EuroCup second round 22nd. September 2014
A 6-player team travelled to South Luffenham Leicestershire to contest the second round of the EuroCup, having had a bye in the first round. Leaving Coventry at 4-30 we arrived at the home of Rutland Panthers at 6-45 to find a small terrain with a wicked slope along it's length. Playing uphill was not too bad until the boules started to roll back away from the Jack and end up as much as a metre below it. Playing down the slope and the problem was stopping the boule, it was not unusual to see the home team shooting a boule more than two feet from the jack and still wining the point. Attack looked to be the best tactic but unless shots were very accurate boule were going to go dead, especially down the hill. Needless to say that home advantage was very much the order of the day and Brian, Tony and Eileen Sollis lost their triples game, as did Betty, Tony Thompson and John. We fared a little better in the pairs when Brian and Eileen pulled their game back from the precipice of 5-10 to win 13-11 however we lost both the other two pairs and so our European journey this year ended at the first hurdle, the first time we have gone out this early that I can remember. If we can ignore the result for a while the match was played in a lovely friendly way and we did all enjoy it even though we would have like a different result.
Tony Thompson
Club Closed Pairs and Singles.
Fourteen members contested these two competitions, held alongside each other on Sunday 21st. September. The start was delayed when the organiser, your good self, realised that one team had been left out of both competitions and there had to be a redraw which now included a bye for every team in the pairs. naturally the late start lead to a late finish and some very tired players at the end of the day. A number of the singles games were conceded, a decision by the players which could have skewed the results, howeve,r at the end of the competition only two players had won 3 singles games and no one involved in the conceded ones could have got to that result so it was decided to award just two prizes, to Brian Stote, 3 wins +10, as winner and J.J Newton, +8, the runner up.
The Pairs was run as a round robin competition, every team playing every other team, resulting in 7 rounds with a bye round for each team. In an attempt to keep to a managable day we limited the games to 11 points, in fact both competitions were played to 11. Just 3 teams won 4 of their 6 games thus the winners were decided on points difference with Brian Stote and Keith Turner coming out on top with a points difference of +19, Reg and Sheila Eburne second with a points difference of +14. Betty and Tony Thompson on +4 were third.
Despite all efforts to keep thing moving the competition went on until well after 6pm and everyone was very tired. Maybe we will need to look at the format again before next season as anno domini is taking it's toll and most of us are finding that our stamina is not what it was.
Tony Thompson
A 6-player team travelled to South Luffenham Leicestershire to contest the second round of the EuroCup, having had a bye in the first round. Leaving Coventry at 4-30 we arrived at the home of Rutland Panthers at 6-45 to find a small terrain with a wicked slope along it's length. Playing uphill was not too bad until the boules started to roll back away from the Jack and end up as much as a metre below it. Playing down the slope and the problem was stopping the boule, it was not unusual to see the home team shooting a boule more than two feet from the jack and still wining the point. Attack looked to be the best tactic but unless shots were very accurate boule were going to go dead, especially down the hill. Needless to say that home advantage was very much the order of the day and Brian, Tony and Eileen Sollis lost their triples game, as did Betty, Tony Thompson and John. We fared a little better in the pairs when Brian and Eileen pulled their game back from the precipice of 5-10 to win 13-11 however we lost both the other two pairs and so our European journey this year ended at the first hurdle, the first time we have gone out this early that I can remember. If we can ignore the result for a while the match was played in a lovely friendly way and we did all enjoy it even though we would have like a different result.
Tony Thompson
Club Closed Pairs and Singles.
Fourteen members contested these two competitions, held alongside each other on Sunday 21st. September. The start was delayed when the organiser, your good self, realised that one team had been left out of both competitions and there had to be a redraw which now included a bye for every team in the pairs. naturally the late start lead to a late finish and some very tired players at the end of the day. A number of the singles games were conceded, a decision by the players which could have skewed the results, howeve,r at the end of the competition only two players had won 3 singles games and no one involved in the conceded ones could have got to that result so it was decided to award just two prizes, to Brian Stote, 3 wins +10, as winner and J.J Newton, +8, the runner up.
The Pairs was run as a round robin competition, every team playing every other team, resulting in 7 rounds with a bye round for each team. In an attempt to keep to a managable day we limited the games to 11 points, in fact both competitions were played to 11. Just 3 teams won 4 of their 6 games thus the winners were decided on points difference with Brian Stote and Keith Turner coming out on top with a points difference of +19, Reg and Sheila Eburne second with a points difference of +14. Betty and Tony Thompson on +4 were third.
Despite all efforts to keep thing moving the competition went on until well after 6pm and everyone was very tired. Maybe we will need to look at the format again before next season as anno domini is taking it's toll and most of us are finding that our stamina is not what it was.
Tony Thompson
Alexandra Open Mixed Pairs
The first annual Alexandra Open Mixed Pairs competition took place at Coventry on bank Holiday Sunday 25th. May 2014. Having experienced considerable rain in the days preceding the competition the organisers arrived at the terrain with a degree of trepidation, however, fears were unfounded as all the surface water from the previous days had drained away and left a playable , if soggy surface. The morning preparations included decorating the gazebo with New Zealand bunting and flags.
Twelve teams had registered for the event, which was played with 3 timed rounds before a buffet lunch followed by 2 further untimed rounds. In the first round Tony and Betty Thompson fought a rearguard action to defeat Natalie Turner and JJ Newton 13-12, meanwhile JJ's parents John and Barbara suffered a 3-13 loss to Brian Stote and the Junior Meri Young.
