Braintree & District Winter League 2009/10


The Braintree & District Petanque League caters for clubs in the North East of the region. There are 2 leagues, Summer commencing during April played on Wednesday evenings and Winter commencing in October played on Sundays.




BDPL 29/4/10
Feering Bell are the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League Winter champions after defeating Rayne Swan 1 in a nail biting final game.
Leading up to this crucial game the Bell defeated Onley 2-1 in a match that could just as easily have been a 3-0 to the Onley. The home triple of Dave Pearse, Ian Barnes and Bernie Wade took an early lead. The Onley triple of Tracey Austin, Daniel and Trevor Blows fought back to lead 9-6 and 11-9 before the home side ground out four points from four ends to take the game 13-11. In the singles, apart from one loose end, Trevor Blows had the beating of Bernie Wade. Good pointing built an 11-6 lead before a carreau gave Blows the points needed for a 13-6 win. The doubles was also a close game. The Onley led early on and prompted the home side to change pointer. At 9-8 to the Onley, Pearse produced some good shots to edge the Bell home 13-10.

Meanwhile Rayne Swan 1 would come to rue a dropped point at bottom club Bocking B. Keith Flack, Vince Schofield and Alan Hopewell won the triples 13-9 against David Mills and Dave & Paul Adams. Dave Adams then teamed up with Grandson Leigh for a very good 13-9 doubles win over Flack and Hopewell. Schofield took the singles 13-8 to ensure the win for the Swan.

Those results meant the final game between Feering Bell and Rayne Swan 1 was the decider for the title, with Swan needing a 3-0 to become champions for the second year running. They started well with a good team performance from Flack, Adam Buxton and Viv Middleton-Sams to come back from 7-4 down to win 13-7 in the opening triples.
In the singles Flack and Wade were evenly matched but the former managed to pull away for a 13-9 victory.
So all rested on the doubles where Buxton and Schofield looked to have it in the bag when they went 10-4 up. But not so, Barnes and Pearse took four on one end to bounce back into the game. In a tense thriller which saw excellent play from both teams the match was decided with two quality boule from Barnes for a 13-11 win to claim the Winter League title 2009/10.

 

BDPL 18/4/10
In the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League the Onley triple of Tracey Austin, Daniel and Trevor Blows started well at Rayne Swan 2, building an early 6-3 lead over Dennis Smith, Lorne and Beryl Gibson. Five for the away side and five for the home took the score to 11-8 and it was the Onley that took the next two points to win 13-8.
In the doubles, Smith and B.Gibson took eight points from two ends and never looked like losing against D.Blows and Austin. Despite a brief rally by the Onley, the Swan pair won 13-6. The deciding singles was another close fought game between L.Gibson and T.Blows. Gibson took a 5-2 lead but Blows came back to 6-6 and then pulled ahead at 11-8. Gibson pointed well to get back to 11-11 but Blows took a point and finished the game at the next end 13-11 for 2-1 to the Onley.

Onley also had to face Rayne Swan 1 and the result was reversed with the Swan winning 2-1 to keep their hopes of the title alive. Onley started the better team though with Trevor and Dan Blows and Tracey Austin winning the opening triples 13-6. The Swan bounced back with Adam Buxton and Vince Schofield taking the doubles 13-5 and Keith Flack secured the points with a 13-9 singles win.

Rayne Swan 1 didn’t help their cause in their next game, dropping a point at home to Feering Sun. They started with a bang, with Buxton, Flack and Viv Middleton-Sams winning the triples 13-0. Steady pointing by both Tom Winter and Ian Morgans saw the Sun to a good 13-6 doubles win. Flack once again showed his class with a 13-5 win in the singles over Dick Youngs to move the Swan into joint second place.

Rayne Swan 2 move into top spot after a 3-0 win over Rayne Swan 3. Dennis Smith, Lorne Gibson and Tom Smith were 5-2 down in the triples after some good pointing by Sam Newman, but eventually ran out 13-7 winners.
Gibson went on to take the singles with the same score-line. Newman and Colin Sams came closest for Swan 3, only just losing out to Beryl Gibson and T.Smith in the doubles. With Swan 3 leading 11-7, Smith took over the role of first point and his accuracy forced them back into the game, which saw Swan 2 finally scraping through 13-12. Their position at the top will probably be short lived though as the teams in second place have games in hand.

 

BDPL 4/4/10
In the Daniel Robinson Braintree and District Petanque League the Onley Arms hosted Chequers White and in the triples, the home side of Tracey Austin, Daniel and Trevor Blows started well. The away triple of Neil Goodman, Paul Brown and John Perfect pulled it back to 8-8. At the next end Trevor Blows took out the holding Chequers boule and the Onley pointed in for five and the game, 13-8. In the singles Paul Brown opened an early 7-0 lead. Although Trevor Blows came back into the game, he could not quite catch Brown who ran out the 13-11 winner. In the deciding doubles Chequers led 8-3 but the Onley pair played well to bring it back to 8-8. From then on the shooting of Daniel Blows just proved the difference and the Onley pair won five of the next six ends to win 13-9 and take the match 2-1.

Bocking A were at home to Rayne Swan 3 and went down 2-1. They started well with Malcolm Smith, Janet Mills and Trevor Turner taking a 9-3 lead in the opening triples. Young Sam Newman struggled to find his form for the Swan and a change of first point changed the game for the Swan. With Colin Sams also finding his shooting form, they pulled the score back to 10-9 before gaining a four to take the game.
Malcolm Smith lost the first end in the singles against Courtney, but with consistent good pointing and Courtney unable to shoot, took the game 13-3.
Turner and Steve Lloyd took the lead in the doubles but Newman and Sams kept with them and gradually pulled into the lead to win 13-7. The 2-1 win keeps the Swan just ahead of the two Bocking teams and level on points with Feering Sun.

