LATEST HANDICAP CHANGES

The latest handicap changes following the last round of matches are:
Steve Bullock of Belper Strutt Club No 1 now goes on to -5 (from -10)
Paul Jarrett of Belper Strutt Club No 1 now goes to -5 (from -10)
Duncan Harwood of Edgefold Matlock now goes on to +5 (from Scratch).
Any further changes will be updated on here and communicated to the captains involved.

STRUTT No 1 KEEP POLE POSITION AFTER BIG CLASH

THIS WEEK's clash between the top two teams in B Division saw Belper Strutt Club No 1 maintain their pole position thanks to a 3-2 away win at nearest rivals Gladiators Social Club of Matlock.
Wayne Shooter edged out Troy Brett on the black in the opener, despite the latter's contribution of 36, before Paul Jarrett (28 break) and Mark Newby quickly put the game to bed with fine performances thereafter.

Mark Gwynne-Jones battled back for the hosts with a 27 clearance to snatch the fourth frame on the black and then he and Dwayne Martin also registered a black ball success in the concluding doubles, despite Paul Jarrett (25 break) continuing to cue well.

The giant-killing act of the week went to Belper Strutt No 2, who toppled A Division leaders Marehay Miners Welfare also by a 3-2 scoreline.

As ever Ben Monk remained unmoved, winning both his singles and doubles frames with breaks of 35 and 26 but in between those successes, Chris Stubbs, Adam Winson and Keith Hubbold all reeled off quickfire frames for a memorable victory for the hosts.

Matlock Golf Club's IAN McKAY equalled the A Division top break with 44.

Bolehill Institute No 2 were another to triumph by the minimum margin in their home fixture with Matlock Golf Club but not before Ian McKay had equalled the A Division's highest break with a superb effort of 44 in the opening salvo.

Keith Robertson (27 break) won both his singles and doubles frames for the hosts though which helped to tip the scales overall.

It also went down to the wire at Matlock Club, but Edgefold Club took the honours 3-2 as Robert Muxlow and Duncan Harwood triumphed on the final black in the concluding doubles, after Keith Manlove and Paul Holmes had pulled the hosts level from 2-0 down.

Jaxx Q Club of Belper fell to a 4-1 defeat at home to Bolehill Institute No 1, with Ricki Slack and Ian Birks top scoring in their doubles frame after Tim Maslin had registered the point for the home team.

League week 9: Gladiators SC Matlock 2, Belper Strutt No 1 3; Belper Strutt No 2 3, Marehay MW / PJ'z 2; Bolehill Inst No 2 3, Matlock Golf Club 2; Matlock Club 2, Edgefold Matlock 3; Jaxx Q Club Belper 1, Bolehill Inst No 1 4.

Breaks: I McKay 44; T Brett 36; B Monk 35,26; P Jarrett 28,25; M Gwynne-Jones 27; K Robertson 27; A Gratton 26; S Robinson 23; K Holmes 22,21.

A Division                        P      W      L      Pts
Marehay MW / PJ'z          9       7       2       33
Bolehill Institute No 1        9       5       4       25
Edgefold Matlock              9       5       4       22
Matlock Golf Club             9       4       5       20
Jaxx Q Club Belper          9       5       4       18
Leading breaks: B Monk & I McKay 44.
Leading wins: R Slack & B Monk 8; A Gratton 7.

B Division                        P      W      L      Pts
Belper Strutt No 1             9       6       3       26
Gladiators SC Matlock      8       4       4       24
Belper Strutt No 2             8       4       4       20
Bolehill Institute No 2        9       4       5       20
Matlock Club                     9       0       9       12
Leading breaks: T Brett 58 & 38, D Martin 37.
Leading wins: I Peacock 7, C Stubbs, M Newby & W Shooter 6.

COMPETITION DRAWS THIS SUNDAY

THE DRAW for the next round of the competitions will be held this Sunday January 20th at Bolehill Institute (weather permitting!) at approx. 8.30pm.
Please try to get all matches played by this date or soon afterwards if it is still in the allowed period (B Div Individual next stage is already scheduled for end of month). Cheers.

HOLDERS START THEIR CUP DEFENCE IN SOLID FASHION

BOLEHILL No 1's SIMON ZOPPI ... illness no obstacle as he romped to victory.

