REPEAT AIRING OF PAIRS FINAL HAS DIFFERENT OUTCOME

TOM BROUGHTON and DES SMITH, pairs winners

THREE more finals of the T & M Motors Snooker League took place this week leaving two to go and there were inaugural winners in the doubles handicap along with familiar faces taking the individual scratch and team plate trophies.
The Denis Morton Trophy featured a repeat pairing of the finalists from the previous season, an all-Alfreton affair in which holders Ben Monk and Simon Mays again took on Tom Broughton and Des Smith at the Palmer Morewood Club.
It seemed a case of business as usual early doors as Monk and Mays took the opener 62-33 after an untimely in-off left a routine chance opening the yellow to seal the frame which the former duly converted.
However, Broughton finished off the next with blue and pink to take it 70-55 after an attempted pot with the rest went awry and it was soon 1-1.
The frames were closely fought tactical affairs in the main and Broughton continued in clinical mode by doubling the final black for a 2-1 lead.
And partner Smith was not to be outdone as he conjured up a vital run of 15 taking brown, blue and pink and the frame 64-51 to put them onto the brink of victory.
The holders battled hard to gain a 13pts advantage in the fifth with just two balls left but the tide had turned and after Broughton took pink and Smith clipped the black into the centre pocket, the scores were level and it was re-spotted to decide the frame.
A bout of safety ensued before Smith took on an adventurous double which flew into the middle pocket to tumultuous applause from his supporting team-mates and a new pair were on the winner's roster.

JUSTIN WELLER with scratch winner BEN MONK

Monk was back in action at Tansley the following night in the OMYA Cup individual scratch competition against Belper Strutt Club's Justin Weller who had already secured the individual handicap event the previous week.
The Alfreton cueman took the first with some steady scoring culminating in a 66-29 verdict before Weller equalised with three fine pots on blue, pink and black to snatch the second 50-46.
He was in first in the next too, but fouling a red with the rest whilst potting the black interrupted his momentum and Monk eventually executed a fine long brown to take an easy blue thereafter for 2-1.
It was 3-1 when the dual previous winner took yellow and green to go 29pts up with just 22 remaining and the job was complete after taking yellow, green and brown in the last to secure a 60-24 success and a 4-1 result overall to lift the trophy for the third time.

BELPER STRUTT CLUB Jimmy Harper Plate winners
L-R: Mark Newby, Paul Jarrett, Steve Bullock, Justin Weller and Wayne Shooter.

Earlier in the week, the Jimmy Harper Plate (team aggregate consolation event) went to Belper Strutt Club who defeated Crich Comrades No 2 320-261 again at Alfreton.
Graeme Wood continued his fine season by taking the opener 66-52 but Paul Jarrett edged the next 62-55 and Wayne Shooter did likewise to the tune of 53-49.
Justin Weller's 89-63 fourth frame success gave himself and Mark Newby a bit of a cushion going into the pairs leg and they sealed the deal with a 64-28 win.
They lift their second silverware of the campaign following on from the Bob McCartin Six Red Cup victory in mid season.

Denis Morton Trophy (Pairs Handicap): Des Smith and Tom Broughton (Alfreton PM No 1) 4, Ben Monk and Simon Mays (Alfreton PM No 2) 1 (at Alfreton PM): 33-62; 70-55; 66-55; 64-51; 62-55.
OMYA Cup (Individual Scratch): Ben Monk (Alfreton PM No 2) 4, Justin Weller (Belper Strutt) 1 (at Tansley Potters): 66-29; 46-50; 64-35; 55-29; 60-24.
Jimmy Harper Plate (Team Aggregate Consolation): Belper Strutt Club 320, Crich Comrades No 2 261 (at Alfreton PM).

WELLER STRUTTS HIS STUFF IN INAUGURAL SINGLES WIN

JUSTIN WELLER ... breakthrough victory

JUSTIN WELLER of Belper Strutt Club tasted his breakthrough solo success in the knockout competitions as he overcome Crich Comrades' Nick Berry in the Open Individual Handicap final at Bolehill Institute, in the process defying a rise in his rating midway through the season.
Although the scoreline showed 4-0 at close of play, it was a much tighter encounter than the  outcome would suggest with each frame going down to the wire before eventually falling to the Belper cueman.
The opener saw Berry maintaining his early advantage throughout most of its duration, until Weller stepped in to take pink and black and snatch it 56-50.
A scrappy encounter in the next could have gone either way but it was 2-0 after an opportunity on a mid range straight black was accepted with aplomb.
Berry appeared to have pulled one back in frame three but after a great pot down the bottom cushion, the cue ball somehow found its way into the middle pocket for a foul and you began to feel it was not to be for the Crich cueman.
And despite Berry holding a good-looking 40 point advantage in the last, a steady compilation of 25 brought Weller back into contention and at the conclusion he gained excellent position from the blue to snick the pink into the middle pocket from a tight angle to complete the victory.
He now bids for a double in the OMYA Cup scratch final where he takes on a formidable opponent Ben Monk of Alfreton Palmer Morewood.