Third placed Rayne Swan 2 were at home to Chequers Black and kept the pressure on the leaders with a 2-1 win.
Tom Smith, Beryl and Lorne Gibson won the triples against Frank Britt, Lloyd Herman and Bill Eve. Smith and B.Gibson won the doubles while Britt took the singles against L.Gibson for a point for the away team.

 

BDPL 28/3/10
Bocking A produced an excellent display in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League to beat second in the table Chequers White.
On the Great Tey team’s home ground the Bocking team of Trevor Turner, Janet Mills and Malcolm Smith scored 5 in two ends to take the lead in the opening triples. Paul Brown, John Perfect and Neil Goodman then got their form in to gear and went on to take the game 13-5, with a little help from some misplaced pointing by Turner.
Brown and Goodman stormed away in the doubles against Dave Robinson and Turner, taking a 10-5 lead. The Bocking pair kept plugging away and good pointing saw them level at 12all. Turner then made amends for his triples errors by knocking one of his own teams boule in to claim the game 13-12.
The singles saw the experienced Perfect favourite to take the game against Smith, but he was undone by perfect pointing from the Bocking player. Smith continuously pointed practically every boule on the coche and he gained a comfortable 13-3 win which gave Bocking their 2-1 match win.

Feering Bell travelled to Bocking to play their B team and it was a good start for the Bell triple of Bernie Wade, Dave Pearse & Ian Barnes which saw them score a 6 on the 1st end. They fully capitalised on this and the Bocking triple of Pam Adams, Leigh Adams & David Mills were not able to get into the game as the Bell went on to win 13 - 0. In the singles Wade maintained his good form with good shooting and pointing to secure another 13 - 0 win against Paul Adams.
The doubles was a much closer affair. The Bell pair of Pearse & Barnes struggled to get going as good pointing from Pam Adams & Mills saw them steadily acquiring points building up a 9 - 2 lead. The Bell pair changed positions, which had an immediate effect scoring a 5 on the next end. This was followed by a 2 and 4 to secure a hard fought 13 - 9 win and a 3 - 0 win for the Bell on the night

 

BDPL 21/3/10
In the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League bottom club Bocking PC played well to take a game off Chequers Black who were sitting in 4th place.
The opening triples didn’t go too well, with the home team of Frank Britt, Lloyd Herman and Bill Eve defeating three generations of the Adams family, David, Paul & Leigh, 13-5. Paul Adams was up against the experienced Frank Britt in the singles and did well to take 5 points off him. It was left to Pam and David Adams to salvage something from the match. They were playing Herman and Lloyd in what turned out to be a very tight game all the way through. The score was level at 6-6 and again at 10-10, but at 12-11 down the Adams duo managed to get the two points required for a very good win.

In warm, sunny conditions, the Onley Arms triple of Tracey Austin, Daniel and Trevor Blows took an early lead against second placed Rayne Swan 1. The Swan triple of Wendy Ridehalgh, Keith Flack and Adam Buxton came back to lead 9-6. The Swan maintained their form to win 13-10. In the pairs, Buxton and Viv Middleton-Sams led 3-0 against Austin and Daniel Blows. Good shooting from Blows opened up the next two ends and the Onley led 6-3, only to give away four shots at the next end. Blows again opened the head to score five and the Onley secured a 13-7 win at the next end. In the deciding singles, Flack pointed very well to open a 6-0 then 7-1 lead against Trevor Blows. The Onley came back to 5-7 but Flack took three to lead 10-5. For whatever reason, Flack's pointing deserted him and Blows hung in to take points at the next three ends to lead 11-10. Blows missed a chance to win the game at the next end, taking just one point. Flack took two to make it 12-12 but it was Blows who scored the vital point for a 13-12 win and a 2-1 match success for the Onley Arms.

Feering Sun played hosts to Rayne Swan 3 in a double header to make up for a postponed game. Despite the young juniors struggling with the difficult piste, the Swan drew first blood with a 13-2 triples win. Colin Sams and Clare Courtney went on to defeat Tom Winter and Ian Morgans 13-8 in the doubles. Dick Youngs won the singles for the Sun with a 13-7 win over Josh Newman. In the second game J. Newman, Sams and Courtney again took the opening triples with a score of 13-6 against Russell Bingham, Morgans and T. Winter. In the doubles Andy Winter and Youngs went into an 8-0 lead, playing a long coche to take out young Sam Newman. Only when the Swan pair managed to win an end did the tables start to turn. Playing a 6 metre coche and Sam adjusting to the piste, the Swan pair got right back into the match. With the score eventually reaching 12all, the Sun pair finally got the winning boule to take the hard fought game. In the singles J.Newman like his younger brother, had gradually adjusted to the different terrain and stepped his game up. Taking on T. Winter, Newman with a couple of cracking shots gained 8 in three ends and didn’t look back, running out a 13-5 winner. The two 2-1 wins sees the Rayne team move above the Sun into 7th place.

Bocking A visited leaders Feering Bell. The Bell triple of Bernie Wade, Dave Pearse Ian Barnes made a good 5, followed by a 2 to take a 10-3 lead and were looking good for a regulation win. However the Bocking triple of Dave Mills, Malcolm Smith and Trevor Turner had other ideas. For the next 1/2 hour they didn't let the Bell get a look in. Excellent pointing from Mills, constantly finding the coche, ably supported from Smith and Turner saw them go all the way to the verge of victory. However at 12-10 they were unfortunate to have a slightly loose end and a relieved Bell were able to find the 3 points needed for a 13-12 victory.
The singles and doubles both went to the Bell 13-3 securing a 3-0 win, although these games were closer than the scores reflect. The result keeps the Bell in top spot.