JUST two matches took place in the opening round of the Captains Cup Team Aggregate competition (the other teams received byes) and these produced victories for both the home teams.
Holders Bolehill Institute No 1 entertained Gladiators Social Club of Matlock and were off to a flying start as Simon Zoppi defied flu-like symptoms to produce one of his best performances of the season with a 33-point success.

Further wins for Colin Marchington and Andrew Brough ensued and despite Guy Shirley winning both his singles and doubles matches (partnered by an inspired Mark Gwynne-Jones in the latter contest) the visitors fell short 311-265 after briefly threatening to turn the match on its head.

It was also home sweet home for Matlock's Edgefold Club who overcame visitors Belper Strutt Club No 2 by 294-221.

Richard Ferguson earned a narrow first frame verdict for the hosts before Rob Muxlow and Neil Parkinson put the game practically beyond reach with wide margin wins.

Steve Buckley did his best to claw his side back into reach with a 51-point win in frame 4 but Rob and Neil quickly re-asserted authority in the concluding doubles frame.

There was also one re-arranged League fixture which saw Matlock Golf Club defeat Matlock Club 3-2.

Ian Rose's return to the fold for the visitors was spoiled by a fine performance from Jack Lynch before Nick Kay made it 2-0 shortly afterwards.

Graeme Wood pulled one back but Chris Parker sealed the deal in frame four before Ian showed his class in the concluding doubles frame with an excellent 31 break which helped reduce the result to the minimum margin.

Captains Cup Team Aggregate 1st round: Bolehill Inst No 1 311, Gladiators SC Matlock 265; Edgefold Matlock 294, Belper Strutt No 2 221.
League: Matlock Golf Club 3, Matlock Club 2.
Breaks: I Rose 31; P Ogden 20.

BEN FOLLOWS IN ANDY'S FOOTSTEPS WITH XMAS DOUBLE

ALAN HOPKINSON TROPHY finalists KEITH ROBERTSON (left) and BEN MONK (winner).

FOLLOWING Andrew Gratton's double last Christmas in the Six Red and Speed Snooker competitions in the annual Shootout Night held at Jaxx Q Club, team-mate Ben Monk of Marehay Miners Welfare remarkably achieved the very same feat this time around.
Eighteen players converged on the Belper venue for what many commented is one of the most enjoyable nights of the year with short format competitive snooker combined with a great feel of festive camaraderie being the order of the day.

Ben came through his early rounds of the main competition against team-mate Lee Whatton and then Ian McKay before a mouth- watering clash ensued with local legend Jimmy Gratton in the semi finals.

This did not disappoint with Jimmy making the early running and looking set to clinch a final berth until Ben's 22 clearance at the end saw him snatch a dramatic victory on the final black.

And he kept up the good work in the final against Bolehill Institute's Keith Robertson to lift the Alan Hopkinson Trophy, thanks mainly to an early 31 break before finishing the job with a clearance after Keith's attempted pot on green into the middle pocket had caught the jaw.

Keith himself had earlier fought through matches with Andrew Gratton, Charlie Hodgkinson and Nick Kay.

The second leg of Ben's double came in the Eddie Lomas Trophy, which pits players against each other head to head in being the fastest to clear the colours on adjacent tables.

And this year it was all the more noteworthy a success for the Marehay man as the handicap system was extended so that he had two extra reds to pot while some players started only from the green onwards.

The final was a real thriller against Bolehill's Andrew Brough, with the pair nip and tuck and Andrew getting his shot away on the black just before Ben only to narrowly miss the pocket and leave his opponent to snatch a last gasp victory at the end.

Ben had earlier seen off Steve Hawkins, Ian McKay and Keith Robertson again en route to the final.

GEORGE MILLS TROPHY scotch doubles winners STEVE HAWKINS and KEVIN HOLMES.

That left the George Mills Trophy as the other event up for grabs, which pairs random scotch doubles partners out of the hat, and in another tense finale, the victors were Kevin Holmes of Jaxx Q Club and Steve Hawkins of Hartington RBL billiards team.

Their final opponents were Gray Astle, also of Hartington and Steve Bullock of Belper Strutt Club, who were left needing the last three balls to pull a win out of the fire.

Steve took blue, to leave Gray a chance on the pink with position on black pretty much guaranteed, but the ball wobbled all around the middle pocket, leaving Kevin to sink the decisive ball.