Crich Comrades No 2 reached the final of the Jaeger Trophy play offs with a 3-2 success at Bolehill Institute No 1, a repeat scoreline of their league encounter a couple of weeks previously.
Graeme Wood had a slice of luck when fluking the blue and landing perfectly to convert the pink in the opener before Ricki Slack equalised with an 84-44 salvo.
Simon Zoppi, struggling with a back injury, notched a 21 break to pull level in frame three but it was Dale Shaw who got over the line 67-47 before Ady Lowe made the game safe for the Tramwaymen after Andrew Brough had rattled the final black. The home side took the academic doubles leg at the end.
Crich No 2 now meet Alfreton No 2 in the final next week at Edgefold Club as Matlock Golf Club unfortunately had to pull out of their semi having been unable to raise a team in the fortnight set aside.

The final pair of T & M Motors Snooker League contests also took place as Crich No 1 defeated Bolehill No 2 4-1 with Paul Trevett and Nick Berry in great form for the hosts before Mick Bunting and Keith Robertson secured the pairs contest at the end.
And Alfreton No 1 came out on top against Whitworth Institute by a 3-2 scoreline as Andrew Haggarty ensured victory in frame three before a late fightback from the Darley Dale visitors saw Mick Ferguson successful in each of his singles and doubles legs.
Jaeger Trophy play off semi final: Bolehill Institute No 1 2, Crich Comrades No 2 3.
T & M Motors Snooker League: Crich Comrades No 1 4, Bolehill Institute No 2 1; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 3, Whitworth Institute 2.
Open Individual Handicap final: Justin Weller (Belper Strutt Club) 4, Nick Berry (Crich Comrades No 1) 0 (at Bolehill Institute): 56-50; 58-56; 63-56; 68(25)-60. Breaks: J Weller 25; S Zoppi 21; D Smith 20.

T & M Motors Snooker League        P        W       L      Pts 
Alfreton P Morewood No 2                  18      14        4      63
Bolehill Institute No 1                          18       13       5      54
Crich Comrades No 2                         18       12       6      50
Matlock Golf Club                               18       11       7      49
Belper Strutt Club                               18       11       7      49
Crich Comrades No 1                         18        7      11      43
Bolehill Institute No 2                          18        5      13      38
Edgefold Matlock                                18        6       12     36
Alfreton P Morewood No 1                 18         7       11     35
Whitworth Institute                              18         4      14     33
Leading breaks: S Donner 120; S Dobney 74; Gavin Shirley 70..
Leading wins: A  Lowe 13/18; A Beardsley 12/14; B Monk 12/18.

ALFRETON No 2 LIFT CAPTAINS CUP AT EDGEFOLD CLUB

ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD No 2 Captains Cup winners 2021/22 Left to Right:
Gavin Shirley, Simon Mays, Steve Donner, Ben Monk and Andrew Beardsley.

Also played: Kyle Ryde, Adam Cupit, Jamie and Kevin Rowland.

THE MAIN EVENT of the week was the Captains Cup Team Aggregate final which pitted this season's champions against the previous season's table toppers Matlock Golf Club at the Edgefold.
As circumstances dictated, the teams held a trial run for the big event with the final League game between the pair a couple of days earlier. The Golfers took the spoils down at Alfreton on that occasion, courtesy of a 3-2 win. Steve Donner (breaks of 33 and 31) had the hosts off to a flyer but Graham Jones' black ball win levelled matters and wins from Tony Blant and Ian McKay put the game to bed.

It was an important win for the Golfers who sneaked into the fourth and final play off spot on the head to head ruling as they finished level on points and wins with Belper Strutt Club. And ironically it will be another match against Ben Monk's Alfreton team to boot!

Onto the final and Chris Parker continued Matlock Golf Club's good work with a 72-47 success in the opening frame before Steve Donner, without his usual cue for the second time this season, still delivered a decisive blow with a 72-37 verdict garnished by a run of 30.
Graham Jones hit back with a 28 break the highlight of his 70-31 victory in the next but a barnstorming display from Simon Mays turned the game on its head as he romped home 89-38 to leave the Amber Valley cuemen in a healthy position going into the final frame.
And there was no letup from there as Donner and Gavin Shirley carved out a 65-26 triumph to give the most recent champs an overall 304-243 decision.

