WEEKLY UPDATE 30th NOVEMBER 2023

An early update this week, for once, ahead of my weekend in Carlisle for the British Open. I have one of the top four players in country in my group this time, so I can expect to spend plenty of time watching (and hopefully learning)

Two 4-0's and two 2-2's this week. The 4 - 0's went to the top two, as Princeville D and Pudsey A who have started to open up a gap at the top. Deaf Centre A, who started the week joint second, are hanging in there, after a 2 - 2 draw with Pudsey B, but the rest are now all at least another three points adrift of them. The table does however a nice symmetry, with 3 points separating the top 3, a three point gap, and then another three points covering the bottom 5.

Mick Cockcroft got Princeville D off to a good start against Brian Haigh, before Chris Jarvis got them a healthy lead by defeating Paul Devitt but Steve Gatenby only secured the whitewash after a tight finish against Keith Tomlinson. On the other table John Bedford and I got Princeville B off to a good start, with two wins against Princeville A, and with a 52 point lead and Peter Turner starting 45 in front of Edward Lawson the aggregate point also looked secure, but Edward Lawson had other ideas, and an early break of 19 gave him the confidence to pull more or less level before Peter had scored. Edward then pressed on regardless and eventually secured the aggregate point for the A team winning his game by 62 and in the process accumulating a total of 261 - which is 30 points more than any other player this season. Breath taking stuff. Well done Edward

At Pudsey, the A team seem to have hit a rich vain of form and followed up last week's 4 - 0 win away to Princeville A with an equally convincing 4 - 0 win at home to last season's champions, Deaf Centre B. John Allan had a convincing win against Ihjaz Hussain, while Peter and Ralph Allan chipped in with 15 and 14 point victories themselves. Pudsey B picked up more than one point for the first time this season, as they drew with Deaf Centre A, who had started the day in joint second. This was largely down to Sid Ash, who scored 216 in defeating Ian Ford by 38 and in doing so secured the aggregate point by just 6.

There is a top of the table clash at Princeville this coming week when Princeville D host Pudsey A, while at the Deaf Centre the A team, who are third, will hope to cash in any slip ups against Princeville A. Deaf Centre B who have been struggling of late, entertain Princeville C, while bottom of the table Pudsey B visit inconsistent Princeville B.

There is a League Committee Meeting on Wednesday (6th December) at 7.30pm. This is the closing date for the Individual and Pairs competitions, when draws will be made for preliminary round matches in all competitions

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary

 WEEKLY UPDATE 19 NOVEMBER 2023

Only 3 weeks into the season and already there are no teams with a 100% record. Bradford Deaf Centre B and Princeville D had both won their first two matches, but neither could make it three out three as Deaf Centre B went down 4 - 0 to their A team, and Princeville D lost 3 - 1 to Princeville B. In the other match at Princeville, the A team beat the C team 3 - 1 and in the derby match at Pudsey the A team came out on top, again by 3 - 1. As a result there is now only 3 points between top and seventh, with Pudsey B, who are the only team without a win so far, three points adrift of the rest.

At the Deaf Centre, Jeremy Dixon inflicted a rare defeat on Ijaz Hussain, but by just 2 points, while Brian Robinson and Ian Ford had more comfortable victories against Peter O'Connell and Graham Lambert. Princeville B's John Bedford got the better of Mick Cockcroft, and I had a good night with two breaks over 30 to defeat Chris Jarvis - but not before he had matched the first of them -  and then in the final game Steve Gatenby secured a point for the D team, coming on strong at the end to sneak past Peter Turner. On the other table Edward Lawson's 222 for  the A team was the highest score of the night at this venue, as he beat Keith Tomlinson by 71, only for Brian Haigh to pull them all back (plus 1) against Gareth Kershaw. In a tight third game Trevor Kershaw recorded his first victory of the season, beating Paul Devitt by 9, which was enough to secure the aggregate point for the A team. At Pudsey, Dave Howarth picked up the B teams point, with a comfortable win against John Allan, but the Allan clan picked up the other two wins by enough to secure a 3 - 1 victory for Pudsey A.

