WEEKLY UPDATE 16 MARCH 2024

Quarter Finals of the play offs this week, and as with the earlier round both matches were won by the home teams - Princeville D and Deaf Centre B. In the Qualification play offs, the Deaf Centre teams faced off against each  other, while Princeville D visited Pudsey A. The winners of those matches qualified for home semi finals, and so this time round Princeville D will visit Deaf Centre A, while Deaf Centre B head off to Pudsey. These matches will be played on Tuesday 26th March, with the final two weeks later on Tuesday 9th April. As in all rounds of this competition, the team with the highest league placing will be at home in the final.

Princeville D were on top from the start against Princeville B, as Graham Bentley pulled back his 65 point handicap deficit against Peter Turner with 15 minutes remaining. This was quickly followed by a run into the mid teens and only some late scoring from his opponent kept the deficit to 33. Mick Cockcroft pulled back his 35 point deficit even more quickly against John Bedford, on a night when little went right for the B team man. Mick's win added another 26 points to the D team's aggregate advantage. At least the handicaps started level in the last game, but with the league secretary needing to pull back 60 points against Chris Jarvis to force a draw and a shoot out. Things began well with a 32 break, and with a little over 10 minutes to go the margin was around the 60 mark, but Chris finally shook off his holiday lethargy, with a run in the 20's, and my 15 unfinished at the end was a token gesture, as time was always against a larger break. 3 - 1 to Princeville D

At the Deaf Centre I don't know the order of play but the times on the scorecard suggest that both tables were in use. Richard Bowes is quoted as saying his was a 'below par effort' as he lost by 20 to Ihjaz Husain. Peter Wood won again for Deaf Centre B, his 11th win in 13 games this season, while Sid Ash saved Pudsey B from being whitewashed, with a 4 point victory over Peter O'Connell - the closest game in either of this week's two matches. 3 - 1 to Deaf Centre B.

The scorecards for both games can be found on the Scorecards page

This coming week is the first round of the Individual Snooker. I believe that 3 of the 8 games have already been played and I will report on them next week. Meanwhile, Trevor Kershaw and John Allan will be playing at Princeville  on Tuesday afternoon, and Peter Wood has requested that his game against Mick Cockcroft be switched to Princeville, due to difficulties arranging access at the Deaf Centre. Richard Bowes and Peter Allan are due to meet in Pudsey, while the other games at Princeville on Tuesday evening involve myself and Jeremy Dixon, and Chris Jarvis against Brain Haigh. It looks like being a busy night.

The next round of all the Merit and Pairs competitions will be drawn at the next League Committee Meeting on Wednesday 27th March, 7.30 at the usual venue

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary