Match and End of Season Report

2024 Regional Champions
in 5 Categories

Under 23s
Juniors
Ladies 
Men’s B
Men’s C 

(Seniors finished 4th and Men’s A team finished 3rd)

Unders 23s

The under 23s rounded off their season with a close win 11:9, Jake Lloyd winning the final frame. They topped the region by winning 68% of their frames throughout the season  

Jasper Simmonds, Captain, told his team “well done on another good season lads, winning the region once again, making it 3 years in a row and unbeaten having played 20 won 18 and drawn 2. The last game we lost was in August 2019 as COVID interrupted our seasons”. Jasper went on to say “Pleasure to have played with you all and wish you all the best for next year. Kent Pool is in good hands with you boys coming through. Stick together and there are more titles, regional and national to follow, I’m sure of it.”

I would like to say well done to Jasper too as he has led both on and off the table in great style. Jasper the county are also lucky to have you amongst our ranks and thank you for everything you have done as a junior and under 23. 

Juniors

The Juniors pipped the under 23s in overall frame percentages this season recording 69% of all frames won. This all conquering team will now go to the nationals chasing a 3rd national title in a row and without raising expectations  I fancy their chances of achieving this. They won their final match 29:7 with James Goldsmith and Michael Cairns winning 4/4 on the day and the rest of the team winning 3/3. Huge congratulations to James Goldsmith who won the region and came top of the national rankings also.

Ladies

Our ladies put the seal on their comeback title win by beating Surrey 28:16, winning 63% of all frames played. Barbara Taylor and Jan Spinner both took 4/4 and Hannah Bevan clinched the title with the 23rd winning frame. Well done to all showing it also takes resilience to comeback in the season. 

B Team

The B team finished off their regional champions victory season with a 23:21 hard fought victory. 5 players rounded off the season with 3 wins from 4 frames, those being Jake Lloyd, Ben Morgan, Ritchie Bell, Phil Horley and Farron Rowe. The team won 57% of their frames with Jamie O’Donnell topping the stats this year, well done Jamie . 

C Team

Congratulations to a very successful C team winning the region again and in some style with a 25:19 victory with Jamie Fenech clinched the winning frame in the match. The C team won 62% of their frames and Chris Freelove finished off with 4/4 to come top of the C Team rankings, congratulations to Chris who has been solid all year. 

I keep pushing our EPA regarding C team at the nationals because if there was a nationals for the C team we would be in contention every year. I often say Kent could field successful D, E and F teams.

A Team

For the first time in years the A team failed to make the top 2 therefore won’t be going to play in the nationals unfortunately. They finished on 21 points, a single point behind Surrey, 3 behind Berkshire in top place. The team lost 3 matches through the year, all 23:21 and lost very few sets along the way.  In addition the team won the most frames in the division, 24 more than second place and 3 more than Berkshire so these are the margins in the top division. 

Jasper Simmonds came top of the rankings with 28/40 70%, Congratulations Jasper!

Seniors

A very disappointing ending to the season the seniors knowing a win at home would have taken them to the nationals and a very successful season. Leading 6:1 in the first set the team then conceded the next 18 by 15 frames to 3 to go 16:9 down. Unfortunately the team never recovered from that, eventually going on to lose 26-18. This meant that this winner take all match meant Surrey finished off second and go to the nationals while Kent fell to 4th.

Kent had been in 2nd in August when they beat Berkshire but subsequently lost 3 games in a row to fall by the wayside.   

Congratulations to Marc Brazier who ended the season top ranked player, well deserved. 

I would also like to thank our county sponsors who have supported us over a number of years.

Final thoughts…

In a day where we paid tribute to our Chairman Les Church, the teams played in the spirit of good sportsmanship he would have enjoyed. I would like to thank everyone who has turned out for our teams this year to represent the county of Kent. I know Les was very proud of our achievements over the last 5 years and was confident we would go from strength to strength and still have more to offer.  Kent County pool is full of internationals in all categories and has European and World champions all across our divisions, something to be proud of .

All in all, it has to be suggested that we have had a successful season with 5/7 teams winning the region. Even the two teams that never qualified had a chance to qualify on the last game of the season so I’ll take the positives from that. Our youth is strong, our ladies are consistent and we are in an overall good position in terms of strengths moving forward. 

I have been very proud to be county manager over the last 5 years and feel we are in an excellent position to raise the bar still further. We have set ourselves high standards, continue to compete and have lots of fun times playing the game we love. 

I look forward to what we can achieve moving forward and to build on the legacy left by our much loved Les. 

Stay safe everyone, best wishes 

Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s	11:9 WIN
Seniors	18:26 LOSS
Juniors	29:7 WIN
Ladies	28:16 WIN
A	24:20 WIN
B	23:21 WIN
C	25:19 WIN

Match Report

Kent travelled to London with the aim of cementing their positions in the leagues at the expense of their closest rivals and managed to do this in five of the six matches being played on the day.

