Peterborough AC Handicap

[<<] [>>] by Ross Bagni at Peterborough
27th July (AC - Handicap)

On a pleasant overcast Monday morning, after all the heat, five players - including visitors from Leighton Linslade, Old Brentwood, Pinchbeck and Wrest Park - turned up for this well-run event. Six had been expected, but one withdrew over the weekend. Adrian Kirby, our manager, retained an all-play-all block format, which meant that in each of five rounds one player would have no opponent. So, to keep the visitors occupied, he pitted himself in a 14-point game against each - double-banked with his 26-point one.

The three rounds played on Monday ended with Adrian (0) on 2 from 2, Derek Code (20) on 2 from 3, Ken Knock (5) on 1 from 3, Ross Bagni (10) - your reporter - on 1 from 3, and Tim Nurse (5) on 0 from 2.

Adrian also won two 14-point games, but was able to rest in the third round, being the player-without-an-opponent. Half the games went to time, including a thriller in which Derek scored a golden hoop to beat Ross 20:19.

The two rounds played on Tuesday saw Tim beating Derek, Ken beating Ross, and Adrian completing a clean sweep of wins by beating Ken and Tim. The game with Ken featured a tightly controlled three-ball ending, with Ken stuck on Hoop 9 throughout. The one with Tim was a +1t (23:22) thriller, with Adrian hitting in from distance and leap-frogging from two down to two up in the time turn, whereupon Tim hit in from distance, approached his hoop from twelve yards, and ran it from a couple, only to be hampered, just missing the continuation roquet.

Derek and Ken ended on 2 from 4, with Derek awarded second place on Who Beat Whom. Ross and Tim ended on 1 from 4 with Ross awarded fourth place also on Who Beat Whom.

Adrian also scored a third 14-point victory that afternoon, but succumbed to Ross in the remaining 14-pointer in the morning. Your reporter's most memorable part of the two days was beating Adrian 14:0 but with a bucket full of bisques!

As last year's winner, Ross presented Adrian with the Ken Hope-Jones Shield and all the participants thanked him for his excellent management and food!

Ross Bagni