Chequers White played a double header against Rayne Swan 2 and won them both 2-1. The Great Tey team won both the triples. Paul Brown and Neil Goodman won the first doubles 13-2 against Beryl Gibson and Dennis Smith but lost the second 13-5. The two singles games were between Lorne Gibson and John Perfect and these were also shared one apiece. Chequers White move up to 3rd and the Swan 2 team are in 2nd place 2 points behind the leaders.

 

BDPL 14/3/10
Things are really hotting up in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League.

Leaders Rayne Swan 2 visited third placed Feering Bell and there was no other word for it, they were outplayed.
The Bell triple of Bernie Wade, Dave Pearse and Ian Barnes all contributed in a strong performance which saw them quickly into a 12–0 lead. The Swan triple of Lorne and Beryl Gibson and Tom Smith saved on the next end, but the Bell secured the game 13-1 with consistently good pointing and shooting throughout.
In the doubles Pearse and Barnes jumped into a 6-1 lead against T and D Smith, with good shooting by Barnes securing an early 4. After this they maintained their lead to run out 13–6 winners.
The singles was a keenly contested encounter between Wade and L Gibson. Wade seemed in control and shot for the match at 11–5, however his shot missed the target boule hitting the coche giving Gibson 2. Gibson took full advantage of his reprieve and had a chance on the penultimate end, but his last boule fell short leaving the game tied at 12-12. On the last end Wade had to point in with his final boule. Gibson had two shots of over 9 metres for the game, both of which failed to connect.
The 3–0 win for the Bell sees them move to the top of the league and knocks Swan 2 down into 3rd place.

Rayne Swan 1 move into second after annihilating Bocking A. There was no mercy shown in the strive for the championship especially with the possibility of points difference being a big factor. Viv Middleton-Sams, Keith Flack and Adam Buxton won the opening triples against Trevor Turner, Dave Robinson and Steve Lloyd 13-3. This only served as a warning of what was to come as Buxton and Middleton-Sams defeated Turner and Lloyd 13-0 and Flack did the same to Robinson in the singles.

Chequers Black who were 2nd drop down to 4th as they didn’t play and along with the two Swan teams have a game in hand over leaders Feering Bell.

The Great Tey club’s second team, Chequers White, move into 5th after a 3-0 win over Feering Sun. John Perfect, Paul Brown and Neil Goodman won the triples 13-4 against Russell Bingham, Ian Morgans and Dick Youngs.
The doubles was a much closer affair with Brown and Goodman just pipping Bingham and Tom Winter 13-12. Perfect wrapped up the game with a 13-9 singles over Morgans.

Onley, who were due to play Chequers Black, are in 6th with 2 games in hand and ready to pounce if there are any slip ups.

At the bottom Bocking B remain rooted after a 3-0 defeat to Rayne Swan 3 who were just above them. Pam, Leigh and Paul Adams lost out 13-2 despite some good pointing against Clare Courtney, Colin Sams and Dean Middleton.
Leigh and David Adams took the opening end in the doubles against Sams and Courtney. The Swan pair then scored a 5 and a 6 in the next two ends and finished it off for a 13-2 win.
Best performance of the day came from Paul Adams in the singles where he fought all the way to keep pace with the far more experienced Middleton. At 10all Middleton pointed to the coche and Adams couldn’t beat or remove it which meant the Swan player could point in his final 2 boule for game. A good effort all round by the Bocking players who are continuing to improve.
The win sees Swan 3 move above the two Bocking teams into 8th place just behind Feering Sun who they meet next week.

 

BDPL 7/3/10
Fifth placed Chequers Black might well have scuppered Rayne Swan 1’s chances of the title in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League.
Swan 1 were lying in second place and really needed a win to keep the pressure on leaders Rayne Swan 2. In a long drawn out triples, Viv Middleton-Sams, Wendy Ridehalgh and Adam Buxton didn’t start well with a 13-11 defeat to Frank Britt, Bill Eve and Lloyd Herman.
Although Buxton and Ridehalgh made amends with a convincing 13-1 doubles win, Britt was too strong for Middleton- Sams in the singles, winning 13-6 to take the match 2-1 and push Swan down into 4th place with Chequers moving into 2nd.

Bocking A were up against the leaders Rayne Swan 2 and Trevor Turner, Janet Mills and Steve Lloyd played well in the triples, but Dennis Smith, Lorne and Beryl Gibson pulled away to win 13-9. Bocking then evened the score with a good doubles win. Turner partnered by David Mills won a close game against Smith and B. Gibson 13-10. It was left to L. Gibson to save the match for the Swan and keep them on top of the table. This he did with a comfortable 13-3 win over Lloyd which keeps them 1 point ahead of nearest rivals Chequers White with just 4 games to go.

Feering Bell are third after defeating Rayne Swan 3 and also have a good chance of taking the title, especially as they appear to have the easier run in.
The Bell stormed to a convincing 13-1 triples win with Dave Pearse, Ian Barnes and Bernie Wade taking a six on the second end and not looking back. The doubles was a tight encounter early on with the Swan pair of Josh Newman and Colin Sams playing well to build up a 4-1 lead. On the next end a 4 for the Bell pair of Pearse and Barnes put them in front. From this point Bell appeared in control as they built up a 12-6 lead. Over the next couple of ends the Swan kept themselves in it with some good saves and at 12-8 down they took their chance to complete a dramatic comeback when Sams shot to make a 5. In the singles despite being behind early on Wade secured a 2-1 win for the Bell with a score of 13-8 against Courtney.

The Feering Sun did the double over Stisted club Onley with another 2-1 win. Russell Bingham, Tom Winter and Dick Youngs had a surprisingly comfortable 13-3 win over the home triple of Tracey Austin, Dan and Trevor Blows.
D. Blows and Austin did their usual double act and evened the score with a 13-9 win over Bingham and Youngs. Winter played the crucial game and just squeezed out T. Blows in the singles in a close 13-11 win to claim the match and move them up the table into 7th place.

