Rugrats only unbeaten team left in SLKPA

 

This week Rugrats were at home to New Eltham New Boys with Rugrats unbeaten at the top of Tier Two East and 20 points between these teams, it was highly likely that they would win this match and they got off to a perfect start, whitewashing the first set. 

 

Dylan Suggars and Jimmy Maloney won the first two frames of the second set to make it seven in a row and put them on the hill. 

 

Andy Durack prevented the second set whitewash and put New Boys first frame on the board, but Steve Gibson gave Rugrats the second set, the match, and the bonus point by winning the ninth frame. 

 

It was, 8-2 going into the final set and there was still a point to play for however, Pat Firth and Maloney put Rugrats on the brink of winning that point by taking the first two frames of the set, with Maloney producing a break and dish to record his hat-trick. 

 

Liam Firth won the next frame to secure maximum points and Suggars also scored three out of three to set up another potential set whitewash. 

 

However, Greg Fothergill stopped that by taking the last frame, making the final score, 3-0 & 12-3. 

 

Rugrats were six points ahead of Bellegrove Flyers in second, who in turn were five points ahead of third placed Falconwood Club and they faced each other this week. 

 

Falconwood took the first set by the odd frame, 3-2 however, Peter Gray played a fantastic frame for Flyers. 

 

The second set was a reversal of the first, with Flyers taking it, 3-2 to tie the match at, 1-1 & 5-5. 

 

Ross Webster won his third frame of the night to put Falconwood ahead and Naf Ayieko put them on the hill, needing just one of the last three frames for victory, which they got for a, 2-1 & 8-7 triumph. 

 

This was a tactical battle, with many hard-fought matches that contributed to a longer night than usual. 

 

The top three have not changed places, but Flyers are now nine points behind Rugrats and Falconwood have closed the gap on Flyers to just three points. 

 

At the other end of the table, Hurricnes Reborn are still looking for their first win of the season and this week they played Bell Ya Later, two places and thirteen points above them. 

 

Arif Salih won a tactical battle against Jade Holmes to give Hurricanes the first frame, but Alfie Cambridge and Angie Hobbs took the next two frames to edge Bell Ya Later in front, before Luke Knight tied the set, sending it into a final frame decider. 

 

In the deciding frame Hurricanes played a lovely thin cut on the black which hung in the pocket handing Bell Ya Later the frame and the first set. 

 

Paul Thomas looked to be taking the first frame of the second set, but Michelle Brown played a fantastic positional shot to get on the black and claim the frame for Hurricanes.

 

This fired up Bell Ya Later and they won the next four frames to win the set and the match. 

 

The first two frames of the last set were shared, then Cambridge played a fantastic black to put Bell Ya Later in front and Reece Stewart made an amazing clearance and a skill shot to get on the black and win the third set. 

 

The last frame went to Bell Ya Later making the final score, 3-0 & 11-4. 

 

It was a tough night for Hurricanes, with the ever-dependable Hobbs winning all three of her frames, as did Cambridge and Stewart. 

 

Bell Ya Later are now five points behind Falconwood and seven ahead of New Boys. 

 

Rugrats are now the only unbeaten team in the SLKPA after Cue-Ologists lost their first game this week however, they do stay top of Tier Three. 

 

Second played first, as 7 Ups hosted Cue-ologists, with nine points between the teams and it was the team in second who got the upper hand in the first set with Nirman Bogati, Shelton D’Costa, Nigel Bullen and Percy Minerve winning the first four frames, before Steve Bird prevented the set whitewash. 

 

The second set was much closer swinging one way then the other, before Lionel White won his only frame and the deciding frame, giving 7 Ups the second set and the match to end Cue-Ologists unbeaten run. 

 

Bogati won frame eleven giving 7 Ups the bonus point, but there was still a point to play for and Ian Withers, Paolo Lancini and Rachel Howard all won to give it to Cue-Ologists. 

 

The last frame went to 7 Ups making the final score, 2-1 & 9-6. 

 

7 Ups are now seven points behind the league leaders, and they have a game in hand. 

 

Also with a game in hand are Downham Tavern Terrors, who played the team two points below them, Eltham Terrace Tigers this week. 

 

Chris Unwin spearheaded Tigers to a, 2-1 & 9-6 victory, with an unbeaten hat-trick to help his team leapfrog their opponents into third place by winning one more set than them, as they are on equal points. 

 

Cue-Ologists are seven points clear at the top of this division however, the next four teams are separated by just four points, after The Con Men comprehensively beat Bexleyheath Raiders, 2-1 & 11-4.

 

Raiders are sandwiched by Downham Tavern A Team on the bottom and Plough & Harrow above them, and they played each other this week. 

 

Downham had only won one game all season and Plough had only won one more, so this game was always going to be close, but the individual sets were far from close. 

 

Being on the receiving end of a few set whitewashes, it was Downham’s turn to produce one of their own, taking the first set, 5-0. 

 

The first two frames of the second set were shared to give Downham a, 6-1 lead in frames however, the next three frames went to Plough to give them the set and bring the overall frame score back to, 6-4. 

 

James McGuire pulled Plough back to within one frame, but Bryan Smith put Downham on the hill and levelled the set.

 

Rob Crashaw won the penultimate frame to give Plough the set and the match however, the bonus point was still up for grabs, with the frame score at seven all. 

 

Arthur McDougall held his nerve to take the final frame and give Plough the bonus point, 8-7 as well as the victory in sets, 2-1. 

