Page 23 - Winter 2017-18

Carpet 2:Layout 1 24-Dec-17 2:00 PM Page 1

The two top teams both won their next games to maintain the status quo with the rest of 23
the field out of contention. As they would be sitting out the last session a win for Cam-
bridgeshire in their final game would be vital but they lost while at the same time Suffolk
won. That put both teams equal on points but with Suffolk already having one shot more and Cam-
bridgeshire having finished their games and no one else in contention the competition was settled
and Suffolk were champions. Suffolk’s Steven Cain & David Ford then picked up another win in
the final session to finish on 12 points, 2 ahead of Cambridgeshire. Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire,
each with 7 points were 3rd and 4th respectively.
TRIPLES -
TRIPLES - Northumberland started off
with 2 wins, Hertfordshire had won the only
game they had played. Both teams won their
next games while Suffolk had won twice and
drawn once. Suffolk won again to move on to
7 points, Hertfordshire won and went to 6
points, with a game in hand and Northumber-
land lost, dropping them down the standings.
Saturday finished with the two big con-
tenders Suffolk and Herts playing one another
and it was a game which Herts narrowly took
7-6 to give themselves a big overnight advan-
tage. They were top on 8 points, one point ahead of Suffolk and 2 ahead of Northumberland and
had a game in hand over both.
Hertfordshire's unbeaten run continued on into Sunday with a win over Sunderland while
Suffolk and Cambridgeshire also won to stay in contention. With Cambridgeshire losing their next
game it was now down to just Suffolk and Hertfordshire who both won again with Herts still one
point ahead and with a game in hand.
With Suffolk sitting out Hertfordshire needed only to win their penultimate game to secure
the title, but they suffered a loss at the hands of Cambridgeshire. Nevertheless they would still go
into the last session with a 1 point and 8 shot advantage. Suffolk did what they needed to do, es-
tablishing a lead and going on to beat Sunderland and with Hertfordshire 2 down and 2 ends to
go there was a chance the title could slip out of their hands, but they pulled level with an end to
go and a very fine first wood from the skip took shot on the last end and grabbed them the win
and the title, with Thomas Ellis, Jack Smalley & Jason Ellis on 14 points, Suffolk on 13 and Cam-
bridgeshire were third on 9 points.
RINKS
RINKS - Suffolk were off to the best start winning both their first two games, although Sun-
derland and Hertfordshire had both won the one game they had played. Unfortunately one of
Durham's players was unable to play on and with no substitutions allowed they had to forfeit their
remaining games until he was fit again.
Suffolk moved on to 3 wins out of 3 while Hertfordshire had only played twice but had won
both. And things remained the same in the next session as both teams won again.
Saturday's final round of games saw the top two teams playing one another. Whoever won
it would be odds on for the title. The game went all the way to the last end which yielded a vital
shot for Suffolk to give them a draw. That left them top with 9 points, 2 points behind with a game
in hand were Herts and third were Cambridgeshire, one point further back but also with a game
in hand.
Unfortunately Durham were unable to rejoin the competition on Sunday morning so in order
to create a level playing field for all the remaining teams their results from Saturday were cancelled.
That suddenly made the situation much clearer with the top 3 teams all on the same number of
games. Hertfordshire led with 7 points and 53 shots, Suffolk were second on the same points and
46 shots and Cambridgeshire were on 6 points.