Seniors (table position = 2nd)
Unfortunately, it was the senior team that failed to get the victory that would have been 6/6 matches won and that loss of 23:21 has dampened  their objective of finishing 2nd in the league and qualifying for the nationals early next year.

Captain Wilbo recognised that this was a game that has hampered the Kent side a few times over the years and therefore reminded his team to play to the standard of the majority of games played this year. Sadly, the Kent side never seemed to take the chances that were presented to them and the match just kept slipping away. By the time the Kent side mounted a challenge to win the last set 8:3 it was too little too late and a narrow but painful loss means that Kent must win their last two home games against Hampshire then Surrey to qualify. If the team play like they have demonstrated they can this year this can happen.

Andy Twigger and Andy Gee both won 4/4 on the day. 

Under 23s (table position = 1st) 
Our Under 23s had no such trouble in despatching the London side , only losing 4 frames along the way to a 16:4 win.

Jake Lloyd, Jasper Simmonds and Finley O’Shaughnessy all recorded 4/4 in a dominant display with Jake and Jasper then moving into their men’s games to get another 4/4 making them 8/8 for the day. Great stuff lads, get ready for the nationals this time around. One more win clinches the title for 2024.

Ladies (table position = 2nd)
Kent Ladies have taken the team into what could be a league decider next month v Hampshire. They recorded an emphatic victory 31:13 which means they sit a solitary point behind Hampshire with that game the next match on the calendar. 

Jan Spinner, Amy Cook and Hannah Bevan all recorded impressive 4/4 and were ably backed up throughout the team, so we look ahead with anticipation to what the ladies team can produce at home next time out. I am sure Captain Fane is already planning their strategy for winning this game. 

C team (table position = 1st and 2024 Champions)
The combination of youth and experience seems to have worked a treat in this C team this year as they have won the title with 3 games to spare (9-point gap to 2^nd place). Lots of the players this year have demonstrated why they were managers picks last year and the strength of the trials last year has reaped its rewards. 

It was not plain sailing on this occasion however as the C team were 17:16 down after 3 sets gone. It got worse as it went 20:17 down. However, they managed to gather their composure under captain Cox and went up in the match after winning 6 of the last 7 frames to win the match 23:21.

Congratulations all for a great season and I look forward to seeing those individual stats at the end of the year as I suspect there are a few high numbers in there something for the team manager to think about moving forward.

Scott Woods, Paul Cox , Makhan Notay and Jamie Fenech all getting 3/4 bon the day to get the team over the line.

B team (table position = 1st)
Our B team need now need one more win for the title following a close fought 23:21 win and I suspect they will want that to be in the next match at home against Hampshire.

It wasn’t a good start for our B team as they lost the first set 8:3, were 12:10 down after the 2nd set then stormed back with an 8:3 third set win of their own before hanging on for the win.  

All in all the team has played well this year with vice-Captain, Farron Rowe keen to point out there are still areas of development to work on. I think this can be said of most of the teams and I am hoping we see our teams finish off their business in style over the coming two games to pick up the silverware they deserve. 

Big Rangers fan Jamie O Donnell (won’t mention West Ham) won 4/4 alongside Jake Lloyd to put the team one win away from taking back the title they lost last year. 

A team (table position = 3rd)
No change in terms of position in the league as they did what they had to in winning the game 27-17. Kent A can only keep winning hoping for others to slip up in order for A team to finish in top 2 for the season. Dave Fernandez (Captain) and Jasper Simmonds (Vice Captain) led the way with 8/8 between them.

Mitchell Standen and Josh Patel both chipped in with 3 each.

Redders / Chief passes the 1400 frame mark!!
Congratulations to Andy Redsull who went through the 1400 frames barrier during the day, the B team captain has demonstrated longevity for 3 if not 4 decades to get to this position so well done to you Andy.

Also passing significant milestones this year have been:
Vanessa Ledger: 1000 frames
Mel Clements: 1000 frames
Andy Twigger: 500 frames
Josh Patel: 400 frames
Mitch Standen: 400 frames

See the County Medals page for others coming through significant milestones 

So onward we go with everything to play for in a couple of divisions with big matches coming up. Next match at home to Hampshire on 6th October so get your cue arms in before then to be ready on the day. 

I will be watching from the lovely island of Corfu but as you know I will be keeping a keen interest on what’s going on. 

All the best  to you all. 

Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s	4:16 WIN
Seniors	23:21 LOSS
Juniors	no match
Ladies	13:31 WIN
A	17:27 WIN
B	21:23 WIN
C	21:23 WIN

Tables after match 8

Full results on EPA website

Match Report

Berkshire visited our Chatham home with a number of crucial matches about to be played out.

