I've just returned from Nailsea where I played well above my normal form although I didn't quite manage to win the event.

On Saturday we were split into 2 groups of 8, all play all. 

1 v Valerie Harding (3)  won 7-2 Valerie played the wrong ball once which cost her a hoop she might have otherwise won.

2 v Max Stokes (2)  won 7-0. Max had a nightmare match. He played the wrong ball TWICE and put me through a hoop when attempting a jump shot

3 v Rex Davis (-1)  won 7-4  Rex was my toughest opponent yet but played the wrong ball twice.  I returned the favour by playing the wrong ball once.

4 v David Manley (4)  won 7-2. My easiest match.  David departed from the script by only playing the wrong ball once.

5 v Jane Collier (2)  won 7-4. Another toughie but Jane played the wrong ball once which let me in.

6 v Peter Dyke (-1)  won 7-5  A really tough match It was 5-5 and I'd used all my bisques. I ran a long hoop ( from yard line) to make it 6-5 then when Peter ran just to the left of hoop 12 I managed a perfect approach which stopped in the jaws.

7 v Simon Gibbs (-1)  won 7-3. Used my 4 bisques really well to win 4 hoops.  My best performance of the day.

So I won the group and Max who I'd beaten 7-0 put that defeat behind him and finished 2nd.

The other group was won by Benson Spiers (0) a quite brilliant 16 year old who won 6 out of 7. Second was Julian Stair (1)

On Sunday I played Julian and produced my best form of the weekend to win 7-2, 7-1. Benson beat Max although he did need to go to a third game.

THE FINAL

Game 1: I started REALLY badly.  I was 4-1 down before I knew what had hit me.  Benson's hoop running was in a different class to the rest of the field.  I used my bisques well to get back to 6-6 but Benson took hoop 13 with a long shot.

Game 2: Again I started badly and was 3-1 down but I got back to 4-4 then used a bisque on the next three hoops to win 7-4

Game 3:  Once again Benson got off to a terrific start and I was 3-1 down.  I won hoop 5, Benson had two balls capable of running hoop 6 so I had a go from beyond the halfway line.  When my ball struggled through the hoop I got a round of applause from the audience.  Benson was made of sterner stuff and kept on the pressure to lead 6-5. I used a bisque to win hoop 12 but he hit a great approach to hoop 13.  I hit a fairly good approach then used a bisque to hit a very good stop shot which cleared him leaving me in front.  He then cleared me with a direct hit from corner 4.  We then spent some time clearing each other until we reached a situation where I was a yard in front of the hoop and he was on the boundary line.  I expected him to clear me but he went for the hoop and ran it.

So Benson won 7-6, 4-7, 7-6.  I think we'll be seeing a lot of him in the years to come

If I'd been offered a place in the final before I went I'd have accepted it without hesitation.  I'm happy to have got so close and I'm nothing like as disappointed as I was with the Longman Cup defeat by Bury. Still, if Benson had missed with his last shot.........?

Mick