BOLEHILL AT THE DOUBLE AS SNOOKER LEADERS FALTER

ANDREW BROUGH and RICKI SLACK with the Billiards Captains Cup

THERE was a rapidfire double for Bolehill Institute in billiards competition as fresh from their League title secured the previous week, the pairing of Andrew Brough and Ricki Slack added the Captains Cup Team Aggregate event to their mantlepiece though not without having to withstand a great fightback from the Mayfield pairing in the final.
Andrew Brough was off to a flyer against Mark Jennings and eventually ran out a 150-78 winner which meant partner Ricki Slack needed to score 79 to take the spoils against dangerous opponent Keith Gregory.
Sure enough, Gregory had his scoring boots on from the off and running into a sizeable lead aided by a 40 break, looked like he was in with a real chance of turning things around for his team.
However, a run of 30 brought the home player back within shouting distance and although Gregory continued to flow freely thereafter, he was 26 points adrift of his desired target of 150 when Slack struck the winning score.

Meanwhile, there were several shocks in the T & M Motors Snooker League with the top three all tasting defeat with the main beneficaries being Clay Cross Brotherhood No2 and Tansley Potters who closed the gap on the pacesetters.
Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2, who took over top place the previous week, were beaten 4-1 at home by Edgefold No3, with newcomer Steve Birds getting the ball rolling for the visitors in a tight scrap.
Jack Lowe suffered an unfortunate in-off on pink which would have secured the next but Roy Taylor came back to take both balls and make it 2-0 before another black ball decider went to Sam Kniveton for 3-0.
Conrad Spencer added the fourth 58-44 to put the Matlock cuemen on cloud nine before Lowe and Paul Sainsbury finally took the concluding doubles leg.

Edgefold No2 were beaten 3-2 at home by a resurgent Crich Comrades, but moved level on points with the leaders in doing so, albeit having played a game more.
Josh Dakin put the hosts ahead but John Magill (Clay Cross Brotherhood sponsored Player of the Week) amassed 96 points in levelling before Martin Barwick again nudged the Matlock side in front with a 53-14 success.
Nick Berry soon equalised and eventually Magill and Paul Trevett took the deciding pairs leg 52-30.

Bolehill No1 fell 5-0 at Belper Royal British Legion, meaning they took only one point out of ten against their opponents who boosted their mid table position.
Steve Bullock was in excellent form and took his singles and doubles legs along with Mark Newby with the hosts winning three of the five frames on the pink.

Clay Cross No2 took all five points from Bolehill No2 to go within three points of the top in third place with Callum Greenfield notching a run of 29 and John Roseman 22 as he top scored with 89 points.

Tansley Potters edged out last season's champs Edgefold No1 3-2 with the Nevilles, Joe and Radford putting them two to the good, the latter winning on the black.
Two more black ball deciders each went to the visitors, with Duncan Harwood and Steve Burton successful, before Neville (J) and Steve Hawkins decided the issue in the doubles 85-41.

The other league clash saw Clay Cross No1 bounce back to form with a 5-0 defeat of Alfreton PM No1 in which Ian McKay and Tony Blant took each of their singles and doubles contests.

Alfreton No1 themselves hit straight back the following night in the delayed Captains Cup Team Aggregate quarter final as they overcame Edgefold No2 271-227.
Des and John Smith each scored narrow victories before Scott Brooks with a 71-46 win put his side seven points ahead. 
Andrew Haggarty with a 56-35 scoreline put the home side back into the ascendancy and they rubber stamped this in the pairs finale, with Des and Cole Smith taking it 67-37.

In the Denis Morton Pairs Handicap semi final, Steve and Joe Hawkins battled back from 2-0 down to defeat Ian McKay and Graham Jones 3-2 and await the winner of the other contest in the final.

T & M Motors Snooker League week 17: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 1, Edgefold Matlock No3 4; Edgefold Matlock No2 2, Crich Comrades 3; Belper Royal British Legion 5, Bolehill Institute No1 0; Bolehill Institute No2 0, Clay Cross Brotherhood No2 5; Tansley Potters 3, Edgefold No1 2; Clay Cross Brotherhood No1 5, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 0.
Captains Cup Team Aggregate (Snooker) quarter final: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 271, Edgefold Matlock No2 227. 
Breaks: C Greenfield 29; G Jones 25; J Roseman 22; J Dakin 22; J Magill 22: S Zoppi 20.
Clay Cross Brotherhood sponsored Player of the Week: John Magill (Crich Comrades).

Captains Cup Team Aggregate (Billiards) final: Bolehill Institute beat Mayfield Institute by 26pts.
Breaks: K Gregory 40, R Slack 30.

T & M Motors Snooker League        P        W        L      Pts 

Alfreton P Morewood No2                 16       12         4      53

Edgefold Matlock No2                       17       11         6      53

Clay Cross Brotherhood No2            17         9         8      50

Bolehill Institute No1                         17        11         6      48

Tansley Potters                                  16       10         6      45

Belper Royal British Legion               17         8         9      43

Edgefold Matlock No1                       16         9         7      42

Clay Cross Brotherhood No1            16         7         9      38

Alfreton P Morewood No1                 16         8         8      37

Crich Comrades                                17         8         9      36

Edgefold Matlock No3                       17         4       13      29

Bolehill Institute No2                         16         2       13      21

Leading breaks: D Waring 47, I McKay 46.
Leading wins: J Lowe 14/16; J Neville & M Barwick 12/16.

