Last Tuesday was finals night in the Dover , Deal & District Bar Billiards league, with a total of trophies being contested for, at the Alma in Deal. 
The 2003 Open Singles champion is Keith Symes, who plays for the Plough & Harrow at Bridge.  Symes beat Mike Callanan, from the Magnet in Deal, in the final.  Callanan took the first frame, against the break, 4300-2000.  Symes, however, levelled matters by taking the second frame 3900-3300, but Callanan was on the table with the break as the bar dropped with not quite enough time to catch up.  Symes won the toss and broke first in the deciding frame and managed 2700, and Callanan replied with 4600.  Callanan retained the lead until near the end when Symes got the break back and played out the table for a 3700 break and a 6400-4700 victory.
Ann Keen won the first title of the night as she beat Ann Garlinge 2-0 in the Ladies Singles final.  Keen won a close first leg against the break, and managed to take the second also.  Ann Keen plays for the Plough & Harrow at Tilmanstone, Ann Garlinge for the Brickmakers in
Deal.
The Over 50s title was taken by Ian Dennett, from the Plough & Harrow Bridge , as he beat Kent Over 50s champion Alan Farra, from the Market Inn in Sandwich , 2-1 in the final.  Farra took the first frame with a 5900 score, and Dennett took a close second leg 3700-2800, but Dennett took the final leg with a 4600 score after Farra had black-pegged while leading.
Division One champion this year is Neville Potts of the Lion, Ash, after he beat Mike Callanan 2-1 in a close final.  Potts started the first leg with a 4200 break and eventually won with an 8300 score.  Callanan mirrored that by starting the second leg with a 4300 break and finishing
with 7500.  In the deciding frame, Callanan started with a 2600 break, and Potts a 1460 break.  Towards the end Potts knocked another 4100 break for a winning 5700-2600 score.
Ann Keen bagged her second trophy of the night when she took the Division Two singles by beating Nigel Scott from the Fitzwalter Arms, Goodnestone 2-1.  Scott took the first leg, and Keen the second taking the game to the deciding third frame, which Keen won 3040-2230.
Gill Saville & Lin Callanan won the Ladies Doubles 2-0, as they saw off their challengers Ann Garlinge & Sheila Howarth in straight legs, all the players coming from Deal pubs, either the Alma, Magnet or the Brickmakers.
The Mixed Doubles was won 2-0 by Chris & Gill Saville, from the Alma , against Mike & Lin Callanan, from the Magnet.  Chris Saville put the opening frame beyond doubt with a break of 10350, the highest of the night in all competitions.  Mike Callanan opened the second frame
patient 2600 break, before Chris Saville managed an equally patient 3900 break.  The frame finished 4000-3100 to the Savilles.
The Mens Pairs was the last to finish, after a tense final went to an extraordinary fourth frame.  Mike Callanan & John Higgens eventually won 2 ½ - 1 ½ against Chris Saville & Dave Howarth.  Callanan & Higgens took the first leg, and were leading the second by 4000 before Saville managed a 3500 break to pull them close.  With Howarth on the table as the bar dropped, he managed three hundred shots in a 570 break to draw the frame.  Saville & Howarth to force the necessity of a fourth game then won the third leg.  As the night wore on and midnight passed, Callanan & Higgens took the deciding frame, and Callanan at last took a trophy in his last of four finals of the evening. 
The Challenge Cup final was played during the evening and was won by the Chantry Club from Canterbury against the Fitzwalter Arms.  The Challenge Cup is a seven-a-side competition decided by aggregate scores, and all breaks are started with the white ball in a triangle beyond the one hundred hole.  In the final frame, the Fitzwalter Arms were leading by 2000 points, but Keith Symes managed to overhaul it, potting the final balls for the Chantry victory.  The Chantry team, a joint team of the Chantry & Plough & Harrow Bridge, consisted of Keith Symes, Baz Symes, Mick Nichol, Viv Wright, Kevin Kay, Roger Standen and Ian Dennett.

The Alma A defeated rivals Plough & Harrow from Bridge 5-1, and have now probably secured top spot in Group B.  Singles wins for Ted Batchelor
and Chris Saville (5690) gave the Alma an excellent start on their home table.  In the third leg, Keith Symes opened with a 5300 break for the
Plough, before John Mitchell knocked a1800 break.  Mitchell got the break back again and played out the table for a 7060-5740 win to inflict
Symes first defeat of the season.  The Plough's sole point came in an exciting first doubles as Baz Symes & Paddy Maher beat Mitchell &
Batchelor 5610-4800.  The final two legs were both taken by the Alma, each narrowly after being level with a couple of minutes to go. 
Mid-table Market Inn B beat the Brickmakers B 5-1 at home, and should now qualify in the top four.  Daniel Jackson (3920) took the first leg,
and Craig Carlson was fortunate to win the next, after Paul Dargan black-pegged while leading.  Derek Latham took the final singles, and
match-victory was assured as Latham & Jackson beat Simon Jones & Paul Dargan 4040-2400.  Jones partnered Simon Hart to victory in the next
doubles for the only point of the night for the Brickies.  The final leg saw Jackson & Carlson score 4380 for a good win on and an enjoyable
match for all.
The Butchers Arms travelled to Goodnestone an enjoyed an excellent 3-3 draw against the Fitzwalter Arms.  Roger Oldfield just beat Doug Vickers
1470-1380 to take the first leg for the Fitz, but this was equalised as Paul Collins edged out Steve Lake 1450-1390.  The Butchers took the lead
as Janet Kershaw outscored her opponent for a superb win.  Roger Oldfield & Mark Graves took the first doubles, but once again the Butchers moved into the ascendancy as Paul Collins & Daryl Pemble triumphed.  Finally, though, Nigel Scott & Mark Graves rallied to grab the draw and ensure honours were even.