COMRADES PULL RUG FROM UNDER VISITORS ALFRETON

PHIL LEVERTON started the Crich comeback

FOLLOWING last week's six red openers, another season of hopes and dreams got underway for proper as the T & M Motors Snooker League swung into action with a mix of experienced stalwarts and bright new talents entering the fray.
Some exciting matches were witnessed and none more-so than on School Lane where Crich Comrades continued last weeks' trend of turnarounds themselves  against Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 after being on the wrong end of one last week.
A thrilling opener saw Ben Monk (27 break) steal the frame from behind 79-71 and it was soon 2-0 to the visitors as Carlos Zaragoza edged another tight encounter 49-41.
Phil Leverton took the next on the black however to keep his side in the hunt and when Nick Berry triumphed in the fourth frame 61-44 it was all down to the deciding doubles leg.
Needing no second invitation, up stepped Paul Trevett and league debutant Martyn Dranfield to seal a memorable 3-2 win for the Tramwaymen with a 60-24 verdict.

Tansley Potters were off to a flyer with a 4-1 success at Belper RBL. Joe Neville took the opener on the black 72-70 and although Paul Jarrett equalised, there was no further joy for the Legionnaires with Steve and Joe Hawkins taking the next two frames respectively and the visitors also securing the doubles leg.

The all-Edgefold clash saw the No2 team defeat the No3 team 4-1. Martin Barwick top scored for the victors whilst Josh Dakin and Trevor Wright also impressed before Fin Harvey and Reece Johnstone registered for the vanquished in the doubles.

Edgefold No1 secured a hard-fought 3-2 success at Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 where three games went down to the last black.
Richard Ferguson marked his comeback with a 67-61 win to open proceedings and Steve Burton then edged the next by a single point 60-59.
Phil Longden pulled one back and teamed up with Cole Smith to take the doubles leg on the black but Tommy Smith had sealed the deal for the visitors in-between.

Clay Cross Brotherhood were also fast out of the blocks with Duncan Waring and Graham Jones each notching runs of 29 en-route to singles successes while Bolehill's Colin Marchington, having reached a break of 35, was unlucky not to get more as he potted the next blue only to see the cue ball disappear in-off.
Tony Blant's 44-43 win on the black in the fourth frame made sure of an eventual 3-2 victory.

T & M Motors Snooker League week 01: Crich Comrades 3, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 2; Belper Royal British Legion 1, Tansley Potters 4; Edgefold Matlock No2 4, Edgefold Matlock No3 1; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 2, Edgefold Matlock No1 3; Clay Cross Brotherhood 3, Bolehill Institute 2.
Breaks: C Marchington 35; D Waring 29; G Jones 29; B Monk 27; R Ferguson 23; D Smith 20.

TURNAROUNDS GALORE IN SIX RED CUP GROUP OPENERS

STEVE BULLOCK teamed up with Justin Weller sublimely

THE BOB McCARTIN SIX RED CUP kicked off this season's T & M Motors Snooker League action and the group stages saw several turnarounds as the teams getting off to a flying start seemed to have the rug pulled from under them in a number of games.

Belper Royal British Legion feature the old team-mates of the late Bob McCartin who have done him proud in this eponymous competition over the years but they fell 2-0 behind early doors at Crich Comrades in Group B with Paul Trevett and Ade Smith striking 40-18 and 30-21 respectively.
However, Mark Newby snatched the third on the black to reduce the arrears and after Justin Weller levelled matters, the pendulum well and truly swung towards the away side.
Steve Bullock and Wayne Shooter edged another close encounter on the black in the first of the scotch doubles and with Paul Jarrett and Newby putting the game beyond the hosts, the cue arms began to flow ever more freely.
This being the case, Weller and Bullock combined sublimely in the seventh and final frame with breaks of 27 and 23 in the pairs, showing the value of precise teamwork for an overall 5-2 win.

Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 were also out of the blocks quickly as they entertained Tansley Potters in Group C with Des Smith striking early with a 31 break en route to a 44-31 success.
Radford Neville equalised but Phil Longden and Andrew Haggarty with successive frames put the Amber Valley side one away from victory.
That is how it stayed though as Tansley took all three scotch doubles legs for a 4-3 verdict, with the Hawkins' father and son partnership's black ball success in the sixth frame proving pivotal.

