Men's final - the full story

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[<<] [>>] by Robert Fulford at Cheltenham
14th June 2001 (AC - Championships)

Bamford beat Fulford +3, -8tp, +8, -20tp, +17qnp

Lawn 8. Medium paced. Not particularly flat lawns. We were using the new Omega hoops which were set extremely tight, however once they had been run once or twice they became loose and easy to run.

Game 1

Bamford wins toss and goes 1st and Fulford chooses RY

U to 3y S of peg
R to 2y SW of peg
K misses R gently form end of A-baulk, leaving no double
Y hits U, fails 6 from a foot straight giving away perfect 4 ball break
K goes to 1b with standard 1b leave
Y misses 33 yarder
U struggles with 3b peel, eventually does 4b peel straight but fails to clear peelee with jump shot rushing K off N boundary. Tries speculative penult peel which misses. Fails to get rush to penult and long approach leaves two foot hoop such that a line from penult through U would cut the Nb 3y west of C3. Jumps through. Gets to penult and peg with contact leave, U in C2, R 11y S of C2 slightly off boundary, K in C4, Y in middle of E boundary.
Y makes 6 off R, fails 1b from similar angle to Reg's penult having played stop shot approach from near C2.
U hits double from 1 to 2. Makes good leave with R on Wb, Y on Nb cross-wired by 2 and joining up in C4.
Y misses 35y at K
K rushes U short of penult, fails angled hoop.
R hits K rushing it off Eb, tries to thick take off behind Y between 4 and C4 but does not get rush. Ends up approaching 1 from between 4 and 5. Makes 5 foot 45 degree hoop 1. Starts sextuple. Looks to have all the hard work done, getting to a one foot slightly angled rover peel. Plays Irish peel type stroke but hopelessly. Back ball hits outside of wire of rover. Ends by scattering Y into C4, R finishing in the middle of Eb, leaving U 3y off middle of S boundary.
K finishes.

Bamford +3

Game 2: Fulford UK

U to 3y SW of peg
R to middle of Eb
K misses R into C4
Y hits R from A-baulk. Goes to 1-back with delayed SXP leave.
K hits tea lady and starts break. Peels R through 1 before 5, but over approaches from 3y straight and fails hoop.
R starts SXP but misses gentle 3y cut to hoop 4 having peeled Y to 2b.
K hits 5y shot and goes to 4b with NSL, R hidden behind 4.
R hits 20y long lift rushing K to C4. Establishes break. Organises balls for diagonal spread before making 3b, but realises in time he should be going further. Stops at rover with diagonal spread.
U hits 16y lift from A-baulk and finishes with standard TP.

Fulford +8TP

Game 3; Bamford UK

U to 3y S of peg
R to 2y SW of peg
K misses R gently form end of A-baulk, leaving double
Y hits double. Goes to 1b with delayed SXP leave.
U hits 33y shot. Goes to 1b with delayed SXP leave.
R misses 33y shot.
K gets SXP down to shortish angled rover peel. Just peels rover and then nicks peelee with jump through rover. Can't hit peg directly and goes all out for combination peg out. Pegs out K only leaving Y 2 feet N of the end of A-baulk and U by the peg.
R takes lift and goes round. Leaves U near C4. Guards U's shot at peg in C2.
U hits 35y shot at R.

Bamford +8

Game 4: Fulford UK

U to 3y SW of peg
R to middle of Eb
K misses R to 5y N of C4
Y misses U into C3.
K misses U into C3.
Y to 1b, forgetting to check wiring and leaving K totally wired on all 3 other balls.
K goes to 4b leaving U in C4, K 15 N of C4, Y in C2, R 5y N of 1.
R misses Y from end of B-baulk on right.
U hits K and finishes.

Fulford +20TP

Game 5; Bamford UK

U to 1y S of peg
R to 2y W of peg
K misses R gently form end of A-baulk, leaving no double
Y hits U, goes to 4b leaving R in C4, Y 15 N of C4, U in C2, K 15y S of C2.
K misses U on left from B-baulk.
R misses Y into C3.
U takes 2 inch cut rush towards 1. Makes precision pick up, without having a difficult hoop or pioneer until finally having pioneer somewhere near 2b. Approaches 2b from 3y straight sending R off the lawn. (Intending to run the hoop to the boundary and have some sort of rush back towards the middle).
R is lifted a yard to have a have an open shot at U. 7y shot hits bobble and jumps clean over U finishing in C2.
K misses U form the peg.
Y hits U from near 3. Leaves U near C1, sends K near to C3 and joins up in C2.
K hits from C3 to C2 and starts delayed quintuple. Gets down to STP. Has to rush to rover from 1y S of penult. Rush hills round to the left but then snakes back to the right to finish reasonably straight. Finishes.

Bamford +17QNP