Herewith the Dover , Deal & District Bar Billiards League report for this week:-

Results:
Division One: Market Inn 1 Chantry 2. Greyhound 1 Betteshanger 5. Royal Oak 2.5 Fitzwalter Arms 3.5.

Division Two: Magnet A 5 Magnet B 1. Brickmakers A 2 P&H Tilmanstone B 4.

The Winter League season is underway, and the defending champions the Chantry Club are off to a great start after a 5-1 win away to the Market Inn, Sandwich .  Kevin Kay (1,960) and John Fullager (5,730) both won for the Canterbury side, before Craig Carlson edged a close game against Stan Brocklebank 2,780-2,670.  Fullager & Kay (2,290) won the first doubles, followed by victory for Brocklebank & Fullager to ensure the overall match win.  Kay & Brocklebank grabbed the final frame against Derek Latham & John Laundrie 3,540-2,840, after Brocklebank hit a late maximum 2,000 break.

Last season’s runners-up, the Alma Lions, have moved to the Betteshanger Sports & Social Club, and will be known as the Betteshanger Alma Lions League Side.  They travelled to Sandwich and were 5-1 winners against the Greyhound to start the season well.  Chris Saville (4,690) and Neville Potts (3,660) both won singles for Betteshanger, either side of a Greyhound success for Alan Farra (4,380).  The Betteshanger side dominated the doubles, running out wins for Saville & Wack Sampson (6,010), Potts & Saville (5,280) and Sampson & Potts (2,550).

Newly promoted Fitzwalter Arms won away, 3.5-2.5 to the Royal Oak in Nonington.  All three singles went to the Fitz with victories for Mark Graves (2,990), Roger Oldfield (4,810) and Steve Lake (4,340).  Richard Cousens & Alan Smith beat Oldfield & Nigel Scott 3,950-3,560 in the first doubles to give hope to the Royal Oak , but the next leg was shared as Smith & Gary Clarke and Scott & Graves each finished with 2,810 points.  Stuart Richardson & Smith (4,090) took the last game, but it still left the Fitz with the narrowest possible match victory.

 

In Division 2, the Magnet A from Deal, relegated last season from the top division, beat the Magnet B 5-1 for an excellent start to their campaign.  Mike Callanan (7,790) took the first leg, Lin Callanan beat Tanya Philpott 1,760-1,240, and John Higgens (3,570) took the last singles for a 3-0 lead.  The bonus points were secured in the first doubles as Ward Griffiths & Mike Callanan (3,330) were successful, but the Magnet B took the next leg as Chris Gent & Steve Philpott (2,560) did enough for the win.  Higgens & Griffiths edged Tanya Philpott & Gent 2,980-2,720 in the final leg to wrap up the evening.

The Plough & Harrow B, Tilmanstone, won 4-2 away to the Brickmakers Arms A in Deal.  Gerald Gilbert (1,380) took the first leg for the Plough, before Ann Garlinge edged Ken Keen 1,850-1,500 to level matters.  Harry Pearson (2,560) won the final singles to re-establish the Plough’s lead.  Paul Garlinge & Craig Lancaster beat Keen & Gilbert 1,530-1,410 to again level the match, but Pearson & Keen won 2,600-2,090, followed by a close 1,430-1,010 victory for Gilbert & Pearson against Lancaster & Ann Garlinge to take the match.