Group A's opener was also a come from behind scenario after Scott Brooks (on the pink) and Trevor Wright (on the black) had Edgefold No2 two to the good at Bolehill Institute.
Ricki Slack took green to pink to pull one back and teamed up with Colin Marchington for a black ball success in the scotch doubles after Simon Zoppi had equalised in-between.
Brooks and Josh Dakin levelled matters again at 3-3 before the two Ians, Birks and Doe teamed up to deliver a pink ball triumph for Bolehill in the decider.

Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 went one better with a 5-2 win at Edgefold No3.
Ben Monk saw off a valiant effort from Fin Harvey to take a re-spotted black in the opener and although Sam Kniveton pulled it level, wins for Ady Lowe and Carlos Zaragoza soon had the visitors 3-1 up.
Monk and Ady Lowe soon secured the win before Harvey and Jacob Bradbury reduced the arrears.
The nights action concluded with Monk and Jack Lowe taking a 37-23 verdict.

Bob McCartin Six Red Cup, Group A: Bolehill Institute 4, Edgefold Matlock No2 3; Edgefold Matlock No3 2, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 5; Group B: Crich Comrades 2, Belper Royal British Legion 5; Group C: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 3, Tansley Potters 4.
Breaks: D Smith 31; J Weller/S Bullock 27,23.

SMITHS BOOK-END ANOTHER PLATE WIN FOR ALFRETON 1

ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD No1 Jimmy Harper Plate winners 2023/24
L-R: Des Smith, Andrew Haggarty, John Smith, Phil Longden. Also played: Cole Smith.

ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD No1 defeated Tansley Potters 287-248 at Jackhill Farm in the Jimmy Harper Team Plate final, taking the event for the second time in a tight contest which concludes the 2023/24 season.
With Alfreton having defeated league champions Edgefold No 1 over a month ago, they had to wait until some of the delayed matches in the opposite part of the draw were played but shrugged off the absence to get off to a flying start.
Des Smith took the opener 82-47 and brother John was also in fine fettle as he notched a 66-35 success to give the Amber Valley cuemen a healthy 66 point lead after the first couple of frames.
Steve Hawkins made some inroads into the deficit as he defeated his old team-mate Phil Longden 69-42 and then his son Joe, who has found some form lately, started off in scintillating fashion as he looked to throw the game wide open.
However, a vital pink and black from Andrew Haggarty pegged the scoreline back to 72-59 and the Alfreton lead was still 26 going into the final doubles frame.
This was also bolstered by a five point advantage on the handicap as Hawkins and Radford Neville took on the earlier victorious Smith brothers.
And in a largely tactical frame, Tansley a few times threatened to get right back into it without quite converting that extra colour or two that would have given them a real sporting chance.
In the end, great pots from Des on green and brown made sure after a miss on the blue off the last red left the home team requiring snookers so Alfreton repeated their feat of September 2021 when they took a COVID-delayed final which actually saw Steve Hawkins and Phil Longden turning out for the defeated Bolehill team that night.
Jimmy Harper Plate (Team Aggregate Consolation) final: Tansley Potters 248, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 287: 47-82; 35-66; 69-42; 72-59; 25-38 (conceded on blue).

TANSLEY RACK UP 2ND HIGHEST SCORE IN PLATE HISTORY

TANSLEY POTTERS 2023-24 - KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
L-R: Joe Hawkins, Steve Hawkins, Joe Neville, Ted Neville, Radford Neville.

THE PENULTIMATE match of the 2023/24 season saw the delayed encounter between Tansley Potters and Clay Cross Brotherhood with the fixture which finished the league campaign for both teams being repeated in the semi final of the Jimmy Harper Plate competition decided by overall aggregate points.
Joe Neville had the hosts ahead early doors with a 76-43 win giving his team a healthy advantage and son Radford added to this with a 61-44 verdict in the next.
An excellent 71-38 win for young Joe Hawkins in the next meant there was an 83 points difference going into the final two frames.
And after Steve Hawkins had taken the fourth 88-55 surely it was all but decided without one of the most incredible turnarounds in competition history.
Unsurprisingly, this wasn't forthcoming as the Nevilles completed a clean sweep with a 77-44 scoreline meaning they had amassed 373 points overall, the second highest recorded in the Plate's history, with Clay Cross registering 212.
A tough day at the office for the visitors, several of whom had been away on their holidays, and the rustiness was evident on the evening combined with some excellent performances from the victors.
Tansley now go on to meet Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 who progressed to the final several weeks ago with a semi final win over league champions Edgefold No1.

