Categories
County

Kent v Berkshire 02/02/2025

Match Report

A team
The Kent A team had a disastrous start, losing the first set 9:2, with only Ash Hind and Dave Fernandez winning a frame. Two winning sets of 7:4 and 6:5 brought the score to 16:18, but another poor final set, with only two winning frames, resulted in a second 9:2 deficit and an overall loss of 27:17. It was not the start anyone had hoped for. Dave Fernandez and Ash Hind both won 3 out of 4 frames.

B team
The B team kicked off their campaign against their toughest opponents in the region. Both squads had strengthened during the off-season, which was evident in what turned out to be a high-quality battle. The front guard of Jake, Jack, Charley, Mullins, and Gavin set the tone, putting Kent ahead 4:1. Berkshire fought back, but a crucial first-frame win from James Albert ensured Kent edged the set 6:5.

In the second set, the middle and back end—featuring Jamie Gamble, Ritchie, new skipper Farron, and Coakley—kept things level, with the scores tied at 11:11 at the halfway stage.

The third set saw Kent take the lead, with an outstanding under-pressure finish from Andy Redsull raising the roof. Kent led 17:16 going into the final set.

The fourth set was a complete team performance, with everyone understanding the importance of finishing strong and how this result could impact the season. Kent stepped up and won the set 7:4, securing a 24:20 victory.

Captain’s Player of the Match: Jack Galloway—pure class in everything he did.
(Match records: Jack, Charley, Jamie, Ritchie, and Farron 3/4; Redsull 2/2.)

Juniors team
The Juniors made a great start to the season against a Berkshire team that looks to have improved since last year.

James, Olly, and Michael delivered a perfect 4/4, while all four new players contributed to the tally. Jack, Jayden, Mason, and Slok looked very much at home, and a big thank you to the senior juniors for making them feel welcome. A special mention goes to Liam, who watched every frame and congratulated all the winners as they came off the table.

Our next get-together will be at the Nationals – in the meantime, it was great to see you all again—well played today!

Captain’s Player of the Match: Olly
Manager’s Player of the Match: Olly

Ladies team
The Ladies team won their match comprehensively, 28:16, with four players winning all four of their frames: Alison Archer, Mel Clements, Barbara Taylor, and Jo Herrington.

The first set was closely contested at 6:5, but Kent Ladies dominated the second set 9:2, effectively sealing the result with a commanding 15:7 lead at the halfway stage. The match was officially secured in the first frame of the final set, setting the team up perfectly for the Nationals in a couple of weeks.

Seniors team
A tough result yesterday, but a fantastic team effort! Our determination kept us in the game, and even their captain admitted he couldn’t shake us off despite his team repeatedly taking the lead.

We narrowly lost all sets 6:5–an impressive performance against what I suspect is a favorite for the nationals in a couple of weeks. It would be great to see us take the lead next time and see how they respond.

Looking forward to our next match in London in a few weeks. A solid debut from Richard Smith, who secured 3/4 alongside Marc Brazier and Barry Johnson. At 15-16, we lost four of the next five, allowing the game to slip away, but performances like this will put us in a strong position moving forward.

Under 23s team
Led by new captain Jake Lloyd, the Under 23s secured a decisive 14:6 victory despite losing the first set 3:2. However, the second set told a different story, as all five players won their frames, turning the score around to take a 7:3 lead.

Jake Lloyd, Chase East, and Michael Cairns each won 3 out of 4 frames.

C team
A shock result in the C section saw last year’s Region 7 champions suffer a heavy 25:19 defeat.

The Kent side won the first set 6:5, but the Berkshire team took control, winning the second and third sets 7:4 to establish a 19:14 lead. Unfortunately, there was no comeback, and the visitors secured victory before the hosts managed to win the last four frames.

Chris Freelove, Gary Kingsnorth, and Callum Britt each won 3 out of 4 frames.

Over 60s team
In the first-ever Over-60s section match, the Kent team drew 6:6.

The match was level at 3:3 at the halfway stage before Berkshire edged ahead 6:4. However, Andy Redsull and John Paul Fowler fought back to snatch a draw for Kent.

All the best to you all. 

Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s14:6 WIN
Seniors20:24 LOSS
Juniors27:9 WIN
Ladies28:16 WIN
A17:27 LOSS
B24:20 WIN
C19:25 LOSS
Over 60s6:6 DRAW