Ben Monk and Mays also reached the final of the Denis Morton (pairs handicap) Trophy for the second successive season with narrow 3-2 defeat of Jones and McKay of which Monk's 43 break was the highlight.

In an outstanding T & M Motors Snooker League encounter, Alfreton No 1 edged out Crich No 1 3-2 with Andrew Haggarty and Nick Berry top scoring respectively.

And in the semi finals of the Jimmy Harper Plate, the team aggregate consolation competition, Belper Strutt Club and Crich Comrades No 2 made it through to play each other.
Strutt defeated Edgefold 328-224 in a match which by agreement of the players and the League, also counted towards League points to pull in their outstanding game and in that respect saw the Belper cuemen take a 4-1 win.
Justin Weller and Dan Stone were respective top scorers for their teams.

Crich No 2 saw off Whitworth 298-253 with Jack Lowe notching a massive 108 points in the star performance of the evening while Dale Shaw also won both singles and doubles. Philip Johnson was in good nick for Whitworth but there was too much ground to make up for the visitors.
Captains Cup (Team Aggregate) final: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 304, Matlock Golf Club 253.
League: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 2, Matlock Golf Club 3; Belper Strutt Club 4, Edgefold Matlock 1; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1.
Jimmy Harper Plate (Team Aggregate) semi finals: Belper Strutt Club 328, Edgefold Matlock 224; Crich Comrades No 2 298, Whitworth Institute 253.
Breaks: B Monk 43,28; S Donner 33,31,30,23; G Jones 28,22; N Berry 24; K Ryde 22; D Smith 22; A Haggarty 22; S Mays 20.

WHITWORTH EXCEL IN TOPPLING NEW CHAMPIONS-ELECT

MR CONSISTENCY GEOFF BRAILSFORD

WHITWORTH INSTITUTE gained their best result since rejoining the T & M Motors Snooker League with a fantastic 3-2 success over this season's champions elect, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 and in fact wrapping up the contest in the opening three frames.
Peter Lee opened with a cliff-hanging black ball win over Andrew Beardsley, whose twelve game unbeaten run for the season came to an end in similar fashion the previous week before Philip Johnson, in for only his second appearance of the term, soon made it 2-0 with an 83-33 margin.
Kyle Ryde also went under for the first time with home team captain Geoff Brailsford epitomising his steady consistency over the campaign with a 59-49 verdict.
Simon Mays pulled one back for the Amber Valley cuemen courtesy of an 84-31 victory in the next before teaming up with Ben Monk to engineer a further doubles success in a tight final frame.

Elsewhere, Matlock Golf Club moved narrowly into the fourth play-off spot with a 4-1 win at Alfreton No 1. Les Mooney and Ian McKay were successful in both singles and doubles legs whilst Andrew Haggarty registered for the hosts.
And Crich Comrades No 2 secured their play off place with a 3-2 win at Bolehill No 1 and will meet the same opponents there again after a closely fought encounter was played out.
Graeme Wood and Simon Zoppi top scored respectively for their teams before Ady and Jack Lowe took the concluding doubles leg 65-40.

Ben Monk progressed to the OMYA Cup final in search of a third win in the event (previous victories in 2011 & 2012) courtesy of a 3-0 defeat of Edgefold's Sean Dobney in a high quality contest with half a dozen breaks of 30+.

League week 18 results: Whitworth Institute 3, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 2; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 1, Matlock Golf Club 4; Bolehill Institute No 1 2, Crich Comrades No 2 3.
Breaks: B Monk 40,38,31,30,20,20; S Dobney 40,30,26; G Jones 23.

T & M Motors Snooker League        P        W       L      Pts 
Alfreton P Morewood No 2                  17      14        3      61
Bolehill Institute No 1                          18       13       5      54
Crich Comrades No 2                         18       12       6      50
Matlock Golf Club                               17       10       7      46
Belper Strutt Club                               17       10       7      45
Crich Comrades No 1                         16        6      10      37
Bolehill Institute No 2                          17        5      12      37
Edgefold Matlock                                17        6       11     35
Whitworth Institute                              17         4      13     31
Alfreton P Morewood No 1                 16         5       11     29
Leading breaks: S Donner 120; S Dobney 74; Gavin Shirley 70..
Leading wins: A  Lowe 13/18; A Beardsley 12/14; B Monk 12/17.