Jimmy Harper Plate (Team Aggregate Consolation) semi final: Tansley Potters 373, Clay Cross Brotherhood 212.

CRICH TAKE PLAY-OFF SUCCESS, BOLEHILL DUO WIN PAIRS

CRICH COMRADES Jaeger Trophy winners 2023-24
L-R: Nick Berry, Phil Leverton, Ade Smith and Martin Byard.
Also played: Paul Trevett, Jack Long, Rob Mulliss.

EDGEFOLD No1 T & M Motors Snooker League champs 2023-24
L-R: Steve Burton, Scott Brooks, Duncan Harwood and Martin Barwick.
Also played: Sean Dobney and James Travis.

THE JAEGER TROPHY Play-Off final took place between the top two teams from the T & M Motors Snooker League Edgefold No1 and Crich Comrades who had each progressed to the Bolehill Institute venue with clean sweep victories in their semi finals.
The opening frame was a real cracker with some top notch potting and great attacking play from both players. Martin Barwick notched a neat run of 22 en route to leading 42-0 early doors but opponent Martin Byard remained unphased and had edged ahead before taking blue and pink to seal the frame.
The next was nip and tuck throughout as Steve Burton took on Nick Berry and it was the latter who came through at the end, taking pink to go seven ahead and eventually fluking the black to make it 2-0.
Scott Brooks and Duncan Harwood (20 break) were in very solid form throughout and engineered decisive verdicts of 69-27 and 66-36 respectively however for 2-2 and it was all down to the final doubles frame.
Unsurprisingly the winning players from both teams were nominated and with the last three balls on, Edgefold needed them all to win by one point.
Brooks set about the task with a fine pot on blue but very unluckily the cue ball landed right behind the black meaning he was snookered full-ball on the pink and having missed this narrowly, the Tramwaymen looked poised for victory.
This was confirmed soon afterwards by another unlucky in-off as Berry and Byard kept their unbeaten record on the night with a 62-32 success thanks to some great play for a 3-2 win.
A first success in the event for Crich Comrades and the third time overall that the runners-up have ended up winning the play off final.

