Derby Moor Academy
Sunday, 24th June 2018
Organiser Brian Kirk reports: On Sunday 24th June, Derby Moor Fives Club ran its summer invitation tournament. 24 players entered, with long-standing supporters of the event coming from White Rose in Halifax, plus other individuals from around the country. This year saw a strong entry from newcomers, the City of Durham Fives Club, who brought along both adult and junior players of both sexes.
The draw contained a mix of experienced and new players playing the best-of-three games to 11 points with first and second round losers migrating to two Plate pools. With a mix of abilities some of the early games proved a little one-sided, but both the semi-final and final proved competitive, with long hard games in a best-of-three-to-15 format. It took a three-setter for Anthony Goodwin & stalwart Bob Sandie to beat the nicely balanced combination of Nick Geere & Lewis Keates. The initial game was won by the latter pair, setting the scene for what many thought would be a short final. However, with Goodwin “stepping up” and Sandie playing his usual consistent defensive game, keeping the ball in play, victory was assured in the second game, thus setting the scene for a tense final contest, winner taking all. Initially the game ebbed and flowed, favouring one then the other pair. However, as fatigue set in, mistakes were made by Geere & Keates, allowing Goodwin & Sandie to move into a lead which they quickly consolidated into a win.
It was Anthony’s 4th victory in this annual contest and Bob’s 3rd. They previously won it together in 2013.
The Plate was a round-robin funfest in which junior players were given the opportunity to challenge more experienced players and pairs. Hamish Buchanan, partnering up-and-coming junior player A.R., won through in pool 1 while Neil Roberts and the slightly more experienced left-hander Vishal headed pool 2. The final ebbed and flowed but Hamish & A.R. finally won the contest for the silver boules.
Scores
1st round: Neil Roberts & Vishal Singh bt Yale Brewer & Brian Kirk 11-1, 114; Ashley Hill & Mark Kiteley bt Camille Beattie & Stuart Kirby 11-7, 11-9; Richard Christie & Sian Tustin bt John Hawke & Julie McIntyre 11-0, 11-3; Hamish Buchanan & A.R. bt Matthew Beardsley & Callum Yates 11-2,11-0
Quarter-finals: Anthony Goodwin & Bob Sandie bt Roberts & V.Singh 11-2,11-3; Hill & Kiteley bt Christie & Tustin 11-5, 3-11, 11-0; Jai Singh & Tom Wakelam bt Simon Beattie & Oscar McIntyre 11-5, 11-0; Nick Geere & Lewis Keates bt Buchanan & A.R. 7-11, 11-6, 11-8
Semi-finals: Goodwin & Sandie bt Hill & Kiteley 15-8, 15-2; Geere & Keates bt J.Singh & Wakelam 16-14, 15-8
Final: Goodwin & Sandie bt Geere & Keates 8-15, 15-7, 15-5
Plate Final: Buchanan & A.R. bt Roberts & V.Singh
Winners for the second time!
Runners-up Nick & Lewis and winners Bob & Anthony
Plate winners with the Plates aka Boules
The Plate finalists — all smiles
Mostly City of Durham but also Derby Moor and White Rose