Princeville Patriots resume Pudsey League Billiards action with their final outing of the league campaign against title contenders Pudsey Congs. Whilst the Patriots are nowhere near title contention, their last three games are against cup semi-finalists, which is sure to provide a valuable insight in the Patriots cup defence aspirations.
First up was K.Tomlinson and D.Raw, joining up at the halfway stage Keith possessed a good lead of around 30. However Dennis turned the match on it's head by recording breaks of 23, 24 and 26 unfinished to record a 52pt win. Keith was left rubbing his head, after nutting it on the table light shade.
Second up was D.Hardcastle and A.Stevens, an entertaining match but not necessarily through the gameplay. For the most part it was a rather close affair, but Don started to find some form and got a nicely timed 13 break to put himself 30pts in front. However Don played with the wrong ball and Albert attempted to launch a comeback, who initially started it by playing the wong ball before Don sportingly alerted both player and match referee. Though Albert did well to get back in the game, he was timed out whilst in possession and Don won by 6pts.
Next up I.Tomlinson and J.Hirst. Ian was on the front foot throughout, scoring frequently upon each visit and cueing very smoothly as he raced to a 49pt vicory to put the Patriots 2-1 up with a 3pt aggregate advantage.
Saving the best until last are the two form men, J.Butcher and D.Hirst. Although the match didn't produce much in the way of fireworks with balls jaw rattling or falling short of position, both players signalled their intentions to win. James led for the 1st half, but Dave was always snapping at the heels and got into position with a nicely timed 25pt break towards the end to win by 36pts and secure a 3-2 win for Pudsey Congs, who keep their title aspirations firmly on track.
Meanwhile the Patriots are still looking for their 1st win of 2016 and remain rooted bottom of the league, but return back to base far from disgraced. Next weeks opponents are arch rivals and cup semi-final opponents, St Andrews "A". A match which is sure to rouse the misfiring Partiots unit.
Friday, 26 February 2016
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Patriots back to winning ways!
Princeville Patriots get back to winning ways, despite the team enjoying a bye week in the Pudsey Billiards League.
All four regulars were involved in Bradford Sunday School Billiards League action earlier this week in the Princeville Derby. Originally this fixture was moved forward 24 hours to Monday for live Sky Sports TV coverage in place of the Leeds United v Middlesbrough game, as eccentric Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has successfully appealed to ban live television cameras at Elland Road by The Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Contract details between BSkyB and BSSBL are undisclosed, but a BSSBL spokesperson has said that the exposure is worth more than any financial reward and he hopes that it will revitalise the sport. Officials of the Pudsey Billiards League are reported to have taken a keen interest in this groundbreaking television deal, whilst the Princeville Patriots Executive Committee plan to start discussions with sports promoter Barry Hearn in order to "jazz up the sport".
First up was the battle of the captains, K.Tomlinson and G.Kershaw. In a match with was attritional at times, Keith possessed a handy lead of 20 to 30pts throughout. However the in-form Gareth is not one to give up that easily and launched a comeback at the death with a late teens break at the end, only to miss a scoring shot that would have put him on score required. Keith secured a win, by spawning a shot, which has crept into habit of late to secure a win for Princeville "B".
On the other table it was I.Tomlinson and A.Holdsworth. Ian got on the front foot from the off and never really looked back as he secured a 50pt victory against Alan to put Princeville "B" 2-0 up.
Next up was J.Butcher and W.Oates Fresh from a productive weekend at Cue Gardens, James continued where he left off and registered a 37 break early doors. Despite trailing from there on, Bill never looked completely out of the game but unforced errors became an element and James finished off with a 50pt victory to put Princeville "A" on the board.
After Princeville "A" registered two further victories, the final game was D.Hardcastle v D.Bowers. A match which was evenly contested, Don was scoring steadily but Dav was rolling back the years with some fine stroke play, only to be let down with some wild misses. Things got very tense in the nervous nineties and both players had opportunities to win the game, but the Don got a second bite of the cherry to win for Princeville "A", securing a 5-2 win and completing a Patriots "clean sweep".
