LATEST MATCH REPORTS...

Dont panic boys , we had 2 very good players and 9 not so very good players in our 6th county fixture of the year and we still cant be beat. We're still 7pts clear at the top of the league with 4 matches to play. Yeah Surrey caught up a bit, but they beat a team that everyone is beating with ease including us and we still have to play them again. The script is pretty much being written for the second half of the season the same as the first. Everyone bashing up Hamps and Sussex, then us and Surrey having tough matches with a very much improved Berkshire side and tough matches against each other. All we have to do is keep doing what we've been doing and although i expect us to beat Surrey at JFKs in the last game of the season, another draw will be enough.
We arrived at the new Berkshire venue missing 2 of our more experienced players, Jamie Fay and Kyle Merrigan but welcomed back into the team Michael Brown.
I wasnt impressed by the fact that C team pool had been given preference over B team pool by way of giving the C team match two tables next to each other and the B team match had to be played on two tables at different ends of the club. It was very hard to watch the games, get any momentum going or any atmosphere. I hope they pay Surrey the same courtesy as i think any team going there will find hard to play in circumstances they are not used to. That said i thought the venue is very good and much improved on the chiswick venue they used to use, tables were very good and a very nice buffet was laid on. Although the break for food came at the wrong time for us, just as we was gaining momentum and a bit of a lead.
The match itself was a bit topsyturvey with some flashes of brilliance and some downright unforgivable mistakes, but to be fair on both teams, there were about 10 break and finishes, more than i have seen in any B team county match. We won three of the four sets which is what is needed to win matches, but loosing the 3rd set 8-3 is what cost us. Something we shall have to put right in our next match at home to Kent on the 9th August.

On an individual level.

Myself, Paul Mchale, Chris Snyman, Chris Yates could of done better. Darren Baker came to the match after pretty much having had no sleep and suffered as a consequence.Rob Chalmers and Adam Coppen had not so good days with Adam being broke and dished in two of his frames. The two Barnet boys had a better day for themselves with Ian showing some of his great potting skills with his last frame of the day to produce a great clearance.
The two stars of the day were without question Tony Bailey only making one mistake all day and being our anchor man who again saved the day break and finishing the last frame to get us the draw we desrerved. Saying that we didnt deserve to win the match either and a draw was most definately the fairest result. And Michael Brown who played perfect pool all day and desrved his 4/4 and the MOTM award.


2/4 Rob Chalmers
2/4 Paul McHale
2/4 John Kelly
1/4 Darren Baker
2/4 Chris Snyman
2/4 Ian Clarke
3/4 Tony Bailey
0/4 Adam Coppen
2/4 Chris Yates
3/4 Steve Wallace