 

BDPL 28/2/10
Rayne Swan 2 moved back to the top of the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League after just a week away. Closest rivals Rayne Swan 1 and Feering Bell, sitting in first and second place respectively, were due to play each other, but the game was called off. Swan 2 took full advantage to move above them with a 3-0 win over Feering Sun, bringing the Sun’s recent winning streak to an abrupt end. Lorne Gibson, Dennis Smith and Beryl Gibson defied the wet and cold to convincingly defeat Russell Bingham, Dick Youngs and Tom Winter 13-0 in the opening triples. Smith and B. Gibson followed this up with a 13-7 doubles win over Bingham and Youngs. Despite the piste becoming more like a bog as the game wore on, the singles was a close affair with Tom Winter putting up a good display for the Sun and only just losing out to L. Gibson, 13-10.

In driving rain, the Onley Arms and Rayne Swan 3 teams did well to produce some great boules. The Swan triple of Colin Sams, Josh Newman and Andy Stead took an early lead. With Daniel and Trevor Blows shooting well, and Tracey Austin putting pressure on the Swan, the home side took eleven shots from three ends to open a 12-3 lead. The Swan responded but could not prevent the home side winning 13-5. In the doubles, Austin and Daniel Blows carried on their good form and took only six ends to beat Stead and Sams 13-2. The longest game of the morning was the singles that took fifteen ends to find a winner. The new Junior sensation, Josh Newman, took on Trevor Blows and won the first end. Blows responded with two and the next six ends were so close that only six points were scored, leaving Blows 6-3 up. Blows opened up a 10-3 lead but five points from Newman, with some excellent pointing, brought it back to 10-8. The experienced Blows then ground out three points to take the game 13-8, but Newman is definitely one to watch in the future. So 3-0 to the Onley Arms and they continue to keep the pressure on the top teams in the league.

 

21/2/10
Feering Sun had not won a match all season in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League and then like a number 7 bus, three come along in a row.
The Sun broke their duck with a win over Bocking A, they followed that up last week defeating Bocking B. This week they played a postponed game and scored an excellent 2-1 win over Onley from Stisted.
It didn’t start well with Andy and Tom Winter and Dick Youngs losing the opening triples 13-4 to Tracey Austin, Dan and Trevor Blows. But the Sun bounced back rather dramatically with a 13-1 doubles win by Ian Morgan and Dick Youngs over Austin and D. Blows. All hinged on the singles and Tom Winter gained a very good 13-6 win over Trevor Blows to keep the Sun shining in Feering.

 

14/2/10
Feering Bell hosted Chequers White from Gt Tey, in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League this week. The Chequers triple of John Perfect, Neil Goodman and Paul Brown had a slight edge early on mainly due to good shooting by Paul. However they did not fully capitalise and after a few ends the Bell triple of Bernie Wade, Dave Pearse and Ian Barnes gained the momentum and went on to win 13-3.
Good pointing and shooting saw Perfect and Brown take control of the doubles. At 11-3 down the Bell double of Pearse and Barnes staged a mini comeback but the lead proved too large and a good shot by Brown followed by a good point from Perfect secured a 13-7 win.
In the singles Wade pulled back an early deficit to beat Goodman 13-6 to secure a
2-1 win for the Bell.

Chequers Black were at home to Bocking A and went into the lead with a 13-8 triples win. Bocking levelled the score when Steve Lloyd and Trevor Turner defeated Bill Eve and Lloyd Herman with some good pointing by Turner.
Frank Britt ensured a win for the Gt Tey club with a 13-8 singles win over Malcolm Smith.

Title chasers Rayne Swan 1 moved to the top of the league with a convincing 3-0 win over Rayne Swan 3. Despite some good pointing by Sam Newman the strong triple of Adam Buxton, Wendy Ridehalgh and Keith Flack never looked in trouble winning 13-2. Josh Newman, whose recent singles wins meant Flack was prepared to show no mercy, which he didn’t with a 13-2 win.
Clare Courtney and Sam Newman played well in the doubles. With Newman showing a lot of consistency with his pointing they took the lead and moved ahead to 8-5. The Swan 1 pair had to work hard to keep in the game but managed to level the score at 8-8. This spurred them on and they went on to win 13-8 and move to the top of the league, with leaders Rayne Swan 2’s game against Onley being postponed they drop down to third place.

 

7/2/10
Feering Sun have finally got their first win in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League. The Sun were away to Bocking A and got off to a storming start winning the triples 13-0. Dave Robinson and Trevor Turner hit back in the doubles defeating Andrew and Tom Winter 13-11. It was left to Dick Youngs to get the points for the Sun in the singles, which he did, defeating Malcolm Smith in a close game 13-11. Sometimes their good performances had not been rewarded and despite being two thirds of the way through the season without a win, the Sun players never lost heart, and this week it paid off, well done the Sun.

Second placed Feering Bell were up against Chequers Black from Gt Tey and Bernie Wade, Dave Pearse and Ian Barnes won the first few ends of the opening triples. At 3-1 the Chequers triple of Frank Britt, Bill Eve and Lloyd Herman then got hold of the coche and the Bell didn't see it again. Although the ends were tight the Chequers always did enough to secure a point and a 4 at 8-3 broke the Bell's resistance as the away team won 13-3.
Pearse & Barnes responded well in the doubles and with the help of two consecutive 4's run out comfortable 13-1 winners against Eve & Herman to level the match.
At this stage Wade had built up an 11-5 lead against Britt. The next couple of ends saw Britt fight back to 11-9. He was holding on the next end when Wade played a good shot to trail the coche through to make the two he needed for the game and to take the match 2 - 1 for the Bell.

