CABINET SPACE GETTING TIGHT AS PJ'z No 1 MARCH ON

PJ'z No 1 of RIPLEY: L-R: Andrew Gratton, James Rowland, John Smith,
Ben Monk and Lee Whatton.

MATLOCK CLUB: L-R: Keith Manlove, Dave Allen, Ian Rose,
Chris Woodhouse, Paul Holmes and Graeme Wood.

PJ'z CLUB No 1 of RIPLEY added another piece of silverware to their crowded cabinet as they defeated Matlock Club 4-1 in the final of the Bob McCartin Six Red Cup at Matlock Golf Club this week.

Ben Monk, fresh from reaching the final of the OMYA Cup individual event the previous night when he notched a superb 93 break, took on Matlock's Graeme Wood in the opening frame.

And once again it was Ben's class that came to the fore, having initially benefited from a couple of unlucky fouls by his opponent on the black, he then pulled clear with a 21 break to put his side 1-0 up.

Andrew Gratton then stepped up to the plate with an excellent 32 clearance from the final red to get the better of Keith Manlove and when veteran campaigner John Smith saw off Ian Rose in frame three, it was the point of no return for the underdogs.

They rallied bravely from thereon though, with Chris Woodhouse grinding out a battling black-ball success over Lee Whatton to take the match into the first of the scotch doubles frames.

And with Ian Rose and Graeme Wood needing just the blue to make it 3-2 the pressure was beginning to build.

However, with Graeme going in-off and the cue ball being returned to the "D", Ben Monk and James Rowland needed no further invitation to close out the game with Ben potting the decisive final black.

There was one re-arranged league match too with Bolehill Institute No 2 gaining a 3-2 success at Jaxx Q Club Belper No 2.

The visitors settled the issue early doors, racing into a 3-0 lead courtesy of Sean O'Sullivan, Troy Brett (21 break) and a black ball victory from Mark Gwynne-Jones.

Andy Hayes is proving an inspired capture for the Belper outfit though and he pulled one back before Adam Ballard and Alan Scrivener reduced the result to the minimum margin with a black ball win in the concluding doubles.

In the all-Belper Strutt Club derby, brought forward from next week, it was the No 1 team who earned bragging rights - also by the narrowest of margins - as Paul Jarrett decisively won both his singles and doubles frames.

Results: Bob McCartin Six Red Cup final: Matlock Club 1, PJ'z Club Ripley No 1 4 (at Matlock Golf Club); League matches (re-arranged): Jaxx Q Club Belper No 2 2, Bolehill Institute No 2 3; Belper Strutt Club No 1 3, Belper Strutt Club No 2 2.

A Division                         P      W      L      Pts
PJ'z Club Ripley No 1       12     10       2     44
Edgefold Club Matlock      12     10       2     38
Bolehill Institute No 1         12      8       4      37
Belper Strutt Club No 1     13      7       6      32
Bolehill Institute No 2         12      6       6      32
Matlock Club                      12      3       9      20
Leading breaks: B Monk and M Taylor 71.
Leading wins: A Gratton 11; K Robertson 10; R Muxlow and B Monk 9.

B Division                         P      W       L     Pts
Matlock Golf Club              12     10       2      41
Jaxx Q Club Belper No 1   12       9       3      41
Bolehill Institute No 3         12       5       7      25
Belper Strutt Club No 2      13      2      11     22
Jaxx Q Club Belper No 2   12       2     10      19
PJ'z Club Ripley No 2        12       1     11      14
Leading breaks: G Jones and C Parker 40.
Leading wins: C Parker, G Jones, N Kay, S Robinson and P Ogden 9.