Seniors
It started with the Seniors match against a Berkshire outfit who were undefeated in 18 Region matches. Willie Anderson shuffled his pack to try and bring an element of surprise to Berkshire and it worked a treat at the start as Steve Jepson won the lag and himself and Billy Rase put us 2:0 up. The first section was won 6:5 with Berkshire the champions they are pulling level in the second set before going 18:15 up by the end of set 3. However Kent seniors delivered an 8:3 last set, winning 5 of the last 6 frames to win a great match 23:21 which maintains 2nd place. The seniors have only lost one match this season and can qualify for nationals with another 3 wins in last 3 games. The late late call off by Andy Twigger meant a late call out for Gary Kingsnorth who turned out and duly despatched 4/4 frames to remind Captain Wilbo he could do a job. Wilbo himself gained his first 4/4 of the season to keep the Kent seniors on the right track.

Under 23
Our Under 23s captained by Jasper Simmonds are sitting top of the division, clear by 4 points having attained 4 wins and a draw. This 13:7 victory puts them perfectly in place to again win the region and to try and crack the national level . Jasper led from the front winning 4/4 with James Goldsmith chipping in with 3/4 . It’s always made easier with a good start and the under 23s took the first set 4:1 , went 7:3 , 10:5 before the 13:7 final score line.

Juniors
Our Juniors, after a year of transition are quickly finding their feet at this level and sit top of the league with four wins from four. They have big shoes to fill as our Juniors have won the last two national titles but they are certainly moving in the right direction, retaining some experience within the ranks. The first set was a tight affair with Kent edging it 5:4 but then it seems the after burners went on and they took the second set 8:1 the third 7:2 before an emphatic final set onslaught of 9:0 to win the match 29:7. Amazing stuff with James Goldsmith winning 4/4 alongside Olly Mitchell with every other player winning 3/4.. those junior players being Michail Cairns, Lucas Keepin, Finlay O’Shaugnessy, Ben Greenwood, Kieran Bruce, Liam McGrath and Charlie Jessup. Well done all.

Ladies
Our Ladies team are now sitting in 2nd place in the division, one point behind Hampshire. So if things go the way I expect then the final game of the season will be a title decider so we look forward to that massive game. I have no doubt when we get there that captain Fane will have everyone ready for that tussle. The ladies match against Berkshire started with a 7:4 win before a 9:2 second set and 7:4 third set had the match won before the 4th set began. Running out 28:16 winners it looks like they are getting it together at the right time to keep their long long streak of champions going again. Mel Clements, one of the county’s leading representatives ever delivered 4/4 with another experienced campaigner Vanessa Ledger winning 4/4. Karen Darby, Barbara Taylor and Julie Midgeley also chipped in with excellent 3/4.

C team
Moving onto the men and the C team it seems that Dave Coakley is almost a certain guarantee of taking the lead in matches, James Albert made it 2:0 and they were on their way. It was a tight couple of sections with Kent C winning 6:5 and 6:5 before moving up a gear to win the 3rd and 4th sets 8:3 and 8:3 to claim a 28:16 victory, top of the division and 7 points clear with 6 wins and a draw.

B team
Our B team remain at the top of the division despite a 23:21 loss. Two wins and a draw from the last three games will likely be enough to see them win back the title from Berkshire themselves. Kent B won the first set 6:5 with Jake Lloyd leading from the front and winning 3/4. However, the second set ended with Berkshire leading 12:10 and it was all to play for. Jamie Gamble and Jamie O’Donnell both with 3/4 helped to put Kent back in the lead at the end of the third set 17:16. However, 4 winning frames from the last 5 for Berkshire keeps them in the hunt for the title.

A team
The A team knew that a win over Berkshire would make them favourites for the title, a title never won by Kent. Somehow, for some reason, things keep getting snatched from our grasp and despite winning 3 of the 4 sets our A team fell to Berkshire 23:21. I believe our As team have only lost 4 of 28 sets this season which unfortunately has led to them losing matches. Another 3rd set loss of 8:3 put the As on the back foot and despite winning the last set 6:5 it wasn’t enough for the draw and Berkshire now take in the role of favourites.. Kent have slipped to 4th, three points behind and need to win their final 3 games to have a chance of national qualification. Josh Patel and Pat Cunningham both delivered 4/4 frames as the set scores went 6:5, 12:10, 15:18 and 21:23.

Away to London at Spots and Stripes on September 15th, always well looked after by Nigel and his team. Stay safe all and see you then.

All the best .
Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s	13:7 WIN
Seniors	23:21 WIN
Juniors	29:7 WIN
Ladies	28:16 WIN
A	21:23 LOSS
B	21:23 LOSS
C	28:16 WIN

Match Report

A dominant team performance as Kent beat Sussex in all categories…

A great set of results across the board for Kent and with Team Manager Wilbo taking a well deserved holiday we have a couple of match reports from the teams.

A Team report from Dave Fernandez:

We knew going into the game that this could be the season right here, Sussex are undefeated and Kent was on a comeback trail after losing the first 2 matches of the season. In what was a nip and tuck game all the way through, we found ourselves at 11:11 at the half way point. And now was all about belief and bottle, we took the third set 6:5 and then the last set 7:4 which gave us a great 24:20 win against a very good Sussex side and that win puts us back in the running for the elusive regional championship.