At Bocking B, the Onley Arms triple of Tracey Austin, Daniel and Trevor Blows took just five ends to record a 13-2 win. At two ends, Trevor Blows took out the home boule to allow his team to point in for five. In the singles, Trevor Blows and David Adams shared the first three ends, 3-3. Despite pointing well, Adams could not match the shooting of Blows and the Onley player took just six more ends to win 13-5. The closest game was the doubles. A five allowed Pam and Paul Adams to take a 5-1 lead. The Onley pair of Austin and Daniel Blows pulled back but the pointing of Paul Adams kept Bocking in front at 8-4. Daniel Blows then stepped up a gear and his overall play gave the Onley six points at the next two ends. Bocking responded to take an 11-10 lead but made the mistake of not closing down the head and Blows calmly pointed in for three and the game 13-11. A 3-0 win for the Onley Arms that moves them up a place and keeps them in touch with the leaders.

It was a double header at the Swan this week with leaders Rayne Swan 2 taking on the reigning champions Rayne Swan 1 who were lying in third place. First blood went to the leaders with a 3-0 win which despite the score-line was a hard fought battle which could have gone either way. Lorne Gibson, Tom Smith and Beryl Gibson were leading 11-6 after gaining a 4, but Adam Buxton, Keith Flack and Wendy Ridehalgh evened the score at 11all, but Swan 2 managed to clinch the game 13-11. The doubles were nip and tuck all the way with Dennis and Tom Smith just squeezing out Buxton & Viv Middleton-Sams 13-12. In the singles it was a pointing master class between L. Gibson and Flack, which Gibson won 13-10.
The second game was a reversal of the first and a 3-0 win for Swan 1. Swan 2 kept their same format but Swan 1 switched and brought Middleton-Sams into the triples and went 11-1 up. Despite Swan 2 recovering they still went down 13-8. Flack gained his revenge in the singles with a 13-7 win. The Smith’s went into a 9-2 lead in the doubles for Swan 2 but Buxton and Ridehalgh gained a 3 and 4 to even the score at 9all. With the score at 11-10 to Swan 2, Ridehalgh showed off her pointing skills and secured the game for Swan 1 13-11. So honours even but maybe Swan 1 claiming victory with a better points difference, but Swan 2 are still top of the league.

Chequers White played hosts to Rayne Swan 3 and it was evens in the triples up to 7all, when Paul Brown, Neil Goodman and John Perfect started to pull away and went on to win 13-7.
Perfect and Goodman were too strong for Clare Courtney and Sam Newman in the doubles, and good pointing by Goodman saw the Chequers to a 13-0 win.
Josh Newman showed that his win against Britt last week wasn’t a fluke when at 10-3 down against Brown, he fought back to gain another excellent 13-10 victory.

 

BDPL 31/1/10
Rayne Swan 3 had possibly the result of the season this week in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League. Playing at home to the experienced Chequers Black team from Gt Tey, the two young juniors Josh and Sam Newman backed up by Colin Sams, gained a very unexpected 2-1 win.
It didn’t start well with a 13-6 triples defeat to Frank Britt, Lloyd Herman and Bill Eve, but as the game went on their confidence grew. Josh Newman looks a very good prospect and was thrown in at the deep end playing Britt in the singles. He surprised everyone with his calm and controlled play and matched Britt all the way, and even leading at times throughout the game. At 10-11 down Newman had the chance to shoot for game but just missed out, scoring one to take the score to 11all. With the score at 12all and Newman holding for game, Britt failed to point in with his final boule to give the game to Newman. An excellent display by the youngster who really earned the win. Sams and Sam Newman were level pegging at 6all in the doubles against Eve and Herman when they scored a four to move them into a 10-6 lead. The Chequers pair pulled a couple of points back when Lloyd started to find his shooting form, but the Swan pair held on to take the game 13-8 and an excellent 2-1 win.

A double header at Bocking saw their A team start well against the Onley Arms team of Tracey Austin, Daniel and Trevor Blows. With Janet Mills pointing well and Trevor Turner producing some remarkable shots, they built a 6-1 lead. The Onley came back into the game but Bocking A held on to win 13-9. In the singles, Turner and Trevor Blows were even for the first half of the match but home advantage told with Turner winning 13-7. The Onley pair of Austin and Daniel Blows were never troubled by Robinson and Lloyd. 11-0 up after four ends, the home pair rallied but lost out 13-3. Match one to Bocking A by 2-1. In the second match, the Bocking A triple of Mills, Robinson and Smith again took an early lead. The Onley fought back to 6-6 with Daniel Blows producing some amazing shots which dazzled the home team. The Onley then moved up a gear to win 13-8. The singles saw the two Trevor's head to head and another even game. At 6-6 Blows took the initiative and gained quick revenge over Turner with a 13-8 win. In the pairs Austin and Daniel Blows built a 7-1 lead over Smith and Lloyd. At 8-3, the Onley produced a four then took the winning point at the next end. So match two ended Onley Arms 3 Bocking A 0. Two matches played in great spirit with games that produced a high standard of pointing and shooting.

Chequers White were at home to Rayne Swan 1 and despite some good pointing by Neil Goodman in the opening triples, Wendy Ridehalgh, Adam Buxton and Keith Flack cruised to a 13-5 win. Goodman and Paul Brown struggled in the doubles with Buxton and Viv Middleton-Sams winning comfortably 13-3. It was left to John Perfect to try to salvage a point in the singles against Keith Flack. This he did with a very good 13-6 score-line but overall another good win for Swan 1 who are closing in on the leaders.

Bocking B entertained leaders Rayne Swan 2 and played very well to take the opening triples. Pam and David Adams along with David Mills were evenly matched with Tom Smith, Beryl and Lorne Gibson but with the score at 8-7 in their favour a bit of luck went their way to enable them to pull away and win 13-7. Dennis Smith partnered Beryl Gibson in the doubles and they evened the score with a 13-6 win over the Adams team.
Lorne Gibson then showed his best singles play to defeat Mills 13-3 to claim the game 2-1.

