Soham winter 2019-20

Trophy goes to Cambridgeshire

The 2019-20 winter indoors programme made a good start with representatives from all of the region's six counties plus a guest entry from Lincolnshire on the carpet at the usual venue, the Soham Sports Centre. After the first few rounds it soon became clear that Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire (last year’s winners) and Essex were the early runners and setting a blistering pace.

As it turned out, at the end of the fourth round the Cambridgeshire pair of Adrian Kirby & Paul Hetherington were in an almost unassailable position with a 100% record, all within time, closely followed by Hertfordshire on three wins despite losing to Cambridgeshire, although two of those wins were also out of time. Essex were also chasing on three wins with one loss, but were hampered by one of their wins also out of time.

In round five Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire suffered losses, but this was quickly remedied by additional wins in the final round. As Essex were then on four wins and a with game to play could not overhaul the leaders Cambridgeshire, due to the latter's better timed win ratio and because of the lateness of the day, Essex declined to play their final game.

So Cambridgeshire lifted the trophy for the third time in the last six years.

County	Team	Wins
Cambridgeshire	Adrian Kirby & Paul Hetherington	5
Essex	David & Alison Maugham	4
Hertfordshire	Terry Mahoney & Heather Bennett	4
Norfolk	Jeff & Timothy Race	3
Suffolk	Philip Eardley & David Wicks	3
Lincolnshire	Terrey Sparks & Mike Bowser	1
Bedfordshire	Cliff Jones & Rod Ashwell	0

Report & photo by Terrey Sparks

Club/Team	Socks	Cambs Boys	Hunny- pinch	Colch- ester	Wand- erers	Nor- wich	Meld- col	Pinch- beck	Game points	Wins within time	Win qlty	Oppo wins in time	Net points	Rank
'Socks' David Maugham (-2) & Alison Maugham (-½)		+1T	+12		+14	+2T	+14		5	3	12.5	0	+43	1
'Cambs Boys' Paul Hetherington (3½) & David Haslam (6)	-1T			+2	+11		+7	+6	4	4	5.5	0	+25	2
'Hunnypinch' Jeff Race (0) & Charles Ostler (2)	-12			+2T		+6	+4	+6	4	3	5	1	+6	3
Colchester Colin Hemming (2½) & Georgeen Hemming (5)		-2	-2T		+8	-1T		+13	2	2	2.5	1	+16	4
'The Wanderers' Ian Lines (-2) & Debbie Lines (-1)	-14	-11		-8			+3	+8	2	2	1.5	3	-22	5
Norwich John Reddish (5) & Sarah Barley (11)	-2T		-6	+1T			-4T	draw	1.5	0	2	1	-11	6
'Meldcol' Nick Steiner (-½) & Robert Skeen (4½)	-14	-7	-4		-3	+4T			1	0	1.5	4	-24	7
Pinchbeck Terrey Sparks (2½) & Gordon Mills (14)		-6	-6	-13	-8	draw			0.5	0	0	4	-33	8

The day was played as a team event and won by Norfolk (Jeff Race and Sarah Barley). Each match consisted of one doubles and two singles where the low bisquer played their opposite number, and likewise the high bisquer. Jeff and Sarah were also the top low and high bisque performers, whilst the best doubles team were 'Two is Three' (Cliff Jones and Terrey Sparks). The wining team received the Soham Trophy from George Collin.

Each contest comprises a 'rubber' of 1 doubles and 2 singles games, with the singles opponents paired in handicap order. 2 points per match win and 2 points per game win. Doubles score shown first.

Club/Team	Norfolk	Two is Three	Cambs Boys	Onesies	Match points	Game points	Wins within time	Oppo wins in time	Net hoops	Rank
Norfolk Jeff Race (0) & Sarah Barley (11)		-12 +8 +6T	+7 +5 -	+7 +3 +3T	6	14	5	1	+27	1
'Two is Three' Cliff Jones (½) & Terrey Sparks (2½)	+12 -8 -6T		-6T +2T +5	+8 -10 -	3	8	3	2	-3	2
'Cambs Boys' Paul Hetherington (3½) & David Haslam (16)	-7 -5 -	+6T -2T -5		+4 -8 +7T	2	6	1	4	-10	3
'Onesies' Rich Waterman (-1) & George Collin (1½)	-7 -3 -3T	-8 +10 -	-4 +8 -7T		1	4	2	4	-14	4

Report by Paul Hetherington

Hunstanton Keep On Rolling Along

A full complement of eight doubles entered the indoor speed doubles played at the Ross Peers Sports Centre at Soham, getting up early to travel so as to ensure a full day's play on a carpet that was playing well and running extremely fast due to the efficient boiler heating in the hall.