The first and only "fanny" of the day came in the second round when Tony and Eileen Sollis defeated a junior pairing of Aimee Colley and Lewis Fletcher. Of the 18 timed games only 4 did not go the full distance.
The afternoon session saw Graham and Bunty Arblaster consolidate their morning lead by beating Natalie and JJ 13-9 and Stepehn and Pauline Horsfall 13-11 to become the only unbeaten team of the day and thus the first recipients of the Alexandra Trophy, which had been kindly donated to the Coventry Club by Alexandra Petanque Club, located in the heartland of New Zealand's South Island.
Results: - 1st. Graham & Bunty Arblaster (5 wins +20) 2nd. Brian Stote & Meri Young (4 wins +31)
3rd. Barry & Carol Cox (4 wins +28) 4th. Chris & Charles Caruana (3 wins +5) 5th. John & Barbara Newton (3 wins +2)
6th. Philip Price & Rosaleen Preston (3 +1) 7th. equal Aimee Colley & Lewis Fletcher and Tony & Eileen Sollis (2 wins -2)
9th. Tony & Betty Thompson (2 wins -12 ) 10th. equal Reg & Rita David and Stephen & Pauline Horsfall (1 win -23) and holding up everyone else were Natalie Turner & JJ Newton (0 wins -16)
Finally my personal thanks to all who took part and also thanks to Jim Patrick for coming from Towcester just to do the scoring for us. Thank you all and I look forward to the 2015 competition. Tony Thompson
The first annual Alexandra Open Mixed Pairs competition took place at Coventry on bank Holiday Sunday 25th. May 2014. Having experienced considerable rain in the days preceding the competition the organisers arrived at the terrain with a degree of trepidation, however, fears were unfounded as all the surface water from the previous days had drained away and left a playable , if soggy surface. The morning preparations included decorating the gazebo with New Zealand bunting and flags.
Twelve teams had registered for the event, which was played with 3 timed rounds before a buffet lunch followed by 2 further untimed rounds. In the first round Tony and Betty Thompson fought a rearguard action to defeat Natalie Turner and JJ Newton 13-12, meanwhile JJ's parents John and Barbara suffered a 3-13 loss to Brian Stote and the Junior Meri Young.
The first and only "fanny" of the day came in the second round when Tony and Eileen Sollis defeated a junior pairing of Aimee Colley and Lewis Fletcher. Of the 18 timed games only 4 did not go the full distance.
The afternoon session saw Graham and Bunty Arblaster consolidate their morning lead by beating Natalie and JJ 13-9 and Stepehn and Pauline Horsfall 13-11 to become the only unbeaten team of the day and thus the first recipients of the Alexandra Trophy, which had been kindly donated to the Coventry Club by Alexandra Petanque Club, located in the heartland of New Zealand's South Island.
Results: - 1st. Graham & Bunty Arblaster (5 wins +20) 2nd. Brian Stote & Meri Young (4 wins +31)
3rd. Barry & Carol Cox (4 wins +28) 4th. Chris & Charles Caruana (3 wins +5) 5th. John & Barbara Newton (3 wins +2)
6th. Philip Price & Rosaleen Preston (3 +1) 7th. equal Aimee Colley & Lewis Fletcher and Tony & Eileen Sollis (2 wins -2)
9th. Tony & Betty Thompson (2 wins -12 ) 10th. equal Reg & Rita David and Stephen & Pauline Horsfall (1 win -23) and holding up everyone else were Natalie Turner & JJ Newton (0 wins -16)
Finally my personal thanks to all who took part and also thanks to Jim Patrick for coming from Towcester just to do the scoring for us. Thank you all and I look forward to the 2015 competition. Tony Thompson
HoE Summer League 2014 Round 1
COVENTRY Leofric opened their Heart of England Summer League account with a solid 4-0 win over Half Crown Yeomen, one of three teams in Division One from their Stockton-based rivals.
Captain Brian Stote and Eileen Sollis recovered from 6-0 down to record a hard fought 13-9 pairs victory over Sarah Jerger and promising youngster Alfie Potter, while Tony Thompson and Tony Sollis scampered to a convincing 13-1 success over Bill Bentley and John Bradshaw.
Stote continued in good form to edge out the experienced Dave Hancox 13-9 in a tight singles game during which the lead changed hands several times.
Leofric completed a clean sweep as Thompson combined with the Sollis' to run out 13-4 winners in the triples.
Meanwhile, Godiva battled out a 2-2 Division Two draw at Solihull Swans.
Irene Rogers and Alf Smallman won their pairs clash, while Reg Eburne secured a share of the spoils with a convincing victory in the singles.
COVENTRY Leofric opened their Heart of England Summer League account with a solid 4-0 win over Half Crown Yeomen, one of three teams in Division One from their Stockton-based rivals.
Captain Brian Stote and Eileen Sollis recovered from 6-0 down to record a hard fought 13-9 pairs victory over Sarah Jerger and promising youngster Alfie Potter, while Tony Thompson and Tony Sollis scampered to a convincing 13-1 success over Bill Bentley and John Bradshaw.
Stote continued in good form to edge out the experienced Dave Hancox 13-9 in a tight singles game during which the lead changed hands several times.
Leofric completed a clean sweep as Thompson combined with the Sollis' to run out 13-4 winners in the triples.
Meanwhile, Godiva battled out a 2-2 Division Two draw at Solihull Swans.
Irene Rogers and Alf Smallman won their pairs clash, while Reg Eburne secured a share of the spoils with a convincing victory in the singles.