Special mentions to Charlie Minta with a faultless 4/4 and Mitchell Standen and Dave Fernandez putting in 3/4. Next game is at home to Berkshire! It doesn’t get any easier. UP THE KENT.

B Team report from Farron Rowe

Another solid win against ever improving regional opponents. The Bs got out of the gate on fire taking the first set 9-2 and applying further pressure to lead 17-5 at the half way point.

The less said the better about an unfortunate timing debacle but if more details are needed please seek and speak to a certain Jamie Gamble ???? Although in reality there was no damage done after a rules check with our pool guru Barbara Taylor on hand

The Bs shared the rest of the game (28:16) and probably the only down point is not ramming home a huge win from that halfway position but nonetheless a very formidable performance with noteworthy 4/4s from Jack Galloway who was utter perfection and birthday boy and well loved team mate Gary Kingsnorth who was quite exceptional too. Special mention for Ben Morgan who started as the 12th man handled that maturely then dominated with a 2/2 which just does go to show why the Bs are one of the most envied teams in the region.

Final Scores

u23s	no match
Seniors	28:16 WIN
Juniors	no match
Ladies	28:16 WIN
A	24:20 WIN
B	28:16 WIN
C	29:15 WIN

Match Report

Two Visits to Basingstoke in May and June results in 11 wins, 1 draw and a single defeat. 

The Kent County squad have taken the long road down to Basingstoke to play Hampshire in May followed by Surrey in June.  The good news is that in the second half of the season we have 4 home games with only one away game, a trip to London on the horizon for September.  

Kent v Hampshire Results 

Kent A 32:12 (Steve Ritchie and Dave Fernandez 4/4)
Kent B 29:15(Phil Horley andJack Galloway 4/4)
Kent C 29:15 (Dave Coakley, Alfie Rogers and Chris Freelove 4/4)
Kent Ladies 18:26
Kent Seniors 30:14 (Andy Twigger, Bill Rase, Martin Prime and Marc Brazier 4/4)

Kent v Surrey Results 

Kent Ladies 27:17 
Kent Ladies got back on track following a rare defeat by Hampshire. Barbara Taylor, Jan Spinner and Jo Miles standing out with 4/4. Looking at frame difference I remain confident that when Hampshire come to Kent, a Kent victory would  go a long way to landing the title once more.

Kent A 32:12
Two 32:12 victories in a row have ensure the A team are back in the mix landing a big frame difference. When asked what we need to do to land the league title, win the rest of your games and you won’t be far away. 4/4 for 4 players in Minta, Patel, Kirby and Simmonds.

Kent B 25:19
The man that struck our 60,000 frame, Farron Rowe, chipped in with 4/4 in a resounding victory. Kent B sitting top of the league again and team looking strong. 

Kent C 22:22
Chris Freelove played a major part in securing a draw with 4/4 for the second month in a row. The team gelling well with some good leadership being shown to our younger team members. 

Under 23s 14:6
Jasper Simmonds leading the way with Jake Lloyd in maintaining their lead at the top of the table with 4/4 well done boys, another crack at the nationals with a new plan of support this year following our discussion after last nationals.

Juniors 21:15
James Goldsmith continuing to build on his big reputation by winning 4/4 and supporting some of the new juniors in the team. A period of change within this team but I am confident Lee Crowhurst is helping the juniors to understand what it means to be together as a team.  

Kent Seniors 24:20
Sometimes when players reach the pinnacle of their career’s things happen to give the players confidence to remain unbeatable. Well perhaps representing his grandfather’s country has done the same for Lee Crowhurst. Being selected to represent Scotland at the forthcoming World 8 Ball Pool Championships has certainly enhanced the pool dynamic for Lee. 4/4 for Lee and the team moving into 2nd place in the table is exactly what Willie Anderson wanted at the halfway stage. Three Scottish internationalists in the team, ladies world champion, England Internationas and trialists what can possibly go wrong!! 

Good Luck to all the Kent Players representing their countries at the forthcoming World championships; Do yourselves, your countries and your county proud.

All the best.   

Wilbo 

Kent Team Manager and SEPF Masters Champion 2024 ????

(Well I had to get it in somewhere)

Final Scores

u23s	6:14 WIN
Seniors	20:24 WIN
Juniors	15:21 WIN
Ladies	27:17 WIN
A	12:32 WIN
B	19:25 WIN
C	22:22 DRAW

Match Report

And we are live…

Our London neighbours arrived at Chatham Pool and Snooker Club on a day when the club was going to pilot the live streaming of County matches, and everything, or nearly everything, went exactly to plan. Please go to the Chatham club website, and you will be able to watch all your favourite players at county pool. Find your own frames and send those great shots to your family and friends, and cut the bad ones out!

Kent came away from the matches with 5 wins and a draw (no junior’s match), which saw our Ladies, B team, C team, and Under 23s go top of their respective divisions early in the season.