Three clubs Hunstanton, Norfolk Boys and 'Petmeld' made impressive starts, putting on the pressure by all winning their first three games, until the Norfolk Boys David Haslam & Terrey Sparks suffered a disaster losing badly by -13 to the Colchester pairing of Colin & Georgeen Hemming, whilst Hunstanton were putting paid to the 'Petmeld' pair of Adrian Kirby & Robert Skeen with a 6-point win.

In the final games the possibility of who beat whom and who lost to whom came into play, when the final result would be decided by the result of the outcome of the other game being played. As was fitting to the standard of play and general camaraderie, the final position was only decided with 3 seconds on the clock, with Hunstanton scrambling to take the decisive win.

Team	Players	Wins	Rank
Hunstanton	Jeff Race & Bryan Saddington	5/6	1
'Petmeld'	Adrian Kirby & Robert Skeen	4/6	2
Colchester 1	Colin & Georgeen Hemming	3/6	3
Norfolk Boys	Terrey Sparks & David Haslam	3/6	4
Letchworth	Terry Mahoney & Heather Bennett	2/6	5
Norwich	John Reddish & Sarah Barley	2/6	6
Colchester 2	Nick Steiner & Al Brown	1/6	7
'Pinch Mkt'	Charles Ostler & Jonathan Toye	0/6	8

Report & photo by Terrey Sparks

A close fought contest with all teams managing to get through six games saw 'Five' (Jeff Race and Al Brown) triumph over 'Socks' (family Maugham) by virtue of fewer games going to time and a better points difference, as both ended on five wins. They were followed by three teams on three wins.

Club/Team	Five	Socks	Shoes	Col- chester	Herts	Cambs Boys	Not 12	Game points	Wins within time	Net hoops	Rank
'Five' Jeff Race (0) & Al Brown (5)		-9	+1	+4(T)	+14	+8	+8	5	4	+26	1
'Socks' David Maugham (-2) & Alison Maugham (-1)	+9		+3	+1(T)	-1(T)	+10	+2(T)	5	3	+21	2
'Shoes' Dominic Nunns (-2) & Adrian Kirby (-½)	-1	-3		-4(T)	+8	+3	+3	3	3	+9	3
Colchester Colin Hemming (2½) & Georgeen Hemming (5)	-4(T)	-1(T)	+4(T)		+7(T)	-8	+6	3	1	+4	4
Herts Terry Mahoney (1) & Heather Bennett (3½)	-14	+1 (T)	-8	-7(T)		+3	+4	3	2	-21	5
'Cambs Boys' Paul Hetherington (3½) & David Haslam (16)	-8	-10	-3	+8	-3		Draw	1.5	1	-16	6
'Not 12' Cliff Jones (½) & Sarah Barley (11)	-8	-2(T)	-3	-6	-4	Draw		0.5	0	-23	7

Report by Paul Hetherington

Club/Team	Norfolk Boys	Cambs Boys	Socks	Suffolk Boys	Not 12	Game points	Wins within time	Net hoops	Rank
'Norfolk Boys' Jeff Race (0) & Bryan Saddington (4½)		+1	-9	+7	+4	3	3	+3	1
'Cambs Boys' Paul Hetherington (3½) & David Haslam (16)	-1		+5	+9	+7	3	3	+20	2
'Socks' David Maugham (-2) & Alison Maugham (-1)	+9	-5		+2(T)	+5(T)	3	1	+11	3
'Suffolk Boys' Mike Percival (2½) & Robert Skeen (5)	-7	-9	-2(T)		+3(T)	1	0	-15	4
'Not 12' Cliff Jones (½) & Sarah Barley (11)	-4	-7	-5(T)	-3(T)		0	0	-19	5

Norfolk Boys triumphed over Cambs Boys as both finished with three wins from four by virtue of winning the head to head, since neither of the top two teams were taken to time. So another trophy for Jeff Race and Bryan Saddington.

Upon concluding the table a number of friendly alternate stroke games were also played so that all participants were able to have the option of 6 games.

Report by Paul Hetherington

Adrian & Sarah Triumphant

Format

Twelve individual entries of various handicaps entered the Progressive Doubles which was split into two groups of six by handicap. Under the progressive format partners changed each game, resulting in the more senior players guiding the higher handicaps around the carpet and in some cases utilising their bisques with no shame!