Second placed Feering Bell were playing local rivals Feering Sun. Bernie Wade, Dave Pearse and Ian Barnes won the opening triples 13-7 against Russell Bingham, Tom Winter and Ian Morgan. The Sun hit back with a 13-10 doubles win by Bingham and Dick Youngs, but Wade took the singles 13-8 for a 2-1 win for the Bell.

 

24/1/10
Things are hotting up at the top of the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League with the two unbeaten Chequers teams both losing this week. Leaders Rayne Swan 2 took on third placed Chequers Black and won the opening triples 13-9. The unbeaten doubles pairing of Tom Smith and Beryl Gibson crashed to their first defeat losing 13-2 to Lloyd Herman and Bill Eve. It was down to Lorne Gibson to ensure the win for the leaders with a 13-6 defeat of Frank Britt.

Chequers White, lying in second place, were at home to Onley PC from Stisted. Neil Goodman, John Perfect and Paul Brown started well to build a seven point lead but Tracey Austin, Nikki Blows and Daniel Blows then found some form to get back to 8all. The home side then edged ahead 12-10 with the Onley missing a number of chances to win the game. After fourteen ends, the Onley scored three to take the lead for the first time in the game with a winning score of 13-12. Brown proved too strong for Daniel Blows in the singles, with his all round game giving him a 13-5 victory. The deciding doubles saw Perfect and Goodman take a 5-0 lead. Good pointing from Nikki Blows and shooting from Austin took them into an 8-5 lead but the Chequers won the next two ends to leave the game at 8-7. The Onley then hit back to take a 12-9 lead and took the final point to win the game and the match 2-1.

Rayne Swan 1 continue to move up the table with another 3-0 win this time Feering Sun were the unlucky opponents. Adam Buxton, Viv Middleton-Sams and Keith Flack led 2-1 when they took a 6 on one end to break the opposition’s resistance and ran out 13-4 winners. It was a similar case in the doubles, Buxton and Middleton-Sams led 6-1 but Russell Bingham and Dick Youngs fought back to take the lead 8-6. The next end saw the Swan pair gain a 6 to lead 12-8 and then finish off the game. In the singles, Tom Winter, who pointed well throughout, ran Keith Flack all the way in the singles and only just lost out 13-10. This leaves the Sun still searching for their first win and moves the Swan up the table into third.

Feering Bell jump over the two Chequers teams into second place, winning their postponed game against Bocking A 2-1 and a 3-0 win over Bocking B. Dave Bird, Bernie Wade and Dave Pearse made a good start in the triples against Steve Lloyd, Malcolm Smith and Trevor Turner of Bocking A and retained their form to take an 11-0 lead. Bocking scored 2 to get on the board, but any chance of a dramatic comeback was extinguished on the next end as Wade pointed in to take the game 13-2. Despite some good pointing by the Bocking pair of Smith and Dave Robinson, the Bell’s Bird and Pearse won the doubles 13-8. The singles saw Bocking's 'birthday boy' Trevor Turner gain a very good 13-8 win over Wade for a well deserved consolation point.

Bell’s second game was at home to bottom of the table Bocking B and they ran out comfortable winners with scores of 13-4, 13-3 and 13-4.

Rayne Swan 3 gained their second win of the season with a 2-1 defeat of Bocking A. They started badly going 10-3 down in the triples against Malcolm Smith, Janet Mills and Steve Lloyd. But once they gained the coche it was a different story, playing long and with good pointing by young Sam Newman the Swan team fought back to win 13-10. Trevor Turner is proving to be a handful for opponents in the singles and today was no exception with a 13-12 win over Colin Sams to add to the notches on his belt and level the match score. It was down to the inexperienced Swan juniors to pull something out of the bag in the doubles. It was nip and tuck all the way to 6all against Smith and Lloyd when Josh Newman shot with his last boule to claim three and take a 9-6 lead. This was followed by younger brother Sam pointing superbly, for the boys to gain their first doubles win 13-6 and the match 2-1, which moves them up the table into 7th place.

 

17/1/10
With the lovely change in the weather, it was a full programme in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League on Sunday.
Leaders Rayne Swan 2 held on to top spot with a convincing 3-0 win over Rayne Swan 3. Dennis Smith, Beryl Gibson and Tom Smith were too strong for the opposition in the opening triples. There was some good pointing by the ever improving junior Sam Newman, and although Swan 2 ran out 13-4 winners, a lot of the ends were closely contested.
Tom Smith and Beryl Gibson are unbeaten this season in the doubles and they kept their record in tact with a 13-5 win over Terry and Josh Newman.
Lorne Gibson and Clare Courtney had a good singles game with both taking it in turns to score up to 7all. Courtney had an unfortunate end when shooting also moved the coche giving the points to Gibson, who then pulled away to take the game 13-8.

Chequers Black from Gt Tey were at home to Feering Sun and gained a 2-1 win. Yvonne Cooney, Bill Eve and Frank Britt won the triples 13-8 against Tom and Andrew Winter and Dick Youngs.
Cooney and Eve went on to take the doubles 13-5 against the father and son Winter team.
The result of the day is the excellent 13-10 singles win for Youngs over Britt, and although the Sun have yet to win a match they will take consolation in their efforts in this 2-1 defeat.

Bocking B remain in bottom place after a 3-0 trouncing at home to Rayne Swan 1. Pam, David and Leigh Adams put up a good fight in the triples but Keith Flack, Viv Middleton-Sams and Wendy Ridehalgh were too strong for them and won 13-5.
Middleton-Sams didn’t give David Mills a look in in the singles, winning 13-2. It was a similar tale in the doubles where David & Leigh Adams managed only one point against the merciless Flack & Ridehalgh.