ALFRETON No 2 LIFT TITLE, BOLEHILL No 1 RUNNERS-UP

SIMON ZOPPI... break of 31

WITH ALFRETON No 2 confirming the T & M Motors Snooker League title courtesy of a 3-2 win over Crich Comrades No 1 in the penultimate round of games, it was left to the three clubs below to battle it out for the runners up spot.
Bolehill No 1 faced Alfreton No 1 and were looking to avenge a recent defeat to that opposition in the Amber Valley and the evening featured some excellent play.
Tom Broughton struck first for the visitors after opponent Colin Marchington had almost snatched the frame with the last four colours only for the black to rattle and the Alfreton man needed no second invitation to put the frame to bed.
It was pretty much the identical situation in reverse in the next with Des Smith taking brown, blue and pink before Ricki Slack equalised with a long pot on black.
Simon Zoppi (31 break) put the home side ahead in the next and then Ian Birks took the fourth frame 69-31 before clearing the colours in the remaining pairs leg to snatch that on the black too.

And results elsewhere meant that Bolehill had done enough with nearest rivals Belper Strutt Club falling 5-0 at Matlock Golf Club.
Les Mooney and Graham Jones were in great nick for the hosts as they bossed proceedings throughout.

Crich No 2 therefore moved third, five points adrift of Bolehill but unable to match their number of games won which is the deciding factor should there be a tie on points. The Tramwaymen defeated Bolehill No 2 3-2 with Ady and Jack Lowe undefeated in both singles and doubles. Keith Robertson did likewise for the vanquished.

Edgefold saw off Whitworth Institute 4-1 with Steven Clark top scoring before Geoff Brailsford registered for the Darley Dale cuemen but ultimately to no avail.

And so to the new champs who this week called on squad player Gavin Shirley to notch outstanding breaks of 70 and 26 in the starring role while Ben Monk (31) also impressed. Jack Long, with a black ball win, pulled one back in frame four to end Andrew Beardsley's 12-match unbeaten run and Long then teamed up with Ade Smith for another thriller which they took 63-62 to reduce the scores to the minimum margin.
League week 17 results: Bolehill Institute No 1 4, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 1; Matlock Golf Club 5, Belper Strutt Club 0; Crich Comrades No 2 3, Bolehill Institute No 2 2; Edgefold Matlock 4, Whitworth Institute 1; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 3, Crich Comrades No 1 2.
Breaks: Gavin Shirley 70,32; S Zoppi 31; B Monk 31; K Ryde 28; R Slack 24; I Birks 22; G Wood 22; A Beardsley 21.

T & M Motors Snooker League        P        W       L      Pts 
Alfreton P Morewood No 2                  16      14        2      59
Bolehill Institute No 1                          17       13       4      52
Crich Comrades No 2                         17       11       6      47
Belper Strutt Club                               17       10       7      45
Matlock Golf Club                               16        9        7      42
Crich Comrades No 1                         16        6      10      37
Bolehill Institute No 2                          17        5      12      37
Edgefold Matlock                                17        6       11     35
Alfreton P Morewood No 1                 15         5       10     28
Whitworth Institute                              16         3      13     28
Leading breaks: S Donner 120; S Dobney 74; Gavin Shirley 70..
Leading wins: A  Lowe 13/17; A Beardsley 12/13; B Monk 12/16.

STEVE DONNER'S 120 BREAK IS A SINGLE FRAME RECORD

CENTURION STEVE DONNER

IT WAS  a record breaking week in the T & M Motors Snooker League as Alfreton No 2's Steve Donner conjured up a magnificent break of 120 which is the highest ever in a one frame match in League history, surpassing Scott Cooney's 104 in 2004 with Ben Monk's exact 100 in 2012 the only other on record.
Steve joins a select group of names to hit a ton locally over the years. Scott Cooney with 126 in a 2006 Individual event remains the top break in all competitions whilst others to record competition centuries are Jimmy Gratton (114 and 103), Cooney again (109), Monk again (108 and 101), Andy Russell (104) and Mark Hird (102).
Alfreton No 2 were cementing their position at the top of the table which now looks safe, after back to back 5-0 wins in successive days over Edgefold and Alfreton No 1.
The rearranged encounter with the Matlock team saw a trio of 31 breaks respectively from Monk, Donner and Kyle Ryde whilst the following night, apart from the excellence of Donner, Monk had classy runs of 65 and 29.

Bolehill No 1 moved into a clear second with a 4-1 success at Matlock Golf Club. Andrew Brough went into overdrive after Ian McKay's early run of 30 to topple that opponent and Ricki Slack's third frame win put the game to bed before Chris Parker and McKay pulled back a late doubles point for the golfers.