They had also come through earlier matches against Lee Whatton and Andrew Brough, Ricki Slack and Charlie Hodgkinson, and then Ben Monk and Chris Parker in the semis.

Thanks to all who turned out to make the night a great success, and to Jaxx Q Club of course for hosting the event on what was a very busy night for the club in general.

Alan Hopkinson Trophy for the 6-red Christmas Handicap Shootout: winner, Ben Monk (Marehay Miners Welfare); runner-up, Keith Robertson (Bolehill Institute No 2).

George Mills Trophy for the 6-red Christmas Scotch Doubles Handicap Shootout: winners, Steve Hawkins (Hartington RBL billiards team) and Kevin Holmes (Jaxx Q Club Belper); runners-up, Gray Astle (Hartington RBL billiards team) and Steve Bullock (Belper Strutt Club No 1).

Eddie Lomas Trophy for the Christmas Speed Snooker Handicap Shootout: winner, Ben Monk (Marehay Miners Welfare); runner-up, Andrew Brough (Bolehill Institute No 1).

DON'T FORGET THE FESTIVE SHOOTOUT AT JAXX Q CLUB

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL PLAYERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE DARLEY DALE & DISTRICT SNOOKER LEAGUE.....
 
DON'T FORGET WE RE-START WITH THE POST-CHRISTMAS SIX RED SHOOTOUT NIGHT on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2nd 7.30PM @ JAXX Q CLUB, BELPER for SINGLES, SCOTCH DOUBLES & SPEED SNOOKER

JAXX Q CLUB BELPER

£5 entry on the night all inclusive, all events handicapped and doubles partners drawn out of the hat....hoping we can try and at least match last years turnout of 14 .... a fun night of festive camaraderie but also an early chance to lift a trophy for the year!

BLACK-BALL THRILLERS ABOUND IN STRUTT'S SUCCESS

ADAM WINSON scored a hat-trick of wins on the night for Belper Strutt Club No 2.

THE Bob McCartin Six-Red Cup quarter-finals took centre stage in the pre-festive week of matches and there were certainly some real thrillers, non more so than in the clash between Belper Strutt Club No 2 and Bolehill Institute No 1.
In a match of five black ball deciders, fortunes swung to and fro with Dave Needham putting the hosts ahead before Colin Marchington (re-spotted black) and Simon Zoppi (1pt victory) saw Bolehill edge ahead.

Adam Winson then won the first of all three frames he contested to equalise before Colin and partner Ricki Slack cleared up with a 22 to make it 3-2.

Two real nail-biting frames ensued as firstly Adam and partner Chris Stubbs hauled their team level before in the decider Colin's black into the middle wobbled all around the pocket and Dave clipped it in to secure a 36-34 victory for himself and Adam, as well as their team by a 4-3 scoreline.

Jaxx Q Club also came through a match which went the full distance with a 4-3 verdict at Matlock Golf Club. Kevin Holmes won his singles match and both scotch doubles frames, including the decider, partnered by Steve Robinson.

Also progressing were Gladiators Social Club of Matlock who defeated Matlock Club 6-1 with Guy Shirley and Mark Gwynne-Jones both unbeaten in all three of their frames.

The other semi finalists are  Marehay Miners Welfare did the business with a 4-2 home win over Matlock's Edgefold Club with Ben Monk and Lee Whatton each notching 32 breaks.

Elsewhere in a re-arranged league match, Gladiators Social Club earned their second success of the week with a 4-1 triumph at Jaxx Q Club of Belper, with Dave Gastrell notching the night's best break of 31.

Bob McCartin Six-Red Cup quarter-finals: Belper Strutt Club No 2 4, Bolehill Inst No 1 3; Matlock Golf Club 3, Jaxx Q Club Belper 4; Matlock Club 1, Gladiators SC Matlock 6; Marehay MW/PJ'z 4, Edgefold Matlock 2. League: Jaxx Q Club Belper 1, Gladiators SC Matlock 4.

Breaks: G Jones 37; T Brett 34,33; B Monk 32; L Whatton 32; D Gastrell 31,22;
J Gratton 31; D Needham/C Stubbs 22; R Slack/C Marchington 22; M Gwynne-Jones 21; W Shooter 20.