Total frame score: Kent 144 v 96 London

A Team
Dave Fernandez grabbed the A team at the start of the match to describe his team alterations for the day. Behind the scenes, Dave is trying to find the best balance for this team who had lost both matches despite winning 6/8 sets! The team went 3:1 up early but found themselves 8:3 down after the first set. At 13:7 down, the team managed to find some form and a strong run of frames across the board, showing some bottle. The score soon became 15:14 up. The two teams traded frames before a late burst gave the A team a 24:20 win to get their season started in earnest. Pat Cunningham, Willie Anderson, Charlie Minta, and Jasper Simmonds winning 3/4.

B Team
Kent B is already top of their section with 9 points from 9, and the team will extend their frames ratio at the top in the Kent team’s internal battle for the top spot, another little stat we are producing this year. Kent dominated this match from the start, winning the first two sections 7:4, 7:4, before taking the third set 6/5. The team eased to the victory and posted an impressive 27:17 victory. Ben Morgan top player of the day with 4/4 followed by Jake Lloyd, Gavin Webb, Ritchie Bell, Andy Twigger, Jamie O’Donnell, and Andy Redsull all posting 3/4. Good going lads and looking strong already. Watched some of the B team match on stream, and there were a few frames with a few flukes around, but hey, take full advantage of these things when they come around.

C Team
Our C team has also hit the top spot with 9/9 points posted. 25:19 was the final score in a match where Makhan Notay, Ricky Pierce, Dean White and Scott Woods all delivered 3/4. The top player this week, however, was the old Pigeon Mr. Coakley, delivering 4/4. Again, I am happy to see the youth blending with the experience on offer here and hope to see our young players progress their games through the season with people like Coakly, Cox and Freelove looking after them. The first set went 8:3 Kent’s way then a 6:5 swing the other way made it 13:9 up at the halfway point. London again pulled back well with a 7:4 win in the third to be a single frame down going into the last set. A 5-frame burst, however, sealed the deal as Coakly Fenech East Albert and Notay delivered those 5 frames.

Ladies
Our ladies delivered an emphatic victory of 28:16, again settling in at the top of the table, a place they generally call home. Vanessa Ledger wins 4/4 again, and she was followed in with another 6 players popping in with 3/4 frames, those players being Mel Clements, Jan Spinner, Jo Herrington, Jo Miles, Erin Gannon, and Barbara Taylor. I should add that Barbara delivered a total of 7/8 today as she had already won 4/4 for the seniors earlier in the day. Well played. Again with that firepower at Captain Fane’s disposal, it was always going to be very difficult for any team to cope with the National Champions, especially after they delivered an 8:3 then 9:2 start. All over by halfway but kept going strong.

Under 23s
A 5:0, 5:0, 5:0 start is what the Under 23 sheet told me, so yes a 15:0 lead, which is mightily impressive given that these rules can give lots of advantage from the break situation. However, the wheels fell off on frame 16 when Jasper Simmonds lost his first frame of the day, and by the end, it was 15:2. Well done to you guys especially as there are some new players from the junior section settling into this format. A couple of players that will be in this team for the next 4 years, which is exciting in itself, are Michael Cairns who is proving he has much more ability than his dad and the exact same thing can be said of James Goldsmith and his dad. Both won 4/4 well played boys. Also undefeated were Jake Lloyd and Joe Greenwood with 2/2 each, so a 4/4 total.

Seniors
I’m beginning to wonder where my senior team have gone? Not because they are being battered by anyone at all in any form, rather we are not playing to our normal ability as either individuals or as a team. I get the feeling they are about to explode into life and when they do play to the standard they are all more than capable of, I expect to see some decent results. After three matches we have had two draws and a 23:21 defeat to the National Champions, so that tells me we are there or thereabouts. On the day, we were thankful to the girl in the team, Barbara Taylor, winning all 4 and securing the final frame with a number of team shots that you can all see on YouTube if you want to know what team pool is all about. Martin Prime and Andy Gee both won 3/4, well done Andy Gee especially for coming back to the team and showing a bit of confidence. Well done also to Steve Jepson for waking up after halftime and winning his last two frames and to Bill Rase for his perseverance and a rather excellent pot out of a snooker, which can also be viewed on YouTube.

So well done all for an emphatic day. Good atmosphere in the club. I got to buy the Jaeger Bombs for the first time this season and our cameras caught many good shots during the course of the day.

Next match Hampshire away on Sunday 12th May. Until then keep practicing, enjoy your pool, and see you there.

All the best,
Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s	18:2 WIN
Seniors	22:22 DRAW
Juniors	no match
Ladies	24:20 WIN
A	23:21 LOSS
B	27:17 WIN
C	25:19 WIN

Match Report

A new landmark for Kent pool

This was going to be a pretty special day in the making as this was the day that Kent County Pool Association teams would hit the 60,000 frame of their history..

