Herewith the Dover, deal & District bar billiards Spring Cup report for this week.  After this week, the competition goes into knockout stages, with the top four in each group playing in the main competion.  The remainder play in the Plate.

 

Results:
Group A: Lion 5 Chantry 1.  P&H Tilmanstone 1 Alma B 5.  Brickmakers A 1 Royal Oak 5.  Market Inn 4 Magnet A 2.
Group B: Magnet B 3 Market Inn 3. Alma A 6 Fitzwalter Arms 0. P&H Bridge 4 Brickmakers B 2.

Group standings:-
Group A: 1, Lion (P 14, Pts 98), 2, Chantry (14, 83), 3, Royal Oak (14, 63), 4, Market Inn A (14, 61), 5, Magnet A (14, 45), 6, Alma B (14, 40), 7, P&H Tilmanstone (14, 36), 8, Brickmakers A (14, 22).
Group B: 1, Alma A (P 12, Pts 76), 2, P&H Bridge (12, 68), 3, Market Inn B (12, 55.5), 4, Fitzwalter Arms (12, 48), 5, Magnet B (12, 35), 6, Brickmakers B (12, 32.5), 7, Butchers Arms (12, 19).

The Lion finished the group stages in fine fettle as they piled on the points in a 5-1 win over the Chantry.  In the first leg, Neville Potts scored 9810, including a 5960 break, for his win.  Tim Hayes rattled 10620 points, with a 7360 break, in his game, and Wack Sampson had a superb 6350-4210 win over John Fullager, courtesy of a 5830 break.  A close first doubles was taken 4860-4540 for Paul Smart & Neville Potts against Roger Standen & Mick Nichol, before Nichol & Fullager scored 4530 to finally pick up a point for the visiting Chantry team.  Hayes & Sampson totalled 6190 in the final frame for a comprehensive victory against the Winter League champions.

A win for the Alma B 5-1 at the Plough & Harrow in Tilmanstone leap-frogged the Alma above the Plough in the group table.  Harry Pearson took a last-ball-game against Brain Carpenter, before Ann Keen levelled matters.  Bill Edwards gave advantage to the visitors after the singles, and Paul Callanan was in tremendous form as he partnered first Anne Cope and then Dave Howarth to successive doubles victories.  Howarth & Cope then teamed up in the final doubles and made the score
5-1. 

The Royal Oak travelled to Deal and enjoyed a 5-1 win against the Brickmakers A.  All the singles went to the Oak as Stuart Richardson, Gary Clarke and Alan Smith swept to victory.  Paul Garlinge & Alan Holmwood managed to halt the visitor’s progress as they took the first doubles, but the next two fell to the Oak with Richard Cousens playing and winning both.

The Market Inn A defeated the Magnet A 4-2 in a match that almost finished as a draw.  Gareth Butcher’s break of 2890 set him on his way to victory against Mike Callanan, and Alan Farra took the next game for 2-0 to the Market Inn.  John Higgens pulled a point back for the Magnet in the final singles.  Mike & Lin Callanan took a close first doubles, before Alan & Christine Farra re-established the Sandwich side’s lead.  The final nail-biting frame was eventually taken by the Market Inn as Dave Carliell & Gareth Butcher beat John Higgens & Lin Callanan 1890-1750.

The Magnet B almost pulled off a shock victory against the Market Inn B , but the match eventually finished 3-3.  The Magnet swept to a 3-0 lead after the singles after wins for Steve Philpott, Rob Robertson and Tanya Philpott.  The Market Inn B have only lost 2 matches throughout the Spring Cup group stage, and were determined not to lose again.  Derek Latham & Daniel Jackson beat Tanya & Steve Philpott 2660-2050, Craig Carlson & Latham scored 5370 for their point, and finally Jackson &
Carlson completed the comeback in the final leg.
The Alma A were in storming form as they beat the Fitzwalter Arms 6-0 in
Deal.  Chris Saville (9980) took the first leg as Steve Lake lost a 1910 break, and John Mitchell (6570) and Ted Batchelor (5380) got the home side off to a perfect start by taking the next two singles.  The first doubles saw the Alma 's lowest score of the night, 5310, as Saville & Batchelor won that, Batchelor & Mitchell then scored 6090, and the final leg finished 6140-3610 to Mitchell & Saville against Roger Oldfield & Mark Graves.  That leg included a unique situation as both Saville & Mitchell broke with perfect maximum 2000s.  The Fitz played well as they amassed a 15000 aggregate score, but were unable to pick up a point.
The Plough & Harrow from Bridge enjoyed a 4-2 win at home to the Brickmakers B.  Keith Symes (4430) took the first leg, but Baz Taylor took the next to level the tie.  The final singles saw a win for the Plough as Ian Dennett emerged victorious in his tussle with Simon Jones. Baz Symes & Paddy Maher took the first doubles, before Dennett & Baz Symes bested Paul Dargan & Jones 4790-3450.  Jones & Taylor won an excellent last leg with a total of 5880 for the Brickies.