Group A

Despite making a shaky start losing his second game, Adrian Kirby upped his game winning his three remaining all within time, leaving only one other member of the group, Heather Bennett, with a chance of over taking him. However, having secured all his victories within the allotted time and with Heather picking up her second victory out of time the situation looked bleak, and when the third game dropped, impossible.

Group B

This group, despite becoming a two-horse race between Sarah Barley and Gordon Mills, was a much tighter affair and up until the fourth game it could have gone either way. But unfortunately Gordon ran into the manager's curse and suffered his only defeat. However, Sarah ploughed on adding win after win finishing with a 100% record, all games won within time.

*Determined by wins within time

Group A - lower handicaps				Group B - higher handicaps
			Wins				Wins
1.	Adrian Kirby	Peterborough	4/5	1.	Sarah Barley	Pinchbeck	5/5
2.	John Reddish	Norwich	3/5*	2.	Gordon Mills	Pinchbeck	4/5
3.	Heather Bennett	St. Albans	3/5	3.	David Haslam	Colchester	3/5*
4.	Terrey Sparks	Norwich	2/5*	4.	Peter Ross	Letchworth	3/5
5.	Mike Bowser	Pinchbeck	2/5	5.	David Wicks	Ipswich	1/5
6.	Nick Steiner	Colchester	1/5	6.	Roger Bowman	St. Albans	0/5

Report & photo by Terrey Sparks

With the late withdrawal of Cliff Jones we were reduced to 5 teams. As all played all the result was determined on results from games between the 3 tied for first place.

*Colchester won 1.5 points, Norwich 1 and Herts 0.5 in games between the top three.

Club/Team	Colchester	Norwich	Herts	'Haske'	Norfolk	Game points	Rank
Colchester Colin Hemming (2½) & Georgeen Hemming (5)		+1(T)	draw	-2(T)	+9	2.5	1*
Norwich John Reddish (4½) & Sarah Barley (11)	-1(T)		+5	+6(T)	draw	2.5	2*
Herts Terry Mahoney (1) & Heather Bennett (3½)	draw	-5		+11	+5	2.5	3*
'Haske' Robert Skeen (5) & David Haslam (16)	+2(T)	-6(T)	-11		+6	2	4
Norfolk Bryan Saddington (5) & Jonathan Toye (5)	-9	draw	-5	-6		0.5	5

Report by Paul Hetherington

Club/Team	P'boro	Norwich	'Socks'	Norfolk	St. Albans	'Three'	Game points	Wins within time	Net points	Rank
Peterborough Adrian Kirby (-½) & Paul Hetherington (3½)		+5	+11	-1	+13	+11	4	4	+39	1
Norwich John Reddish (5) & Sarah Barley (11)	-5		+1(T)	+11	draw	+7	3.5	2	+14	2
'Socks' David Maugham (-2) & Alison Maugham (-1)	-11	-1(T)		+6	+3(T)	+8	3	2	+5	3
Norfolk Jeff Race (0) & Jonathan Toye (5)	+1	-11	-6		+5	-9	2	2	-20	4
St. Albans Heather Bennett (3½) & Stephen Mills (11)	-13	draw	-3(T)	-5		+4	1.5	1	-17	5
'Three' Nick Mounfield (-2) & Robert Skeen (5)	-11	-7	-8	+9	-4		1	1	-21	6

Race Reigns Supreme

Unfortunately, at the last moment the Covid-19 Virus struck the final turnout for the winter months, leaving the overall entry one down. However, rather than try to rejig the format it was decided that Jeff Race, having lost his partner, should play as a single contestant.

This proved to be like letting a heron loose in a goldfish pond as Jeff proved to be in his element as he scooped up the opposition one by one, finishing all his 5 games winning every one in time and taking away the 'Millennium Cup' with a 100% record. But still an enjoyable day.

In runners-up position was the husband and wife team of Alison & David Maugham, last year's winners back from their recent world trip to New Zealand.
 

Team	Players	Wins	Rank
Norfolk	Jeff Race / no partner	5/5	1
South Ockenden	David & Alison Maugham	3/5	2
Colchester	Colin & Georgeen Hemming	2½/5	3
Norwich	John Reddish & Sarah Barley	2½/5	4
Letchworth	Terry Mahoney & Heather Bennett	1/5	5
'Odd bods'	Nick Steiner & Terrey Sparks	1/5	6

Report & photo by Terrey Sparks