So, who was this player going to be and was it to be a winning frame……? We knew what frame would achieve this landmark occasion following the seniors and under 23s match and had liaised with Jason Simmonds who has been working in the background to pull the data we needed to mark this event. When it came down to it there was only about a minute between 3 players and my spies in the room were signalling frantically regarding who it would be looking at who was up next in each team and darting between teams to check our facts. So, we can confirm that the Kent Pool Player playing the 60,000 frame was ………. Farron Rowe

Farron also made it a winning frame with his frame against an old pal of mine Ian Grant, who is a member of the England over 60s team and a true gent. So thank you gentlemen for playing out this milestone and I look forward to seeing you all for the 70,000 frame which in my estimation will be played in March 2028!!

Fresh from our Intercounty success at the National finals the Kent teams made the hazardous and dangerous trek across one of the world’s busiest motorways, the M25, where delays were predicted at catastrophic levels. As it turned out only one person missed their breakfast because the train was late, everyone else got there early as there was in fact no delays. (Fake news at its best BBC)

So onto the matches where Kent secured 5 victories to 2, only the team manager (Wilbo) suffering both losses, thanks !! 

Total Frame Score Kent 163 v 113 Berkshire.

The Seniors kicked the day off against a highly talented Berkshire’s senior team and if truth be told the Kent team are disappointed to lose a match 23-21 when they put up a great display across every set. I captained the side and to be honest apart from four or 5 poor shots across the piece (two of them mine) everyone took their chances when they were there and I was very pleased to see the level of commitment to supporting each other. 

The game swung back and forth and the character of the Kent team was there to see as the scores went from 5-2 up to 7-5 down to 12-10 down to 18-17 up before landing at 21-21 with 2 frames to go. Unfortunately, both those frames were lost and we didn’t get the result we felt we deserved. Proud of my team and if we play like that for the rest of the season we will gain success. Players are feeding off each other and that will bode well for the future. 

Our Under 23s introduced a new member of the team following the departure of Callum Brown, who we wish the best for the future and hope to see him back playing county pool in the future. Joe Greenwood will come in now and settled in reasonably well winning 2/4 in his teams win 13-7.  Jake Lloyd, Michail Cairns and Jasper Simmonds all winning ¾.

Our Juniors and Ladies followed up their national victories with resounding victories to underline their dominance in the Region. Perhaps more impressive is the Juniors with such a new line-up given four players over aged out this year.   

Juniors won 26-10 with two full houses from new boys Liam McGrath and Olly Mitchell, particularly impressive was the verdict from the new Juniors manager Lee Crowhurst. We can’t wait to watch how the team develops across the rest of the season. Watch out for players like Lucas Keepin, Jayden Hill, and Ben Greenwood as they develop alongside the old guard of Finlay O’Shaughnessy, Charlie Jessup, James Goldsmith and Michail Cairns. 

Our Ladies ran out convincing 27-17 winners with Captain Fane and vice captain Ledger leading the way with 8/8 winning frames between them. The ladies actually went behind 4-2 in the first set but regained their composure by the end of the set to win 6-5. The next set was 9-2 the third was 6-5 and the final set 6-5 so the damage was done in the comprehensive second set. 

In the men’s division the A team lost 23-21 to the now National Champions but yet again the A team have shot themselves in the foot somehow or another. The team won 20 frames in three sets but still couldn’t get a draw. They won the first set 6-5 the second set 6-5 and the last set 8-3 but a horrific third set, a loss of 10-1 with only Sean Kirby winning a frame put paid to any hope of a victory. Even then we were still playing the last frame with the chance of a draw. However more evidence that this A team is in exactly the right company going to the home of such a strong team and being in the mix despite the poor 3rd set. 

Our B team turned around a first set deficit to take the lead during the second set to take an 11-8 lead, however were pegged back to 11-11 by the end of the second set. Nip and tuck through the 3rd set it ended 17-16 in our favour before 4 winning frames from 5 halfway through the set saw the B team take a 23-19 lead to take the match, gaining revenge on last year’s defeat at the same venue. The last two frames were shared with the final score 24-20. Being on the tables next to the B team it was great to see the team spirit lifting the team and I still believe this team will win their division and be undefeated throughout the year. I also noted Mr Coakley, called up as a reserve winning frames and having fun so clearly a team that can integrate players quickly.   There is my challenge Mr Redsull and Mr Rowe. 

The mens C team had a few absences so thank you Lee Crowhurst, Bill Rase and Steve Jepson for stepping in to plug the gaps. 8/12 from those guys contributed to a comprehensive victory 31-13 and also a notable 4/4 from Joshua Wheeler and Paul Cox’s man of the match Makhan Notay. Early signs are that we have indeed strengthened the team this year with our trial system and our managers wildcards, ( well you have to take a little credit when things are going well) .      

For squad information Callum Brown has left the county for the time being and we wish him well. His replacement in the B team will be Gary Kingsnorth coming back up from the C team and Ricky Peirce has been asked to come back into the C team for the rest of the season, which I believe he has agreed to do. 

So onwards and upwards to our next match against London on 14^th April. A home match at last so a longer lie in bed for the old seniors.

Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s	7:13 WIN
Seniors	23:21 LOSS
Juniors	10:26 WIN
Ladies	17:27 WIN
A	23:21 LOSS
B	20:24 WIN
C	13:31 WIN

Match Report

4 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat. Combined score: 144-111

Kent A team lost 23-21. They had led all the way through the match from start till 21-20; however, they lost the last 3 frames with a couple of break dishes, which is always due to happen at that level. Ash Hind started his own campaign off winning 4 out of 4.

Kent B team won convincingly 29-15, with many players on 3 out of 4, demonstrating a confident strong start in what looks to be a strong side. Vice-captain Farron Rowe stated that they blew the opposition away and that there seems to be a great balance to the team. Seven players started their season with 3 out of 4. 4 out of 4 from Ritchie Bell. Well done to the B team, my tip for champions.

Kent C team was always going to be interesting with our development of juniors into the side mixed with some good experienced players coming back to represent Kent. A 30-14 result gives a lot of optimism for how this match was won, with the new juniors winning 11 out of 12… Chase East, Joshua Wheeler and Alfie Rogers settling in well. Jamie Fenech also added another 4 frames to evidence his importance to the team in terms of experience.

Kent Ladies also dominated proceedings with a 30-14 victory. Four players gaining all 4 frames: Barbara Taylor, Mel Clements, Jo Herrington, and Jo Miles. New recruit from Juniors Erin Gannon started her career with the ladies with a decent 3 out of 4 start.

Juniors team manager Lee Crowhurst took over the new chapter for them, and it started with a 19-17 win. This is no mean feat given we had so many players leave last year, so the players coming in have big shoes to fill, and Lee feels they are up for it. New team, new relationships, still winning means many positives from this match. England international James Goldsmith won 4 out of 4, with Callum Britt adding 3 out of 4.

Our Under 23s also have a changed team but still done enough to earn a 10-10 draw, Jasper Simmonds winning 3 out of 4 to maintain their long unbeaten record. Kent Seniors started the day’s proceedings by going 7-4 up in the first set, only to be pegged back to 11-11 by the end of the second set. There was never any more than two frames in it for the rest of the match as it went one way then the other, Kent feeling they left a few frames out there. 22-22 the final score, and Billy Rase gets my vote as player of the day with his debut 3 out of 4. Lee Crowhurst also delivered 3 out of 4, with Marc Brazier and Barbara chipping in with the same.

Next match in region 7 v Berkshire on 17th March, but before that, we have the little matter of the Nationals.

Good luck to all our players going to represent their country next week in Ireland at the European Championships. Hopefully, we will see some Kent winners with you never know a Scottish victory somewhere along the line.

Good start all, well done, and great atmosphere by all.

Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s	10:10 DRAW
Seniors	22:22 DRAW
Juniors	17:19 WIN
Ladies	14:30 WIN
A	23:21 LOSS
B	15:29 WIN
C	14:30 WIN

So the 2024 county team cross a couple borders in the morning to visit our Sussex friends. I remember a few tight matches across a number of divisions over the last 5 years, so we look forward to the challenge. As county manager, I am aware of the enthusiasm within the squad at the start of a season as we all establish where we are at and how the season is going to progress. I am particularly keen on seeing how a number of things play out this year given the changes to the squads. Lee Crowhurst starts his journey as juniors team manager, and I know he is excited about the prospect of a number of his new young recruits. Lee, I am sure, will lead the team well, ably assisted by his new captain and vice-captain, Callum Britt and James Goldsmith, who will lead by example both on and off the table.

Our under 23s are still strong, and with Jasper Simmonds as captain at the helm, I sense another great season is ahead of them. We have integrated some youngsters into the C team this year, and I will look forward to seeing how they develop their games to the standard required at men’s county pool. Paul Cox and Chris Freelove will be guiding the team into battle (well, Sussex), and this fixture is generally a tough challenge. The ladies’ team has a couple of changes too, with people having a break from the game. This, of course, offers opportunity, and we are all excited to see Erin start her ladies’ pool career in earnest tomorrow. I expect the ladies to maintain their dominance across the region.

Our B team, I have a real like about the balance, and in my mind, I’m thinking Farron Rowe supporting Redsull is something that could develop into a force to be reckoned with. Jack Galloway comes straight into the team to add strength, and I suspect people like Jamie O’Donnell and Jamie Gamble are going to start firing up their true potential. Our A team is now led by Dave Fernandez and Jasper Simmonds, and I know the boys in the team respect both these individuals on and off the table. Welcome, Charley McDowell, I’m sure you will make a huge impact across the season. A long-overdue title is what I’m saying here to a team that, let’s be honest, should have won the title at least twice in the last 5 years but never did. The aim is simple, therefore.

Finally, I will be looking to captain the seniors into a season that can deliver success. There is enough talent in this team to deliver success, and we have strength in depth all the way through in this new 11-person format.

So good luck to all tomorrow! Let the Sussex boys and girls know you are there to create a positive atmosphere, and if we do that, I am sure we will return to Kent with much success.