BOLEHILL CONTINUE SUCCESSES IN BILLIARDS LEAGUE

RICKI SLACK and ANDREW BROUGH ... billiards champs

BOLEHILL INSTITUTE continued their impressive recent record in the Classic Gas Bodyshop Billiards League by securing the title for the third time in four years (jointly held in 2024) as well as finishing runners-up last season as they defeated Tansley Potters 14-7 in an entertaining contest.
A ripsnorting opening battle between Andrew Brough and Joe Neville swung to and fro with the latter's 40 break putting him one in front before Brough pulled twenty ahead on the cusp of victory.
His opponent fought back strongly however, and was only a couple of scores away from success himself but a narrowly missed in-off allowed the Bolehill player back in to score the winning cannon.
Ricki Slack therefore needed only 25pts to ensure top spot for his team and a 62 break on only his second visit soothed any remaining nerves before eventually taking the spoils 150-52, in the process registering most individual wins for the season with 10 from 12 games.

In the T & M Motors Snooker League, Brough was also pressed into action for Bolehill No2 as reserve due to shortages and he put his side ahead with a vintage display at new league leaders Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2.
That was as good as it got for them however, with young Kai Hopkins racking up a century points haul to equalise and earn himself the Clay Cross Brotherhood sponsored Player of the Week title, Jack Lowe (33 break) and Adam Cupit sealing the deal with rapidfire successes.
Lowe then teamed up with Ben Monk in the pairs leg to put the icing on the cake for 4-1.

Long term pacesetters Edgefold No2 fell 4-1 at fourth placed Clay Cross Brotherhood No2.
Mark Bower (20 break) and Callum Greenfield (27 break) soon had the home side 2-0 to the good and despite a black ball win for the ever consistent Scott Brooks, Lee Shaw then took each of his singles and doubles legs, teaming up with John Roseman to edge the four-hander on the black.

Bolehill Institute No1 continued their excellent recent run with a 4-1 defeat of Clay Cross Brotherhood No1.
Ian Doe and Ricki Slack both grafted for hard earned successes before Duncan Waring reduced the arrears for the visitors in the next.
But Ian Birks was successful in each of his singles and doubles contests, latterly with Slack who settled the issue with a clearance from green onwards.

Tansley Potters lie just outside the play off positions but with a game in hand after their 3-2 loss at a resurgent Crich Comrades.
Nick Berry put the Tramwaymen in front and two re-spotted black finishes were shared in the next two frames with Radford Neville and John Magill each taking the spoils.
A convincing triumph for Paul Trevett steered his side over the line before the two Joes, Neville and Hawkins pulled one back in the concluding doubles.

Edgefold No1 defeated Belper Royal British Legion 3-2 despite Mark Newby striking first for the visitors with a dominant 58-8 scoreline.
Rob Muxlow and Steve Burton then nudged the home side in front and although Wayne Shooter levelled, that pairing also held sway in the four-hander at the end.

The remaining game saw Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 end a barren run with a 4-1 victory at Edgefold No3.
Des and Cole Smith soon had the Amber Valley cuemen two up before James Hemming pulled one back for the hosts. It was 3-1 courtesy of Andrew Haggarty shortly afterwards and Smith (D) and Longden wrapped up proceedings similarly on the front foot.

Jack Lowe reached the final of the "B" (Intermediate) Individual Handicap with a battling 3-2 win over Ian Doe and still has chances in the Open Individual and Pairs Handicap to come.

T & M Motors Snooker League: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 4, Bolehill Institute No2 1; Clay Cross Brotherhood No2 4, Edgefold Matlock No2 1; Bolehill Institute No1 4, Clay Cross Brotherhood No1 1; Crich Comrades 3, Tansley Potters 2; Edgefold Matlock No1 3, Belper Royal British Legion 2; Edgefold Matlock No3 1, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 4.
Breaks (inc. comps): J Lowe 33,22; C Greenfield 27; K Hopkins 26; R Slack 25; R Muxlow 23; A Brough 22; M Bower 20.
Century points haul / Player of the Week: Kai Hopkins (Alfreton P Morewood No2) 111.

Classic Gas Bodyshop Billiards League: Bolehill Institute 12, Tansley Potters 7.
Breaks: R Slack 62; J Neville 40.

T & M Motors Snooker League        P        W        L      Pts 

Alfreton P Morewood No2                 15       12         3      52

Edgefold Matlock No2                       16       11         5      51

Bolehill Institute No1                         16       11         5      48

Clay Cross Brotherhood No2            16         8         8      45

Tansley Potters                                  15         9         6      42

Edgefold Matlock No1                       15         9         6      40

Belper Royal British Legion               16         7         9      38

Alfreton P Morewood No1                 15         8         7      37

Crich Comrades                                16         7         9      33

Clay Cross Brotherhood No1            15         6         9      33

Edgefold Matlock No3                       16         3       13      25

Bolehill Institute No2                         15         2       13      21

Leading breaks: D Waring 47, I McKay 46.
Leading wins: J Lowe 14/15; C Marchington 11/14; J Neville & M Barwick 11/15.

Classic Gas Bodyshop Billiards League       P     W      D       L     Pts
Bolehill Institute                                               12      11      0       1     138
Whitworth Institute                                           12       3       1       8    106
Mayfield Institute                                                9       3       1       5     88
Tansley Potters                                                  9       3       0       6      75

Leading breaks: J McCann 91; R Slack 62.
Leading wins: R Slack 10/12; J McCann 7/12.