IAN BIRKS and RICKI SLACK of Bolehill, Denis Morton Trophy winners

The following night the Edgefold pairing of Duncan Harwood and Steve Burton (playing off minus 8) had the chance to go one better as they took on Bolehill duo Ricki Slack and Ian Birks (minus 13) at Crich Comrades in the pairs handicap final for the Denis Morton Trophy.
Harwood was a current holder of the trophy, having won last year's delayed final with Steve Clark who was unavailable with work commitments through most of this campaign. In all he was looking for a fourth win in the event, having also taken it twice with top cueman Andy Russell a few years back.
With the Bolehill pair being restricted to mainly single reds in the opener, the Matlock duo were off to a flying start as they drew first blood 50-14 with few concerns.
An early lead in the next was eradicated when Slack compiled a run of 33 before missing a black off the spot but it proved enough eventually to equalise with a 66-32 scoreline.
Harwood with a mid-frame 24 in the third soon had Edgefold back in the ascendancy with a 66-22 verdict.
Once again Bolehill replied in turn with Birks getting into the action with a break of 24 for an early frame advantage and then Slack clearing up with 22 at the back-end for a 68-43 win and 2-2.
The fifth frame saw Steve Burton amongst the balls with a solid break of 31 and although the lead was gradually eaten into, the brown put the Matlock pairing 19 ahead with 18 on.
Slack was forced to pot blue in the jaws of the pocket but no snooker was forthcoming thereafter and eventually they fell behind 3-2 after inadvertently potting the pink also.
Nevertheless, the topsy turvy nature of the evening continued and some gritty tactical play came to fore as a 65-32 win squared it up again at 3-3 with the clock already moving towards closing time.
And in an incredibly high-scoring finale in which 162 points were amassed no less, it was all the fun of the fair except perhaps for the players participating as a bizarre ending ensued.
Needing all the balls to win by one, Burton tried a thin snick on green into middle which missed altogether but then despite two or three gilt-edged chances for Bolehill to put the game to bed, the balls would just not go in and eventually Harwood laid an excellent snooker.
Slack swerved to escape and made a solid hit but amazingly the cue ball went straight in off into a baulk pocket thereafter and it was game on.
A couple of decent snookers from Bolehill soon afterwards had them back in the driving seat though and with both escapes failing we were now at the two snookers required stage and surely that was it......
But incredibly, a rare mis-hit from Birks knocked in the black which was sitting over a bottom pocket and the Matlock cuemen could now tie with the seven point penalty coming into play.
And gradually potting each of the balls one by one, soon enough only the black remained. Birks played a fine safety from the full length of the table and Harwood was very unlucky in the end to go in-off into a baulk pocket when playing his reply after an inconceivable run of events to end an extremely tight and tough marathon battle.
Ian gains his first win in the event having been once runner-up and it is a second win for Ricki (the previous one being way back in 1980 as a "C" Division player with the late Richard Potts) as well as attaining four runner-ups in the years since.

Jaeger Trophy Play-off final (at Bolehill Institute): Edgefold Matlock No1 2, Crich Comrades 3: 50(22)-66; 51-65; 69-27; 66(20)-36; 32-62.
Denis Morton Trophy Pairs Handicap final (at Crich Comrades): Ricki Slack / Ian Birks 4, Steve Burton / Duncan Harwood 3: 14-50; 66(33)-32; 22-66(24); 68(24,22)-43; 50-58(31); 65-32; 88-74. 

EDGEFOLD No1 AND CRICH COMRADES IN BIG SHOWDOWN

MARTIN BARWICK

EDGEFOLD No1 and CRICH COMRADES each progressed to their Jaeger Trophy play-off final showdown in emphatic style as they delivered 4-0 wins to confirm their status as the top two ranking teams in the league table.
The Tramwaymen were first in action as they hosted Tansley Potters and although the teams finished second and third in the table, it was all one way traffic on the night.
Nick Berry took the opener 83-39 as he continued in fine form after his "B" Individual Handicap win the previous week and Paul Trevett made it 2-0 soon afterwards with a hard fought 71-51 victory.
And Ade Smith made sure of the win as he scored a convincing 78-32 verdict before Jack Long added the icing on the cake in a rare appearance in an academic fourth frame.

Not to be outdone a couple of days later, Edgefold No1 showed they are still firing on all cylinders after taking the T & M Motors Snooker League title though they were made to work by fourth placed Clay Cross Brotherhood despite the ultimate clean sweep of frames.
Martin Barwick edged the opener on the black 62-55 before a more comfortable win from Steve Burton gave the hosts some breathing space.
Another black ball verdict from Scott Brooks secured the Matlock side's place in the final and Duncan Harwood added the dead rubber in the fourth frame.

The top pair now face off at Bolehill Institute for the grand prize with this being a sixth Edgefold team appearance in the final since the competition started in 2012, while Crich will be appearing for the second time, though it will be a debut for the current team.

Three of the early competitions featured the top eight teams (with a sixth and seventh placed team emerging victorious) before the current format of the top four became the norm in 2016.
Alfreton Palmer Morewood are the winning-most team with four successes followed by two wins each from Edgefold and Belper Strutt Club.

The league champions have now reached the final for the last eight years (9 out of 12 overall and 8 out of 9 in the four team format) and currently have five wins.
The highest placed team in the final has won 9 out of 11 attempts but it will be all to play for on the night as another piece of Darley Dale and District Snooker League history is made, good luck to all!

Jaeger Trophy (Top four play-offs) semi finals: Crich Comrades 4, Tansley Potters 0; Edgefold Matlock No1 4, Clay Cross Brotherhood 0.