Due to the Patriots success, the boot training camp at the Sport and Craft Hotel has been cancelled this week. One Patriots player decided to spend his Thursday evening at the Indoor Cricket Centre at Headingley, a decision he may regret as the post net stiffness has already taken hold.
All four regulars were involved in Bradford Sunday School Billiards League action earlier this week in the Princeville Derby. Originally this fixture was moved forward 24 hours to Monday for live Sky Sports TV coverage in place of the Leeds United v Middlesbrough game, as eccentric Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has successfully appealed to ban live television cameras at Elland Road by The Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Contract details between BSkyB and BSSBL are undisclosed, but a BSSBL spokesperson has said that the exposure is worth more than any financial reward and he hopes that it will revitalise the sport. Officials of the Pudsey Billiards League are reported to have taken a keen interest in this groundbreaking television deal, whilst the Princeville Patriots Executive Committee plan to start discussions with sports promoter Barry Hearn in order to "jazz up the sport".
First up was the battle of the captains, K.Tomlinson and G.Kershaw. In a match with was attritional at times, Keith possessed a handy lead of 20 to 30pts throughout. However the in-form Gareth is not one to give up that easily and launched a comeback at the death with a late teens break at the end, only to miss a scoring shot that would have put him on score required. Keith secured a win, by spawning a shot, which has crept into habit of late to secure a win for Princeville "B".
On the other table it was I.Tomlinson and A.Holdsworth. Ian got on the front foot from the off and never really looked back as he secured a 50pt victory against Alan to put Princeville "B" 2-0 up.
Next up was J.Butcher and W.Oates Fresh from a productive weekend at Cue Gardens, James continued where he left off and registered a 37 break early doors. Despite trailing from there on, Bill never looked completely out of the game but unforced errors became an element and James finished off with a 50pt victory to put Princeville "A" on the board.
After Princeville "A" registered two further victories, the final game was D.Hardcastle v D.Bowers. A match which was evenly contested, Don was scoring steadily but Dav was rolling back the years with some fine stroke play, only to be let down with some wild misses. Things got very tense in the nervous nineties and both players had opportunities to win the game, but the Don got a second bite of the cherry to win for Princeville "A", securing a 5-2 win and completing a Patriots "clean sweep".
Due to the Patriots success, the boot training camp at the Sport and Craft Hotel has been cancelled this week. One Patriots player decided to spend his Thursday evening at the Indoor Cricket Centre at Headingley, a decision he may regret as the post net stiffness has already taken hold.
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| Massimo Cellino outside Court 17 in Lausanne |
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| A regular appearance in the Princeville Derby |
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| New Patriots Motto |
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| Patriots Boot Camp |
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Patriots v Deaf Centre Match Report
Princeville Patriots continue to look for their 1st team win of 2016 as they play host to Bradford Deaf Institute. A Patriots 4-1 win would lift them off bottom for at least one week only, not to mention a boost in team confidence.
First up was I.Tomlinson v I.Hussain and K.Tomlinson v B.Robinson. Ian got off to a moderate start and had an opportunity to move up a gear, but snatched at a baulk pocket in-off red on a 45 degree angle. This allowed Ijhaz to get into stride with a 20 and 17 break within three visits to reduce the deficit and get into the lead. Further scoring visits from there (aided with some good fortune) allowed him to consolidate a lead of 40. Although Ian enjoyed a period of scoring in the baulk end, but it wasn't enough as Ijhaz was home and dry inside 40 minute with a 41pt victory.
It wasn't much better for Keith as he often rattled the jaw and Brian secured a 49pt victory for the Deaf Institute, giving them a 2-0 lead and a 90pt aggregate advantage.
