Peel Memorials
[<<] [>>] by Geoff Young
at Southport
7-10 May
2009 (AC - Handicap)
The event, first contested in 1898, was this year held at Southport in brisk breezes. The hospitality was, as ever, splendid and the lawns friendly. The eight pairs in the Mixed Doubles played the first two rounds of an XY knockout with 3 hour 30 minute time limit on the Thursday, only two games going to Time, to produce finalists for Sunday morning play.
The Men's and Women's events were in Swiss format. With ten male entrants managers Don and Diana Williamson were probably planning that a tie-break sequence would be needed on the Sunday. Three rounds on Friday were completed without problems, and on the Saturday there was only one rather unpleasant shower, which failed to interrupt play. At the end of round five Abdul Ahmad (8) had won all his games. The only player on four wins was Ken Harper (playing off 20 perforce), who had lost to Abdul so a further round was not needed. Ken's reward was a handicap reduction from 24 to 18; Abdul secured tenure of the magnificent trophy and a reduction to 7.
In the women's event, played on the more sheltered lawns furthest from the clubhouse, only two rounds were undertaken on the Friday. Two more on Saturday left three people on three wins, so a Sunday session with each playing a two-game winner was declared in the hope it would make things clearer. Most of the six were in doubles finals, so these were in fact the only play on Sunday morning.
In the X final Liz Maltby and Nigel Graves beat Gail Curry and Ken Harper +9 in a game which never had an obvious outcome. In the Y final Amanda and Nigel Hames-Keward defeated Diana Williamson and Neil Kellett.
The defining round of the women's event produced wins for Amanda and for Barbara Young and a defeat for the other leader Carol Lewis. As Amanda(6) had beaten Barbara(4.5) in an earlier round, she had thus won on who-beat-who and secured the silverware.
Results
Ladies Swiss
Amanda Hames-Keward 4 wins
Barbara Young 4 wins
Carol Lewis 3 wins
Diana Williamson 3 wins
Liz Maltby 2 wins
Eileen Rossiter 2 wins
Eileen Gallagher 1 win
Gail Curry 0 wins
Winner: Amanda Hames-Keward, Runner up Barbara Young, 3rd Carol Lewis
Men's Swiss
Abdul Ahmad 5 wins
Ken Harper 4 wins
Nigel Graves 3 wins
Terry Foster 3 wins
Geoff Young 3 wins
Don Williamson 2 wins
Nigel Hames-Keward 2 wins
Tony Whateley 2 wins
Neil Kellett 1 win
Brian Lewis 0 wins
Winner: Abdul Ahmad, Runner up Ken Harper, 3rd Nigel Graves
Mixed Doubles
X 1st Round
Carol & Brian Lewis bt Barbara & Geoff Young +2T
Liz Maltby & Nigel Graves bt Diana Williamson & Neil Kellett +5
Gail Curry & Ken Harper bt Terry Foster & Eileen Rossiter +2T
Don Williamon & Eileen Gallagher bt Amanda & Nigel Hames-Keward +15
2nd Round
Liz Maltby & Nigel Graves bt Carol & Brian Lewis +14
Gail Curry & Ken Harper bt Don Williamon & Eileen Gallagher +16
Final
Liz Maltby & Nigel Graves bt Gail Curry & Ken Harper +9
Winner: Liz Maltby & Nigel Graves
Y 1st Round
Diana Williamson & Neil Kellett bt Barbara & Geoff Young +13
Amanda & Nigel Hames-Keward bt Terry Foster & Eileen Rossiter +5
Final
Amanda & Nigel Hames-Keward bt Diana Williamson & Neil Kellett
Handicap Reductions
Abdul Ahmad 8 to 7
Ken Harper 24 to 18
Eileen Rossiter confirmed at 20