STRUTT No 2 TASTE JIMMY HARPER CUP SUCCESS AGAIN

BELPER STRUTT No 2 - L-R: Dave Needham, Keith Hubbold, Chris Stubbs and Paul Ogden.

THE final round robin match in the Jimmy Harper Cup Team Plate competition was also a winner takes all decider as Matlock's Edgefold Club travelled to Belper Strutt Club No 2 with both teams having a win each under their belts.
Paul Ogden was off to a good start against the league's most prolific player this season Martyn Taylor but once again a superb break of 60 turned things around to give the visitors a 23-point ascendancy early doors.

Keith Hubbold and Chris Stubbs then set to work though and with respective scores of 72-32 and 92-39 put the home team into a commanding position.

Neil Parkinson made some inroads in the next with a 61-33 win but with a 42pts lead going into the doubles, it was still very much advantage Strutt.

And despite the Edgefold duo splitting the pack open from the break in a bid to get Taylor back in amongst the balls, the early chances fell to the home pairing of Stubbs and captain Dave Needham and with the aggregate lead extending to 74, handshakes were offered with the home team retaining the trophy having also won it in the previous season.

It was also their second piece of silverware this time around following their earlier victory in the Bob McCartin Six Red competition.

KEITH MANLOVE and STEVE BULLOCK before contesting the "B" (Intermediate)
Individual Handicap final.

Meanwhile, it was a Strutt No 1 player, Steve Bullock, who lifted the "B" (Intermediate) Individual Handicap Trophy with a 3-0 final win over Matlock Club's Keith Manlove at Bolehill Institute.

The match was much closer than the scoreline would suggest however, as in the opening frame Manlove led by 12 going into the colours until an excellent yellow to pink clearance of 20 saw the Strutt player snatch it from his grasp.

Frame two saw a fine opportunity for 1-1 go astray with pink and black both in the open before Bullock made no mistake himself to extend the advantage and it soon became a hat-trick of pink ball deciders when he clipped a fine cut into the middle pocket in the third to secure the prize.

Bullock will also be contesting another final as he and partner Mark Newby came from 2-1 down to edge out Ricki Slack (46 break) and Colin Marchington 3-2 in the Denis Morton Trophy Pairs Handicap semi final.

Jimmy Harper Cup Team Plate (round robin decider): Belper Strutt No 1 285, Edgefold Matlock 211.
"B" (Intermediate) Indiv Handicap final: Steve Bullock 3, Keith Manlove 0.
Denis Morton Trophy Pairs Handicap semi final: Ricki Slack / Colin Marchington 2, Steve Bullock / Mark Newby 3.
Breaks: M Taylor 60; R Slack 46,20; S Bullock 20.