All the best, Wilbo.

Match Report

Our penultimate matches of the season against Surrey had varying degrees of importance bestowed upon them with titles up for grabs, personal ambitions being enhanced as well as the reputation of Kent County Pool from a playing perspective being put in the line.

With no Under 23 match (that division already claimed by our strong side), our Seniors team started the day off – the match report from Captain Twigger follows:

Seniors’ Team Captain’s Report

A wee team talk beforehand highlighted the talent and ability of our 2 missing travellers. It was reiterated about starting well and NOT going behind early doors. Realistically, we were up against a much better team on paper! We completed out aim in winning the first set 5:4. My memory is our Barb taking out a finish with a long black to peg them back to 3:3, at that time. Set 2, and we won the first 4 frames. 9:4 up it is! A bit of to-ing and fro-ing saw us 11:7 up at half-time.

The next set seemed to get away from us as the Surrey boys won 5 of the first 6 frames! But no, we showed resilience by winning the next 3! Into the last set 15:12 up, only 4 frames from 9 needed! How easy was this to be!!! NOOOOOO! In traditional Kent Seniors style, we made it hard work! 🤦🏻‍♂️🫣

Despite winning the first 2 frames of the 4th set, the score went from 17:12 to 17:15. This left Barb and Deano to bring it home for a great win. Congrats to Deano for an amazing 4 out of 4. Every player contributed to the 19 frames won, and that is a special victory that will be treasured for a long time.

Thank you team. Xxx

That victory means that the seniors have dragged themselves back into the race for qualification at the nationals … if they win their game in hand next weekend against Sussex they will start their final match against Berkshire in second place , knowing a win would get them there. However tgat will be no easy task with Leary, Barker and Yardley in the Berkshire ranks!!

Kent Ladies have set themselves up nicely to retain their title. A 28:16 win means a victory against Berkshire will keep the title in Kent. Powerful displays were seen across the board by seven of the ladies, achieving 3/4 on the day. These exceptional performers were captain Jools, Barbara Taylor, Mel Clements, Jo Miles, Jan Spinner, Amy Cook, and Vanessa Ledger.

Our Junior team once again ran riot with a 31:5 win. This team has a couple of players in their last season, so they will be strong favourites to finish their junior career with another national title. Captain Erin Gannon led the way with a full house, and she was joined in the top bracket by James Goldsmith, Chase East, Michail Cairns, who seems to be a man in form, and Alfie Harding. A special acknowledgment goes to manager Padraic for maintaining the standards throughout the season.

Our C team needed to win to have a chance of retaining the title, and they did that with an emphatic 29:15 win. This means a win in the last game over Berkshire will see the title stay in Kent. Chris Freelove and Jamie Fenech (said in a Scottish accent) completed the 4/4 highlights as the C team took every set, putting themselves in a prime position for the final game of the season.

Kent B team has had a few in-and-out games this season but put this game to bed in good style, winning the first two sets 7:4 and 8:3 before a mini fightback was put to rest with a final 7:4 to secure a 26:18 win. Looking at the B section table, it is not mathematically impossible to win the division, but it will need something resembling their comeback against Leicester at the nationals a couple of years ago. Remember, it’s never over till it’s over. It’s nice to see a couple of Skollobs weighing in with 8/8. Well done to Ben Morgan and Ritchie Bell; well played.

Finally, the very long wait for a region title for Kent A is to be determined in the final game against Berkshire, a head-to-head battle for the title. Surrey looked like they had thrown a real spanner in the works as Kent A’s notorious slow start saw them trailing 9:3 and 14:9. However, that never-say-die spirit and the domino effect started, and Steve Ritchie pulled the score level at 15:15. Kent took the lead 16:15 in the next frame, and from that point on, the rollercoaster ride began, resulting in victory with a score of 25:19. Quite something, I’m glad I wasn’t there; it’s too much for an old man to take!

Two players were called up to replace Wilbo and Jasper, and as I requested, both achieved 4/4 on the day. Well done to Aaron Bhat and Charley McDowell; it’s quite something to step into that team and deliver like that. It made me smile when I saw that. So that victory means Kent A will face Berkshire A for the title next month, and I hope it will be hotly contested by both teams.

Finally, I remember saying at the end of my last report to stay safe until next time. As most of you will know, the very next day after county, Dave Fernandez was driving to Stoke with Adam Bassoo to compete in the ultimate pairs when they experienced a dreadful car accident. Amazingly, and it sounds like someone was watching over them, they suffered battered bodies but lived to tell the tale. They even continued their journey and won the evening’s event. I’m not bothered about the result; only that our two friends are safe and well. So again, I say stay safe, and I will see you all in Chatham on November 5th for some real firework matches!

All the best. Wilbo

Final Scores

u23s	no match
Seniors	19:17 WIN
Juniors	31:5 WIN
Ladies	28:16 WIN
A	25:19 WIN
B	26:18 WIN
C	29:15 WIN