Bocking A were also at home playing Chequers White from Gt Tey and it was another 3-0 defeat. Malcolm Smith, Janet Mills and Dave Robinson went down 13-6 to Paul Brown, John Perfect and Simon Robinson. The doubles got off to an even worse start when Perfect and Robinson raced in to an 8-0 lead. But Smith and Steve Lloyd fought back well and in the end only just lost out 13-10. Trevor Turner also put up a very good fight in the singles. Matching Brown all the way through to 11all, Turner just lost out after knocking his own boule out to give Brown two and a 13-11 win.

5th placed Onley PC from Stisted were at home to Feering Bell who were lying in 6th and the Bell came out on top with a 3-0 win.
Both the triples and doubles were very keenly contested with the Onley just missing out 13-10 and 13-12. Bernie Wade rounded the match off with a 13-8 defeat of Trevor Blows which means the teams will swap places in the league.

 

10/1/10
The Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League fixtures were wiped out due to the bad weather. As hardy as the local Petanque players are they couldn’t play on the thick snow covered pistes.

Following last week’s games the top three teams stay the same but Feering Bell drop from 4th to 6th, changing places with Rayne Swan 1. The only other change is that Bocking B slip into bottom spot after their defeat against Rayne Swan 3.

There is still all to play for with only 3 points separating the top five

 

3/1/10
The second half of the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque League got under way after the Christmas break and leaders Rayne Swan 2 continued where they left off with an impressive 3-0 win over Feering Bell.
Despite a poor start in the triples, where they went 8-0 down, Dennis Smith, Lorne Gibson and Tom Smith hit back after taking control of the coche. In icy conditions the Swan trio started playing a long coche which the opposition didn’t adapt to and went on to win 13-10.
Lorne Gibson had his usual tight game against Bernie Wade in the singles and came out on top 13-9. The doubles saw Tom Smith and Beryl Gibson gain a very good 13-7 win over Ian Barnes and Dave Pearse to ensure the 3-0 win and keep them on top of the table.

Rayne Swan 3 were also playing at home against Bocking B, and succeeded in getting their first win of the season.
Clare Courtney along with juniors Sam and Josh Newman played well in the triples against the Adams family. Pam and Dave Adams with grandson Leigh struggled with the icy conditions. Good shooting by Josh Newman saw the Swan take 5 on one end and they held on to their lead to take the game 13-5.
In the doubles Terry Newman, playing in his first league game, partnered his son Josh, and took a few ends to get into the game, with good pointing by Bocking’s Leigh and Dave Adams taking them into an early lead. The Swan pair fought back and were leading 11-10 when a very tight end went in the favour of the Bocking side who scored the 3 needed for game.
The deciding singles resulted in a 13-6 win for Courtney over David Mills to give Swan 3 a 2-1 win which will encourage the youngsters to continue improving.

Bocking A were at home to Rayne Swan 1. The reigning champions struggled in the first half of the season but came out with all guns blazing in this opening game of the second half. Bocking put up a good fight in the opening triples with Steve Lloyd, David Robbins and Malcolm Smith pushing the far more experienced Swan side of Keith Flack, Viv Middleton-Sams and Wendy Ridehalgh all the way, only just losing out 13-11.
There was no slip up in the doubles though, where Flack and Ridehalgh stormed to a 13-0 win over Robbins and Smith.
Trevor Turner also scored well in the singles but Middleton-Sams was too strong and won 13-8 for the 3-0 match win.

Onley PC from Stisted were hosts to Chequers Black from Gt Tey and in a closely contested match were narrowly defeated 2-1. Trevor Blows, Tracey Austin and Dan Blows lost out 13-10 in the opening triples to Frank Britt, Lloyd Herman and Bill Eve. The doubles were even closer but this time in favour of the home side with Austin and D. Blows winning 13-12. T. Blows put up a good show in the singles but Britt was just that little bit more accurate and won 13-10 to take the match.

 

13/12/09
Chequers Black gained a good 2-1 win in the Daniel Robinson and Sons Braintree and District Petanque league to go into the Christmas break on a high.
Their opponents, reigning champions Rayne Swan 1, have got off to a very poor start losing four of their opening 5 games. Frank Britt, Yvonne Cooney and Bill Eve got off to a flyer for the home team, winning the triples 13-2. Cooney & Eve teamed up for the doubles and were 12-6 up before Adam Buxton and Viv Middleton-Sams made a bit of a fightback, but Chequers still came out on top winning 13-10.
Keith Flack gained some consolation with a good 13-5 singles win over Britt, but the Swan will need to buck their ideas up in the new year if they are to retain their title.

Rayne Swan 2 defeated Bocking A 3-0. Dennis Smith, Tom Smith and Beryl Gibson played the opening triples in which Bocking started well, taking the first few ends and going into a 5-0 lead. Fortunes changed when the Swan finally got hold of the coche and took it to a different part of the piste, and played it longer. This tactical change resulted in the Swan gaining a 13–6 win. Lorne Gibson defeated Trevor Turner 13-1 in the singles, and T Smith and B. Gibson won the doubles 13–4 for a convincing win.

