Surbiton Easter advanced tournament: Fullford falls to Gaunt and Dyer

[<<] [>>] by Ian Bond at Surbiton
19th April 2001 (AC)

Winner: Dyer 5/6 (after a one-ball playoff against Fulford +3 and Johnson +5)
Then: Patmore, Jenkins and Wilkins 4/6

With the two lawns re-laid last year still under water, and another having progressed no further than losing its turf before the bad weather set in last September, we were reduced to only four lawns for this tournament and an entry of 24 to keep entertained in typically bitter Easter weather.

But we somehow got through six rounds for half the field and five for the rest, and - no - Fulford did not win the event yet again. He started well, with a sextuple against Paul Castell, before falling victim to this enthusiasm and Gaunt, who went round in the third turn, jumped the hoop to hit in with his forward ball after the sextuple leave and finished off in the seventh after a missed lift from Fulford.

The early running was made by Richard Knapp, belying his handicap of 3, until he fell to Andrew Johnson; and he in turn finally succumbed in the last round to a fourth triple of the weekend from Dyer, to leave a three-way tie. This was resolved by a one-ball knockout, with Dyer seeing off Fulford in the first round and Johnson again in the decider, to win the Robert Prichard trophy.

Wet, yes. Cold, yes. But it's good to be back in action and looking forward to a WCF World Championship year.