Bridgnorth doubles battles serve up a few surprise results
The Bridgnorth League took a second rest from playing league snooker as the Ray Halford Doubles preliminary, first round and quarter-final matches took centre stage.
And as is often the case with handicap competitions, there were a few surprises.
Chasing a deficit of 27 points, Woodfield’s two in-form players, Neil Drewett and his son Cameron, were eliminated in the preliminary round, succumbing to Mark Jones and Jason Brown.
The Woodfield lads came close to levelling the match in frame two, but the St. John’s pair hung on to claim a 2-0 win.
Chelmarsh’s Simon Thomas and Dave Siddons, winners of numerous doubles competitions in the past, were beaten 2-0 by Nick Carson and Owen Hughes, from Broseley, in the first round.
Also first round casualties were Ian Postans and Carl Walker, and Beamer Jones and Chris Petford, all from Chelmarsh. In fact, for the first time in many a year, the Chelmarsh club will not table a team in the semi-finals.
It was a particularly good night for Broseley pair Neil Caswell and Andy Garbett.
They saw off Postans and Walker and then they went on to beat St. John’s duo Mike Crawley and Kevin Smith, the conquers of Jones and Petford, for a well-deserved semi-final place.
And it was also a good night for another Broseley pairing – that of Cameron Braden and Brian Edwards.
They first eliminated Alveley’s Chris Jepson and Reg Burton and then Mark Jones and Jason Brown – both matches ending 2-1. A healthy rub of the green saw them through in the final frames of both matches.
A first round win for Matt Smout and Gary Watson ensured that all of the Broseley A team’s players are still in the competition. They beat St. John’s top seeds Martin Lippitt and Tim Steele.
Maddock’s Tom Maxfield and Dan Morris made their way into the last four by first beating Alveley’s Brian Arnold and Steve Coldecott 2-0, despite a 32 point handicap.
They then knocked out Rob Powell and Josh Summers, from St. John’s, by the same score in a much closer handicapped clash. Powell and Summers had previously beaten Broseley’s Andy Carson and Pete Thomson.
Six partnerships remain – four from Broseley and two from Maddock’s.
The two remaining quarter-final matches – Cameron Braden & Brian Edwards v James Brennan & Paul Harper and Nick Carson & Owen Hughes v Matt Smout & Gary Watson – are due to be played by Sunday, March 24.
The semi-finals and final will be played on Tuesday, April 18 (Venue TBA).
Match Results
Preliminary Round
C. Jepson & R. Burton 1, C. Barden & B. Edwards 2; M. Jones & J. Brown 2, C. Drewett & N. Drewett 0.
First Round
C. Barden & B. Edwards 2, M. Jones & J. Brown 1; N. Carson & O. Hughes 2, S. Thomas & D. Siddons 0; M. Smout & G. Watson 2, M. Lippitt & T. Steele 1; I. Postans & C. Walker 0, N. Caswell & A. Garbett 2; B. Jones & C. Petford 0, M. Crawley & K. Smith 2; R. Powell & J. Summers 2, A. Carson & P. Thompson 1; T. Maxfield & D. Morris 2, B. Arnold & S. Coldecott 0; J. Brennan & P. Harper WO, C. Lewis & R. Lewis Withdrew.
Quarter-Finals
N. Caswell & A. Garbett 2, M. Crawley & K. Smith 0; R. Powell & J. Summers 0, T. Maxfield & D. Morris 2.