Next up for the Patriots was D.Hardcastle v I.Ford and J.Butcher v J.Dixon. Don enjoyed a much better match than in previous outings, whilst not playing well he was content with bits and pieces scoring to maintain a healthy lead and secure a much needed win for the Patriots, his first of 2016.
On the other table, James got off to a steady start in producing a 17 break but missed an opportunity to develop the break into something more significant. Jeremy seized on this and got into the game, making scoring runs into the teens on every visit to build a solid lead of 30 and frozen James out in the process (not literally of course). Whilst often being left quarter chance scoring opportunities, James took a methodical approach and went all Rod Lawler on the baize by taking his time on shots. Whilst it did not amount to significant points scoring, it did enough to force a few unforced errors and even foul strokes from Jeremy who looked to run away with the game. With the game at it's final few minutes, James could not find the required momemtum to launch a comeback and Jeremy secured a 40pt victory for the Deaf Centre to win 4-1 on the night.
Whilst the Patriots woes keep on continuing, one crumb of comfort is the Don ending a losing streak. Next week the Patriots have a free week, but all four players will be playing Sunday School League Billiards in the "Princeville Derby" on Monday, providing a good opportunity to maintain match sharpness.
First up was I.Tomlinson v I.Hussain and K.Tomlinson v B.Robinson. Ian got off to a moderate start and had an opportunity to move up a gear, but snatched at a baulk pocket in-off red on a 45 degree angle. This allowed Ijhaz to get into stride with a 20 and 17 break within three visits to reduce the deficit and get into the lead. Further scoring visits from there (aided with some good fortune) allowed him to consolidate a lead of 40. Although Ian enjoyed a period of scoring in the baulk end, but it wasn't enough as Ijhaz was home and dry inside 40 minute with a 41pt victory.
It wasn't much better for Keith as he often rattled the jaw and Brian secured a 49pt victory for the Deaf Institute, giving them a 2-0 lead and a 90pt aggregate advantage.
Next up for the Patriots was D.Hardcastle v I.Ford and J.Butcher v J.Dixon. Don enjoyed a much better match than in previous outings, whilst not playing well he was content with bits and pieces scoring to maintain a healthy lead and secure a much needed win for the Patriots, his first of 2016.
On the other table, James got off to a steady start in producing a 17 break but missed an opportunity to develop the break into something more significant. Jeremy seized on this and got into the game, making scoring runs into the teens on every visit to build a solid lead of 30 and frozen James out in the process (not literally of course). Whilst often being left quarter chance scoring opportunities, James took a methodical approach and went all Rod Lawler on the baize by taking his time on shots. Whilst it did not amount to significant points scoring, it did enough to force a few unforced errors and even foul strokes from Jeremy who looked to run away with the game. With the game at it's final few minutes, James could not find the required momemtum to launch a comeback and Jeremy secured a 40pt victory for the Deaf Centre to win 4-1 on the night.
Whilst the Patriots woes keep on continuing, one crumb of comfort is the Don ending a losing streak. Next week the Patriots have a free week, but all four players will be playing Sunday School League Billiards in the "Princeville Derby" on Monday, providing a good opportunity to maintain match sharpness.
Monday, 8 February 2016
Patriots v Foxes Match Report
Princeville Patriots make the trip over to Leeds terriority to face league leaders St Andrews "Foxes", who are Pudsey Billiards League's answer to Leicester City Football Club.
First up was M.Barnes and K.Tomlinson. We join after a third of the way in (after circumnavigating through the Cycle Superhighway in Thornbury) to see Keith trailing by around 20pts, just in time to see Malcolm knock in a 15 break and from then on extend his lead past the 40pt mark. There was plenty of jaw rattling and a couple of outrageous flukes in the middle stages. With 10 minutes to go, Malcolm missed a whole length table in-off for Keith to score 18 on the counter attack with a double baulk finish to half his deficit, only for Malcolm to get out of it with a cannon followed by a fluke red. This did not deter Keith who spearheaded a comeback and was 1pt ahead with 40 seconds to go. All three balls were in the baulk end at this stage and Keith ensured victory by potting the opposite cue ball, using long aparatus.