This coming week, at Princeville the A and C teams host Pudsey A and B respectively, while at the Deaf Centre, Princeville B and D will be visiting to play Deaf Centre A and B in that order.

A reminder that there will be a League Committee Meeting on Wednesday 6th December, which is the closing date for entry to the Individual and Pairs competitions.

The other pages have not yet been updated this week but hopefully will be this evening (now completed)

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary

 15th November 2023

After returning home from last night's match at Princeville, I was informed of the sad death of former Princeville player Alan Holdsworth at the age of 94.

Until he stopped playing in the summer of 2017, Alan had been a regular member of the various Princeville teams for 41 years and an occasional reserve for 10 years or more before that. His age considerably exceeded his highest break, but on several occasions he won the highest break prize in the 80 and above handicap category, his best being 39 in the 1996/97 season

RIP Alan

 WEEKLY UPDATE 12th NOVEMBER 2023

Apologies for the late update this week. I'm still learning with this new format - and apparently not fast enough!! I'm struggling with the Players Table and the League Table but I'll keep trying. The Fixtures and Results page, and the Scorecards, have however been updated, as well as the Home page.

The two first week winners had further wins this week, and so Princeville D and Bfd Deaf Centre B have a 3 point lead on the remaining 6 teams, who are separated by just 2 points.

Deaf Centre B's 4 - 0 win away to Princeville B did not look likely, when Peter Turner led Peter O'Connell throughout the 50 minutes but the Deaf Centre man's 4 unfinished at the bell saw him finish 3 points ahead. Peter Wood and Ihjaz Hussain then never looked like getting caught by John Bedford and Stephen Kershaw, as last years champions built on their 3 -1 opening week win. Princeville D had won 4 - 0 first time out and looked likely to repeat that performance against Deaf Centre A but a late surge by Brian Robinson saw him just pip Steve Gatenby by 5 in the final game, to deny their hosts another 4 - 0 win

It was a good night for Princeville at Pudsey, as the A and C teams both secured 3 - 1 wins, against Pudsey B and Pudsey A respectively. Dave Howarth and John Allan (just) securing a point for each of the home teams

This coming week's fixtures are all derby games, with Deaf Centre A at home to their B team and Pudsey B at home to Pudsey A. At Princeville it's A v C and D v B

There's less than a month to go to the closing date for the Individual and Pairs competitions which will be drawn at the League Committee Meeting on Wednesday 6th December. I've had 9 entries so far (all for all 3 competitions) 

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary

 WEEKLY UPDATE 5th NOVEMBER 2023

Reigning champions Bradford Deaf Centre B got off to a winning start in the league competition, which started this week, achieving  3 - 1 victory over Pudsey B, largely due to an emphatic win for Ihjaz Hussain against Richard Bowes. They are not top of the table however, as Princeville D defeated Princeville A 4 - 0, in a match which stretched over both Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Mick Cockcroft got them off to a winning start on Tuesday, defeating Gareth Kershaw 210 - 166, and Chris Jarvis and Steve Gatenby completed the job on Thursday, with narrow victories over Trevor Kershaw and Edward Lawson respectively. Princeville B beat Princeville C 3 - 1 but that one was closer than it looks as a 34 break on my last visit secured both my point and the aggregate for the B team. The other game at the Deaf Centre finished 2 - 2 where Jeremy Dixon's win against John Allan was just enough to claim the aggregate despite Pudsey A securing victories in the other two games. (Interesting aside. In the absence of Ralph Allan Pudsey A called in Sid Ash to remain as 3 A's)

Those who enjoyed home advantage last week will be on the road this coming week, with Princeville A and Princeville C visiting Pudsey, to play Pudsey B and Pudsey A respectively, with the Deaf Centre teams vising Princeville, where there is a clash of the 'B' teams, while Pudsey A play early leaders Princeville D.

No Players Table this week as players have only played one match each but I hope to be able publish one next week, along with images of the scorecards - provided I can work out how to do it. The Fixtures and Results page has however been updated and a League Table has been uploaded

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary