Kent’s season gets off to an unbeaten start!

It must be said that most seasons bring a sense of renewed optimism but this season was perhaps more so because as much had happened between the end of last season and the beginning of this one in terms of additions to most of the teams . So the optimism was based on knowing the teams had been strengthened along with that mutual desire amongst the captains to compete to the very best of their team’s abilities.

So a word about each of my captains before we describe what happened on the first day of the season . Our ladies captain Jools Fane , one of the most experienced captains any county could have … decades of experience in leading her teams and decades of winning title after title , you would think there was nothing else to prove , but you would have to think again ! Jools still has the desire to win and of course when Hampshire wrestled the title from the ladies last year I can tell you that Jools wants it back and what better than Hampshire themselves coming to Chatham for the first game of the season. Wonder how that went ?
Contrary to the experience that Jools has our A team captain Jasper Simmonds at only 24 years old is learning the leadership game and with Dave Fernandez by his side I’m sure Jasper will discover the nuances required to support players to deliver their best performance as he grows into his role . It’s no secret that as team manager I want Kent County Pool to be a success so I have worked with Jasper alongside Farron Rowe to try and find the right players in the teams to challenge for every title ! Let’s see how that goes in ten matches time .
Farron Rowe B team captain knows what’s required to win regional and national titles and he’s hungry for more . Winning back the region is his priority and with almost a whole new B team he understands that gelling quickly is key. He has the passion and desire to get the best out of players and is becoming a highly respected leader within this group of players . I decided this year to introduce a C team manager to work with the C team captain Chris Freelove . Chris is an experienced player , improving in my opinion and is also now qualified for my seniors team so he has a lot on his plate to captain the C s and deliver his best for the seniors but he will cope , of that have no doubt . So Chris is showing the ropes to Phil Harrison our new recruit as C team manager . Phil is a popular figure around the Medway league and does love his pool , watching , organising flyers and tournaments and even occasionally bringing out that lovely cue of his to keep his game sharp! 🙂 . As you might know we use our C team to integrate our over – age juniors into the adult game and I felt I needed someone who could support that element of the team making sure the development of players was being overseen . Thank you Phil for agreeing to take on this role and I know you feel you have a team that can win the C region title .
Liam McGrath is our Junior Captain in his final year . In terms of maturity Liam has all the experience needed to help the new much younger players into the junior team and I am sure the players will develop within his team . Mason Coles is Liam’s vice captain and will enjoy learning that side of the game to add to his undoubted talents on the table . Lee Crowhurst knows the juniors are in a bit of a transition period after having 6 players age out in one season but Lee has said for me not to be surprised if this group of juniors learn quickly as they are hungry to improve !
Jake LLoyd is in his second year of captaining the under 23 s after leading the team to regional success last year and what I know about Jake is that he can get his message over more often with one word or one liner ! Jake is also now within the A team structure so again can demonstrate what hard work and commitment can achieve .
Our Masters captain John Paul Fowler , also a valuable member of the Committee , captained the masters to 2 nd place in his first season and is taking his team to nationals . JPF has maintained his game on the table and I know wants the opportunity to improve on second position last year .
So that just leaves our seniors captain – Willie Anderson , pretty new to the game , not won much , quiet lad with not much to say but I’m sure he’ll come out of his shell at some point and try his best . The alternative is a Nottingham Forest type sacking .

So that’s the leadership team striving for success in 2026 so what about the teams …

First to kick off the new season was Willie Anderson’s senior team . Now it was only on the last game of last season that the seniors team led 22-17 and needed one frame to qualify for nationals but sadly that wasn’t to be as the game ended up 22-22 pushing the seniors into 3 rd .
This year , like ourselves , many teams have strengthened their squad and it looked like Hampshire had too , adding a certain Jason Toovey to the team . So the ask from Wilbo was to improve on last years start ( 3 losses) and to correct the result of last time .

Kent raced into a 4-1 early lead and finished off 8-3 in front. This included Chris Freelove winning his first seniors frame with a great clearance . Hampshire , also with a certain Stephen Parker on the side rallied in the second set with a 7-4 win taking the scores to 12-10 at the halfway stage . It felt like we were playing well but a couple of loose shots snookering ourselves on final blacks had given Hampshire hope . A few frames later it was 13-12 but rather than fold it was time to play some good pool .
Steve Jepson and Willie Anderson took the score to 15 -12 and then Adrian Read playing his first frame ( after turning up late and in jeans and trainers !!) , Barry Johnson Bill Rase and Barbara Taylor meant the score after the third set was 19-14 . Marc Brazier clinched the match with a tidy finish and the seniors went on to complete a 25-19 win , a great start to the day . Top performers on the day were Marc Brazier , Barry Johnson , Willie Anderson and Barbara Taylor with 3/4 !

In the masters match They lost the first frame before John Fowler and Andy Redsull made it 2-1. This soon became 3-1 as Andy Gee got off the mark for the season .
However Hampshire pulled the next two frames back to go 3-3.
Hampshire then took the 3 rd set 2-1 to take a 5-4 lead .
New masters player Jez Weaver pulled the match back to 5-5 before the last 2 frames were shared to end the match 6-6. All 4 Kent players had a 50/50 record on the day .

There was no under 23 match so the afternoon matches were next .

Kent A had wanted a good start but a new-look Hampshire side were first to take the initiative by striding into a 4-0 lead . Jasper Simmonds Sean Kirby and Dave Fernandez fought back to take the next three frames but couldn’t stop the visitors taking a 7-4 lead after the first set . That soon became 8-4 before a burst of winning frames ( 8/10) meant the Kent team reached halfway with a 12-10 lead . One would have expected the Kent A team to go on from this but the Hampshire side , not here to make the numbers up levelled the match again at 14-14 . At this point it was difficult trying to gauge what was going to happen next in this see saw of a game . Dave Fernandez, Josh Patel ,Aaron Bhat, Jake Lloyd and Jamie Gamble on his return to the A team took the last 5 frames to end the set 19-14 and looked again to have broken the Hampshire resistance ….. not at all !!! Hampshire then took all of the first 7 frames in the final set to take a 21-19 lead and for all the world it looked like Kent A were on the ropes ! But another three frames on the bounce took them into the position of 22-21 with the last frame to go … however just like this match had taken twists and turns in every set , the match ended up in a thrilling 22-22 draw .
Lots then for Jasper to think about re this flamboyant Kent team before the next match . Star performers on the day for Kent with 3/4 were Dave Fernandez , Josh Patel , Aaron Bhat and Jake Lloyd.

B Report

So the season got underway with the new look B team and they were provided a stern test in a much improved Hampshire B side. Seemingly all across the region everyone has strengthened during the off season.

It was immediately clear any idea of Kent dominating were dispelled as they took a tight set 6-5. The team then showed more quality than their opponents taking the second set 8-3 to lead 14-8 at the halfway stage. A slight wobble where Hampshire duly punished a few errors meant going into the last set Kent lead 17-16.

Captain Farron Rowe was pleased with the resilience and skill shown in the last set which lead Kent to win the first 5 frames in a row to put them on the hill which Jamie O’ Donnell duly obliged to take the opportunity in the winning frame ensuring Kent got their season off with a strong win 24-20

Mullins carrying on from last season where he left off with 4/4 I’m sure it won’t be long before the As come calling.

Other notable mentions our new faces in George Taylor and Paul Williams winning their first frames for the county will prove steady foundations for a successful season. James (Goldie) pulling off a remarkable cocked hat and clearance was pure class at a pivotal moment in the game. And finally it was a joy to welcome Finley (Brylcreem) into the team and he has shown already he has all the hallmarks to be an influential character in the Bs. Willie Anderson in his twilight years added much experience and ensured the Bs never lost focus. He settled in well and clearly enjoyed himself serenading the Bs halfway through his frame with Penny Arcade ( apparently the Rangers anthem ) – not that his thick Scottish accent allowed for any of us to know what he was singing 😉

Off the table Farron was extremely buoyed by the teams bond and camaraderie in their first outing and if Sunday afternoon was anything to go by the region are in trouble both on and off the table.

Fantastic afternoon all round and can’t wait for next match v Surrey.

A good start from the C team, a 25 -19 win against a very decent team. Chris Freelove set out the order and Phil Horley got us underway with our first win straight away, he followed that winning his next 3 frames, the two new young players that have joined the team,Micheal Cairns and Olly Mitchell showed real maturity and both won 3 from 4. A great performance from new to the county, Darren Hill who also took 3 from 4,
Considering this was the first time this team has played together the support and effort from the whole team was excellent and I see as we move on, we will become even stronger.

The eagerly anticipated ladies match looked to show all the hallmarks of a tough match if the first set was anything to go by . Kent went 1-0 then 5-2 up only for Hampshire to draw level at 5-5 before clinching the last frame of the set for a 6-5 lead .
The second set was even tighter with Kent drawing level at 6-6 through Mel Clements before Hampshire made it 8-7 with Erin Gannon this time bringing it back to 8-8 . Then it became 9-9 , 10-10 and yes you guessed it 11-11 at the halfway point with captain Jools taking the team to a 6-5 winning set . The third set 12-12 ,13-13 before something different happened and that was Kent winning 3 crucial frames in a row through Erin Gannon, Barbara Taylor and Karen Riches . That breathing space meant the third set finished 18-15 to the Kent ladies . But guess what …. Yes three frames in a row from Hampshire took the match to 18-18 with all to play for in the next 8 frames . Hannah Bevan stepped forward once again to put the Kent ladies in front before the match was again levelled at 19-19. Barbara Taylor , Karen Riches and Karen Derby , returning to the side seemed to at long last break the resistance of the Hampshire ladies at this point as they took all 3 frames to take a 22-19 lead before Hampshire made it 22-20. Waiting in the wings for Kent were two of the most experienced players you would want in Vanessa Ledger and Captain Jools …. So cool, calm and collected they took both those frames to win the match 24-20 and to take a giant step towards grappling back their regional title . Well done ladies it must have been an awesome game to be involved in and well done Hampshire for contributing to such an exciting match . Best performers on the day were Mel Clements Barbara Taylor Erin Gannon and Julie Fane all with 3/4 but Kaz Riches eclipsing them all with 4/4 .

If we thought the excitement had finished for the day the juniors still had something to contribute ! You remember I said this was a team in transition and wasn’t expecting too much this season apart fulmar developing as a team …. Well this team seem to have formed,stormed, normed and performed in one match ! Exasperating to say the least .
So this is the new look junior team : Liam McGrath , Mason Coles , Jack Harding , Alfie Richards , Slok Patel , Jamie Baird , Alfie Hearn , Harrison Guichard , Ollie Smith and Alfie Kingsnorth- watch out for these guys !

So Captain McGrath stepped up to make it 1-0 before the Hampshire side made it 2-1 and 5-3 , Mason Coles making sure the first set ended up only 5-4 down . Another tight set in the second where Hampshire again took the spoils 5-4 … this is what we were expecting wasn’t it ? Our juniors coming together for the first time and learning the game and putting up a contest , not the worst and it’s all about learning and developing is it not? However that 10-8 scoreline quickly became 10-10 as Liam McGrath and Jack Harding won the first two frames of the third set … could we be about to take the lead in the third set ? Unfortunately not as Hampshire also took the third set 5-4 to lead 15-12 with the final set looming . Kent amazingly started to perform with the first three frames being won to take the match score to 15-15 ! Could we be about to take the lead ? Again not as Hampshire lead 16-15 , with 5 frames to go…. Well, Kent pull it back to 16-16 before going 17-16 up , amazing stuff . What’s even more amazing is that our juniors lost the first three sets 5-4 before winning the final set 7-2 with Mason winning the final frame for a 19-17 victory . So it seems this junior team , newly formed have got something special in their locker.
Lee Crowhurst told me he had just watched an incredible match with high drama and high excitement with the players loving it . Well that’s what it’s all about that age well done all the junior team for a great win on your first match as a team . All top performers today with a special mention for Slok Patel with a fabulous 4/4 ! Great stuff .

So there we have it , the room was buzzing today where we have a great venue in Chatham Pool and Snooker Club to play our matches . With 8 Rasson tables and most matches streamed live we are lucky to have the best environment to play the game we enjoy . The county squad all wearing their new shirts and some with jackets , the dandruff is at last removed and the season started off well with wins for the seniors , ladies , juniors , B and C team and draws for the A and Masters, therefore something to build on for the rest of the season . See you all on 8 th March at Spots and Stripes ( Surrey) .

Finally best wishes to our players who will be attending the European Championships in Cyprus from 20th -28th February . Best of luck to you all !

Final Scores

u23s	no match
Over 50s	25:19 WIN
Juniors	19:17 WIN
Ladies	24:20 WIN
A	22:22 DRAW
B	24:20 WIN
C	25:19 WIN
Over 60s	6:6 DRAW

Up the Kent !