Fourth placed Crich Comrades No 2 scored an important 4-1 win over third placed Belper Strutt Club and now lie just a point adrift of those opponents. Paul Jarrett put Strutt ahead early doors but Ady Lowe was successful in both singles and doubles whilst Dale Shaw amassed 77 points.

Crich No 1 were also in irresistible form with a 5-0 win at Whitworth Institute. Nearly all the games were very tight and Nick Berry's black ball success in the third frame was just one of a string of  frames which hung in the balance but went the way of Tramwaymen.

The remaining match resulted in a 3-2 win for Edgefold at Bolehill No 2. The Matlock side took all three of the opening frames with James Travis top scoring before Mick Bunting started a belated fightback for the hosts with wins in singles and doubles to reduce the deficit to the minimum margin.

In competition action, Tom Broughton notched a 40 break as he and Des Smith reached the final of the Denis Morton Pairs Handicap knockout for the second successive season whilst Nick Berry is in two finals after defeating Graham Jones 3-1 in the semi final of the Individual Handicap.
League week 16 results: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 5, Edgefold Matlock 0; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 0, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 5; Matlock Golf Club 1, Bolehill Institute No 2 4; Crich Comrades No 2 4, Belper Strutt Club 1; Whitworth Institute 0, Crich Comrades No 1 5; Bolehill Institute No 2 2, Edgefold Matlock 3.
Breaks: S Donner 120,31; B Monk 65,31,29; T Broughton 40; K Ryde 31; I McKay 30; D Smith 24; J Neville 23; A Lowe 22; G Shirley 21; J Rowland 21; S Dobney 20.

T & M Motors Snooker League        P        W       L      Pts 
Alfreton P Morewood No 2                  15      13        2      56
Bolehill Institute No 1                          16       12       4      48
Belper Strutt Club                               16       10       6      45
Crich Comrades No 2                         16       10       6      44
Matlock Golf Club                               15        8        7      37
Crich Comrades No 1                         15        6        9      35
Bolehill Institute No 2                          16        5      11      35
Edgefold Matlock                                16        5       11     31
Alfreton P Morewood No 1                 14         5        9     27
Whitworth Institute                              15         3      12     27
Leading breaks: S Donner 120; S Dobney 74; B Monk 63.
Leading wins: A Beardsley 12/12; A Lowe 12/16; C Marchington 11/12; B Monk 11/15.

GOLF CLUB AND ALFRETON No 2 TO MEET IN TEAM FINAL

CHRIS PARKER ... man of the match display

MATLOCK GOLF CLUB and Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 will contest the Captains Cup Team Aggregate final after they both came through stern examinations with only 61 and 35 points separating their semi final matches when the overall points were totted up.
The Golfers took on Alfreton No 1 on Chesterfield Road and it was the visitors who struck first with Des Smith taking a 54-38 success before Les Mooney's 77-63 reply put the game back in the melting pot.
Chris Parker's 90-42 scoreline was more than enough to give him man of the match status, especially as he later notched a fine break of 46 in the decisive pairs leg with Mooney after John Smith had reduced the points deficit to just 19 after his fourth frame win.

Although Alfreton No 2 won all five frames contested at Bolehill No 2, several of them were down to the wire as Ben Monk (4pts), Kyle Ryde (4pts) and Andrew Beardsley (3pts) were all taken to the brink by their plucky opponents.
Ryde impressed with a run of 31, but Steve Donner's 43 break proved pivotal in his 92-58 verdict in frame three and he teamed up with Jamie Rowland to rubber stamp the place in the final later in the evening.

The Jimmy Harper Plate competition got underway and with Edgefold struggling for players, it was left to Duncan Harwood and Steven Clark to don their "Superman" capes and see off the best Bolehill No 1 could muster with just the pair of them contesting all the five frames.
Harwood remained unbeaten throughout, even whilst giving up the extra handicap, whilst Clark got his team off to a flyer with a confident start. Simon Zoppi was the only visitor to register after taking pink and black in his frame.

And in the battle of the Crich cuemen, it was the No 2 team who took the spoils with Jack Lowe starring courtesy of a century points haul whilst Graeme Wood and Dale Shaw also impressed. Paul Trevett won both singles and doubles for the No 1 outfit.
Captains Cup (Team Aggregate) semi finals: Matlock Golf Club 322, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 287; Bolehill Institute No 2 297, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 358.
Jimmy Harper Plate (Team Aggregate) first round: Edgefold Matlock 312, Bolehill Institute No 1 239; Crich Comrades No 2 322, Crich Comrades No 1 254.
Breaks: C Parker 46; S Donner 43; K Ryde 31; C Marchington 25.