Christmas hats & jumpers for Claire Stork

Both Bell Ya Later and New Eltham New Boys wore Christmas jumpers and personalised “Storkie” Christmas hats, because Claire loved Christmas and often encouraged her teammates to wear them during the festive period, so it was fitting to do this for her, and I hope the tradition continues. 

Like the elf in the picture, back on the table and New Boys hadn’t read the script, beating Claire’s teammates, Bell Ya Later, 10-5 to send them to the bottom of the Division One table. 

New Boys made it two wins in the festive period, as they were catching up on a postponed game against Blackheath Sports Club beating them by the same, 10-5 score line to lift New Boys off the bottom four places to sixth. 

Blackheath’s other game in the festive period was against Downham Tavern Terrors and after two excellent performances they were still looking for their first victory. 

Terrors were 19 points and four places ahead of Blackheath and they got off to a great start, winning the first three frames, before Neil Shelton prevented the set whitewash.

Terrors’ Kevin Dempsey finished the set with a win for a, 4-1 first set lead. 

The second set was much closer, with the first two frames being shared before Joe Kane and Mel Barnes won the set for Blackheath. 

Charlie Mehmet took frame ten to give Terrors a, 6-4 lead going into the final set, where Terrors turned it on to win all five frames for an, 11-4 overall victory. 

Mehmet went on to score an unbeaten hat-trick and he was joined by Aaron Walker on three out of three, with Dempsey also scoring an unbeaten brace. 

After ten matches Blackheath are still looking for their first victory however, they are not bottom of the table, as they are one point ahead of Bell Ya Later, even though they have won three games. 

Terrors have moved up one place to fourth, as Bellegrove Flyers have dropped from third, after they were beaten by the then fourth placed, Cue-Ologists, 10-5 who move up to third as a result. 

Also winning, 10-5 were top of the table, Duke of Northumberland beating Eltham Terrace Rack Pack, who drop one place to eighth. 

Rack Pack didn’t help their cause by only having four players however, Richard Smith, Chris Parlett, and Graham Levingbird all won to give Rack Pack a, 3-0 lead and the first set. 

Dave Pearce received the bye and John Cochrane won frame five to bring the score back to,3-2. 

Pearce made it three in a row for Duke to tie the match at three all and then the next four frames went to and fro to give Duke the set, 3-2. 

All square at one set and five frames all going into the final set, and Duke turned on the style winning all five frames to win the match, 10-5.

Pearce was the luckiest man on the night, winning all three frames despite only playing one, as he was handed two frames due to Rack Pack’s lack of players.  

Academicals also dropped one place from sixth to seventh after they lost, 9-6 to second placed Bears. 

There are now only ten points separating the bottom five teams, so the battle to avoid relegation will be fierce, as will the tussle for promotion because there are eleven points between the top five, with twelve points separating the top half from the bottom half. 

 In SLKPA Division Two, the league leaders, Eltham Terrace Tigers played bottom team, White Hart with 44 points between them and this match went true to form, with Tigers winning, 10-5. 

Hurricanes Reborn were in second, nine points behind Tigers and they played second from bottom, Plough & Harrow this week. 

The in-form Arif Salih kicked things off for Hurricanes by winning the first frame after his opponent had visited the table just once. 

Hurricanes continued to punish Plough & Harrow errors and whitewashed the first set, 5-0. 

With a huge slice of luck, Luke Knight made it six and Michelle Brown seven, before Plough got their first frame on the board. 

The next two frames were shared, which included a nice finish from Plough’s Rob Crashaw, giving Hurricanes an unassailable, 8-2 lead going into the last set. 

Hurricanes did not take their foot off the gas, taking the first four frames of the last set, before Plough won the final frame, giving Hurricanes a, 12-3 triumph. 

It was a fantastic all-round team performance, with five Hurricanes’ players scoring unbeaten braces, Ben Walsh, Phoebe French, Michelle Brown, Charles French, and Arif Salih, who has been unbeaten for eleven frames over four matches. 

With such a large victory, Hurricanes have reduced the gap at the top to seven points. 

Despite the loss Plough still go up one place because Bexleyheath Raiders didn’t have a game and therefore Plough leapfrog them by two points and Raiders are eight points ahead of White Hart at the bottom. 

Goodfellows were one point behind Hurricanes in third and they had a tricky visit to The Con Men this week, who were two places and two points behind them. 