Feering Bell had 2 wins over Rayne Swan teams, the first being Rayne Swan 1 where excellent pointing by Bernie Wade ensured a 13-2 triples win. In the singles Keith Flack’s all-round game proved too strong for Wade as he evened the match up for the Swan winning 13–6. In the deciding doubles the Bell’s ‘Christmas goose’ looked cooked as Viv Middleton-Sams & Adam Buxton found their form to take a convincing 12–4 lead. However the next two ends saw a dramatic comeback from the Bell pair of Dave Pearse & Ian Barnes as they scored a 6 and 3 to win 13-12 and take the match 2-1.
Bell’s second success came at home against Rayne Swan 3. The triples between the Bell’s Jack Pearse, Bernie Wade and Dave Pearse and the Swan’s Sam Newman, Clare Courtney and Colin Sams was a magnificent game lasting 1 ½ hours. The game had everything with every end closely contested some of which were very dramatic. Towards the end, the game was saved on more than one occasion with the final boule of the end. Eventually the Bell won 13 -12, but the highlight of the game was the pointing of the two young juniors Sam Newman and Jack Pearse, which got better and better as the game went on. After this marathon Courtney and Sams struggled to get going in the doubles. Wade and Pearse took full advantage to win 13–0. The singles saw a contest between the youngsters, Jack Pearse and a frozen Josh Newman, who had been waiting 1 ½ hours to play! Pearse took advantage of this to jump into a 5 – 0 lead. Once Newman had warmed up he played very well but Pearse was able to maintain his early advantage as he went on to win 13–9, giving the Bell a 3 – 0 match win.

 

6/12/09
In the Daniel Robinson Braintree and District Petanque League Feering Sun were at home against Rayne Swan 2. The Sun pulled out an initial big lead over their opponents with Ian Morgan & Russell Bingham vying with Beryl Gibson, and her son Lorne, to take control of the ends. At 11-6 they had a chance to win when holding and with the last ball to play. Although Tom Winter’s boule landed in the right spot it dislodged a stone which in turn glanced the coche to an opposing boule for a point for the Swan. Profiting from this let off, Dennis Smith’s team rebounded back winning 6 of the next seven points contested.
On the balance of play the Swan triple deserved their final victory with strong contributions from all three of their players, whilst although the Sun triple lost, they were heartened by their contribution to a close battle.
In the singles, Lorne Gibson continued his good form for the Swan by defeating Bingham 13-0, and although it was an emphatic score it was achieved mainly by singles as opposed to multiple scores at each end.
Morgan continued to point well for the Sun in the doubles, and along with a tidy contribution from Winter; they eased away to a 13-5 compensation win over the Tom & Dennis Smith from the Swan.

Rayne Swan 3 were at home to Onley and although it resulted in a 3-0 win for the away team there was some good play by the Swan’s young juniors in their first competitive season.
Daniel and Trevor Blows and Tracey Austin took a 4-0 lead in the opening triples for Onley before young Sam Newman got his range at first point. Backed up by Clare Courtney and Colin Sams the Swan slowly caught up and went into a 7-4 lead. Onley stepped up a gear and didn’t slip again to take the game 13-8.
Courtney partnered Josh Newman in the doubles and gave away a heavy 6 points on the second end to Daniel Blows and Austin to trail 8-0. Undeterred the Swan pair fought hard to get some points on the board and at 12-4 made the Onley wait for their final winning boule, with some good pointing by Newman taking the score to 12-8 before the Onley took the game.
Trevor Blows won the singles against Sams 13-6 but the game was closer than the score suggests.

 

BDPL 29/11/09
Report from Trevor Blows
At Rayne Swan, the Chequers White triple of Paul Brown, Neil Goodman and Simon Robinson had an excellent 13-0 win over the home triple of Colin Sams, Sam and Andy Stead.
Sams fought back to beat Robinson 13-11 in the singles but Chequers won the deciding doubles, 13-8, to gain a 2-1 win.

Over at the Feering Sun, the home triple, with Andrew Winter in fine form, beat the Bocking A triple of Janet Mills, Malcolm Smith and Trevor Turner 13-3. Dick Youngs for the Sun, forged a good lead in the singles but Smith clawed it back. Not to be denied, Youngs pointed out for a 13-12 win. Father and son pairing, Andrew and Tom Winter also started well for the Sun. Turner and Steve Lloyd fought back and, unlike the singles, managed to get in front and take the match 13-11 thanks to some fine play from Turner at the last end. The match ended Feering Sun 1, Bocking A 2.

At the Onley Arms, Rayne Swan 2 started well with Dennis Smith, Beryl and Lorne Gibson easily beating the home triple 13-3. In the singles, Trevor Blows and Lorne Gibson had another of their close encounters which took 19 ends to resolve. Blows started well building a 7-2 lead but Gibson fought back to 8-7. Four good ends took Blows to 12-7 but he failed to take advantage and Gibson responded. At 12-10 Blows pointed onto the coche and took the point for a 13-10 win. In the deciding doubles Daniel Blows and Tracey Austin started with a three but Smith and Gibson came back to 5-5. The Onley pair pulled away but the Swan again came back to 8-9. Four for the Onley was followed by a point at the last end when Austin pointed well to claim a 13-8 win and a match score of 2-1.

 

BDPL 22/11/09
Report from Trevor Blows
Bocking B contributed to all three games despite their 0-3 loss at the Onley Arms in the Daniel Robinson Winter league.
The Onley triple of Trevor and Daniel Blows, playing with Tracey Austin started strongly but David Mills, David Adams and Pam Adams took the lead 7-6. A five for the home side took the score to 11-7 but Bocking came back to 10-11 before the Onley wrapped up the game 13-10.
In the singles, Mills led Trevor Blows 5-4 but the home captain eased away to
win 13-7.
In torrential rain, the doubles proved a long, close game, with the Onley taking the lead, only for Bocking to edge 7-6 ahead. As in the triples, a five for Daniel Blows and Austin took them to 11-7 but it took another four ends for them to seal a 13-9 win. A good performance from Bocking B.

Feering Bell beat local rivals the Sun 3-0 with only the singles game producing a close finish. Dave Pearse just edging out Russell Bingham. At the Chequers, Rayne Swan 3 introduced two new young members and they played well in the 2-1 defeat. The highlight being a 13-1 for Colin Sams, Sam and Andy Stead over the experienced Frank Britt, Lloyd Herman and Bill Eve.