ALFRETON PASS STAMINA TEST WHILE BERRY WINS AGAIN

ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD No3 Captains Cup winners 2023-24
L-R: Guy Taylor, Carlos Zaragoza, Ady Lowe and Jack Lowe. Also played: Alex Fisher.

IT MAY have been approaching the midnight hour with an 11.35pm finish but the Captains Cup Team Aggregate final between Alfreton Palmer Morewood No3 and Belper Royal British Legion served up a real thriller in front of a decent crowd at Clay Cross Brotherhood who stayed  right to the end of this real cliffhanger.
Carlos Zaragoza put Alfreton into an early ascendancy as he took the opener in fine style 77-33 and with Guy Taylor adding to this with an excellent 64-42 win, a very healthy lead of 66 had been built up.
Mark Newby threatened to claw a fair amount of this back for the Legionnaires but in the end had to settle for a 56-45 verdict and his team still had it all to do.
A nip and tuck frame in the fourth saw Ady Lowe start well with a teen break but Justin Weller battled valiantly and despite potting pink and going in off near the end, he was not to be denied and came back to eventually take both remaining balls for a 57-56 turnaround.
With a 54 lead though, the odds favoured Ady and Jack Lowe in the doubles leg but Weller and Steve Bullock had other ideas and despite some perfectly decent play by the frontrunners, began to erode the deficit.
A 33 break from Weller and then some astutely laid snookers had Alfreton in a real sweat and with the last three balls remaining, the lead was only five points.
But up stepped the hero of the hour Jack Lowe to produce absolutely stunning pots on blue and pink at this point and send the team and their supporters into raptures with an overall score of 282-266.

ADE SMITH and NICK BERRY, "B" Individual  Handicap finalists

Elsewhere, Nick Berry of Crich Comrades defeated his team-mate and captain Ade Smith 3-0 in the B (Intermediate) Individual Handicap final to lift the trophy for an amazing fourth time in six years.
After fouling soon before, Smith redeemed himself with a double on the blue but unfortunately for him left a golden chance on the pink straight after which Berry duly despatched to take the opener 60-41.
The next saw Smith needing the last three balls to tie but his safety on the blue went wrong and Berry stepped in to make it 2-0 with a 57-34 scoreline.
And aided by some particularly good potting, Berry sealed the deal in a very tight decider as he took blue and pink for a straight frames win.

There was also one remaining delayed T & M Motors Snooker League contest and it has happy faces all round as Clay Cross Brotherhood's 3-2 defeat of Tansley Potters saw both teams make the end of season Jaeger Trophy play offs for the top four.
Joe and Radford Neville were in winning form to put the hosts 2-1 ahead but an otherwise youthful line up had to bow to the vast experience of the visitors at the final countdown as Duncan Waring and Graham Jones secured the deciding doubles leg 83-44.

Captains Cup (Team Aggregate) final: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No3 282, Belper Royal British Legion 266 (at Clay Cross Brotherhood): 77-33; 64-42; 45-56; 56-57; 40-78(33).
"B" (Intermediate) Individual Handicap final: Nick Berry (Crich Comrades) 3, Ade Smith (Crich Comrades) 0 (at Crich): 60-41; 57-34; 77-67.
T & M Motors Snooker League: Tansley Potters 2, Clay Cross Brotherhood 3.
Breaks (inc. comps): J Weller 33; R Neville 28; D Waring 21.

T & M Motors Snooker League        P        W        L      Pts 
Edgefold Matlock No 1                      16       15         1      59
Crich Comrades                                16        10        6      45
Tansley Potters                                  16         7         9      42
Clay Cross Brotherhood                    16         9         7      41 
Edgefold Matlock No 2                      16         8         8      40 
Alfreton P Morewood No 3                16         6       10      37                   
Bolehill Institute                                 16         7         9      33
Alfreton P Morewood No1                 16         6       10      33
Belper Royal British Legion               16         4       12      30
Alfreton P Morewood No 2                  0         0         0        0
Leading breaks: R Mulliss 51, D Smith 49.
Leading wins: S Burton 13/16; R Taylor & M Newby 11/15; D Smith & R Neville 11/16