The match was equally as close, with Goodfellows winning, 8-7 to stay in third, three points ahead of their opponents and five behind Hurricanes. 

Fourth played sixth, as Farmhouse hosted Sundridge Park Working Men’s Club and there was thirteen points between them, but you would never have guessed, as each set was won by the odd frame. 

Farmhouse got off to a flyer with Nick Brown, John Denahy and Steve Carpenter winning the first three frames however, Simon McEvilly and Dave Sparey brought Sundridge Park back to within a frame. 

Slok Patel tied the match, but John Denahy put Farmhouse back in the lead, before Sparey levelled again with frame eight and Spencer Martin put Sundridge Park into the lead for the first time in the match. 

Carpenter won the tenth frame to make it all square at one set and five frames all going into the last set. 

Carpenter won his third frame of the night and Lacey Denahy gave Farmhouse a two frame advantage, before Paul Martin pulled one back. 

John Denahy recorded his hat-trick to give Farmhouse the victory and Sparey scored his own hat-trick to make the final score, 8-7. 

This result kept Farmhouse on the same points as Goodfellows and Sundridge Park eleven points behind The Con Men. 

The biggest battle in this division will be for the wooden spoon as the bottom three teams have ten points separating them, on the other hand the top five teams have fifteen points between them. 

Hotshots didn’t have a game this week, which gave the chasing pack at the top of the Premier Division a chance to reduce the 18 point gap at the top. 

Second placed Rugrats went to Falconwood Club and before this match five places and 24 points separated these teams, but you would never have guessed, as this match was so close, with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

Brett Crawley got Falconwood off to a great start winning the first frame however, Dylan Suggars, Jimmy Maloney and Pat Firth won the next three frames to give Rugrats the first set. 

Luke Matthews pulled it back to, 3-2 and Ian Stringer levelled the match with frame six. 

The next two frames were shared, before Aaron Shepherd and Shane O’Reilly took the last two frames of the set giving Rugrats a, 6-4 lead. 

Suggars put Rugrats on the hill, but Ross Webster and Stringer won the next two frames to bring Falconwood back to within a frame. 

Shephard and O’Reilly came to the rescue for Rugrats again, beating Paul Baker and Matthews for the second time to give them a, 9-6 triumph. 

The closeness of the match meant there was only one unbeaten player, Shephard with two frame wins. 

This meant Rugrats closed the gap at the top to nine points, although Hotshots do have a game in hand. 

Falconwood stay in seventh as the bottom two, Eltham Terrace Nuthouse and Bellegrove A played each other, with Nuthouse just edging it, 8-7 to join their opponents on 54 points however, Nuthouse leapfrog Bellegrove A with one more victory. 

Bellegrove A’s sister side, Bellegrove fared much better against New Eltham New Stars, who were two places and three points above them, in fourth. 

The first two frames were shared, but the night went rapidly downhill from there, as Bellegrove won each of the next thirteen frames for a, 14-1 demolition. 

Bellegrove were on fire with Barry Barham, Nick Steadman, Sean Hennessy and Dan Foley all scoring hat-tricks whereas Luke Terry was the only one to trouble the scorers for New Stars. 

That result catapulted Bellegrove into fourth, swapping places with their opponents and they are sandwiched by Pickwick and Sharks, who played each other this week.  

There were only two places but thirteen points between the teams and Sharks extended their lead with a massive,11-4 victory over Pickwick. 

Enis Dogangun started well for Pickwick, giving them the first frame however, Geoff La’Porte, Dean Passer and Derek Power turned that around with the next three frames. 

Dave Pile won frame five to pull Pickwick back to within a frame. 

Sharks strung another three frames together to take the second set and extend their lead to, 6-2. 

Louis Wilbourne prevented the set whitewash, before Power put Sharks on the hill. 

Dogangun pulled Pickwick back to, 7-4 but that would be it for Pickwick, as Sharks won the last four frames, which included hat-tricks for La’Porte, Passer and Power. 

Pickwick stay in fifth, nine points behind Bellegrove and one ahead of New Stars, whereas Sharks remain third, three points behind Rugrats. 

The battle to avoid relegation from the top division will be well worth keeping an eye on, as the bottom five teams have a five points difference between them. 

For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit the website at www.slkpa.com or contact the 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.