 

Four points now separate the bottom three teams, with Plough thirteen points adrift of The Con Men in fifth. 

 

In the SLKPA Elite League the top four only had five points between them while there was only one point between the bottom three, with Pickwick hovering in the middle, seven points behind the top four and the same above the bottom three. 

 

Pickwick played second placed Sharks, and this was an incredibly one-sided game, with Sharks dominating from the start. 

 

Eno Idiong, Rahat Munim, Bruno Silva and Vu Son won the first four frames, with Son recording a dish from a dry break to take a, 4-0 lead before Paul Gafa prevented the whitewash. 

 

The second set was a carbon copy of the first set with the same players winning for both sides however, Munim produced a break and dish, and Son added a break and dish to his dry dish from the first set. 

 

After two 4-1 set wins, Sharks went one better in the final set, whitewashing it to win the match, 3-0 & 13-2. 

 

Despite dropping a frame in the third set, Gafa won both of Pickwick’s frames whereas Idiong, Munim, Silva and Son all went one better with unbeaten hat-tricks. 

 

It was a tough week for the bottom three, as they all faced opposition from the top four and it was sixth placed Bears who suffered most, with a heavy, 3-0 & 13-2 defeat to Terry’s Allstars, two places and fourteen points above them. 

 

Both Eltham Terrace Nuthouse and Duke of Northumberland were one point behind Bears, and they faced league leaders Hotshots and third placed Bellegrove respectively. 

 

Nuthouse were second bottom, 20 points behind the league leaders going into this game and it looked like Hotshots were going to come away with a big win when Danny Kelliher and Elliott Giles won the first two frames, but Shane Hutley, Leighton Aston and Jon Syta won the next three frames to give Nuthouse the first set. 

 

Shaun Hammond and Paul Doherty won the first two frames of the second set, making it five in a row for Nuthouse however, Richard Chapman, George Covington and Ryan Francis took the next three frames to tie the match at, 1-1 & 5-5. 

 

Hotshots ramped it up in the final set with Francis, Tony Wilson and Kelliher making it six on the spin to give Hotshots the last set. 

 

The last two frames were shared making the final score, 2-1 & 9-6. 

 

A much closer game than most would have imagined, with only two unbeaten players, Jon Syta for Nuthouse and Hotshot’s Richard Chapman, both scoring a brace. 

 

The game between Bellegrove and Duke was also much closer than expected with Duke getting off to a good start, as Dave Pearce beat Barry Barham, but Bellegrove retaliated winning the next three frames to take the first set.  

 

The second set was the reverse of the first, as Peter Whyte won the first frame for Bellegrove, only to be followed by victories for Sam Kinsville, Mark Hill and Phil Tworek for the Duke, with Barham grabbing the last frame of that set.  

 

It was one set all and five frames all going into the last set, which followed the pattern of the night, as Dave Pearce grabbed his second win of the night to put Duke ahead. 

 

However, Nikki Stedman, Adam Coppen and Barry Barham won the next three to secure the win in sets and frames for Bellegrove.  

 

Mark Hill won the last frame of the night to make the final score close, ending 2-1 & 8-7 to Bellegrove.

 

With both Duke and Nuthouse earning a point, they join Bears on eleven, but both go above them sending Bears to the bottom. 

 

At the top of the table Hotshots and Sharks are on the same points, but Hotshots are top with more wins, Bellegrove are three points behind them, with Allstars one more point behind. 

 

Top of Tier Two West are New Eltham New Stars, and they are the first team to score 40 points after a near perfect performance against Fox & Hounds this week. 

 

Going into this match there was four places and 27 points between these teams and this gulf showed as New Stars dictated the match from the start, winning the first ten frames. 

 

Neil Shelton put the first frame on the board for Fox, which turned out to be their only frame of the night, as New Stars took the last four frames, making the final score, 3-0 & 14-1. 

 

It was a fantastic team performance with Paul Carroll, Dave Jandu, Paul Rivers, and Sam Baker each winning all three of their frames. 

 

New Stars have a nine-point lead at the top, as Bellegrove A could only beat Farmhouse, 2-1 & 9-6. 

 

Second played bottom as Bellegrove A faced Farmhouse with 22 points between them, but this match was closer than that. 

 

Bellegrove did the damage in the first set, winning the first four frames before Farmhouse got one on the board.

 

Nick Brown made it two in a row, not only for him but for Farmhouse to bring the overall score back to, 4-2. 

 

The next two frames were shared, making it, 2-1 to Farmhouse in the set however, Peter Moult and Sean Hennessey won the last two frames of the set to give Bellegrove the set and the match. 

 

Bellegrove were on the hill for the bonus point at, 7-3 but they had to wait until frame twelve when Jack Taylor secured the bonus point. 

 

John and Lacey Denahy won the next two frames to give Farmhouse a set and a point, before Hennessey took the last frame. 

 

Brown was the shining light for Farmhouse, winning all three of his frames, with Taylor doing the same for Bellegrove and Hennessey was also unbeaten on a brace. 

 

This result means that Farmhouse close the gap between them and Fox to two points. 

 

There were three points between Eltham Terrace Rack Pack in fourth and Academicals above them and with Rack Pack winning, 2-1 & 8-7 that gap has been reduced to one point.  

 

For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit our website at www.slkpa.com or contact our Secretary, Paul Gafa on 07443 456662 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.

 

The league is looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.