ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD RETAIN CAPTAINS CUP

ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD No2 Captains Cup winners 2024/25
L-R: Andrew Beardsley, Alfie Richardson, Jack Lowe, Ben Monk and Carlos Zaragoza.
Also played in previous round: Alex Fisher.

ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD No2 lifted the Captains Cup (Team Aggregate competition) with a 366-263 win over the youngsters of Edgefold Matlock  No3 who were contesting their first team final after a great run which took them almost all the way.
For Jack Lowe and Carlos Zaragoza, it was a second successive victory in the event though this time they were teaming up with new personnel in Ben Monk and Andrew Beardsley.
Beardsley was up first in the opener and he eventually ground out an 82-34 victory over Kieran Worsley with some solid safety play and reliable potting before Zaragoza increased the lead with an impressive 71-33 defeat of Sam Kniveton.
With Jack Lowe's 27 break pulling him clear for a 79-35 verdict over Fin Harvey, the writing looked on the wall for the debutant finalists but their ace in the pack Reece Johnstone pulled them back into the match with an outstanding 99-37 triumph over Alfreton's top marksman Ben Monk.
This gave the Matlock lads an outside chance going into the final doubles leg but Monk and Zaragoza gradually asserted their superiority to take a 97-62 win and make sure the silverware was going back to whence it came.

Elsewhere the semi finals of the Jimmy Harper Plate were taking place which is the consolation event for those knocked out at an early stage of the above event.
As it happens, league champions Edgefold No1 were one of those but they were certainly on song here as they fought off some stiff opposition from Clay Cross Brotherhood to win 325-243.
Duncan Waring and Ian McKay notched breaks of 32 and 30 respectively yet it still was not enough for individual victories as Tommy Smith and Duncan Harwood fought tenaciously to see the hosts 23 points ahead even after that barrage of scoring.
Steve Burton's 80-25 victory in the next gave them more breathing space and after Richard Ferguson had secured the fourth frame 58-31 there was little hope left for the visitors, who did at least take the doubles leg 74-51 courtesty of Graham Jones and McKay.

It will be an all Edgefold final as the No2 team then defeated Belper Royal British Legion 256-190 with the visitors conceding on the last red of the doubles leg.
Scott Brooks and Steve Bullock, both riding high in the most winning players table, had to settle for a tie here with their scores locked at 59 all and the usual re-spotted black rule not applying in this overall points aggregate contest.
Paul Jarrett edged the next but an 80-14 win for Trevor Wright put the Matlock cuemen on the home straight and despite Wayne Shooter taking the fourth frame, Brooks and Wright sealed the deal by teaming up for a pairs success at the end.

Captains Cup (Team Aggregate) final: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 366, Edgefold Matlock No3 263 (at Crich Comrades).
Jimmy Harper Plate (Team Aggregate Consolation) semi finals: Edgefold Matlock No1 325, Clay Cross Brotherhood 243; Edgefold Matlock No2 256, Belper Royal British Legion 190.
Breaks: D Waring 32; I McKay 30; J Lowe 27; J Dakin 25; S Brooks 24; T Wright 22; R Ferguson 22; R Johnstone 20.