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| BOLEHILL INSTITUTE No 1, Bob McCartin six red cup champions, L-R: Ian Birks, Ricki Slack, Simon Zoppi, Andrew Brough. Also played en route: Colin Marchington. |
The teams had met previously in the opening group stage when it went to the final black as indeed did the opening league clash but on this occasion no such nail-biting was necessary.
Ricki Slack produced an excellent run of pots from green to pink in the opener to lead by seven with just black remaining, and after Martin Forster had double kissed on his attempted safety, Slack dispatched the required ball for a 54-40 success.
Andrew Brough continued his fine form from the last game with a 34-8 verdict over Keith Robertson in frame two to increase the lead before a tight battle ensued between Simon Zoppi and Ian Peacock.
Peacock had seemingly taken the frame to the black in potting the pink but the cue ball drifted into the opposite corner pocket and eventually it was Zoppi who sealed the deal with a 52-36 scoreline for 3-0.
Surely Mick Bunting was set to reduce the arrears in the fourth frame, leading by 29 with just 25 on the table but a succession of single pots from opponent Ian Birks and then a finely judged snooker on the pink forced the penalty points required.
Eventually it came down to the final black, and Bunting produced the shot of the night, ramming the ball home into a corner pocket only for the cue ball to cruelly go twice across and follow the black into the same bag.
The No 2 team will hope for better fortune this week in their upcoming Captains Cup semi final.
Meanwhile, Ian Birks and Colin Marchington can celebrate a double success as they are confirmed as the Presidents Cup winners, for the highest scotch doubles break of the season of 35 in the group stages.
Bob McCartin Six Red Cup final: Bolehill Institute No 1 4, Bolehill Institute No 2 0.
