the bonus point before the third set.

 

 Foley, Levingbird and Barry Barham won the first three frames of the final set, for seven in a row and maximum points. 

 

Jamie White prevented the set whitewash, before Peter Whyte took the final frame to give Bellegrove a third, 4-1 set win, for an overall, 12-3 triumph. 

 

Despite the large margin of victory there was only two unbeaten players, Levingbird and Foley, both scoring three out of three. 

 

In the remaining game of the division, Pickwick played hosts to The Cocked Hats and Pickwick started well, winning the first two frames, but Steve Dixon pulled one back for Cocked Hats, before Martin Storey won the set for Pickwick. 

 

Elliot Giles brought Cocked Hats back to within one with frame five. 

 

The second set also went in Pickwick’s favour, with Dave Pile, Jamie Davis and Paul Gafa winning the first three frames, giving them an overall, 6-2 lead. 

 

Dixon and Giles, again were the saviours for Cocked Hats, taking frames nine and ten to bring the score back to, 6-4. 

 

George Taylor, with a break and dish, Louis Wilbourne and Shane O’Reilly made it five in a row for Cocked Hats to give them the last set and the overall lead for the first time in the match.

 

Mike Werbowy won the penultimate frame to make it seven all. 

 

So, it was a final frame battle for the bonus point, which Giles won with his hat-trick to share the points, with Pickwick winning, 2-1 in sets but Cocked Hats scored more frames, 8-7. 

 

There appears to be nothing between these two teams, as they sit in fifth and sixth on four points, although Pickwick have won and lost one of their matches whereas Cocked Hats have lost both of theirs.

 

The top two teams of SLKPA Tier Two East, Duke of Northumberland and Bears both won by the same, 3-0 & 12-3 score line, with Bears beating Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club and Duke proving too much for Rugrats. 

 

Dylan Suggars, playing his first match, got Rugrats off to a great start, winning the first frame, but Duke won the next four frames to take the set.

 

 Ashley Hewson pulled one back for Rugrats, but Dave Pearce tied the set for Duke. 

 

Mark Knevett put Rugrats, 2-1 up in the set, but Phil Tworek and Sam Kinsville won the last two frames of the second, for a, 3-2 set victory and a, 7-3 overall lead. 

 

This must have demoralised Rugrats, as Duke whitewashed the final set for a, 3-0 & 12-3 triumph. 

 

There was a hat-trick of hat-trick heroes for Duke, with Sam Kinsville, Phil Tworek and Dave Pearce all winning three frames. 

 

Rugrats currently sit bottom of the pile with Eltham Terrace Rack Pack just one place and one point above them, after they were beaten, 3-0 & 9-6 by Bellegrove Flyers, who are in fourth. 

 

One place above them is another Bellgrove team, the interestingly named, Bell Ya Later who played Hurricane Hustlers this week. 

 

This was an incredibly close match from start to finish where neither team was ahead by more than two frames. 

 

The first set, set the tone for the match, swinging one way then the other, with Bell Ya Later stealing it, 3-2. 

 

Hustlers’ Alfie Southby and Susan Byrne won the first two frames of the second set to sneak a, 4-3 overall lead. 

 

Phoebe French and Reece Stewart tied the set, before Stuart Yard won the deciding frame of the set for Hustlers to level the match at one all in sets and five all in frames. 

 

All to play for going into the final set and Bell Ya Later took the early advantage, with Donna Mullins and Alfie Cambridge taking the first two frames of the set, to go, 7-5 up overall. 

 

However, Southby and Simon Byrne won the next two frames to send the set and the match into a deciding frame. 

 

With only one frame win between them, Reece Stewart met Kevin England, so nerves were jangling but England held his the best to win the match, 2-1 & 8-7 for Hustlers. 

 

Southby was the man of the match, winning all three of his frames. 

 

This result brought Hustlers to within a point and two places of their opponents. 

 

The top two teams in SLKPA Tier Two West, Eltham Terrace Nuthouse and Gun Pit both kept up their 100% win record so far this season. 

 

Nuthouse travelled to Farmhouse and the first two frames were shared, but Nuthouse won the remaining three frames of the set to take an early, 4-1 lead. 

 

The second set was much closer, with the first four frames being shared, taking the set to a deciding frame, which Trevor Biggs won to give his team a, 2-0 & 7-3 lead. 

 

Nick Brown won frame eleven to bring Farmhouse back to, 7-4 however, Biggs secured the bonus point and Leighton Aston, Scott Reeves and Dave Sparey took the final three frames for maximum points with a, 3-0 & 11-4 triumph. 

 

It was a great all-round team performance from Nuthouse, with four unbeaten players; Jon Syta, Sparey and Reeves all achieving a brace each, but Biggs went one better with a hat-trick. 

 

In their first season in the league, Gun Pit have started well, following up their first week, 3-0 & 10-5 victory with a, 2-1 & 9-6 triumph over SLKPA stalwarts Fox & Hounds this week. 

 

Gun Pit fired themselves out of the blocks quickest, winning the first three frames to take the first set. 

 

Fox Captain, Kerry Wyatt prevented the set whitewash, before Shelton D’Costa made it, 4-1. 

 

Nirman Bogati, Mel Ma and Lionel White made it four in a row with the first three frames of the second set to again give their team the set without reply. 

 

This time Clive Forrest joined Wyatt in the winner’s enclosure to bring the set back to, 3-2, although Gun Pit have an overall, 7-3 lead. 

 

Alan Dolan gave Fox a good start to the last set, but Mel Ma secured the bonus point and D’Costa nudged Gun Pit back in front. 

 

Forrest tied the set, leaving it to Wyatt to achieve her hat-trick and win a point for her team. 

 

Gun Pit’s Mel Ma joined Wyatt on an unbeaten hat-trick. 

 

These two teams are now second and third with two points between them and behind them are Academicals, after they beat bottom of the table and brand new team, Downham Tavern Terrors, 3-0 & 13-2. 

 

Bellegrove A got their first win of the season on the board, with a 3-0 & 10-5 triumph over New Eltham New Boys. 

 

The first set went to a deciding frame, which Pete Moult won to nudge Bellegrove into a, 3-2 lead. 

 

The second set also went to Bellegrove, 3-2 with Moult securing it in the fourth frame of the set. 

 

The final set was all Bellegrove, with Moult and his partner Petrina Pearce both recording their hat-tricks to secure the set, 4-1. 

 

Also unbeaten for Bellegrove were Jack Taylor and Joe Hills, both winning two frames on the night. 

 

These two are right next to each other in the table, with Bellegrove one point above New Boys. 

 

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 always looking at potential sponsors and any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.