Next up was N.Proctor and D.Hardcastle in a tightly fought battle. Norman didn't appear to be at his fluent best, whilst Don kept within parity for the most part. However Norman made his move with a well timed 15 break to take him within a score to win and eventually did so with a 22pt margin.
Next up was top board men S.Boocock and J.Butcher in what was a match definer. James got off to a bright start, negotiating some cannon shots by playing square off the side cushions. However finding another gear proved to be tricky due to not mastering a misbehaving table, with the cloth throwing balls wider than usual and the balls travelling a varying pace causing a high number of unforced errors. Steve got into a rhythm and led by 20pts leading up to the halfway stage and then extended it to 40pts. Things got bad to worse for James as his tip came off whilst trying to generate power on a long range shot (which was mistaken for a moth flying over the table!). However this did not deter Steve who clinched the game with a 22 break unfinished and won by 58pts.
Finally it was S.Clark and I.Tomlinson, the latter facing an audacious task of winning by 80pts if the Patriots were to clinch their 1st win of 2016. Ian played reasonably well and kept in contention throughout, even sometimes leading. However Steve was at his rampant best and upped the ante when it mattered the most as he won by 20pts to give St Andrews Foxes a 4-1 victory on the night and firmly remain in the title hunt.
The Patriots are left wondering when will their season pick up, if at all? Winless in 2016 and rooted to the bottom 1.5pts adrift with 3 games remaining.
First up was M.Barnes and K.Tomlinson. We join after a third of the way in (after circumnavigating through the Cycle Superhighway in Thornbury) to see Keith trailing by around 20pts, just in time to see Malcolm knock in a 15 break and from then on extend his lead past the 40pt mark. There was plenty of jaw rattling and a couple of outrageous flukes in the middle stages. With 10 minutes to go, Malcolm missed a whole length table in-off for Keith to score 18 on the counter attack with a double baulk finish to half his deficit, only for Malcolm to get out of it with a cannon followed by a fluke red. This did not deter Keith who spearheaded a comeback and was 1pt ahead with 40 seconds to go. All three balls were in the baulk end at this stage and Keith ensured victory by potting the opposite cue ball, using long aparatus.
Next up was N.Proctor and D.Hardcastle in a tightly fought battle. Norman didn't appear to be at his fluent best, whilst Don kept within parity for the most part. However Norman made his move with a well timed 15 break to take him within a score to win and eventually did so with a 22pt margin.
Next up was top board men S.Boocock and J.Butcher in what was a match definer. James got off to a bright start, negotiating some cannon shots by playing square off the side cushions. However finding another gear proved to be tricky due to not mastering a misbehaving table, with the cloth throwing balls wider than usual and the balls travelling a varying pace causing a high number of unforced errors. Steve got into a rhythm and led by 20pts leading up to the halfway stage and then extended it to 40pts. Things got bad to worse for James as his tip came off whilst trying to generate power on a long range shot (which was mistaken for a moth flying over the table!). However this did not deter Steve who clinched the game with a 22 break unfinished and won by 58pts.
Finally it was S.Clark and I.Tomlinson, the latter facing an audacious task of winning by 80pts if the Patriots were to clinch their 1st win of 2016. Ian played reasonably well and kept in contention throughout, even sometimes leading. However Steve was at his rampant best and upped the ante when it mattered the most as he won by 20pts to give St Andrews Foxes a 4-1 victory on the night and firmly remain in the title hunt.
The Patriots are left wondering when will their season pick up, if at all? Winless in 2016 and rooted to the bottom 1.5pts adrift with 3 games remaining.
New brand of tip - 10mm Moth Diamond
S.Clark of St Andrews Foxes deals with Moth
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