STRUTT No 1 NARROW GAP AFTER MAXIMUM POINTS HAUL

PAUL JARRETT made it five wins out of five personally for BELPER STRUTT CLUB No 1.

THE gap between the teams at the top of the Highfields Farm Butchers Premier Division closed to just a single point this week as Belper Strutt Club No 1 played host to Bolehill Institute No 2 and scored a 5-0 success.
There was no initial sign that it was going to be anything other than a very tough game early doors as Ian Cresswell forced home team captain Steve Bullock to a re-spotted black but once the latter took it, the floodgates opened.

Paul Jarrett maintained his unbeaten run this season with a narrow victory in frame two and then Wayne Shooter and Mark Newby quickly added two more rather more convincingly.

With black nestling over the pocket in the concluding doubles frame, if Cresswell's double on pink  had struck gold there would have been some consolation for the visitors but unfortunately for him it narrowly missed the target and eventually Strutt secured the maximum haul.

Bolehill No 1 hold on to a tenuous advantage at the top after winning 3-2 at Matlock's Edgefold Club, though this will most likely soon change as they have a week off upcoming.

Ricki Slack took the first on the pink against Duncan Harwood thanks to a twice-across double after a very tight battle that was in the balance throughout.

Then Martyn Taylor produced one of the frames of the season to equalise, notching breaks of 50, 33 and 24 to score a century points haul before Colin Marchington (with a black ball success) and Ian Birks restored the advantage.

Taylor and Rob Muxlow (24 break) reduced the arrears thereafter in the doubles.

League week 6 results: Belper Strutt No 1 5, Bolehill Inst No 2 0; Edgefold Matlock 2, Bolehill Inst No 1 3; Matlock Cons v Belper Strutt No 2 postponed (match claimed 5-0 due to less than the stipulated 24hrs notice being given, as in rule 31, upheld by majority verdict of the disputes committee).

Breaks: M Taylor 50,33,24; R Muxlow 24; M Newby 22.

Highfields Farm Butchers Premier Division
                                         P      W      L      Pts
Bolehill Institute No 1       6        6       0       19
Belper Strutt No 1            5        4       1       18
Matlock Cons                   5        3       2       16
Edgefold Matlock             5        3        2       13
Belper Strutt No 2            5        1       4         9
Bolehill Institute No 2       5        1       4         9
Matlock Club                    5        0       5         6
Leading breaks: M Taylor 50, C Parker 45.
Leading wins: R Slack 6; P Jarrett 5.