Intrigue in the AC A-level match with Blewbury

Over a post-match drink, the players were in agreement: you could always find new ways to fail a triple peel. Wycombe’s players had come up with two that very evening.
 
This was the first “full” match of the A-league season, with half of the preceding fixture against Aldermaston being postponed at the last moment due to a broken thumb.  Wycombe’s team of Rich Waterman (–1) and Mike Porter (–1/2) was faced with a tough task against Blewbury’s pairing of Robin Brown (–2) and Peter Allan (0).
 
In Mike’s match he had the first break to 4-back and had completed one peel of the triple before inexplicably mis-hitting a simple croquet stroke in the middle of the lawn, gluing his ball to the peg where it couldn’t hit anything.  Peter took advantage of this mishap and looked favourite to win before his own mini-disaster, mis-approaching 3-back from short range and allowing Mike back in to take the game +9.
 
Rich got off to an excellent start against Robin, taking his first break to 4-back and – despite Robin hitting the lift shot – regaining the innings and embarking on his own triple peel attempt. Things were going smoothly, with two peels completed, but in running 2-back he only just got through and, despite having a clear shot through the hoop to continue the break, he clanged his mallet into the upright rather than the ball.  Robin immediately took a break to 1-back and then attempted a sextuple peel; this was abandoned after failing to peel partner through 2-back, but he continued to peg, peeling Rich’s rover ball and pegging it out.  From the contact turn, Rich rolled to a runnable position at 3-back but failed to make the hoop and, despite giving one further chance, Robin held on to win +5. 
 
An excellent and close match played on a ridiculously hot evening. The team’s next fixture is at Basingstoke next Wednesday.

Mike Porter