STRUTT CLUB TEAMS PRODUCE ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER

ADAM WINSON (above) and Chris Stubbs sealed a final place for BELPER STRUTT No 2.

FOLLOWING their recent league clash which went down to the final black, the two teams from Belper Strutt Club served up another classic nail-biter as the No 2 team edged out the No 1 outfit 4-3 in the semi final of the Bob McCartin Six Red Cup.
Mark Newby took the opener on the black against Chris Stubbs by a single point, before new signing Andrew Gratton, buoyed by a 25 break, equalised.

Wins for Steve Bullock and Adam Winson kept things in the balance and after the opening two scotch doubles were shared, everything rested on the final frame.

And it was Stubbs and Winson who came though 45-16 against Paul Jarrett and Justin Weller to earn their side a final berth.

The teams will battle it out once more as soon as next week in a Captains Cup quarter final.

Things weren't quite so tight in the other semi, as Bolehill Institute No 1 seemed to have indulged in a little too much turkey and pudding over Christmas and fell to a hefty 7-0 home loss to Matlock Cons.

Richard Deakin doubled the pink and then coolly took a tricky black to narrowly defeat Ricki Slack in the opener before Nick Kay comfortably took the second frame for 2-0.

Andrew Brough obtained the snooker he needed against Charlie Hodgkinson to try and reduce the deficit but it was the latter who potted an exquisite long black to take his team to the brink of victory.

And that was assured soon afterwards when Chris Parker edged out Simon Zoppi on the pink courtesy of a fine potting display with a borrowed cue.

The visitors then put the icing on the cake by taking all three scotch doubles contests, this despite Ricki Slack and Ian Birks recording the highest pairs break of the event so far with 27 in the sixth frame, though it was still in vain as Deakin sunk the pink to continue the rout.

Bob McCartin Six Red Cup semi finals: Belper Strutt No 1 3, Belper Strutt No 2 4; Bolehill Institute No 1 0, Matlock Cons 7.

Open Individual Handicap 1st round: Paul Holmes 0, Kevin Holmes 2; Robert Muxlow 0, Ricki Slack 2; Martyn Taylor 0, Nick Kay 2.

Breaks: M Taylor 28; R Slack / I Birks 27; A Gratton 25; C Parker / N Kay 23;
N Kay 22; R Slack 21.

NEW PLAYER REGISTRATION - BELPER STRUTT CLUB No 2

ANDREW GRATTON  is a new player registration for Belper Strutt Club No 2 and will play off a handicap of -30.

ALL SEMIS TO BE AS DRAWN, FINALS NEUTRAL VENUE

AS THERE aren't many rounds in the individual and doubles competitions, its now likely we will play all semi finals as drawn and just use neutral venues for all the finals (as per the team comps).
Otherwise, having discussed it with others, there would be a lot of pressure on the same venues and the same people to referee quite a number of games so it seems the better option all round (and is what happens in the billiards competitions right through).