Wednesday 14 October 2009

Match 2 Huddersfield League - New Mill

Another long trip over the Woodhead Pass to New Mill (my so called Home Venue 27miles).

Playing Bradley and Colnebridge, This is John Inglebys team so I am expecting them to be pretty good. We lost the first frame by only 10 points. I went on second and played Mick Patmore.

A nice player, very good potter of the ball snooker background I presume. The game was rather scrappy but he took a bit of a running start getting 70 ahead. He was on 85 handicap the same as me. I knew I had to be patient as a Billiards player should beat a snooker player in the long term.

I was 60 behind with him only needing 13 to win when I struck a little bit of form getting 14 and he missed a simple pot and let me in. I ran in 18 again he missed a simple shot and I ran in 20 unfinished to grab a remarkable win 200-192. I was delighted I had really dug deep and managed some really nice losers to keep the breaks going, he was not impressed.

Derek Hey went on last and managed a 39 break which included 10 flukes, he ran out an easy winner. John Ingleby had a 32.

The standard was pretty good for the night no big breaks but I can tell I am going to learn at lot in this league they all know how to play this game to a decent level. Two wins in a row but close games show the handicap is about right and the team has had a winning start winning 2-1 each time.

After a little reflection on the games it is clear that this league contains a wealth of billiard knowledge held by the players. For example after my game one of the other players gave me some advice on a couple of shots I had played explaining if I had hit the shot a little thinner it would have resulted in a better position and that he thought I still need to cue through the ball a little more and that I was still jabbing my shots slightly. This wasn't done as a critisism of my play it was just helpful.

Another player said I had been very lucky to win, although I had scored 60 in three visits it was only due to the other player playing a bad shot twice that I won. He suggested I pay a little more attention to my safety game especially at the end of a match to keep the other player off the table. Again this was done and said in a very helpful and constructive way.

I think I will learn a lot from this league time is passing by and I realise I will never be the best billiards player around but at least I should be able to manage an slightly above average club standard.

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