Braintree & District Winter League 2009


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.




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.