[<<] [>>] by Nick Harris at Southwick
24-25 Sep 2005 (AC)

For the benefit of those reading this on the internet your reporter is once again Nick Harris, though this time he did not win the Trophy.

Rain on Friday meant that the lawns were heavy in places for the start of play on Saturday, which began chilly but soon became much warmer. Both Round 1 and some Round 2 matches began at 9.30 as Simon Tuke organised the entries to give no byes except for Gene Mears whose oppo failed to show. A round two start for Rutger Beijderwellen, the No1 seed, still allowed him plenty of time to show his class in reaching the semi-finals with both games won +26 TP, against Rod Ashwell and Tony Mrozinski. Meanwhile Jamie Burch with a round 1 start beat Nigel Gale +20, Paul Castell +17 and David Harrison-Wood, the 4th seed, +17.

Ben Ashwell, also in the middle of the draw, beat John Daniels +25, Gerard Healy +24 and then the No3 seed Lionel Tibble +17 to reach a semi final against Nick Harris who had come from behind against both Jack Davies +5 and the No2 seed Dave Kibble +8.

As this had all happened before Tea the Manager decreed "best of threes" from now on. Rutger continued on his tripling turns against Jamie who took the first game +12 OTP. Undaunted Rutger tripled again with more success as Jamie only won the second game +4 OTP. Ben, meanwhile, hit his "last" shot to win +5 late in the day. When play resumed on Sunday, after early rain had given way to sunshine, Nick went round steadily (if such a word applies to my play) to take the second +26. Ben took the third, +23, after the last lift shot was hit by oppo who failed to get going, and then it was lunchtime.

In the Final Jamie took the first game + 11 and Ben reciprocated by taking the second +11. In the third game, with Jamie on 1 and 4, Ben started a triple and made two peels before only nicking his rush on Jamie's backward ball to 2back, he rolled up a little short and suffered a rejection. Jamie went round to 4back but Ben having regained the innings finished the game +14 with a straight rover peel despite having to make penult off the peelee! Congratulations to Ben on winning and to both players for qualifying for C.A. Silver Medals.

Ironically, in the consolation Egyptian, after Tony Mrozinski had done David Harrison Wood +10TP to set up a Final between them, David won with a clinical + 26TP. Equally ironically Rutger achieved 5 peels before 3Back after a 1Back leave (2 on himself and 3 to the peg on Lionel) after which he missed a very long return roquet virtually into baulk to give the game away.

Thanks must go to Simon Tuke for his management and to Southwick for their hospitality and catering and to all those who stayed for the presentation at 5.45pm.

Round 1

David Harrison-Wood* beat Alan Mayne +25TP
Bill Sidebottom beat Bill Arliss +15
Paul Castell beat Simon Tuke +24
Jamie Burch* beat Nigel Gale + 20
Ben Ashwell* beat John Daniels +25
Gerard Healy beat Louise Bradforth +13
Gene Mears beat David Mooney W/O
Lionel Tibble* beat Bob Stephens +19TP

Round 2

Rutger Beijderwellen* beat Rod Ashwell +26TP
Tony Mrozinski* beat Nigel Urban +11
Harrison-Wood beat Sidebottom +19TP
Burch beat Castell +17
B. Ashwell beat Healy +24
Tibble beat Mears +26TP
Nick Harris* beat Jack Davies +5
David Kibble* beat Martin Granger-Brown +23

Quarter-Final

Beijderwellen beat Mrozinski +26TP
Burch beat Harrison-Wood +17
B. Ashwell beat Tibble +17
Harris beat Kibble +8
Semi-Final
Burch beat Beijderwellen +12OTP, +4OTP
B. Ashwell beat Harris +5, -26, +23

Final

Ben Ashwell beat Jamie Burch -11, +11, +14

Plate

R. Ashwell beat Stephens +17
Gale beat Tuke +26
Granger-Brown beat Mears +21
Daniels beat Mayne +3
Urban beat Bradforth +19
Davies beat Arliss +4
Castell beat Gale +22
Tibble beat Beijderwellen +9
Mears beat Tuke +12
Granger-Brown beat Sidebottom +3
Gale beat Daniels +13
Mayne beat Stephens +16
Arliss beat Bradforth +4
Davies beat Urban +26
Mrozinski beat R. Ashwell +15
Beijderwellen beat Castell +1
Harrison-Wood beat Kibble +4
Castell beat R. Ashwell +11
Tibble beat Mrozinski +2TP
Gale beat Davies +4
Mayne beat Urban +9
Tibble beat Castell +21
Harrison-Wood beat Granger-Brown +26TP
Mrozinski beat Arliss +23
Sidebottom beat Daniels +9
R. Ashwell beat Mears +17
Stephens beat Tuke +17
Davies beat Castell +15
Harrison-Wood beat Tibble +26
Gale beat Granger-Brown +8
Urban beat Arliss +15
Mrozinski beat Mayne +25
Mrozinski beat Harrison-Wood +10TP
Harris beat Tibble +9
Davies beat Sidebottom +23
Castell beat Mayne +24TP
Daniels beat Stephens +20
R. Ashwell beat Tuke +26
Granger-Brown beat Castell +26TP
Daniels beat Urban +6

Final

Harrison-Wood beat Mrozinski +26TP

Handicap Changes

Bob Stephens 3.5 to 4
Simon Tuke 2 to 2.5
Jamie Burch -0.5 to -1